Silk is thin, it slides, and its dyes fade. We stitch a scarf by hand to a padded board, keep the glazing off the fabric with spacers, and filter the light with UV glazing.
We frame silk scarves and flat textile art, such as printed or woven panels, at 1242 Davie Street. Silk is difficult to frame well. It is thin enough to see through, it slides on a smooth surface, it tears when pulled tight, and its dyes fade in daylight. Each of those facts makes a common framing method unsafe, and together they lead to the method we use.
What goes wrong with other methods
Glue. Glue soaks into silk, shows through as a stain and cannot be taken out.
Dry mounting. This means bonding the fabric to a board with heat and adhesive. It is permanent, and the heat flattens the weave.
Pulling the scarf tight. Tension distorts a printed design and tears the silk where it is held.
Hanging it from the top edge. The scarf sags and ripples under its own weight.
How we mount a scarf
We start with an acid-free board, which is made so it does not stain fabric over time. The board is padded and covered with plain cloth. The cloth does two things: it grips the silk so the scarf stays where it is laid, and it gives the needle something to pass through.
The scarf is laid flat and smoothed by hand, with no pulling. We then stitch it to the cloth by hand with fine thread. The stitches go through the rolled hem, which is the strongest part of a scarf, at short intervals along the top and sides and at a few points along the bottom. The thread can be cut later, and the scarf lifts off as it went on.
The backing colour shows through
Because silk is partly transparent, the colour of the cloth behind it changes how the scarf looks. A white backing makes the colours brighter. A dark backing makes them deeper and duller. We lay your scarf over several backing cloths at the counter so you can choose with the real thing in front of you.
You also choose how much of the scarf shows. The whole scarf can be visible with its hem and a border of backing around it, or a mat, a border of card with an opening, can cover the edges.
A white background brightens the colours in a painting the way a white backing does behind silk. Whispering Wings, an oil on canvas from our gallery, 70 by 50 cm, shows two hummingbirds among pink flowers on a white background.
Glazing means the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front of the frame. A spacer, a thin strip hidden under the frame edge, keeps the glazing off the silk. Fabric that touches glass is flattened, and in a damp room moisture collects where the two meet.
We fit UV glazing, which filters out ultraviolet light, the part of daylight that fades dye and weakens silk fibre. Our guide to UV glass and glazing explains the choices. A wall away from direct sun protects the scarf further.
Fold lines
A scarf kept in its box has fold lines. Light ones often soften when the silk is laid flat. Sharp ones usually stay visible. We frame the scarf in the condition you bring it.
What changes the cost
Many scarves are large squares, and size is the main factor: the board, the glazing and the moulding (the shaped length of wood or metal the frame is cut from) all grow with it. Hand stitching takes time, and a large scarf has a long hem. On the largest sizes we use acrylic, which is lighter than glass. We quote at the counter when we have measured the scarf.
Paintings come as large squares too. The Secret of Creation is an abstract acrylic on canvas in yellow, blue and purple, 101.6 by 101.6 cm, and a frame for a square of this size uses a long length of moulding.
Bring the scarf folded loosely in tissue. If you live outside Vancouver, send its size and a photograph of the whole scarf laid flat. Embroidery and cross stitch are mounted by a different method, described on our embroidery and needlework framing page. Heavier cloth is covered under flag framing and jersey framing.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street with the scarf. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop, and see custom framing for everything else we frame.
How it works
1
Bring it in, or send photographs
Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.
2
We look at the actual piece
What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.
3
It is made by hand and fitted
Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.
Common questions
What holds a silk scarf flat inside a frame?
A silk scarf is held in a frame by hand stitches through its rolled hem into a padded, cloth-covered acid-free board. The cloth grips the silk so it stays flat, and the stitches stop it from slipping down. No glue and no heat are used, and the scarf is laid flat with no tension on it.
Can a framed silk scarf be taken out and worn again?
Yes, a framed silk scarf can be taken out and worn again. The only things holding it are fine threads through the hem, and those can be cut without marking the silk. The frame is opened from the back, the threads are cut, and the scarf lifts off the padded board.
Will the backing colour show through a silk scarf?
Yes, the backing colour shows through a silk scarf, because silk is partly transparent. A white backing makes the printed colours look brighter, and a dark backing makes them look deeper and duller. We lay the scarf over several backing cloths at the counter so you can compare them before we stitch anything.
Can a large square silk scarf be framed whole?
Yes, a large square silk scarf can be framed whole, with the hem visible on all four sides. The frame is then larger than the scarf, so measure the wall first. At that size we glaze with acrylic, which is lighter than glass, and fit hanging hardware matched to the finished weight of the frame.
Do the colours of a silk scarf fade in a frame?
The colours of a silk scarf fade more slowly in a frame with UV glazing, which filters out the ultraviolet part of daylight. Dye on silk still reacts to strong light over the years, and light also weakens the fibre. Hang the frame on a wall that gets no direct sun to slow the fading as far as possible.
Can you frame a woven or printed textile that is not silk?
Yes, we frame woven and printed textiles in cotton, wool and linen as well as silk. A heavier textile is stitched to the padded board at more points across its whole area, so its weight is spread and the top edge does not carry all of it. The frame is built deep enough that the glazing stays clear of the surface.
Why should a silk scarf never be dry mounted?
Dry mounting bonds a silk scarf to a board with heat and adhesive, and the bond is permanent. The adhesive can show through thin silk as a stain, the heat flattens the weave, and the scarf can never be worn or reframed. Stitching to a padded board holds the scarf flat and can be undone at any time.
10% off your custom framing when you show this code at our shop
We frame, stretch canvas and reframe by hand, in our own workshop inside the gallery at
1242 Davie Street. Enter your email and your code appears right here. Show it at the
counter and we take 10% off the job. The code does not expire.
Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
Opens in a new window.
In-shop offer · 1242 Davie Street, Vancouver
Get 10% off your framing at our shop
Add your name and email and your code appears on the next screen. Show it at the counter
and we take 10% off any framing, stretching or reframing job you bring us. It does not
expire.
Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
I got my order today and your work is really good. I didn’t expect to get a certificate for this painting, it was a surprise. Thanks for caring about small details.
The support team was really helpful and followed up nicely, wich I really appreciated. The painting is just like the photo – great quality and very detalied. I just wish it arrived a bit sooner, but honestly it was worth the wait.
I received my painting today. The support team was great and very responsive. The artwork is exactly what I was hoping for – even more beautifull in person. Truly a valuable piece. I’ll definetely order again. Thank you!
