Don’t scrub or rub your project while it’s submerged. Scrubbing or rubbing harshly could damage your stitching, and it may cause your colors to bleed. If you do choose to wash your cross stitch, be sure that you used color-fast floss or thread. Otherwise, your colors may bleed.
If you’d like to, you can gently blot your project with a clean towel once you take it out of the water. However, avoid any harsh scrubbing, or else you could damage your threads.
If you washed your piece, make sure it’s 100% dry before ironing. Otherwise, you could damage your cross stitch.
Try to use thin but sturdy cardboard, like that from a cereal box. Thick cardboard may make your project too bulky to frame. Your frame may come with a piece of cardboard inside already. If so, you can just use that.
It’s okay if your cardboard isn’t 100% centered right now, because you’ll be able to make adjustments later on. Just get it as close as you can to make things easier on yourself.
Sewing thread is ideal here, because it’s stronger and sturdier than embroidery floss.
Space your stitches about 1 cm (0. 39 in) together or less. The closer your stitches are together, the more secure your project will be. Take a look at your cross stitch and see if it’s still centered. If not, adjust the piece to center it before moving on.
Once you’re done, cut the thread and tie a knot in it. The back of your piece might look a little messy, but that’s okay! It will be hidden inside of your frame.
If you used a thick piece of cardboard, the back may not fit on your frame, and that’s okay. You can cover the back with a piece of paper using glue, or you can simply leave the back exposed. Since it will be up against the wall, no one will see it.
Use a thin piece of cardboard to avoid making your project too bulky. If your frame came with a sturdy piece of cardboard inside, feel free to use that.
With the pinning method, it’s a little more important to get the cardboard centered the first time. Use a ruler to measure the sides and make sure they’re all even.
It’s okay if your cross stitch doesn’t seem secure yet, because you’ll be adding a lot more pins.
When you’re done pinning, you’ll still have some excess fabric on the back to deal with. Don’t worry—you’ll be taking care of that in the next step.
It’s okay if the back doesn’t look perfect, since it will be hidden against a wall.
Make sure your cross stitch is centered on the board before you trim.
Try not to touch the sticky part with your hands, as that can make it less sticky.
Since you cut your cross stitch down to size, lining it up on the sticky board will be a breeze.
You can keep the glass inside of the frame, or you can take it out and let the texture of your cross stitch show. It’s up to you!
