Thursday, May 14, 2009

It's been Stolen!!!

We where greeted with this scene....

...when we took the hounds out yesterday. If you remember someone very generously dropped a couch at the end of our street for those weary travelers that needed a rest!! Now it's gone - oh whoa is our naked street - such a deprivation - how will we survive!!!! Now the view is back to city, Bay Bridge and East bay - like it is supposed to be!!!!

I got one of my favorite MGM non-Judy/Mickey Musicals - "Good News" - 1947 - starring June Allyson and Peter Lawford. This delightful piece is set at the fictional Tait College in the 20's - and you would only know that because they tell you at the beginning - since the costumes and hair-don'ts are pure mid 40's and have nothing to do with the roaring 20's - the movie has a real musical treat - a very young Mel Torme is featured as a student and you really hear why he was called the "Velvet Fog." The music is bright and a silly love story is the plot, but even with that the flick is fun and a joy to see.

Robin over at "My Life's a Stitch" asked about the framing job I did - I think that my hesitation to frame was more from intimidation than anything else. I used the method that Sherry uses and she graciously sent to me. She is a real sweety and helped me get over the fear of even trying. Basically I took a foam core board (from Michael's - about $3) cut to just under the size of the frame - since you wrap the linen around this it makes up the difference in size and fits snugly inside the frame. I found some steel Flat head pins at Joannes - 700 for $4 - and then just pinned the linen to the board - it took a bit of jiggling and wiggling to get it to look straight and make me happy - but the end result makes me happy and who else do I need to please???? The frame came with a piece of old glass already so there was no need to have any cut. Talking about needlework under glass - Trillium asked about this and I think here is a good place to talk about that. Now, I don't know if it is better to put stitched pieces under glass or not - for me - I just like the extra protection that glass adds so I use glass. I would think that so long as no moisture can get behind the glass then the stitched piece will do better over time under glass - what do you all do - Glass or no Glass?????

Thanks for all the nice comments - I always appreciate them!!!!! Do stop by again!

Take care,
edgar

19 comments:

  1. Sorry your sofa has gone missing. Sooo inconsiderate of people to not realise it was a place of peace for the weary dog walker.

    Re framing..if you are not using an acid free mount, and are just putting it under glass, you should use spacers to there is a gap between precious stitching and the glass...hope this helps lol
    Gaynor in R.O.I

    ReplyDelete
  2. I definitely prefer using glass. Like you, I like the extra protection it adds and the area we live in is notorious for dirt and dust (that even finds it's way indoors)!

    I am so thrilled it worked out for you because you will save a bundle and have so much fun with frames now too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Where will the weary travelers rest their tired feet? Thanks for the framing how-to. I will have to give this method a go!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unfortunately, I'm sure someone will "drop off" another piece of furniture at some point in time.

    Glass or no glass??? Well, I use to have all my pieces professionally framed and they told me that matting them was a good idea because it keeps the embroidery and cloth from touching the glass, giving it "room to breathe" so to speak. So, I usually use at least one mat (acid free, of course) now that I do my own framing. If it's an odd size piece and I cannot just buy a mat at Michael's or wherever I'll have one cut at my local cross stitch shop. Hopes this helps :)

    I have a question...how come it's easier to work on 25, 28, 30 ct. than it is 14 ct.??? Other than getting out my magnifying glass (LOL) I find it so much quicker and easier to do. Doesn't make sense to me...LOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. No glass. We don't smoke, our area is not dusty. I also know how to clean the pieces (low vacuum with the brush).

    Of course if someone else is paying...lots of matts and glass too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with Colleen, if I use glass, then I want mats to keep the glass (husband is a photographer, he uses plexi, not glass) from touching the cloth and threads. But that said, if there are charms or beads, no glass. I want to see all the sparkling up close and personal without glass or plexi in the way.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I go 'no glass' personally. It is just a matter of my own cheapness rather then a style or proven method. I buy frame sections for my odd sized pieces and it's just too expensive to get a piece of glass cut to fit. If I find a standard size frame at a sale or flea market, then I usually use the glass that comes with it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ah..to glass or not to glass. Aunt Chrissy and I go back and forth on this one, but I usually opt for no glass because I am spastic and am usually distracted by something else in the store and I can't be bothered to make a damn decision when the nice sales clerk says "Do you want glass on this?" and then she gets so frustrated that she just doesn't put glass on it (whew! heaving breathing).

