Tips for Framing Cross Stitch Projects

Once you’ve finished stitching a cross-stitch project (having done what you can to keep it clean and cleaning it when you’re done if necessary), it’s time to put that beauty in a frame.

Of course the easiest way to finish a cross stitch project is to leave it in the hoop you used while stitching it and just finish the back.

But if your project is too big for that, or you just want to use a regular frame, you’re going to need to know how to do that.

This tutorial from Felt Magnet has some good advice on framing cross stitch, including why you might not want to just let a professional framer do it (they usually work with prints, photos and paintings and may not know how to properly treat your project).

Kymberly offers tips for choosing a good frame for a cross stitch project, how to prep the frame and the project for framing and how to mount and hang your finished project.

It’s definitely worth taking the time to do this right, whether you’re framing something for your own wall or for a gift.

Do you frame your projects? I’d love to hear any tips you may have.

[Photo via Felt Magnet.]

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To Ways to Back a Hoop to Frame Cross Stitch

I’ll admit to not taking as much care as I should when finishing cross stitch projects. Just like blocking in knitting or crochet, taking the time to finish a cross stitch project right means it will look its best, whether you’re making it as a gift or to keep.

And when it comes to cross stitch, the best method for finishing is washing and pressing.

Kat and Catkin and Lillie makes the argument that you should always press your finished pieces, and wash them the vast majority of the time as well.

Washing of course will help if there is any visible dirt that got on the project while stitching, but it also helps remove oils and skin cells you can’t see but that can speed up damage to your project in the long run.

Washing and pressing also help remove creases from the hoop or from storing the project, and if you use heat-erasable marking pens to grid your fabric, this will remove any visible marks.

So we’ve got the why down, but what about the how?

Kat has a great step by step tutorial on how to wash your cross stitch projects and how to iron them safely. You probably have everything you need to do this, it just takes a bit of time to go through the process. It’s certainly worth it, though, if you’ve spent a lot of time on a project and are gifting it or framing it and want to show it off to its best.

Click over to the post at Catkin and Lillie for all the details, plus some really good thoughts on times when you might not want to wash a project and how to test the colorfastness of your threads so you’ll know if a project is safe to wash.

Do you wash and press your finished cross stitch projects? I’d love to hear all about your process!

[Photo: Catkin and Lillie]

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