Mounting Finished X-Stitch


You've finished your latest project and want it on your walls, so what do you do? Do you take it in to a frame shop and trust they'll mount it right (and charge more than necessary for it), or do you bite the bullet and tackle the job yourself? With a little know-how and access to some good supplies, mounting your stitched piece can be a relatively quick and easy thing to do at home.
Just so you know, those sticky boards that a lot of people like, as a frame shop manager, I despise them. People ask for them all the time, telling me "Oh, but it says it is acid free" assuming that that means the adhesive won't hurt the fabric. I've had stitches pull through the couple times I tried mounting (and then shifting, when I found I hadn't mounted it squarely) a small piece that I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg to frame. I've also seen where even though it is touted as being acid free it has stained the fabric yellow over time. What I've learned - it may say acid free, but you also have to contend with lignin, another substance that can cause yellowing, and very few products out there are both acid and lignin free. This is something you'll also want to watch for in your matting.

Step one:

So, what's the first step? Pulling everything together. This is a project a friend of mine did, which will be my example for this page.

What you'll need (some items not pictured):

Step two:

If you are not using mats, cut your foam core about 1/8" smaller (in both directions) than your frame size and skip down to the fourth picture/step. Those of you on good terms with your local frame shop, you may want to ask them to do this next part for you because their tools should make it easier for them.
For those of you using mats, you want to make sure you know the width of your mat. If you have a 2" mat, you'll want to mark 1 3/4" (or less, if you have plenty of fabric, just make sure it isn't less than 1/2" or you'll have a bit more trouble later on) in from the edges on your foam core. Cut along the lines so you have something like this:


Step three:

Before you start pinning, you'll need a little more space because of the fabric. Carefully remove about 1/8" from two edges of the piece you cut from the center of your foam core. (This picture is zoomed in so you can see what I mean.)


Step four:

Now, you're ready to mount the piece, whether you are using mats or not. There are really two ways to get started on this, and which one works best depends on your piece. If yours is like this one, where the stitching fills in at the corners, it's easier to count from the corners and make sure you're keeping it square.
Don't be afraid to stretch it a little. It may look like I'm pulling this a lot, but in some cases it can make the difference between a piece that lies flat and is square to itself or one that shows wrinkles, creases, folds and looks "tweaked". (I'll take a picture of a "tweaked" piece we have at work to show you what I mean - it hasn't been mounted yet and may very well be a nightmare to mount.)
The main thing is to make sure you are staying in the same line of holes in the fabric. You can always come back later and adjust a hole in or out where it is needed later, but it is easier if you have it well lined up to begin with.

Step five:

Don't be afraid of pins! Some people will use as few as possible to get the mounting done more quickly. Guess what - that shows in the final product. If you use as few pins as possible, you'll have areas where the fabric pulls and areas where it sags - you won't have nice, neat lined-up fabric.

I may go overboard with the pins, but I've rarely had someone complain about how I mount their stitching! The complaints I've gotten have been instances where people don't use a hoop of any type and have areas of solid stitching, areas with minimal stitching, and straight lines. Those can honestly be a horror to mount nicely. It's one reason I try to encourage these people to use a hoop next time they do a pattern like that when they come in. :)

Step six:

Once you have gotten your piece pinned and are satisfied with the mounting, it's time to deal with the extra fabric. Don't cut it off - you never know if someone generations from now might want to take it out and re-frame it somehow and might need that extra. This is where the tape comes in.
I simply use the Framers Tape II to adhere the edges to the back of the foam core. It keeps it out of my way and the whole piece easy to handle.
If you aren't using mats, you are ready to put your piece in a frame. If it's a wood frame, using aluminum barrier tape is a good idea - it will prevent (or at least greatly reduce) any acids or chemicals in the wood from leaching into the fabric.

Step seven:

Attach the mounted x-stitch to the outer ring of foam core. Framers Tape II works very well for this as well.


Final step:

Attach the mats to the outer ring of foam core with the double sided tape or ATG. If you get the repositionable kind, you'll be able to shift the mats around to fit the picture "just right".

Now, it's ready for a frame!



Incidentally, as long as you have spacers (if you aren't using a mat) or at least a double mat on your stitching, glass is perfectly fine to put on it. The problem comes in when the glass is right up against the fabric. That can cause mold/mildew and a host of other problems, resulting in the deterioration and destruction of all your hard work. As long as you keep airspace between the glass and fabric, the glass can actually help preserve your stitching. It won't collect dust, bugs can't easily get to it to chew on the fibers, and if the glass has a UV coating, it will help prevent light damage and fading as well. This is something that I keep running into - people are still firmly convinced that it will absolutely ruin their stitching if it is behind glass. Please, spread the word. Glass isn't evil. Glass without airspace is. :)
If you have any questions, email me at jane.skretvedt@gra.midco.net. This includes questions about where to get some of the products I've mentioned. If you can't find them, let me know and I'll see what info I can dig up.
Thanks!
Jane