How to frame a cross stitch: mounting, mount board and glass
A finished piece deserves good framing. You can have it done at a framing shop or do it yourself. Here's what matters either way.
Preparation
- Wash and press. Before framing the piece should be clean and flat — see "How to wash and press a finished cross stitch".
- Leave spare fabric. You need a margin around the design to wrap the fabric around the board. That's why fabric is cut larger than the design — for how to work it out, see "How to work out the size and the thread".
- Find the centre. Mark the centre of the design and the centre of the board so the piece sits straight.
Mounting on a board
The piece is stretched over a firm board — card or foam board cut to the frame's opening.
- Lacing. Wrap the fabric behind the board and lace opposite edges together with thread in a zigzag: first the long sides, then the short ones. The tension is even and the piece can be taken out later.
- Pins along the edge. Pin the fabric into the edge of a foam board, starting at the middle of each side and working towards the corners, then fold the fabric behind.
- Check the lines. Rows of crosses should run parallel to the board's edges. Skewing shows at once, so fix it before everything is fixed in place.
It's best not to glue the fabric directly: taking the piece out later would be almost impossible.
Glass and mounts
- Glass keeps dust off, but pressed against the piece it flattens the crosses. So a gap is left between glass and fabric — for example, with a mount.
- A mount is a card window around the design. It keeps the piece off the glass and makes the framing look finished.
- Without glass the stitching looks more textured but collects dust, so it needs cleaning more often.
Making it last
- Hang the piece away from direct sunlight: threads fade.
- Choose materials that don't yellow with time; at a framing shop, ask about acid-free board.
- Sign the back of the board: your name and the year.
Other options
A frame isn't the only way. You can leave the piece in a hoop or turn it into a cushion, a card or a needle book. For hoops, see "Hoop or frame".
About the author
This article was written by the Crossette team. We're building Crossette, a cross stitch tracker for iPhone and iPad. It's in development; to join the beta, email [email protected].