    Actually, we have several pieces of our mom's needlepoint that are under glass and have been so for over 40 years and they're still lovely.

    For my stuff I figure the only one who will inherit all of this crap will be Stewey, and he'll slap it up on e-Bay so fast the glass will be completely irrelevant by that point.

    Now as for the couch...why the heck didn't they face it the other way so that you could sit on it and enjoy the view? That way it would have looked like a little something the city was doing for y'all in the way of outdoor seating beautification.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bummer about the sofa being gone!!

    I always use glass, usually museum non-glare!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh the poor travelers who need a rest! LOL, that is just too funny! I like glass, I like to know that my piece is protected!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I always use glass I just think it protects my work from getting dirty. I have dogs in the house (love how you call your dogs hounds, lol) so there is the hair factor as well. I wanted to tell you I really enjoy reading your blog. I just discovered it when Jen at my stitchin time posted about your contest. Thanks!

    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  12. Definitely glass Edgar - but I always make sure the glass doesn't touch the fabric.
    Talking of glasses - where's a photo of your new spectacles!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sorry about your sofa. Least you have your view back though.

    I always frame under glass protects everything better IMO. Just remember to not let the fabric/threads touch the glass and you should be fine.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Nice view of the city - no fog. I am "glass" person. There is something about having that extra layer between the elements (especially curious hands). Gaynor mentioned spacers...I believe that some of my pieces I took to needlework framers (years ago) put spacers in and used a glass that protected the pieces from UVA and/or UVB rays. Anyway, you did a beautiful job! I have tried in the past and my pieces always seem to get into the frame crooked.

    ReplyDelete
  15. In regards to framing, always use archival materials, either use mats or spacers so that the glass isn't resting directly on your fabric, and use glass that filters out damaging sun and fluorescent rays. This glass tends to be a bit darker, and like with matte glass, some of the sharp detail may not stand out as clearly as in unfiltered glass, but the protection that it provides is worth it.

    If you have embellishments, such as beads, buttons & charms, you might want to consider using a shadow box style, with deeper sides, and using glass that way. Or you can use a combination of triple matting and spacers to raise the glass up even further.

    As for the sofa, perhaps someone has generously seen fit to have it re-upholstered, and one of these days, when you are out walking the hounds again (shades of Easter Parade in there somewhere) you will be delightfully surprised to find the sofa returned, in a much improved condition, sporting new colors befitting the neighborhood.

    And I was thinking the same thing that Coni was pondering. .it should be facing the other direction, to take advantage of the view while one is relaxing.

    Congrats on conquering your framing qualms! Now your vintage frame quests will have new a deeper understanding and new interest! Perhaps even going so far as to stitch something to go with that special find! Good luck, and above all, have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  16. "Good News" ranks right up there as one of my true favorites. It is a bit silly, plot-wise, but I still love it. I love the "Pass That Peace Pipe" and "Varsity Drag" dance numbers. The girl that plays Babe is an awesome dancer.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I prefer glass for the protection. We have gas heat, which can be sticky. Also, with all of our windows, I've started using museum glass. We can't keep the house totally dark:) and the Texas sun is brutal!

    ReplyDelete
  18. On the 'glass or no glass debate' I could not imagine not having glass. I would be worried how dirty the work would become over time. I used to help out in a framing gallery and of course we would never put the glass straight on top of the work without either mats or spacers, if we weren't using mats. Also necessary if there are beads or charms on the stitching.

    Chrissie

    ReplyDelete
  19. I wanted to give you a tip about framing that I got when I had a piece professionally framed. There were several straight lines in my piece, and every line was super straight; it was gorgeous. The framer actually pinned several X's in each line to keep them straight while he jiggled and wiggled the piece. If I ever attempt to frame my own work, I would give this a try.

    ReplyDelete

“In every end, there is also a beginning.”

 Gentle Friends, I finished the sampler last night and here's a snaperooo... Village Square Sampler from Samplers Remembered   1/8 - 3/2...