Stretcher Bars and their many uses

To cut the long story short Stretcher bars are used for constructing wooden stretcher frames used by artists in order to mount their canvases, period. They are usually a framework made from wood used for supporting a piece of canvas. A stretcher bar can also be used for small-scale embroidery in order to provide steady tension and stretchers are usually manufactured in the shape of a rectangle.

Art is can come in any form, there are lots of artists who specialize in embroidery as a way of expressing their artistic work (this is the part where you say “now what on earth does that have to do with stretcher bars?”). A stretcher bar can be used for embroidery too, and if you are thinking of using a stretcher bar for your next embroidery project , please keep in mind the advantages and disadvantages of using stretchers especially if you are into stitching bargello needle point without initially learning with a stretcher bar. Consider the following:

Advantages of using a stretcher bar for embroidery

? It helps to support the needlepoint canvas by keeping it well stretched and crisp while you carry on with your stitching.

? You can use both hands freely because the frames made from stretcher bars are placed on your lap or floor or anchored to your table.

? You will be able to control the tension and appearance of your stitches so that they do not twist but remain flat and pretty.

Disadvantages of using a stretcher bar for embroidery purposes

? One of the hard parts of using a stretcher bar to stitch is that it will be quite difficult for you to stitch quickly, why? Because you will have get used to learning how to keeping one of your hands below the framed canvas, while you keep stitching with the other hand (which stays on top of the framed canvas)

? Travelling with stretcher bars is not exactly easy, especially if you are working on a very large project.

So you see, a stretcher bar is not only meant for artists who paint alone.

The stretcher bar can also be used in the home print market. Believe me, the home print market is becoming (oops! Has become) increasingly prominent with the advent of inkjet-printed canvas prints (which is becoming more and more popular in the home). Most print companies usually import pre-cut and hand finished bars from different parts of the world such as China and South America. These stretcher bars are made from timbers such as rosewood paulownias and fir, these timbers are known to be rot and warp resistant.

According to experts, profiles on the stretcher bar should be made to be slightly rounded, because doing this will lead to the following advantages

? It will allow the framer to see and obtain clear edges on images that turn out with precise borders

? It will also allow the canvas weave to roll over the profile, this will avoid the cause of canvas crack.

About the Author:

Graham Giles is author of this article on Canvas Rolls. Find more information about Stretcher Bars here.