Lacing & Framing

When I first started framing my own stitched pieces, I thought . . lacing isn’t so bad. I think I’ve changed my mind. It definitely isn’t fun but I guess it’s just one of those things that has to happen if I want a framed piece on the wall . . I could pay a professional framer but not only is that expensive, but I think I’d have a hard time leaving my piece with someone – especially if I were sending it off in the mail. So, I let the pieces stack up, and then I have to spend days lacing.

Today was the day! I had taken a few pieces with me about a month ago when Vince had a colonoscopy but those things are quick and I only got two small pieces laced. This one was already laced so it may have been one of the pieces I did but I don’t really think it was. Anyway, it’s laced and just popped into the frame. On all of these, I’ll spend a few days looking at them to be sure I think they’re straight before I fasten them in permanently and get them on a wall.

I like the plain, black frame. I tend to go with darker, narrower frames and have to remind myself that not everything needs a plain black frame.

This one is in a shiny, ripply, deep red/burgundy frame which is the perfect color of the reds used in this piece. It will only be up for the holidays so I figured the red would be ok for a month or less.

This is a frame that I ordered from a place I had ordered frames from for several years but this one was my breaking point and I’m no longer ordering frames. I sent it back and they remade it three times. Actually I sent it back twice and this is the third frame they made and it was probably the worst. It was so poorly made that Vince had to glue the pieces together and then take it to a friend who has the tool to staple the corners together. The “wood” is more like cardboard and wants to crumble. The finish would flake off for almost no reason so I have to do some touch up work on it before it goes on the wall. I can see that the borders aren’t terribly straight so I’ll work on that for sure before permanently fixing it into the frame.

This one is larger than most of what I do. I ordered the frame months ago and I put it somewhere safe since it was too big to fit where I store the other frames. I told myself I wasn’t going to remember where I put it and . . I do not so I’ll find it. I’ll probably think about it in the middle of the night . . but not tonight! 🙂

It’s nice to have these this much closer to being finished and I can’t wait to have them on the wall.