"What do you do with those??" That was probably the most asked question about my Mini Art Quilts when I was displaying and selling them at art and craft shows. This post will give you some answers and examples of displaying my Mini Art Quilts, by framing, mounting on canvas and more.
When most people hear or read the word Quilt, they think bed quilt or blanket. I have done those, but get the most enjoyment from creating my Art Quilts, which are works of art to be displayed like any painting or photo, on the wall. The largest number of my creations are from Postcard size to 11"x14", and even some tiny ACEO's, with most made to fit standard sized frames. My earliest Mini Art Quilts were made with framing them in mind. I began with small versions of my Windows and Trellises Series, and made most 8"x10", and a few 11×14". You could just use a small straight pin and pin the quilt directly to the wall, but here are some more options.
Garden Arbor is an 11"x14" piece that I decided needed more than just a frame, so I matted it to fit a 16"x20" frame. The quilt is mounted on an acid free backer board with double sided archival tape along the top edge of the quilt, then the mat was taped to the backer board, and all popped into the frame with the glass.
I have always admired the simple framed botanical prints that can be seen in many decorator magazines. The next series I began was my Botanical Applique series, that are already "matted" with a white or ivory fabric border. These just need to be sandwiched between the glass and backer board in the frame.
To the right are two of these 11"x14" Art Quilts shown in frames. The color of the frame makes a difference in the final look of the piece for hanging. I tend to prefer the dark or black frames to contrast with the light borders, but the gold tone frame works well, if that fits with your home's decor better.
{All of the framed pieces shown are available for purchase unless noted otherwise… please contact me for more info.}
This photo shows 2 pieces displayed in a grouping, you can display a number of the smaller pieces on a large wall, using similar frame styles to make a cohesive display.
The first of my Sunprint Series Art Quilts were made to display the same way- a sunprint on fabric, matted with white or ivory fabric, quilted, and ready to frame without a mat if desired. If you are interested in my sunprint process, check out my Sunprinting Mini Tutorial, earlier in this blog.
After framing and displaying many Mini Art Quilts like this over the years, I have seen no ill effects from the glass touching the quilts. The first Sunprint piece on the right is an 11"x14" quilt framed in black. The second one is another 11"x14" sunprint piece in a gold tone frame.
Below is a 5"x7" sunprint mini in a frame, the color of the frame coordinates nicely with the colors in the sunprint. These examples will give you an idea of what a quilt you purchase can look like in a frame.
The texture of Quilt Art can be better appreciated when displayed without glass, and I have been mounting some of my Mini Art Quilts on fabric covered pre-stretched artist canvases. "Wild Roses" above is an 8"x10" quilt mounted on a canvas covered in a hand painted fabric that coordinates with the sunprint. I have switched from a satin stitch edge to couched yarn to finish my quilt's edges in more recent works. These pieces look great stitched to the canvas with their edges in full view.
The fabric can be stapled over the canvas, then the quilt stitched on through both layers, or the quilt can be stitched to the fabric before stapling over the canvas- a bit trickier to be sure the quilt is centered this way. You don't even need to cover the canvas with fabric. "My Dream House" is mounted on the white prepared canvas just as I purchased it. Tiny screw eyes attach picture wire on the backs of the canvas frames for easy hanging.
"Beside the Door" on the right is also an 8"x10" quilt mounted on a canvas covered with black fabric.
This method works great for any size Mini Art Quilt from tiny ACEO's through postcard size and larger. Here are a couple of my postcards mounted on 8"x10" fabric covered canvases. Both of these are available for purchase from my website.
Multiple small pieces can also be mounted on the same canvas or in the same frame.
I hope this will give you some ideas for what to do with Mini Art Quilts. Tomorrow, I will have another post with ideas for hanging larger Art Quilts.
