June WIPocalypse - No Rotation?

I know, I know. The purpose of this WIPocalypse was supposed to help me to keep up on ALL of my WIPs by rotating. Well, June was not my most stellar rotation month. But I can still be positive about my stitching progress. I have an actual finish and a good start on a new WIP! Yay!

I finished up "June" in the Snowflower Diaries Joyful World series in time to display it in the month it's supposed to be displayed in! Success!

Not only that, but also mounted and framed. I am using a regular picture frame with a removable back for these. This way I can just change them each month. OK, I can change them each month when I actually complete them. I do like this finish a lot. Now the big question is: Which month should I start next? I'm thinking October or November. I'm pretty confident that I can get one of those done before that month begins. This will be a definite start for July or even this week.

Remember last month when I had about 5 stitches in Rainbow Row? More progress has been made since then.

So far so good. I am enjoying stitching this. It's going to be really pretty stitched up. Yesterday was my stitch group's monthly stitch day get together and this is what I worked on. I hope to have a lot more to show you next month.

Melissa's topic for June: Show us your stitching space! Where do you sit, and what is going on around you while you stitch (TV, audiobooks, etc.)?
I usually stitch in my living/family room. My spot is on the end of the couch with my light source on my right.

My scissors in their holder and my ort dish (aka "thread bucket") are right at hand also. Also at hand is usually a cat. Or two. I almost always watch TV when I stitch.

My alternate stitching spot is in my craft room.

I like this comfortable recliner, and again, my stitching supplies are right there. Scissors in the little holder that my husband made, cat ort holder, etc. Snowball is not usually there. I just thought he would look cute in the photo. I also have an Ott Light floor lamp that I can use if the light isn't right. I have a little TV in there too.

My goals for July: 1. Keep working on Rainbow Row. 2. Get Kaleidoscope back into the rotation. 3. Start another month in the Joyful World series.

Many thanks to Melissa at Measi's Musings for hosting WIPocalypse. Please click on the link to find out more about WIPocalypse or to see her blog.

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment or better yet, become a follower! I appreciate each and every one of my followers as well as all comments. See you soon!

A Framing Refresher

I've had a few requests to give the instructions for how I frame my cross stitch, especially after I finally framed my Kitty Kalendar a few months ago. So I placed my order to American Frame for supplies to complete "Quaker Star" by Bent Creek. This is a project I stitched maybe three years ago and it had been in the "finished stitching" box just waiting for the day when I would display it. This is a pretty picture-heavy post, so be forewarned.

I chose a whitewash frame and a narrow red mat. Also in my order was a piece of foam core board for mounting. When ordering your framing supplies, measure and measure again to make sure that you're allowing enough space to accommodate your stitching.

Now here's how I do my framing. First of all, I center my stitched piece as best as I can, measuring as I go, and then I start pinning. I use silk or satin pins (about 1") that you can get wherever sewing notions are sold.

I start out placing the pins about 1" apart, but will add more to tighten everything up. At this point you will notice that I didn't put any batting or anything on the foam core board like a lot of framing tutorials show. This is personal preference. Sometimes I want that padded look, but for this piece I opted to just pin the fabric directly to the board.

Now you can see the edge completely pinned. Hint: you can use a thread in your fabric to line up with the edge of the mat!

As you pin, keep measuring to make sure that your piece is where you want it. Now is a good time to place the mat on top (or the frame if you're not using a mat) to make sure that everything looks centered and nice. Push those pins in as far as you can if you're going to leave them in there.*

Looking pretty centered!

 

The above photo shows my stitching pinned all around. Turn your work so you're looking at the back. You have to make a decision now. Do you want to lace your edges or tape them? As a rule, I will only do lacing on a small project. I'm talking really small. So I'm going to tape my edges. Don't yell at me. I saw a professional framer do this. I like this method and I've used it many times.

*I have seen people lace the edges and leave the pins in, but some framers take the pins out. Up to you. I tape and leave the pins in.

OK! It's time to secure your mounted stitching into the frame. I use a Logan point driver to do this. You can also use glazier points. American Frame sends these clip things for this purpose, but I have never been able to figure out how these work. And there may be other good solutions that I don't know about. But I like my Logan point driver. A little too much.

But seriously, this device makes this step soooooooo easy. How many points you'll use is dependent on the size of the frame. You be the judge. I bought my Logan driver at Hobby Lobby (use that coupon!). You can buy point refills there or on Amazon.

I cover the back with some brown craft paper. I cut it about a half inch larger than the frame back opening and simply glue it on. Brush the glue on with a paint brush. You don't need a lot. Then I lightly spray the paper with water. When it dries, it will tighten up.

Put on a hanger of your choice, like a saw-tooth, and you're done!

What do you think? Pretty nice, huh? It's all ready to hang up for the July 4th holiday, but I'll probably leave this up all of the time.

Some things to think about. I didn't use any kind of glass or plexiglass for this framing project. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. If you use glass, and don't use a mat, you will need to use spacers to make a space between your stitching and the glass. You don't want the stitching in direct contact with the glass. If your stitching has any kind of buttons, jewels, or beads on it, you have to make sure that you'll have enough room for them if you're using glass.You may have to use more than one mat or use spacers AND a mat.

This tutorial is intended to give you a general idea on how to do basic framing. American Frame is the company I order framing supplies from. There are many others. Look around. Find one you're comfortable with. If you have specific questions, contact them. They may have suggestions that I did not give in this tutorial. It's always great to learn something new! The whole idea here is to do your own framing, save a little money, and have a finished product you'll be proud to display!