How to frame an embroidery

They are sleeping well folded in your drawers... It would be better to expose your embroideries on your walls ! More, If you've put them in a frame you've built, you will be proud to say : I've did it by myself !

Old alphabetical embroidery, Crewelwork bought in a foreign country, Candlewick with tufted pattern, an very old lace discovered at the second-hand dealer store… as many reasons to create frames with high decorative potential!

When you want to frame an embroidery, you have to solve some problems...

- With or without glass ? There are divergent opinions with good arguments each time : glass crushes the points yes… but glass protects from dust and avoid dissembling for cleaning. What is the best ?

- How to correctly tight the embroidery before placing it in the frame : lacing on the back, fastening on the side, fastening or doubles coated tape ? As many picture framers... as many answers. There still, you must have an opinion and defend it!

The example

We brought back from Fuerteventura (Canaria islands) a “Calado Canario”. It's an adorable embroidery openwork on flax measuring 8"x7.2".

In this page, I propose to you to frame this "Calado".

 The flax cloth is very fine and its weaving is not very tight.

For its good appearance in the frame, it is necessary to pose it on a duffell (that you will find in any fabric store). That will give it puffing up and mellowness.

Backing paperboard

In a thick paperboard (0.08" to 0.12") you cut out with the bent cutter the backing paperboard 7" x6.2" (1" less than embroidery measurements). Use the square to have quite right angles.

The embroidery will be folded back and taped behind this paperboard, I thus envisaged 0.5" of gap in all directions.

The assembly

Cut out a rectangle of 7"x6.2" in the duffel (same measurements than backing paperboard). Apply double-coated tape all around the backing edges and stick the duffel.

Pose your embroidery by centering it on the duffel. It must exceed 0.5" in all directions. Prick a pin with rounded head in the section of the paperboard to start to fix the embroidery. Prick in one on the opposed side by giving a light tension. Made in the same way for the two others sides.

Continue to tighten your embroidery while pricking the pins in the section of the backing. It is necessary to put a pin, one for each inches, to obtain a satisfactory result.

When it is finished, turn over the unit and stick double coated tape on the backing back. Fold up and stick the embroidery on the back of the backing. Look after the angles by folding up them well and by sticking them with a piece of double sided tape.

To finish, remove the pins.

The embroidery will be presented without mat in order to preserve its artisanal and authentic character.

The framing

We chose to put the embroidery within a frame with glass and preferred to order frame and glass in a specialized store.

To avoid the crushing of the embroidery against the glass, we will put spacers inside the framework!

In a thick paperboard or foamboard (2 with 3mm) ,cut out bands of 0.2" width. Put your framework at back, and place these bands in the rabbet against glass. Place then the embroidery assembled on the backing. Fix with some small nails driven in skew and complete the assembly by sticking a sealing band (brown paper gummed tape).

If you judge that the spacers are too visible and a little inesthetics, you can cover them with a printed paper with color ivory, matched perfectly with “Calado Canario”. Hang it and enjoy !

Ideas to frame the embroideries

Embroidery, Flora and Fauna
Lesley Turpin-Delport

Meg-online : This excellent book has a subtitle - 'Three dimensional textured embroidery', and it is packed with beautiful samples of stitching and multimedia techniques illustrating plants and animals in relief. Among the different methods shown are applique, ribbonwork, beading, shaping over wire and ideas inspired by stumpwork....

Crochet Bouquet
Suzann Thompson

Crochet bouquets of nearly 50 whimsical, wonderful flowers, in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors ! Done in upscale yarns like ribbon, chenille, and silk, this contemporary garden will get intermediate-level crocheters grasping their hooks.

Some of the flora looks realistic; others are beautifully fanciful, pure products of the imagination. A simple, well-photographed basics section explains how to create them all: specialty techniques include felting, stacking the flowers, stiffening the petals, and linking the flowers together....

Fabulous fabrics beads
Kristal Wick

A spectacular combination of beading, scrapbooking, fiber arts, and mixed-media techniques, this amazing handbook describes how to create 30 handcrafted beads from rolled tubes of silk, muslin, or ribbon. 

With more than 20 easy embellishment techniques incorporating glitter, paint, crystals, or wire, these projects result in stunning beads that can be created with inexpensive and readily available supplies and tools described in this guide....