Or maybe it’s an old finish that’s been taunting you from across the room. No judgment – we totally get it!

Next stop… Framing! (It’s easier than you think.)

Step 1: Freshen up!

Finishes can get wrinkly and grimy from handling, but it’s easy to fix! With clean hands, fill a large bowl with warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap. Place two clean towels on a flat surface. Immerse the stitch in the water and gently knead it for a few minutes. Check it now and then if you know there are some problem spots. 

Once clean, lift the stitch and let the excess water drip off. DO NOT twist or squeeze your work. Sandwich it between the towels. Gently press all over. Remove the top towel and let it dry overnight. 

Next, place the dry stitch face down on an ironing board or a thick, light-coloured towel on a flat surface. Iron the back of the cross-stitch on medium, with low steam, until smooth. If you’re worried you might burn the project, cover it with something like a tea towel and iron on top of that. DO NOT iron the front as it might cause unwanted shine. 

If you are not going to put the stitch behind glass, you’ll likely need to compensate for the depth of the missing glass pane to make sure the stitch sits snugly in the frame. Measure the depth and size of the glass pane and cut a piece of thick foam core or cardboard to match. For example, you might determine you need a piece that is 8” x 10” with ⅛” depth.

Step 2: Frame it up! 

Each ABIT Stitch includes the required measurement of Aida cloth and a suggested frame size, but if you opted to use more fabric than that, you may want to trim it before framing.

Use the empty frame as a guide for cutting. 

• Remove the backing board and glass. 
• Place the stitch right-side-up on a table and set the empty frame on top of the stitch. 
• Move the frame up and down, left and right, until you’re happy with the composition you see in the frame window. 

Place the empty frame over your work to get the best layout. Then mark and trim with the excess Aida cloth.

Once happy with the placement, use a fabric pencil to mark the fabric two inches beyond the frame window in all directions and cut along those lines.

• If the frame’s moldings (the wood or metal part), are less than an inch wide, measure out from the inside edge of the window and mark the fabric at two inches or more from this inside edge.
• If the molding is wider than an inch, you can choose to trace the outside edge of the frame with a pencil and trim the material along this line.

Next, decide if you want to use the glass included with the frame.

Without glass

If you are not going to put the stitch behind glass, you’ll likely need to compensate for the depth of the missing glass pane to make sure the stitch sits snugly in the frame. Measure the depth and size of the glass pane and cut a piece of thick foam core to match. For example, you might determine you need a piece that is 8” x 10” with ⅛” depth.

With glass

If you are going to use the glass, you can mount the stitch to the backing board provided with the frame. For a tidier back, you can mount the stitch to a piece of heavy card–about the thickness of a cereal-box–and sandwich the mounting between the glass and backing board.

• Lay the stitch face down on a table. Place the backing board on top so that it is centered and you have the same amount of extra fabric on the left and right, and top and bottom edges.
• Being careful not to shift the board, fold the top edge over the board and secure it with masking tape in the center of the fabric. If you are using foam, you can use flathead pins pushed through the edge of the foam.
• Repeat this with the bottom edge, pulling the fabric snug but not so tight that you distort the weave. 
• Secure the full length of the top and bottom edges with tape, working from the center out.
• Fold the right side over the board. You will need to tuck the top and bottom corners as you would when wrapping a present. Secure this edge with tape. 
• Repeat this with the left edge, again, securing the fabric along the full length working from the centre out.

Fold the top edge over

If you are concerned about such things, you might want to use archival mounting tape to secure all the edges. Or you can use a lacing method of sewing that lashes opposite edges together with thread. There are detailed videos that show how to lash online. 

Once you’ve completed the above steps, place the mounted stitch into the frame, replace the backing board and fold over any securing clips.

We hope you found ABIT Stitches Care and Framing instructions helpful!

Please check out our store www.ABITStitches.com to see our our individual patterns or our book “A Bitch in Time: 30 Snarcastic Stitches for you to Stab Volume 1.”