Presenting Felt

I've been making felted books and flat pieces and sculptures since 2008 or so, and I pulled them out recently, wondering if I had enough for a show. Indeed! They fill up four big plastic bins. The books always feel so light, and in the past I've made boxes for them. But even though I gave someone a flat piece in its own matching handmade box, they still wanted to know how to frame it. I understand the desire to see a piece daily. The felt is so tactile, though; I feel strongly that it should not be under glass. 

I devised what I think is a good solution for the flat pieces, and one that makes them feel weighty, more substantial. I'm now mounting them on flat wood panels that I purchase from Blick and adding a 1/2" molding or frame of sorts cut from square dowels. My resident owner-of-a-miter-box showed me how to miter the corners. I sanded the edges, then fitted and glued the pieces to the panel. I mixed acrylic paint and painted the wooden edges with colors to match or enhance the felt colors. The panels are birch and pine, a good price, and come in a nice variety of sizes that happen to suit my pieces. This method satisfies me. 

We learned years ago that you could hang textiles, like small rugs or woven wall hangings, from Velcro attached to a yardstick. The prickly hooks from the Velcro stick to the textile. I adapted that technique here. It turns out that you can buy a roll of just the hooks in either black or white at a craft supply store like JoAnn's. Because the felted work is not glued, but hangs from Velcro that is stuck to the panel, the felt can be gently taken out of its frame to vacuum or shake out, if necessary, or just handled.


Senses

California Landscape

Comments

FA Neophyte said…
Very nifty! Your feltwork is gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing this display tip.