What A Doll!, Continued

Last week I showed you a framing project featuring a handmade doll from one of our favorite customers. I like to think of that doll as a 1930's flapper, and these little guys as some ragamuffins that follow her around. Or maybe "ragamuffin" keeps coming to mind because of the little scraps of rags that were stitched by little hands to make these happy friends.

I wanted this frame to complement the other without matching it exactly. The diagonal lines and dots in this moulding echo the grain of the fabric, but add a touch of whimsy that hopefully remind the viewer that these were once toys. The moulding is black, but only those lines and dots are polished, and the matte background adds a sense of age to the finished piece.

To tie this design in with the other, I wanted another fabric background. It needed to be darker so that the details of these lighter dolls would stand out. I chose a dark grey to blend into the background of the moulding. I love that this choice enables us to see the frayed threads hanging off the edges of the dolls. I chose to place them in an offset position to add a feeling of informality and play.

Like its companion, this shadowbox design uses conservation materials to protect the delicate fabric and stuffing from further damage. I mentioned last week that my customer had delayed having these pieces framed, looking for inspiration. When she saw the finished products, she told me how happy she was that she'd finally had them done. As a custom framer, sometimes it is part of my job to help find that elusive "inspiration" that will bring some joy to a person's life. I'm very glad for this customer that our collaboration has done just that.