<![CDATA[BERGERON ART + FRAME - Blog]]>Thu, 02 May 2024 18:33:01 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Pin-Stretching your Needlework]]>Sun, 06 Aug 2023 13:11:33 GMThttp://bergeronart.com/blog/pin-stretching-your-needleworkNeedlework such as cross-stitching and embroidery is an extremely skillful craft that takes a lot of patience. It is labour intensive but also very rewarding.

Having had the pleasure and honour to stretch and frame more needlework art than I can count, I have compiled a list of tips for preparing your piece to be stretched by a custom picture framer and a how-to if you want to pin-stretch your work yourself to get it ready for framing. 

I am not an expert at needlework. In fact, my regular clients encouraged me to give it a try, and I finally picked up a needle and tried it this year. After a few noteworthy comedic hiccups (that I’m happy to share with you in person), I finally finished an embroidery project! It’s not perfect, but it’s complete, it’s stretched, and it’s ready to be matted and framed. 

Needlework can be very delicate, so framing it can be challenging. The purpose of stretching the fabric is to make it taut, eliminating wrinkles and sagging. This needs to be done carefully so that the piece is not skewed and so the fabric weave is straight. 

Bergeron Art + Frame offers a variety of framing options for needlework. Some artists prefer no glazing (glass or acrylic) and like a “puffy” look, others prefer mat board and glazing, and others prefer to put their art directly into the frame with glass and a spacer. There are pros and cons to each option that we can discuss further, but in general, I prefer to cover with glazing. If your work is not covered with glazing, it will get dirty because it allows for dust, curious fingers, and insects—all things I recommend avoiding given the time you’ve spent on your piece. 

Preparing Your Piece to be Stretched 
If you’re already a seasoned pro at a needlework craft, you probably already wash your hands before you touch your work and cover your work when you’re not working on it. I cannot stress this enough. Any amount of dirt will come right to the surface once you press your fabric, and this dirt then seems magnified once framed. Some patterns leave no un-stitched fabric available for viewing, which is fantastic; however, others show quite a bit, and the dirt rings from where your hoop was are very visible because dust and dirt like to accumulate around it. Some folks always wash their work and others never do, so depending on which camp you’re in, just note that as your custom picture framer, I will not be washing your fabric and won’t be removing any marks. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take on something you’ve spent months or even years on. My heart just can’t take that responsibility. 

Never fold your fabric. If your fabric came folded, iron it before you start to get the creases out, and then never fold it again! It may seem like an easy way to store your work and travel with it, but unless you’re leaving no fabric visible, those creases have a memory and are very tricky to remove. Roll your finished work or store it flat instead. If you wash your fabric, follow the instructions provided, but when in doubt, lay it flat to dry on a towel. Once dry, roll your fabric in a towel to transport it, or if it is small enough, create a flat folder (cardboard will do since it’s just for a short time period) and transport it in that. If you need a folder, just call our shop ahead of time and we can make one for you. 

Some antique needlework may be too fragile for any washing or cleaning methods and should be framed as is. Cleaning may damage the delicate threads. Other needlework will benefit from cleaning or ironing but must be done carefully as some thread colors may “run” or bleed. 

Don’t make your knots too large, trim your tails, and keep even tension.
If you’re one to put knots, keep them small. Large knots can leave bumps and can unintentionally lead to an uneven texture on the front. When tails are not trimmed down, they can be visible when finished, so it’s best to turn your piece over when it’s done and trim and tuck threads where they would be noticeable from the front. If your tension is too tight, it becomes nearly impossible to keep your fabric weave straight, so just be mindful. 

Do not use masking tape, or any adhesive for that matter. I don’t know when the trend of putting masking tape around the edges of your work started, but nothing good comes from masking tape. I suspect the purpose is to prevent the fabric from fraying, but I’ve yet to have a piece come in where a frayed edge is a problem. A better idea is to leave more fabric than necessary around the edges.

Pin-Stretching How-To
Now you’re ready to stretch your piece! If you have had a needlework custom framed by a professional before, you know it’s a time-consuming process with a price that reflects it. It is a process that cannot be rushed, but if you’d like to do it yourself to keep your budget on the framing portion, read on!  

Do-it-yourself stretching is ideal for small pieces that are still square. If your piece is oversized, is a warped shape, or is very old, it’s not a good one to start with. The following is a tutorial for a simple pin-stretch. If you’re interested in lacing your needlework, that’s not covered here but that can be found online. 

Tools needed
  • A piece of acid-free foam core (we sell this and can cut to size for you) 
  • Utility knife (if cutting your own foam core)
  • Ruler
  • Pins (rust-proof or at a minimum, resistant)
  • Fabric pencil (optional) ​​​
Follow the steps below by hovering over each image. 
Once you’ve finished pin-stretching your piece, you’ve saved yourself money in labour and can get your item custom framed. Bergeron Art + Frame can take over from here, or if you’d like to use an existing frame, we can also cut custom-sized mat boards for you. 
If you want to bring in your piece for us to look at before you begin, we’re always happy to talk you through your options and ideas before you get started. 
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For an example of an embroidery piece, we’ll use my very first embroidery project that I mentioned earlier. I decided roughly how large I wanted the finished piece to be. Because I know I’ll be putting mat board on top, it doesn’t need to be perfectly centered on the foam core, which makes this a great first-stretch-type project, and I’ll cut my foam core smaller than my overall finished size so I can shift it underneath until I’m happy with its placement.
I cut a sample mat to get a better idea of the finished piece to confirm how large I wanted the opening and the border to be, and then I picked out a frame.

To see the finished pieces, you’ll need to follow us on social! instagram.com/bergeron.art.frame/
and Facebook.com/bergeronartframe Hopefully I’ll be able to have these finished in the coming months, but clients’ work always come first. 

Is there something you’d like to know more about? Send me a direct message or email and let me know. 
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