To Ways to Back a Hoop to Frame Cross Stitch

A popular way to finish embroidery and cross stitch patterns is to frame them in the hoop you stitched them in. This is an easy way to finish projects and you can make it a little fancier by painting the hoop on the outside to add more color.

The only potential issue with framing your cross stitch in this way is that you might not want to see — or let other people see — what the back of your cross stitch project looks like. I know my projects are generally a mess from the back, so it’s nice to take an extra step and cover the back of the hoop so you can’t see the back of the stitching.

There are a couple of different ways to do this, and thankfully Crewel Ghoul has us covered.

Probably the easiest way to add back fabric to your cross stitch hoop is by using felt. This method as shown in the blog post has you stitch down the felt to the edge of the cross stitch fabric that is secured to the inside of the hoop. It takes a little time to sew it down, but the benefit is that it can be removed if you ever decide you want to frame the project in a different way or you don’t want to display that piece any more but you want to reuse the hoop.

The other option is to use fabric on the back. In this version they use glue instead of stitching to hold the fabric down, but that makes this method more permanent. You can also do the same method as with the felt and just sew the backing down by hand if you want it to be more easily removable.

Gluing it down is a great option when giving a cross stitch project as a gift because then the person you’re giving it to will never see the back side of your work and it might be more secure to back it this way.

Have you ever used either of these methods? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Crewel Ghoul]

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35+ Sunflower Cross Stitch Patterns

If you’re a fan of detailed and colorful cross stitch patterns, Design for Cross Stitch might have a pattern you want to try. This Etsy shop is based in Spain and has more than 50 designs with a focus on animals, holidays and landscapes.

I’m just going to start with the first pattern that caught my eye when I visited the site, which is this Sakura by the Lake project. This pattern is 200 by 200 stitches and the whole background is stitched, so it’s definitely not for a beginner, but it’s stunning and would be amazing to make for someone who loves Japan. Despite the detail it only uses 24 colors. Worked on 14 count fabric it will measure 14.64 inches, or 37.19 cm.

There are a few other landscape designs, including a canal in Venice and a few cabins in the woods.

The shop also has some cute animal cross stitch, with big, round faces and often holding a warm beverage. Holiday projects focus on Christmas and Halloween. Most of the patterns have a cute, chibi-like feel, but there are some that are more detailed and realistic as well. Take for examples the flower patterns, which are full of details and soft colors.

You’ll also find some fun bookmark cross stitch patterns with a watercolor feel, as well as some that look kind of like paint pouring turned into stitches.

If this sort of stuff sounds like fun to you, check out their Etsy store at Design for Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who I haven’t featured yet? Let me know in the comments or share more about them by clicking on “suggest a DIY” at the center top of the page and let me know the details. I’d love to share the designers you’re enjoying with a wider audience.

[Photo: Design for Cross Stitch]

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