• only for embroidery designed with a mat.
• It is remarkable because it allows you to stretch the embroidery well even with a very small field of free canvas (1 cm).
• Suitable for a variety of fabrics, but especially good for stretching thin materials such as linen or silk.

We will need:

We take 5 mm foam cardboard and cut out a rectangle from it the size of the future work with an increase in the margins of the passe-partout.

We mark the exact size of the embroidery inside with a margin of free canvas.

Using an ordinary but very sharp knife, carefully cut out a rectangular hole and do not throw out the inside.
You need to cut at an acute angle vertically so that the foam board does not crumble when cutting.

The cut out square of foam board will be for us an analogue of the inner ring of the hoop for stretching our embroidery.

Place the embroidery on the inner rectangle, placing it neatly and evenly, and insert it into the cut-out hole from below.
Just like the inner ring of the hoop with the fabric was inserted into the outer ring.

It is advisable to lay thin white padding polyester between the embroidery and the foam board (as a backing for the embroidery). This is necessary especially when the underside of the embroidery is uneven, has broaches, thickenings or knots that, having “sunk” in the soft layer of the backing, will not appear on the face when the embroidery is pulled.

All this fits very tightly into the hole. Next, we tighten the canvas from below, in the right places, until we achieve a perfectly even and beautiful tension.

This is what we get at the back.

Now you need to smooth out the free canvas at the back, carefully lay the corners with an “envelope”

glue double-sided tape to the foam cardboard from behind where the free canvas will not bend, and glue a backdrop made of ordinary binding cardboard onto it, which will hide everything.

Now in this form you can take your work to a framing workshop and order a mat and a frame with glass for it

This method is ideal if there are practically no fields of free canvas, or the canvas is old and crumbling. A margin of 1 cm is enough for it...

It is clear that this method is only suitable for mating.
And the embroidery itself should be carefully embroidered and not have strong distortions.

But there is no glue at all, and if necessary, everything can be dismantled without leaving a trace in a matter of seconds.
And even if the decorated embroidery suddenly sag a little over time (or due to changes in storage conditions), you can easily tighten everything up again.

Master class performerAivar Pozharsky

For many workshops, working with mats is almost the main operation when designing works. Unfortunately, not all framers pay enough attention to this, although the presentation and perception of the work being framed largely depends on the design of the mat.

First of all, let me remind you. that the purpose of the mat is to create the necessary distance to prevent the image from coming into contact with the glass.

It follows that almost all work. those performed under glass must have either a passe-partout or a distance between the glass and the work.

At the same time, for various types of images, one layer of mat is not enough. First, let's look at a single-layer mat.

The first question that arises for the designer is: what color and tone should I choose cardboard?

Everyone knows the traditional recommendation: “The mat should be darker than the light one and lighter than the dark one in the work.” This rule is suitable for most cases, although it is not universal. Besides. It’s not at all clear HOW LIGHTER? HOW DARKER? But the accuracy of the design depends on this.

And here we must remember how the passe-partout “works”.

Firstly, it can be like a “tunnel”. This is roughly the same as when we look out into the street from a dark room through an open door. With a “tunnel” mat. is placed relatively darker than the overall tonal structure of the work. Thus, the location of the object is set, as it were, “IN THE DEPTH behind the mat.” Secondly, “dissolution of backgrounds” - in this case, the color and tonality of the mat are chosen based on the background elements of the background or background. Essentially, this technique imitates the “depth of field” used by photographers. With its help, we are able to control the depth of space of an object and the perception of its individual elements.

Thirdly, the mat works like a camera shutter speed. With light shades, it reveals the light nuances in the work, but all the shadows merge with a dark spot and vice versa, with dark shades it whitens the light and reveals the richness of the shadows.

That is, through the passe-partout we can control the volumetric-spatial vision of the designed object and its components. Therefore, before choosing a design, you need to carefully study the object itself and discuss with the client all the nuances of perception. and only then offer certain artistic solutions.

Now let’s look at various design options using the example of one embroidery “Girl on a Polar Bear”. This work is distinguished by a rather restrained palette of colors, a small amount of “fluffiness” in the flakes of white snow in the background and the presence of metallic elements in the robe. The image itself is conditionally illustrative. in other words, flat.

