Antique/Ethnic Inspiration Board

After my Grandad passed, I was helping my mom clean out his storage shed.  I found two beautiful, antique picture frames.  I didn't have a clue what I would do with them; I just knew that I wanted them. 

I also had a wall tapestry, hand embroidered and purchased in India and given to me by my ex inlaws, 30 years ago, when they first came to the U.S. as refugees from Afghanistan.

I hadn't displayed the tapestry in years.  Not because I didn't like it, but perhaps because there were so many painful memories associated with it.  I never contemplated getting rid of it, yet it just sat among other things in my cedar chest; neatly tucked away and seldom looked at.

When I decided that I needed an inspiration/bulletin board, it just seemed natural to combine the two.  Who would have known?  One of the antique frames with a portion of the tapestry.  Antique married to ethnic, and I've always loved the bright colors and motifs in ethnic handcrafts.  A blending of generations and culture, even sorrow and joy.

The project itself became a way and a space for healing both the loss of my grandparents and some of the pain I still held from my marriage.  It gave me, first of all, an awareness that those parts existed deep within me as wounds still waiting to be healed.  And, it gave me a way to honor both the pain and the healing.

This is the finished project and it now holds a central space above my desk, next to an altered art vintage window frame.   I wasn't able to capture the vibrancy of the colors, but here it is:

Putting my inspiration board together was fairly simple.  I measured the back opening of the frame, then added two inches to each side and cut the tapestry to measure.  I cut a large piece of foam core board to fit the back of the frame.

With the fabric laying face down, I centered the foam core board on it.  Using a hot glue gun, I attached each edge separately, taking time to miter each corner and checking the tautness of the fabric before proceeding to the next side.

To insert the fabric panel into the frame I simply turned the frame over.  Using the glue gun, I attached one edge of the panel at a time, face down, being careful to keep the panel centered. 

The results, I think, are beautiful.  I'm totally happy with my new inspiration board and love having it hanging above my desk!

I may use the rest of the tapestry fabric to make a cushion and covered armrests for my desk chair.  Maybe a protective mat for the top of my scanner. Or maybe you have an idea or inspiration for me?