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There are a number of ways you can mount and
frame your finished cross stitch projects. Cost is always an issue. Frames
and mounting accessories can be very expensive. I've found a couple of
ways to cut corners that still produce pleasing results.
Frames are easy to find. I
like frames of all shapes and sizes–-they give your finished projects more
character. I often bring them home with no particular project in
mind. You can always save them until you need them, especially if they
were cheap! One of the best places to find frames is yard sales. You
can often pick them up for .35 or .50 each (compared to $5 to $50 at the
store). Thrift stores are also a good place to look. When I'm
pressed for time I pick up a $2 frame at Walmart.
It's not necessary for your frames to have
glass. Sometimes I frame my projects with glass in front of them and
sometimes I don't. When I'm not going to use glass I make sure to spray
the surface of the fabric with Scotchguard to help prevent future stains.
I mount my projects in two different
ways. You can buy mounting boards in any craft store. There are two
kinds–-padded and not padded. I've found that the padded ones work great
when you have a frame that doesn't have glass. The padding makes the
fabric stand out from the frame a little and looks very nice. It's also easier
to smooth out any wrinkles in the fabric.
I use the non-padded mounting boards when I use
frames with glass. The nice thing about the mounting boards is that your
fabric sticks to them so it won't move around after your project is mounted and
framed.
I've found a quick trick that saves you from
having to buy the mounting board (if you're using the non-padded kind). The back
of your frame is usually a piece of cardboard much like the cardboard the
mounting board is made of. I've found you can use spray-adhesive to mount your
fabric directly on the cardboard back of the frame. It works great. You can buy
two different types of spray adhesive: repositionable and permanent (it's never
coming off!). I like the repositionable because you can still move the fabric
around until you get it just right.
When I've got the fabric where I want it (after
measuring to make sure it's centered and also cutting off the excess fabric), I
use masking tape to fold over the edges of the mounting board. I get it as close
to the edge of the board as possible on the front of the fabric, and fold the
remainder to the back. This keeps the edges of the fabric from fraying.
Additional Tips:
If you get a little stain on your fabric you can
often get it off by dampening the fabric and rubbing a bar of soap or
dishwashing liquid into the stain and rinsing.
Before you place the fabric on the mounting
board, iron gently to get out any wrinkles in the fabric. If you mist the fabric
with water, even the toughest wrinkles will come out.
Using Scotchguard (stain guard that
comes in a can) on your fabric is optional, but may help prevent future stains
from ruining your artwork.
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