Photo 1. The passe-partout was chosen to be quite dark, matching the color of the dark areas of the girl’s dress, which creates the effect of a tunnel. The embroidery itself is clearly positioned in depth.

Photo 2. The passe-partout was chosen to be much lighter, to match the light colors of the dress. As a result, the girl herself “comes” to the fore and concentrates attention on herself.

Photo 3. The passe-partout is also quite light in tone (as in photo 2), but has a tint of shadows in the bear - a secondary element of the image. Thus, the passe-partout, as it were, pushes the boundaries of embroidery and becomes its background. At the same time, the embroidered flakes of white snow become more noticeable. However, the designer has to take into account many other factors. For example. The option with a dark mat, although it highlights and concentrates attention on the embroidery itself, will reflect strongly under plain glass, which will complicate visual perception.

You can neutralize the glare or make it less noticeable by using a lighter mat, but then the “tunnel” effect will disappear.

At the same time. You can also focus the viewer’s attention on the embroidery using other techniques. For example, a stroke or an inner frame.

On photo 4 An example using a Y-groove is shown. This allows you to achieve the same effect as with a darker mat, but it looks more elegant. And yet, with this tone, the mat is lighter, but not enough to eliminate glare. Therefore on photo 5 An option using a light mat is shown (as in photo 3). However, there are two additional blue lines of different thicknesses, which imitates a “frame within a frame” and concentrates attention on the image. But the work itself contains some details that I would also like to emphasize (for example, a silver thread in a dress). This can be done by combining drawing lines with silver paint using a drawing pen and tinting the inner stripes with dry pastel or watercolor, that is, creating a simplified version of the “French passe-partout.” (Photo 6, 7).

I should note that options for ruling with a drawing board or filling with watercolors - “French passe-partout” - must be done on high-quality, well-glued cardboard. In our workshop we tried different types and settled on Moorman and Scappi cardboards. Because these products are characterized by predictable results. You don’t have to expect any pitfalls from such cardboards in the form of paint drips or peeling.

Variations of the “French passe-partout” also allow you to add decorative elements to the image or complement it. So on photo 8, 9 decorative stripes imitate the pattern on ice, but at the same time concentrate attention on the work itself.

As can be seen from these examples, even a single mat helps to very effectively present the framed work and control the viewer’s perception.

In addition, additional artistic techniques increase the required margins of the mat, which leads to an increase in the cost of the order, etc. accordingly, to a significant increase in profits. I would also like to say: the complication of the design of a single mat, which is considered a budget design, greatly enhances the aesthetic impression. that the client is willing to pay extra money for it!

But it should be noted that a single mat is not suitable for this embroidery, since it contains three-dimensional elements - “flakes” of snow. A layer of mat alone will not provide the required distance to the glass, and these “snowflakes” will be crushed.

I completely abandoned my interview section. Meanwhile, over the course of the year, there have been as many as 4 wonderful interviews with interesting people from the world of embroidery. It's time to correct yourself and print the material. So, I’ll start with the earliest interview - with Aivar Pozharsky. As some already know, our interview with him was published in the June issue of the magazine "Formula Handicraft". Unfortunately, magazine format is not my blog, so it was greatly shortened. And now, almost six months after publication, I want to post the full version. Of course, it is very different, since Aivar recently made some changes, after all, the world does not stand still. In a word - read and learn something new. Aivar has his own group in

- Aivar, tell me, what do you love most in life?

- My job. I never tire of repeating: I am a happy person because I do what I love, for which I also get paid.

- How did you come up with framing?

By education, I am a teacher of drawing, drawing and labor, I even worked at school for 4 years.

Actually, it was then during Trul lessons that the kids and I made the first frames in my life. In addition, I owned my own art gallery, where I exhibited mainly paintings and graphics. But before I didn’t understand embroidery because I didn’t know anything about it. I came to work with embroidery after one move, when I was left without a client base and, therefore, I had little work. In search of clients, I went to a website with embroidery work and it began!

- How long have you been doing framing?

FATG

.

- Tell us a little about framing craftsmanship in Russia?

Nobody appreciates her! No one studies or practices this type of art.

- What is the main goal of the Baguette Guild?

- What do you see as your goal as a frame teacher?

- Very often we hear phrases such as the 3rd level of design, or the 4th, but few people know what this means?

