Cool Project!

We frame all sorts of things here, from the usual posters, prints and paintings to objects like WWII medal collections, a Blackfeet medicine bag, antique firearms and a wristwatch, just to name a few. This project came through last week, and both Christine and I are pretty pleased with how it turned out.

It's a two-dollar bill, circa 1928, and on the back is handwritten, "Northfield - 1943 - the beginning". The owner sent it for framing; it was the first money earned by his grandparents' chicken farm in Northfield, Vermont. Our instructions were to present the back of the bill, but beyond that the design was left up to us.

The problem, for Christine, was that the back of the bill is...boring. Other than the inscription, all of the ink is muddy, and not particularly interesting. The front has some printing in a great vermilion color, and it seemed prudent to show that side, too, so she designed a two-sided presentation. It wasn't particularly difficult, but it is complex in that we chose to have both sides look like the "front" rather than having the frame face one side and attempt to finish the back side of the frame somewhat attractively. The bill was encapsulated in mylar - basically sandwiched between two layers of clear film with no adhesive - so the edges could be shown. We cut a triple mat for each side using loden green linen, a bit of red to match the seal on the face of the bill and a nice mossy green for punch. The frame is a rustic cedar veneer in an interesting brownish-gray tone. When we had the depth of the finished matting and glazing determined, we built two identical frames, ran them through the table saw so that each was exactly half of the required depth, then joined them back to back using a biscuit joiner. Table saws and biscuit joiners aren't generally used for most framing projects, but I'm sort of a tool geek, so of course I own them!

Did you notice Roxie in the background of this photo? She's getting so big...

The completed piece was designed to sit on a tabletop without any support - it's just wide enough. However, we've got these great new easels that just so happen to be the perfect size and color, so Christine put one into the package before sending it back East. It allows for a little more polished presentation.

Christine got an email the other day - the owner was overwhelmed, and the completed frame greatly exceeded his expectations. It now holds a prominent place in his dining room with his other most treasured things. Mission accomplished!