The phrase "necessity is the mother of invention" couldn't be a more accurate statement in describing the emergence of the ATTACH-EZ Object Mounting Systems for Custom Picture Framing. Anyone who owns a frame shop can identify with the problems that arise when you lose the use of one of your hands, which is what happened to me.

Right before Christmas, and with many mounting jobs still not complete, I dislocated my left thumb and ended up in a cast for six weeks. At the time I had two football jerseys, some doilies, and the baptismal gown (pictured on the "How It Works" page) scheduled for framing.

Being a one person frame shop, and even though my husband is very supportive (he does all the cooking), he has the patience of a gnat when it comes to doing anything tedious like the sewing involved in mounting doilies and T-shirts. Needless to say I was a desperate woman and I really didn't want to disappoint my customers. That's when I discovered how resourceful I can be when faced with a disaster in the making. I started looking through my sewing box for something that would help me with all these special projects and found an old tool that I used when I was a manufacturer's rep years ago. To my relief, it worked amazingly well and I was able to have the two shirts ready to frame in less than a half an hour.

I discussed my discovery with my local distributor's salesperson when he stopped by my shop and he thought it was one of the best ideas he had seen in a long time. With the strong encouragement of this salesperson and my local distributor I jumped in head first, thus the beginning of ATTACH-EZ Object Mounting Systems for Custom Picture Framing.

That same day I started the patenting process, and called the company that made the tool that I needed to market the ATTACH-EZ product line. Once I convinced them that I was not some nut who had a lot of time on her hands, they became very interested in my ideas. Picture framing was a whole new industry for their product lines, and together we developed the perfect tools for use in the ATTACH-EZ process.

As time has gone on, I have added more and more tips to the booklet that gives detailed instructions of how to use the ATTACH-EZ mounting process. The time savings is incredible! For new framers as well as established shops, there is no doubt it will be among the "must haves" in framing equipment.

BIO       

 Pat Kotnour has owned and operated her own successful businesses for 35 years. First as manufacturers rep in the garment industry, and then for the past 15 years she has owned and operated a high end frame shop in MN, where she is a life long resident. Pat is a very creative, mostly self taught framer who has made it her mission to help framers make money on labor intensive projects without doing harm. For those who are familiar with her story, the phrase necessity is the mother of invention is a fact that has made the company that she founded a household word in the framing industry in just 6 short years.

As the owner and creator of Attach-EZ Object Mounting Systems for Custom Picture Framing Pat has been able to develop many easy ways for framers to mount fabric and 3D art. She teaches ways to make beautiful high end presentations that are economical to produce. She was recently dubbed "The Framers Best Friend" by Décor magazine…a leader in the industry…and has also been called the Martha Stewart of the framing industry. She has 2 educational DVD's where she teaches easy, reversible ways to mount object art. As an active member of the Professional Picture Framers Association Pat is often asked to teach classes at trade shows, and to guest speak at PPFA chapter meetings, as well as other industries functions such as the floral and gift market.

Classes include:
• EZ ways to mount Fabric Art

• EZ ways to mount 3D Art

• Stretching Needlework the Attach-EZ way