Level 4, this is long-term preservation, with a 25-year guarantee; in addition, the embroidery is protected both from the external environment and from possible harmful substances in the materials used, in particular from acids, which are often contained in cardboard used for budget design, or tape. And the 5th level is a museum level. The warranty is about 30 years.

- Very interesting. Perhaps the framing business has a long history?

Studio

Once upon a time, customers came to me and showed me their design. I really liked it, and I wanted to, if not repeat it, then do something similar.

Although I still follow her work and admire her just as much.

- What about your assistant Ekaterina Alexandrova?

- How do you feel about kitsch in decoration?

- What about criticism in design?

However, this is not the case. Therefore, how can you criticize your colleagues for a disgusting design if it was the client’s whim?

- Who is your favorite embroidery designer?

I don’t know many people, but I really love Martina Weber’s mandalas. Lately, tailoring based on original designs by Russian designers has been gaining popularity. Many are very pleasant - it is a pleasure to work with them. I don't really like some Russian and Ukrainian purchased sets. They have too many flaws, both from an artistic point of view and from the point of view of low-quality materials.

-What do you like about embroidery?

I work only with wood and wooden frames. No plastic! Wood is alive and warm; it also retains the energy of human hands, just like embroidery.

The resulting frames are simply stunning, and all original and exclusive.

Yes. Constantly. And thank God that we have such wonderful clients who support us in this and expect creativity from us.

Aivar Pozharsky is a well-known person in embroidery circles. His name is a symbol of careful attitude to embroidery and high-quality design of any work. His Art Frame workshop is a place where many embroiderers want to display their work. It was he who introduced the concept of “art frame” into wide use and showed everyone that with the help of the right design, any embroidery can be made into a unique masterpiece.
Our correspondent Yana Bebre interviewed Aivar Pozharsky at the FR exhibition

FR: Aivar, tell me, what do you love most in life?
My job. I never tire of repeating: I am a happy person because I do what I love, for which I also get paid.
FR: How did you come up with framing?
By profession I am a teacher of drawing, drafting and labor; I also studied at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In addition, I am also a watercolor artist. You know, before I didn’t understand embroidery because I didn’t know anything about it. I came to work with embroidery after one move, when I was left without a client base and, therefore, I had little work. In search of clients, I went to one embroidery forum - and it began! It was on the Internet that I met two famous baguette makers - Alex Victor and Vsevolod Maryan, who explained to me the specifics of working with embroidery. Since then, this type of design has become a staple in my work, and it has brought many new creative ideas. There are great opportunities for creativity here! When working with embroidery, decorative and applied design is possible. Embroidery is a three-dimensional image into which the embroiderer has put a lot of work. When designing embroidery, I feel the warmth and energy of each work.
FR: How long have you been doing framing?
My experience has been formed over 20 years. There will be an anniversary in December this year. And I created my first frame back in 1984.
FR: Do you continue to learn and improve?
I'm still learning. We founded the Russian Framing School, and I was one of the first to pass the FATG (England) FATG (England) exam in Russia. I try not to miss a single lesson that my colleagues from other countries teach there.

