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Guide to Finishing Off
You have completed your masterpiece. What next?
If the fabric has become dirty wash in cool water using a mild liquid detergent. Rinse well. Do not wring, but roll in a clean towel to absorb most of the water. While still damp, place face down on a terry towel. Place another cloth on top of the needlework and press lightly with a warm iron. Let dry. Then frame or finish as desired.
If the fabric is clean you will still need to iron it. Use a steam iron with steam on. Always iron the back of the fabric so as not to crush the stitching. If a crease persists you should rinse in cold water and follow the instructions above for drying.
Framing
If framing in a flexi hoop see below.
If framing in a picture style frame it is often best to find a proffessional framer, especially if the frame size is non standard. You must make sure, however that the framer is familiar with the special needs of tapestry and Cross stitch.
If you cannot find one locally you might try SD Framing who work Mail order. (Tell them Stitch Pics sent you)
Stitch Pics do not recommend the use of glass. It is not necessary, and there is a risk that the glass will crush the stitching. If you insist on using glass then you must ensure that there is a mount that leaves a minimum of 2mm between the glass and the piece of work.
If not using glass, you can keep the picture clean with a vacuum cleaner (Lightest setting).
You will need to mount the piece onto a board, the same size as the frame. There are several methods of doing this, some more effective that others.
- Sticky Mount board such as "Press on board" for DMCtm
- Heat mounting. Usually done by proffessional framers. We do not like this form as it tends to damage the fabric and is irreversible.
- Lacing
This is by far the most effective and satisfactory method
Having cut the board center the design and turn face down. Fold the sides over. There is no need to trim, or cut ther corenrs in any way. Use a strong thread or crochet cotton. Lace as follows.
Pull out the slack and sew off the end. Then lace the other way
when finished it should look as follows
You can now place it in your frame. If not using glass you may not need a mount, it depends on the design. If a design has a firm straight edge then a mount is necessary, but a design where there is bare fabric around the edge will frame perfectly well without any surrounding mount.
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Flexi Frames
Flexi frames are unique in as much as there is no board to mount on.
Place the fabric over the insid of the frame and centralise it as best as you can. FIx in plaxe, adjust as necesary.
Turn over, do not trim at this stage. Using a strong thread or crochet cotton start at the top of the frame. Make sure the cotton is secure. Do a runing stitch about 1 centimetre or ½inch outside the frame. Once you get back to your starting point, pull the stiching together. Once tight you can sew of then trim the edges again about 1 centmetre or ½inch from the sewing. You may wish to cover the reverse area with backing fabric, but this is not necessary.
To clean, use a vacuum cleaner on it's lightest setting.
Although all care has been given to making these instructions, Stitch Pics cannot be held responsible for damages resulting from use or misunderstanding of the instructions given.
Instruction Manual