Kimono project makes it out of framers’ doors, but only just

From left, Mitchell Pask, Sophie Theobald-Clarke and Bill Gissane with the framing project commissioned by Spirit House.

The team at Yandina Art and Framing are accustomed to a broad range of framing projects but the latest job they have completed has been the biggest and most complex to date.

“To be honest, we weren’t really sure how we were going to tackle it when it was first commissioned,” said business owner Bill Gissane.

“After much problem-solving and intricate work, we are extremely excited to see it finished.”

Director of Spirit House in Yandina, Acland Briarty, commissioned the framing of a traditional Japanese wedding kimono, which will be hung in the Spirit House restaurant.

“The kimono itself is just beautiful,” Bill said. “So we wanted to showcase it in such a way that the detail and opulence were accentuated, rather than overwhelmed, by the frame.”

The project took around a month to complete, and while traditional framing practices and techniques were used, the sheer size and weight of the kimono demanded some heavy duty reinforcement.

“The box that we constructed to house the kimono is 1.5 metres wide, 2.2 metres high, 20cm deep, and the perspex on the front is 4.5mm thick,” said Bill.

“It is incredibly heavy; around 60kgs once we put the kimono in. In fact we had a moment of panic when we realised that it was too big to get out the door!,” he laughed.

“We solved this by hand-pinning the kimono in so that we can tip it on an angle to get it out the door. There are 6,000 pins and a great deal of hand stitching to hold the fabric onto the backing wall of the frame,” Bill said. “Our team has done an incredible job, because it is meticulous from every angle.”

The project was led by senior framer, Charmaine Temple-Smith and former carpenter turned framing expert, John Scaroni, who built the box that the kimono is housed in.

“It gives us such a sense of pride and happiness that this job has been commissioned and produced locally. It will be a huge thrill to see it installed on site.”