FR: Is it difficult to create and then explain to the customer why it turned out that way in the end?
A professional framer must explain why he did it this way and not otherwise. There are no such concepts as “like or dislike” in our vocabulary. After all, what is embroidery? Three-dimensional painting in 3D. And this is very important when designing. It is based on this that you can create a design project so that the embroidery and framing form a single whole.
FR: Tell us a little about framing craftsmanship in Russia?
Framing craft is the stepdaughter of all arts! For a long time, no one studied it at all, and in Russia during Soviet times it was practically lost. Until now, not a single serious work on this skill has been written or translated in Russian! Although in the West there is enough such literature. But two years ago the Framers’ Guild was founded and the Russian Framing School was opened under it, which allows us to hope that the situation will change.
FR: What is the main purpose of the Framers Guild?
Introduce saving technologies and reversibility into the daily practice of colleagues. Fill the information vacuum. Defending professional interests before the state. Few people understand that the framing craft is at the forefront of protecting cultural property. It depends on our conscientiousness whether future rarities will survive to reach museums or disappear into oblivion.
FR: What do you see as your goal as a baguette teacher?
Firstly, I have to communicate a lot with both clients and colleagues. I explain to clients the main points that they should pay attention to when placing orders, since many of the most important operations for the safety of their work are hidden from view. And with my colleagues I share the developments that were born in the depths of my workshop. A striking example: two years ago I began to use a triple passe-partout when decorating; at that time, few people designed it this way. Nowadays, this design is the norm, and 4-layer black and white is our signature feature. Or another example - museum glass, 20 years ago I could not convince clients to put museum glass even on museum items, but now it makes up about 50% of the total number of orders.
FR: What is special about museum glass?
It does not distort color rendering and removes glare. Gives the work a different feel compared to regular glass and provides UV protection to the image.
FR: Many people design their work without glass. How do you feel about this design?
I design all works only with glass. Embroidery is susceptible to many factors: light, humidity, insects, dust, acid, etc. That is why it is important to install glass. Museum glass saves embroidery from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, and acid-free materials ensure that the work will not be damaged by the design itself over time.
FR: Very often we hear phrases such as “third level of design” or “fourth”, but few people know what this means...
The design is divided into five levels: 1st level – ready-made purchased frame; Level 2 involves design with an economical option (refused or defective frames, use of budget materials).
Framing workshops must start working from level 3 - this design comes with a 5-year guarantee and uses reversible technologies. It also provides protection from environmental influences. It is used when decorating low-value items.
Level 4 – the same as level 3, but only harmless materials are used for this type of image. Long-term preservation with a guarantee is provided
25 years. Visually, it may be practically no different from the recommended one, but the cost will be significantly more expensive due to the use of expensive special materials
And the 5th level is a museum level. The warranty is about 30 years. Here the main goal, in addition to protection, is also to extend the life of the work.
FR: Very interesting. Perhaps the framing business has a long history?
In Soviet times, there was no framing business as such. As a phenomenon, it has been developing over the last 20 years and is still very chaotic. At the same time, Western framing workshops have their own specializations: some work with mirrors, some frame photographs, and others recreate frames using ancient descriptions and technologies.
FR: Who was your role model?
Legendary American studio Rensel Studio. Once upon a time, customers came to me and showed me their design. I really liked it, and I wanted to, if not repeat it, then do something similar. When my assistant Katya appeared in my workshop, we were not only able to do something similar together, but also surpass Rensel in some ways. Although I still follow the work of this studio now - and I admire it just as much.
FR: What would you personally like to see happen in the framing sector?
I would like to try to recreate antique frames. The whole problem with modern framing is that it only goes over the top, but you need to dig deeper.
FR: As an experienced craftsman, have you ever had a desire to write a book?
The desire not only existed, but still exists. But there is a catastrophic lack of time.
FR: Did you have your own students?
I have many students. But I'm only giving the initial push. It depends only on the student himself whether he will be able to take advantage of this acceleration or will follow the path of least resistance and simply earn money. But the good news is that some still find the strength to rise above the ordinary and acquire their own independent personality. Then I begin to learn from them their experience.
FR: What about your assistant Ekaterina?
Katya is a great find! She is not a student, but an assistant. When she came to me, she was already a professional in decorative painting techniques. She did not need to be taught, since she herself is a master. It is thanks to this that we have a wonderful creative symbiosis.
Later, Katya passed the exam for the international FATG certificate.
Therefore, our workshop is almost the only one in the country where all employees have the highest international qualifications.
FR: How do you feel about kitsch in
registration?
Even kitsch has the right to exist if the work and interior are appropriate!
FR: What about criticism in design?
rebellion?
I try not to discuss other people's designs, because I don't know all the conditions. Often the design is matched to the interior, which dictates its own characteristics.
FR: Who is your favorite embroidery designer?
I don’t know many people, but I really love Martina Weber’s mandalas. I don't really like some Russian and Ukrainian designs. They have too many flaws, both from an artistic point of view and from the point of view of low-quality materials.
FR: What do you like about embroidery?
Embroidery, like any textile, is warm and cozy. They keep the embroiderer's hands warm.
FR: What material do you like to work with most?
I work only with high quality material. This is a wooden baguette and a good passe-partout with glass. No plastic!
FR: What is the essence of your work?
Present embroidery in the most profitable and interesting way. This is either to create an art frame, where the image and design make up a single art object, or to completely devote all my efforts to the presentation of the embroidery itself, then my design is not noticeable at all.
It’s not even worth talking about strict adherence to all saving technologies, this goes without saying. I am glad that many clients order us conservation design, both for modern and ancient embroideries, which otherwise would have remained in chests and suitcases. And now there is an opportunity to properly decorate and preserve them using modern materials and technologies.
FR: Do you have any landmark work in your 20 years of work?
Probably, for me, the cat “Too Tired” became such a job. This is my most original design. And my most complex design is a leopard in a carved frame. This work was difficult from a technical point of view.
FR: Is there anything new that you have discovered lately?
There are, and a lot of them!
This includes a cut-off mat, which no one does yet, with rare exceptions. It frames the work in an interesting way. And what’s important is that it’s as if he doesn’t exist. It’s important to remember that the best design is the one that doesn’t exist!
These include decorative stripes in the ancient Turkish technique of ebru, and typesetting mats, which are based on colored layers of paper. The latter are not produced industrially, so we do it all ourselves.
FR: It turns out that you are experimenting when designing?
Yes. One of my latest finds is a backdrop mat. The embroidery is designed as a theatrical composition. There is a first plan, a second plan, and the work itself.
But it is important to note that the framer can and should experiment, but not at the expense of the client.
FR: That is, if the customer doesn’t like it...
Then we redo everything at our own expense. But this is rare for us. Yes, you may not like the mat or individual details, but not the entire work. In my practice, there has never been such a thing as a client taking a job and leaving with nothing.
FR: We wish you success and more active embroiderers!

