How-to guide
How to frame embroidery in a picture frame
To frame embroidery in a picture frame, wrap the pressed piece around a board cut slightly smaller than the frame's opening, pin it straight, then lace the edges together across the back with strong thread. Set it in a frame with enough depth, and if you use glass, add a mat or spacers so the glass never touches the stitches.
Hoop or picture frame?
Most stitched portraits stay in their hoop, and that's a lovely finish. A picture frame is the other option. It takes longer, and it suits a memorial piece or a home where every wall is framed photos.
Finishing in the hoop vs in a picture frame
| In the hoop | In a picture frame | |
|---|---|---|
| The look | Round, light and handmade | Square or rectangular, and finished like a print |
| The work | One short sitting: re-hoop, gather, felt | A longer project: board, pins, lacing, frame |
| Dust and fingers | Open to both | Kept off by glass, if you use it |
| What you buy | Nothing; it's the hoop you stitched in | A frame with depth, board, and maybe a mat |
| Best for | A first piece, a quick gift | A memorial, or a gift to hang among photos |
Prefer the hoop? How to frame embroidery in the hoop covers the gathering stitch and the felt back.
Choose the size before you buy the frame
Two things decide the size: room around the design, and fabric to wrap around the board. Our dog patterns are about 4.7 inches tall, so a 5 x 7 inch frame gives the dog a little breathing room.
You also need extra fabric on every side to fold to the back, about 1 1/2 inches. A 10-inch square of linen covers a 5 x 7 inch board with that much to spare. An 8 x 10 frame needs a bigger piece, at least 11 x 13 inches. So decide on the frame before you cut your linen, not after you finish stitching.
Hang it so the linen's grain runs straight up and down. Stitched with the grain vertical and mounted the same way, it won't look tilted on the wall.
How to lace embroidery over board, step by step
- Rinse and press it. The piece should be clean, dry and pressed face down on towels. See how to iron embroidery.
- Cut the board. Measure the inside of the frame where the picture sits. Cut acid-free foam board or mount board about 1/8 inch smaller each way, to leave room for the fabric that wraps around its edges.
- Center the board. Lay the embroidery face down and set the board on top, centered. Check that the weave runs straight: follow one thread of the linen along the board's edge.
- Pin the edges. Fold the top edge over the board and push pins into the board's edge, starting in the middle and working out. Do the bottom next, smoothing the linen without stretching it, then the two sides. Turn it over and check that the dog is straight before you go on.
- Fold the corners. Fold each corner in neatly, like wrapping a present, and trim away bulk so the corners lie flat.
- Lace the back. With a long length of strong cotton thread, stitch back and forth between the top and bottom edges, about 1/4 inch in from the edge of the fabric, pulling each pass snug as you go. Then lace the two sides the same way.
- Take out the pins. Check the front once more. If it's loose anywhere, tighten that part of the lacing.
- Frame it. Set it into the frame, close the back, and sign the back with the dog's name and the date.
Glass or no glass?
Embroidery should never be pressed flat against glass. The glass crushes the stitches and hides the texture that makes thread look like thread. That leaves you three good choices.
- No glass. The stitches show at their best, and it's the simplest. Dust it now and then with a soft, clean brush. Many stitchers prefer it.
- Glass with a mat. The mat holds the glass away from the linen and frames the dog with a border.
- Glass with spacers. Thin strips hidden under the edge of the frame keep a gap between the glass and the stitches, with no visible border.
Whichever you pick, choose a frame with some depth. A deep frame or a shadow box has room for the board, the fabric wrapped around it and a gap in front of the stitches.
Framing the hoop itself
You can keep the round shape and still frame it. Finish the hoop with a felt back as usual, then set it inside a shadow box deep enough to hold it, or fix it to a fabric-covered board inside a larger frame. It's a good middle ground for a memorial piece: the hoop you stitched in, with protection around it. Pet memorial embroidery has more ideas for a keepsake.
When to use a framer
For a piece you'd hate to redo, a framer is worth the cost. Bring it rinsed and pressed but not mounted, tell them it's hand embroidery, and ask for acid-free board and a gap between the glass and the stitches. Framers often have offcuts of board too, if you'd rather mount it yourself.
Thinking of a frame instead of a hoop while you stitch? Picture frames can't grip fabric. Stitchers who like a frame use stretcher bars, with the fabric tacked or stapled on, but for a small portrait a 6-inch hoop is simpler.
Questions people ask
Should embroidery go under glass?
It can, as long as the glass never touches the stitches. Use a mat or spacers to keep a gap. Many stitchers skip the glass so the texture shows, and dust it gently now and then.
How do you frame embroidery without a hoop?
Wrap the pressed embroidery around acid-free board cut slightly smaller than the frame's opening, pin it straight, lace the edges together across the back with strong thread, then set it in a frame with some depth.
How do you use a picture frame as an embroidery hoop?
You can't really stitch in one, because a picture frame has nothing to grip the fabric. Stitchers who prefer a frame use stretcher bars with the fabric tacked on. For a small portrait, a 6-inch hoop is simpler.
What size frame fits a 6-inch hoop design?
Our dog patterns are about 4.7 inches tall, so a 5 x 7 inch frame gives a little room around the dog. A bigger frame works too, with a bigger piece of fabric to wrap around the board.
Why use acid-free board?
Acid-free board is made for keeping art and photos for years, which is what you want behind a piece you plan to keep. Ordinary cardboard isn't made for that.
Sources: Wandering Threads: How to frame embroidery, the easy method · Embroiderers' Guild of America: The Little Book of embroidery basics (PDF) · Wandering Threads: How to finish an embroidery hoop