Many fiber artists sew tunnels on the back of their art pieces to hang them like you would a quilt. Or they choose to sell their art work without hanging system and leave it to the buyer how to put it on his/her wall.
Me? I found that I simply like deciding how to put my pieces up myself! Earlier, I sometimes feared the risk of the buyer disliking my framing/mounting choices. Not anymore! I love to mount my finished pieces on or into something that is easily hangable; in fact, I feel that my pieces are only finished after I have mounted and/or framed them! So why stop before what I see the last step in my creative process only to try pleasing a broader buyer spectrum?!
Also, I really want to make my textile pieces shine like classical paintings. Textile arts live a shadowy existence within the fine arts anyway; and proper framing at least gives them the opportunity to quickly be hung between paintings in a gallery.
My mounting choices
I have two favorite mounting options: mounting the piece on canvas or mounting it on foam core board.
As to canvases, I buy industrial made canvases and customize them by painting and/or embroidering them to become the proper frame for my fabric piece. The fabric piece is then sewn (or in rare cases as I would with denim) glued onto the canvas.
As to foam core boards, I buy them in do-it-yourself stores or in architect’s supply shops. After having cut them into the right sizes, I mount the textile piece onto the board. Sometimes, I then call the art work finished as is; other times I also frame it afterwards.
My framing choices
I buy my frames in do-it-yourself stores or online. Sometimes I overpaint them. Going to the framers and having the pieces put in a customized frame would be far too expensive for me (it is VERY pricey to have it professionally framed in Switzerland!) – in fact, this would multiply the price of my work. So I leave professional framing for the times when I will be a rich and famous artist… 😉
Some pieces go in a vintage frame; I especially love upcycled old wooden frames that once were windows or mirrors!
What is YOUR way? How do YOU put a textile piece on a wall??