A new method of stretching embroidery that meets all conservation standards and is reversible.

The principle of fastening embroidery is similar to the stretching of fabric on an embroidery hoop, familiar to all embroiderers. When the upper ring of the hoop, tightly adjacent to the inner circle, firmly and securely holds the embroidery.
This method of embroidery design was demonstrated by a specialist from England, Stephen McGee, in his classes at the Framing School in Moscow.

We adopted the method for work in our framing workshop, and we offer it to embroiderers who design their embroideries themselves.

The method is suitable:

• only for embroideries designed with mats.
• It is remarkable because it allows you to stretch the embroidery well even with a very small field of free canvas (1 cm).
• Suitable for a variety of fabrics, but especially good for stretching thin materials such as linen or silk.

• A sheet of material called “foamboard” 5 mm thick. You can buy it in stores for artists, from advertisers, or ask in framing workshops.
• Knife (cardboard cutter)
• Ruler, pencil
• Adhesive tape for fixing the fabric on the back under the backdrop

We take 5 mm foam cardboard and cut out a rectangle from it the size of the future work with an increase in the margins of the passe-partout.

We mark the exact size of the embroidery inside with a margin of free canvas.

Using an ordinary but very sharp knife, carefully cut out a rectangular hole and do not throw out the inside.
You need to cut at an acute angle vertically so that the foam board does not crumble when cutting.

The cut out square of foam board will be for us an analogue of the inner ring of the hoop for stretching our embroidery.

Place the embroidery on the inner rectangle, placing it neatly and evenly, and insert it into the cut-out hole from below.
Just like the inner ring of the hoop with the fabric was inserted into the outer ring.

It is advisable to lay thin white padding polyester between the embroidery and the foam board (as a backing for the embroidery). This is necessary especially when the underside of the embroidery is uneven, has broaches, thickenings or knots that, having “sunk” in the soft layer of the backing, will not appear on the face when the embroidery is pulled.

All this fits very tightly into the hole. Next, we tighten the canvas from below, in the right places, until we achieve a perfectly even and beautiful tension.

This is what we get at the back.

Now you need to smooth out the free canvas at the back, carefully lay the corners with an “envelope”

Glue double-sided tape to the foam cardboard from behind where the free canvas will not bend, and glue a backdrop made of ordinary binding cardboard onto it, which will hide everything.

Now in this form you can take your work to a framing workshop and order a mat and a frame with glass for it

This method is ideal if there are practically no fields of free canvas, or the canvas is old and crumbling. A margin of 1 cm is enough for it...

It is clear that this method is only suitable for mating.
And the embroidery itself should be carefully embroidered and not have strong distortions.

But there is no glue at all, and if necessary, everything can be dismantled without leaving a trace in a matter of seconds.
And even if the decorated embroidery suddenly sag a little over time (or due to changes in storage conditions), you can easily tighten everything up again.