Framed

While cleaning up the studio and craft closet (first time I've called it that!) I found an old Ikea frame with five windows, similar to this three window version. Over the years I have accumulated lots of Ikea frames which come with pre-cut mats and instantly framed some artwork. But these mats are not archival and soon turned yellow-gray like old newspapers, endangering the artwork held within.
Grrr. Hold that thought.
The other day I received this small jpg in my email from the owner of my Treehouse series. They are now framed and hang in the breakfast room of their house. I love how great these looked framed.
 

 So here's my plan... I took out the matt and the glass, leaving the thin masonite backing. I cut a piece of cotton batting to fit that masonite, and a larger piece of white cotton. Using double sided tape I folded over the cotton and have a really nice padded white base for something quilty. The batting is enough to absorb some of the stuff the masonite may exude, but still keep it away from the fabric.


 This  combo is a  good deal thicker than the original matt and so I was thinking about the difficulty of placing a long narrow quilt of three or more layers on top of that + glass and would I still be able to keep it secure inside the frame? The frame has these little bendable metal fingers, which are just about bendable for the last time...
And then it dawned on me. Either remove the glass totally or keep the glass and fuse a single layer/quilt top directly onto the backing fabric.
This is what creative people do:
1. Have an idea
2. Realize the idea creates a new problem
3. Use creativity to solve that new problem.

I saw a framed artwork on TV yesterday that was long and skinny and I think that's just what I need to make for this frame. Sorta starting at the finale, but I am thinking this will work.