In a message dated 7/7/05 12:34:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Whatever you decide, if you want it to be removable, just mount whatever > you do on some kind of backing board and then mount the boards. This would > also make them removable for cleaning, too. > > I love the idea of large scale lace looking like a carving. The backing > board would even emphasize that effect. > Dear Karisse, Here is one possibility if you do not want to hang lace on curtain rods: Foam Core Panels: Can be purchased in framing shops. They once were about 1/4" in depth and tended to warp, but now also come 1/2" thick (may be slightly thicker than the wood molding surrounding your windows, so check). This is what we use when we mount a temporary lace exhibit. They are light in weight and staples and pins can be used without problems. The foam core does not off-gas (archivally appropriate). You'll need an implement to cut to size/shape, and if you are making an unusual shape, make a paper template pattern to guide you. It can be pinned to uncut foam core so it does not move around, reducing probablity of making a mistake. The cut shape will be covered with fabric after you have cut the foam core to the shapes you want. Fabric Covering: Check the right side for any imperfections before doing any cutting. Broadcloth is what I use for displays - it comes in many colors and is not too thick to wrap around foam core and miter. There are other possibilities, but remember you'll have to miter corners and do not get something thick. Dark colors tend to provide best contrast with lace, and I recommend you *avoid any color with tones of yellow* in it (does not look good with ecrus and laces that may discolor over time). Effective colors are chocolate brown, forest green, cranberry and other deep rich reds, royal blue, black. Cut fabric the size of foam core shape plus enough to wrap to back and secure (add about an extra 5" for width and 5" for length if you are using 1/2" thick foam core). Lay the cut fabric wrong side up on a large table. Center your foam core on the cut fabric. Wrap up around 1/2" thick sides around to the back and temporarily pin with corsage pins. You should have no more than 2" to spare all around - in which you will staple. The way to get best results is to staple the centers of North and South, then East and West first. Staple gradually to the corners. Miter the corners to flatten them. Staple with an ordinary office stapler that has staples that are short enough not to come through to the front. Whatever background fabric you choose, be absolutely sure it is color-fast so lace will not discolor from dye if exposed to kitchen steam. If you decide on metal lace, be sure it is a metal that will not rust. Padding? You can find thin non-woven yardage to lightly pad between the foam core and top fabric, if you'd like a softer appearance, but don't buy one so thick that staples and the pins you affix the lace with will not hold securely in the foam core. Hanging Hardware: Ask in the framing shop what they have for what you want to do. Perhaps they will have some pretty plexiglass or brass findings that can be used to secure the panels to the walls - something like the holders for door mirrors. Or, you might be surprised and find something pretty in a building supplies store. If you want a hanging method to be almost invisible, you could use very thin brad-type nails for each of the four corners. You could pin a rosette or something over the heads of these brads if they are visible. Thin brads would mean that when you move to another house, you'd gently pry the panels towards you, away from the wall. Then, use needle-nose pliers to pull the brads out of the walls. It is possible you will have to attach all four corners of each mounted piece of foam core to avoid it swinging out away from the wall at the bottom (which once happened to me in a museum installation where I used 1/4" foam core, attached to swinging panels belonging to the museum). Pins: There are very tiny pins with small heads, such as those I bought from a conservation supplier about 25 years ago. You'll find something perhaps different. My pin box label says "Major Brass Bank Pins, Nickel Plated - No. 8". They are 1/2" long, but with the addition of layers of fabric and lace they will not go through to the back of 1/2" foam core. I use these for pinning up temporary lace exhibits - pinning into semi-tight open spaces in lace (such as picots), not through threads. You must be sure the pins you use will not rust, so test them. Be sure the plating is intact (undamaged). Large pieces of lace must be pinned through the middle, or they will sag from gravity pull or humidity changes, then become damaged. First Step: If you go with this way of mounting lace around your windows, I recommend you decide how you will attach foam core to the walls (find the hardware) *before you invest in any other supplies*. You might like to buy a couple yards of craft laces similar to the type you are thinking of making, and put it up to admire for a while. Could be, you do not like the effect, in which case you will not have spent many many hours making that particular type of lace! Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace & Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
