Devil In A Red Dress...


So, the other day I mentioned that I had put "Hiraeth" on stretcher bars because I didn't like the way it was hanging. Although BSP maintains that the "waves" gave it a "very arty 3D" effect, I didn't like it, and I was pretty confident that a potential buyer/show wouldn't either (little did I know it was going off to International Quilt Festival!)

Anyway - someone had written me and asked what I had done and how I did it - so here it is!

I bought these long pieces of 2 x 1 wood from Home Depot and had them cut to the size I wanted. Hiraeth was 29 x 40 so I calculated for 28.75 by 3.75.  I also measured the wood - and even though it said it was 2 x 1, it was actually 1.75 by 1 so I also had to take that into account when I had my inner pieces cut.

I put the pieces together using the metal thingies that you see here on each corner (don't be intimidated by my technical language lol), and I| put them on inside and out of each corner - so eight in total.

And then I proceeded to wrap the framing with thin cotton batting.



The corners were a bit tricksy...



But I muddled through.  I stapled the thing to death, and bob's your uncle!


I added an 8 inch border of cotton muslin to Hiraeth which I quadruple seamed (to stand up to stretching), and then once it was wrapped and stapled to the frame, I painted the muslin border in the same colours of green as Hiraeth.

NOTE: I discovered in the process that I should have made the frame a 1/2 inch smaller, rather than a 1/4 inch smaller as Hiraeth was not, despite my best efforts, perfectly square. And no amount of stretching would get rid of the 1/8 of muslin showing in one section of the frame.



But because I painted it the same colours, you can't tell. Onnnnnlllyyyy if you look really, really closely at that section.


Then I wrapped her in a layer of tissue paper, followed by 3 layers of bubble wrap (The small bubbles. If  I'd gotten the big bubbles I probably would only have done two layers).



Then the whole thing went in a cotton muslin bag that was purpose made, and then THAT got put in a set of heavy duty plastic bags I got from a packing supplies store. It was sealed up and then...

From the same store, I bought a box that was intended for a mirror to put her in.  An "art" box would have done just as well, but this mirror one was the right size.  I put half a pool noodle in the bottom of the box to protect it  from bashing in transit (I actually switched out the one pictured for a longer one), popped it into the box, and for good measure, put another pool noodle on top.

And off she goes!

The costs associated with this process were not for the faint of heart by the way.

1. Sticks and metal thingies                         $12
2. Batting. Not sure, but about                     $8
3. Fabric and buttons for bag                      $15
3. Box, bubble wrap and plastic bags         $32
4. Two day shipping to Houston                 $411.

Yeah, no. That's not a typo. FOUR HUNDRED AND ELEVEN DOLLARS.  lol

I mean, it couldn't be helped. Due to not getting the initial notification, the piece was a month late and had to be in Texas in order to be shipped to Chicago on Thursday with the rest of the show, so... yeah.

Advice to the wise...if you're waiting for notification about something? Check your spam box. 

*ahem*

New work on Friday.

Kit 120




Kit Lang

13 comments:

  1. oh my! I hope the response will be above and beyond the cost!
    Sandy in the UK

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  2. I appreciate the packing tutorial! I don't need it yet... but maybe someday...

    Chicago via Texas. How silly!

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  3. Yikes! That is a very expensive mistake! It looks fabulous on the stretcher bars. But it looked fabulous before so why wouldn't it still look fabulous! Thanks for sharing how you did it!

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  4. Wow! That's quite the sum! Heck, it might have been cheaper for you to send it via Taxi to Chicago... Spam box? That's just a whole lot of bad luck. Hope your luck improves! Are you going to be able to see it in person on display? I hope so!

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  5. OMG The price of fame! Oh well, I'm just glad this piece will get the exposure it deserves Kit. It really is outstanding! Congratulations again.

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  6. Ditto, on the OMG! What a price to pay. I've consider canvas wrapping my work, but haven't tried it yet.

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  7. $411!!!! Well why am I surprised by that with the cost of shipping anything these days.

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  8. eep! I thought postage form Australia was bad :(

    excellent tutorial btw - I always struggle with packing, or wrapping anything. It always looks like I don't have opposable thumbs :(

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  9. Kit - I really like the way you have framed the piece. The cost of delivery to Texas ie eye watering! I am going to have to wrestle with similar delivery problems myself to get Horizons to where it has to be, but hopefully a bit cheaper!

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  10. Wow! I mounted something this way when I shaped it in a way that didn't work. It looks great now but it does make me question why we feel that we have to make our textile pieces conform to a flat format straight format. Myself included.

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  11. I think that using the frame was a good idea, thanks for the tutorial. The shipping charges are horrendous, hope they are offset by the exposure you will get and hopefully a sale.

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  12. Good to know. I never check my spam box! Can you imagine if you did see it til it was too late!!! Worth $411.

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  13. LOL Kit. I wonder what your blood pressure was over this one. Just a little stressed? I think it looks great, but then I did the original as well, especially once you know the story behind it. Waiting to hear/see how your "wing" develops.
    Heather from GOE

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