Framing jerseys is something we do on a regular basis, and they are a great way to display team pride. This one though needed some help. The original frame was a narrow metal frame, too small to hold the weight of the jersey and visually lacking. In addition, it was not deep enough to hold both the jersey and glass. Because there was no glass, the jersey was exposed to damage by dust and fading due to UV light. Also, the matboard background had faded and bowed.
Whenever framing jerseys, other textiles or any 3D object we always recommend a frame deep enough to hold it and to provide enough space that the glass will not be in contact with the item in the frame. We also use UV filtering glass to help preserve the artwork for years to come and minimize fading. Museum Glass is another option we offer; its optical coatings, similar to those found on eyeglasses, reduce reflections to the point that it is virtually invisible.
To get this jersey into a new frame, we started by removing it from its old frame. Fortunately, it had been sewn down and it was easy to remove. We have run into situations where artwork has been glued down or secured with tape, damaging the art and making it very difficult to remove. That’s why we take great care to make sure that the methods we use for mounting do not cause harm and are easy to undo.
Our customer selected a black suede-textured mat to get a deep, solid-black background that allowed the colors of the jersey to contrast well. We also thought it was less distracting than the previous orange. We carefully stitched the jersey down with cotton thread, being careful to get it as straight and smooth as possible. Jerseys and other garments have a life of their own and will never be perfectly flat and straight, but we do our very best.
With the jersey mounted we used spacers in the side of the frame to provide plenty of space between it and the glass. After a careful inspection for dust we sealed the back and attached sturdy hanging hardware.
It looks 100% better and our customer was thrilled to finally get it looking the way it was meant to.