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How we framed a warped and twisted cross stitch

How we framed a warped and twisted cross stitch
This photograph was taken after we'd started the stretching process.

Over the years we've framed countless cross stitches and embroideries. But this one was in particularly bad shape. The owner was desperate, she'd been unable to find anyone willing to take on this complicated job. We thought we could not only frame it, but straighten it as well.

In a perfect world cross stitches and embroideries would be blemish and wrinkle free; ready for framing. However, with the amount of time we invest in these works of art, it's rare for them to be stain and dust free.

Unfortunately most tapestries that are brought in for stretching and framing are a little worse for wear. Dropped stitches, animal hairs, rust stains (only ever use stainless steel needles and pins!) . The constant pushing, pulling and twisting of the fabric whilst we work can warp the fabric structure. Embroidery hoops and stretcher frames can help minimise this allowing your stitches to be taught but they also can leave marks and creases.

This one fell into the worst category. But with a little time, technology and TLC we were able to whip it back into shape.

Getting rid of the warp

Our first issue was getting rid of the 'kink'. The fabric had warped from a square to a diamond. This took time, but by the end of the week we had a square cross stitch again. Once we had the fabric back into it's original shape we were able to stretch and pin it in place (stainless steel pins only, anything else and you risk damaging your work).

Stretching and pinning a cross stitch

Pinning a cross stitch correctly is a time consuming job. The fabric needs to be taut, but not tight. The image has to be centred and straight (both vertically and horizontally). Firstly we centre the image, then we work a little on each side, going backwards and forwards until we're happy that the cross stitch is taut and straight.

The completed job. Framed and stretched so there is no sign of the original warped cross stitch.

Framing the cross stitch

Once pinned we can get onto the framing. The style of frame reflects the style of the work, traditional, classic, and by using 2 matts, in two shades of green. We were able to highlight the work, and keep it 'light' and illuminated without overwhelming the work. If we'd used darker colours the mood would have been heightened but you'd be less able to see the intricacies of the stitches.

Framed cross stitch

Finally, after working on the cross stitch for a few weeks it was finished. The twisted and warped fabric was now framed and waiting for collection. Needless to say our customer was ecstatic, and so were we. We love a happy customer!

If you're wanting to buy a cross stitch or embroidery project, try the following suppliers:

And when you're ready bring, it into Fastframe for framing!

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Moulding Selection

When people think of framing, the most obvious aspect is the moulding. The frame itself.

Custom framing allows you to select the moulding that enhances your artwork. Different content, requires different context. You wouldn't frame a painting as you would a certificate.

Moulding is the most expressive medium we have to help communicate the artwork's context. The right frame can transform an image.

Frame Styles

We often categorise our moulding by theme; traditional, ornate, contemporary, Asian, minimalist. What category does your artwork fall into?

Frame Colours and sizes

What colours and sizes work with the artwork. Will a large frame overwhelm the work? Does a small frame make it feel claustrophobic? When you look around our store you will see that we often have the same frame in different sizes and colours. Thematically the frame suits the work but subtle changes in colour and size can make a tremendous difference.

Multiple Frames

More and more frequently we're seeing customers creating their own art. From mementos they've bought whilst overseas, family treasures, children's artwork and photographs. Multiple frames can transform a small piece of art into a showstopper!

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Glass Choices

So together we've chosen the frame and the mat for your artwork. However, there is one final decision to be made; what type of glass do you want?

At Fastframe we offer three types of glass (as well as perspex, but we'll save the perspex discussion for another day.)

Normal Glass

Normal Glass is what we call the standard glass that we use. It's a great quality, professional standard and our most affordable option.

Conservation Clear

Tru Vue Conservation Clear glass is recommended for original art, limited editions and other valuable art work. Manufactured in America, it blocks 99% of UV rays, this helps reduce fading and discolouration that can occur over time. It meets all conservation standards. If the work that you're having framed is important to you, we recommend Tru Vue Conservation Clear glass.

AR - Reflection Free

Tru Vue AR Reflection Free glass is a Museum quality Anti Reflective (AR) glass. Although it blocks less UV (78%) than the Tru Vue Conservation Clear, works framed with AR looks 'glass-less' as it reduces reflections to less than 1%.

AR glass is virtually 'invisible'. It's reflection free so the artwork 'pops'. The work's colours appear enhanced and the work appears brighter. If expose to light is not an issue and you want to feel like you can simply reach out and touch the artwork; AR glass is the best product for you.

UltraView

Tru Vue UltraView glass is an affordable high quality Anti Reflective (AR) glass. UltraView will still stop 70% of UV and cut reflections to less than 1% so that it is also almost "invisible".

Caring for your framed artwork

A regular dusting should suffice. But if you have some grubby fingerprints to remove follow these instructions for all types of glass we supply:

  • Only use a clean, soft, lint-free cloth (like a micro-fiber cloth)
  • Spray some glass cleaner (ammonia free) onto the cloth, not the glass itself
  • Clean the glass in a circular motion (think Karate kid; wax on, wax off)
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Birthday Party Signing Boards

"Signing boards are now a rite of passage for the young. Bar and Bat mitzvah's, 18th's and 21st's. But they shouldn't just be wasted on the young.

One of the Fastframe owners (Sami) celebrated his 60th Birthday a few yeas ago now) and he decided to mark the occasion with a party and a special signing board for his guests to sign. The completed signboard is both a representation of the customers life and an elegant and fun memento for them to reflect on.

Photo Selection

Most signing boards we do for Gen Y's and Z's are a collage of photo's of themselves, friends and family. Recently we've seen an increase in single photo signing boards where parents get some photograph's taken professionally of the star of the party.

Sami wanted something different, more sophisticated, elegant and classic (to match his years).

We collected a number of his passport and drivers licence photographs. These are all taken in a similar manner so we immediately had a continuity of size and pose.

While most of the pictures weren't damaged, when a photograph is enlarged and printed, any imperfections will be magnified. It was therefore decided to enhance and restore the images so that the backgrounds were removed and made uniform, the colours were converted to black and white and sharpened so that the images were crisp. This made the world of difference.

Printing the photographs

Fastframe recenlty bought an Wide Format Printer. This allows us to print beautiful colour correct pictures up to 24inch wide and up to 60inch long !

Framing the Signing Board

Sami wanted a sleek, sophisticated and elegant signing board. We decided that a black matt would complement the photographs best. A white matt would have washed them out and changed the tone of the signing board to fun and festive. On the night, guests were asked to pen their best wishes using a silver pen. By having everyone write in one colour also helps to unify and focus your attention on the photographs before the writing. Multi-coloured pens can result in your attention being distracted.

Sami's framed Signing board

Sami's framed signing board was a huge success! For your next special occassion, think about asking us to design a custom signing board, it will be a wonderful reminder of your day.

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