Hi all! I am curious how you all “finish” or frame your completed cross stitch pieces. I completed one recently, which worked best in a rectangle frame. But, do you leave the glass in when you use a frame? I left the glass in mine, since it’s hanging in the kitchen in an area where it could possibly be splashed…
I am working on another that I plan to leave in the hoop, but, does anything special need to be done to it to prevent it from loosening up over time in the hoop, or fraying?
I’ve done embroidery, with similar considerations.
I framed one piece in a shadow box; that’s the only one that has glass over it. It heightens the effect of the deep frame.
When I leave them in hoops, I stitch the back from side to side to maintain tension. The back looks like a giant asterisk * when done. I’ve also glued into a hoop, but didn’t like that as much.
Usually, I mount a piece on foamcore, sometimes with a layer of felt or quilt batting, and ladder stitch opposite sides on the back.
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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When I leave them in the hoops, I also do that asterisk type of stitching to hold it tight. I also finish bu covering up the back with felt glued to the hoop.
My favorite way to finish needlework is the way Ludi taught on the other site…using cardboard and then stitching the back tight…no frame or hoop needed!
I used to frame stuff as my job in college and specialized in fabrics and shadow boxes. DO NOT PUT GLASS directly onto the fabric. If water gets underneath, it will mold quickly and ruin your lovely work. Framing places sell little plastic spacers that attach to the glass to keep it lifted off the fabric. A neat little cheat is to wander over to the plastic model section of the craft store and you should find tiny clear plastic square tubing that will accomplish the same thing - use double sided tape to stick it to the glass.
Also - do not use tape to hold the fabric to the backing board of the frame. Get a frame that is thick enough to hold a piece of foam board (try to get acid free if you can find it) plus the fabric and glass. cut your foam board slightly smaller than the frame, stretch the fabric around the foam board, and use stainless steel pins through the foam board. If your foam board is square, you can square up your cross stitch fabric to the board.
Lamenting my lack of foam board at the moment or I would write a tutorial
Thanks for the tips!! I had to leave how to mount artwork with a matte and backing board in college, but I never had to deal with an actual frame. My original plan was to have a matte in the frame in a complimentary color, but silly newbie me didn’t leave enough blank cloth around the design and had to use a smaller frame… Still learning good cross stitch habits!
You can still put a matte on it! Do the same thing I describe above, in the art size. Stick a matte over over the foam mounted fabric and then build up around the fabric, under the matte with foam core!
Also recommend adding a little batting between the foam board and the fabric too, will help hide any balls of thread or tight areas.
I I just took apart one old piece and mounted two new ones, all round. The old one just had a gathering stitch controlling the fabric behind the hoop.
The gathering stitch helped mount the new ones, too; it was enough for the new on in a hoop, but the piece I mounted on foam board needed the * stitching, too.
Foam board mount:
