The Framers Forum

Hi guys, I've got a cross-stitch to frame and haven't framed one before. Can you tell me what board you would use to mount it to and what you use to attach it, Cheers D.

Hi Dave

I have this book which has several methods for fabrics.

needlework framing volume 3 by Vivian C Kistler

The preferred method would be to 'lace' the piece around a piece of foamboard/mountboard (acid free).

A quick look on youtube will give you a few ideas on the method - something like this ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrRx0_6y_TM

It goes without saying too that a mount/doublemount is recommended.

Hope this gets you started

Cheers
Steven

Thanks guys, saw the book on Amazon and will look at the youtube vid cheers.

There is a textile framing course at the end of the month at the FATG office in London. [http://www.fineart.co.uk/training-and-courses.aspx]. I don't know whether there are any places left.

baughen wrote:There is a textile framing course at the end of the month at the FATG office in London. [http://www.fineart.co.uk/training-and-courses.aspx]. I don't know whether there are any places left.

Dave, This would be worth your time. As a professional framer accepting the work and personal keepsakes of others for presentation and preservation, one really needs to know the various ways to handle textiles: Counted Thread (X-Stitch), Surface Embroidery (Crewel) or Canvaswork (Needlepoint)... there are a number of substrates that work, some better than others, and several mounting techniques.

Might as well learn a whole bunch - The FATG deliberately moved into larger premises to specifically have an area to hold training programs like above. I believe that the program is open for members and non-members alike. Good luck.

John

Dave, I still have my GCF study guide & I'll probably never look at it again. If you want it just say & I'll pop it in the post for you. It's got a few pages on fabrics etc. It's only gathering dust on a shelf, I'd rather see someone get a bit of use from it.

Cheers

Steven

Here's an album I uploaded to facebook https://www.facebook.com/pg/picturefram ... 6605988493

That's very kind of you Steven I'll message you the address, thanks very much. Pramsay thanks, I've loaded that link will have a look at lunchtime. Regarding courses, I've haven't had many textiles before but silk, cross stitch and all sorts started coming in so yes will look at it, Thankyou.

pramsay13 wrote:Here's an album I uploaded to facebook https://www.facebook.com/pg/picturefram ... 6605988493

Great just had a look very helpful Thanks.

That's a very good photographic step by step guide from pramsay13. The only difference I would do is that I always lace over thick conservation grade mountboard rather than foamboard, and usually add a layer of polyester wadding/padding on top of the board. You can buy it from fabric shops, but also from Lions https://www.lionpic.co.uk/p/9020/Tapest ... p--2pcs--- Using wadding helps disguise knots and uneven tensions in the needlework.

I would agree with John Ranes that the Guild course on textiles is well worth signing up for, there is also the Guild book "Framing and Presenting Textile Art" that may be useful to get hold of http://fineart.co.uk/shop/Default.aspx? ... tegory=475

Thanks for the link, pramsey13. I've got one of these to re-mount and re-frame. Previously the cross-stitch was glued to some card and then taped to the mount. I can't do anything about the glued card but at least I don't have to tape the fabric. Instead I'm planning to drop the cross-stitch/card into some foamboard, as you have done. I was thinking of securing it in the foamboard by putting an undermount behind it, with the centre cut out, and then taping the undermount to the back of the card. So the tape wouldn't touch the fabric. See attached diagrams of the back of the cross-stitch. Would this be OK, or would you do something different to secure the cross-stitch into the foamboard? Is taping all round OK in this instance?

When I do a sink mount I glue the foamboard to the undermount and the artwork is held in place by the windowmount.
See attached image.
I tend to cut an oversize undermount. With the artwork in position glue the pinwheel foamboard strips in place. You can mark the position of the artwork with a pencil and then remove it if you don't want to apply glue with the artwork in place When the glue is dry, drop the artwork into the sink and place the windowmount on top and mark the edges of the windowmount and then trim the foamborad and undermount to the correct size.
In the frame the artwork in held in place by the windowmount.

Thanks, David, that's very helpful. Is PVA glue suitable to use on foam board?

I'm no glue expert but for me I couldn't be without a bottle of Evacon-R in my workshop which I use for all sorts of bonding including foamboard. Lion also sell it.

We do exactly the same as David - a little bit of ATG to hold the foamboard in place while the PVA dries works wonders. We also use Evacon-R, tend to buy ours from Arqadia in the large sizes and then decant into a smaller bottle for ease of use.