Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Quilt Calendar



After working on a small letterpress calendar for years, I was eager to work on a larger scale, and the quilt patterns I've admired & loved for so long seemed like a great fit for the size. While I wanted this calendar to be big & fabulous (lots of bright inks!) while hanging, I also wanted the artwork to be saved/framed/gifted after the month had passed. So each month features a 19" x 19" quilt print that is designed to be trimmed & fit into a 20" x 20" frame (thank you, Ikea Ribba frame!) or larger. 


A calendar this big took a big effort to complete. It measures 26" x 40" & is entirely hand screenprinted - a feat for one print at this size, let alone 13. The paper is 100% recycled cover weight stock (a nice sturdy weight for preserving & handling your prints) and hung by custom made oak bars, fastened with brass wingnuts. A keyhole slot in back allows for easy hanging on one nail or screw - an important piece  that was not so simple to figure out. (I really dislike the double nail hanging requirement - the measuring, the leveling - not for me.) 

It was the hanging device that took the longest to figure out - and the whole process depended on it. The months couldn't be printed without knowing exactly how these would hang. I owe a lot of thanks to a certain woodworker friend for sitting with me for hours sketching out possible options - which ranged from simple bull dog clips (but then where do you store the rest of the months - under the bed?) to an oversized coat hanger (took up too much room at the top - and it's already pretty big). The result holds the weight (nearly 10lbs), mounts flush to the wall (paper hangs perfectly parallel to wall - no awkward leaning), and allows for easy changing of the months (unscrew the wingnuts while on the wall to take off the top bar & then the month).

Above: September (the wedding quilt pattern), shown here trimmed & framed in an Ikea Ribba frame.
 

Above, a close up shot of the oak hanger & brass wingnuts.


Above, reverse side of hanger: recessed screw & keyhole slot allow hanger to mount flush on the wall.

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Top two photos by the super sweet & talented Karen Mordechai 

1 comment:

fireplace surround said...

This is really nice idea of quilt calender. I love all the pictures. hugs
~ Herman Swan