Assembling the Panels, first stage
There’s always more involved than you think, isn’t there…
I had all sorts of thoughts about keeping the four panels together, but in the end the simplest solution seemed to be a large panel on the back, with screws through to the wooden frames. So my first visit was to our wonderful local framer, because I thought the sort of hardboard she uses to back her frames would be enough.
No, she said, it’s not strong enough, you need something a bit beefier. So I went to a local(ish) building supplies store that is willing to cut material to size, and they duly did so. But not quite right (fortunately, too big) so I had to go back and get them to do it again.
Once the boards were the right size, I set out to map the frames onto the board, so as to work out where to put the holes for the screws. I got thoroughly confused and lines and more lines and planned holes and replanned holes and very nearly howled with despair on more than one occasion, but in the end, I had a Plan of where to place my screws.
Then we taped the two boards together so that one set of drilling would do (that was a very good thought of The Australian’s), and spent ages drilling those holes.
In the interests of having a nice looking back, not covered with a zillion lines in fibretip pen, I’ve sponged the back with two shades of gold acrylic paint.
We’ll get to the end of this eventually – I hope!
That looks like very hard work! I hope the rest of your exhibition preparations go with less hassle. (The stippled back is very attractive. You won’t have to worry if it shows.)
It’s very scary to cut or poke holes in things, actions that can’t be undone if something goes wrong. So planning and double-checking are necessary. How does the saying go? Measure twice, cut once..?
Yes, it will be wonderful in the end, I’m sure of it.
The finishing and mounting is always more intensive than the actual embroidery stitching and you have the thought in your head that you might do something to the stitching! Oh the stress involved.
A beautiful effect for the back – I like that very much. Hopefully now that the board is right-sized, holes are drilled and back is painted it will be clear sailing from here!
Easy to forget how much extra work there is with preparing work for an exhibition but it looks as though you’re doing a magnificent job
Finishing for me always entails the use of a lot of very bad vocabulary.
I like what you have done to the back of the panel.