9.07.2011

How to Frame Fabric or Needlepoint on Canvas Stretchers

Canvas Stretchers work nicely for finishing a fabric art piece. You could use this method for finishing a needle work piece, framing an old tee-shirt with cool artwork, or a cute piece of vintage fabric. This method also allows you to undo everything if you decide to do something else with the piece later down the road. I happened to have these stretchers lying around, so it seemed like the perfect way for me to finish my DIY Crewel Embroidery Kit from Tako Fibers.
You will need:
• Canvas Stretchers
• Heavy Duty Thread (I used 6 strand embroidery floss)
• Scissors
• Needle
• Patience
Get your fabric into place and then cut excess fabric from around the edges. You can also cut the corners off so there isn't as much bulk in the corner area, but I was scared to do this so I left it as is.
Use your needle and thread to start stretching the fabric. Start in the middle and work your way to the outside. Check every so often to see how its going and adjust as necessary.
After my first attempt, I noticed a lot of puckering around the fox's neck, so I decided to do a second pass. Check out the white thread below to see what I'm talking about.
Notice how the puckering is mostly gone after going back and adding more support to that area.
Now Mr. Party Fox is ready to grace my wall.

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