Does anyone know how to frame a cross stitch picture?

[collision]

Am the least arty DIY person I know and I will have to frame it myself.

Cadbury did it for me and it is lovely. It is a name picture for ds2. I just dont know how to frame it.

Any ideas?

[lucykate]

yes (i design cross stitch for coats when not on maternity leave). it may be tempting to frame it behind glass, but as its fabric, although the glass does protect it, fabric gives, alot, and it will go loose in the frame very quickly. what you should do is either buy a ready made frame of a suitable size, use that but discard the glass, or take it to a framers, but before you do that, you'll need a piece of thick card and some wadding. cut the card to the finished size of the picture, cut a piece of wadding the same size and lay it over the card. place the cross stitch pic over the top and wrap the excess fabric round to that back. you'll need some strong thread and basically lace it on tight (just long stitches horizontally and vertically at the back). the wadding takes up any slack in the fabric so over time, it won't go baggy. once its laced on the board, it can then go in the frame. leave more fabric around the edge of the finished picture if you want it frames with a mount.

this is how we frame up all the designs in the anchor range for the trade fairs we do. hth!

[WigWamBam]

I do know how to do it, but I'm always too scared that I'll spoil the work that I've spent hours on, so I get it framed professionally.

Here's how you do it, though, if you really want to try yourself.

Cut a piece of acid-free board to the size of the inside of the frame. This will be your lacing board.

Centre your fabric over the lacing board. Attach it to the board by pushing pins through the fabric into the board along the top edge.

Pull the fabric gently, make sure that it's straight, and pin along the bottom edge, then repeat for the two sides. Keep checking that your fabric is straight

Thread a needle with strong cotton and knot the end. Turn the picture over so that you're working from the underside, and lace from top to bottom with an under-and over motion. Start at one edge, stop half way and repeat from the other side. When you reach the centre, tighten the cotton gently to remove the slack and knot the ends. Repeat with the other two edges. You can join in a new piece of thread by tying it on with a reef knot.

Stitch the corners in place, remove the pins, and put the picture in the frame.

Good luck.

[collision]

I knew it would be complicated!

I think I will get it framed professionally.

Thanks anyway

[Schmozer]

Or you could try SD Framing - they do DIY framing kits which are a doddle to use (no lacing, just tape). Website is www.stitchitframeit.co.uk and they are very friendly and helpful, and much cheaper than professional framing.

[Schmozer]

Sorry, it's www.stitchit-frameit.co.uk.

[WigWamBam]

The problem with using tape is that it marks the fabric, and eventually it will make the fabric deteriorate. Plus, if you use tape it's more difficult to remove the piece for washing if you are likely to want to do that - if you don't put it behind glass, for instance.

[Dingle]

I framed one a few years ago. I got an adhesive mounting board, quite cheaply from my local craft shop. I just laid the material centrally onto the sticky board and smoothed down lightly. Got a frame from Hobbycraft with non reflective glass. I have never looked into proffessional framing but I framed quite a large piece of cross-stitch for about £20 from what I remember.

[WigWamBam]

I don't know if the prices vary much from place to place but I've just taken quite a large piece in to be framed and it's going to cost about £27, to include a specially made frame. If I had wanted a ready-made frame it would have been around £20. At that I just don't think it's worth risking doing it myself.

I don't like the self-adhesive boards much - I tried one a few years ago and it ruined my work. It's hard to reposition the fabric if you make a mistake, and if you catch the fabric on it (as I did) it pulls threads and snags the material. Plus, once it's stuck it's stuck - you can't remove it for washing or to reframe if you wanted to. It's also not that much cheaper than having it framed professionally - although as I said, I don't know how much prices vary, and the place I go to could be very cheap.