Framing Needlepoint

Ask a question about framing needlepoint on any discussion board and be prepared for a broad range of strongly-held opinions.

Some people swear you should never put glass on your needlepoint. Other people are fans of quick framing techniques.

Framing consists of mounting your needlepoint, displaying it (mats and frames), and protecting it (glass). While most of us know what constitutes display and protection, the methods used to mount needlework, including needlepoint may be a mystery to us.

Needlepoint when properly mounted has a stiffener underneath it. This could be cardboard, wood or another stiff material. It’s needed in order to keep the needlepoint flat inside the frame or other display.

The trick is getting the needlepoint to lay flat against this stiffener. While there are many ways to do this, three of the most common are gluing, pinning, and lacing. All have their fans. Earlier this year Brenda looked at the methods in an excellent blog post.

It’s a reasonable expectation that professional framers know how to frame needlepoint properly, but often this isn’t the case. Ask at your local shop or guild chapter for experienced framers in your area. Learn to frame needlework yourself.

It’s interesting to note that not all framers are honest about the techniques they use. In another post, Brenda took apart a project of hers in order to see what was done. She was surprised by what she found.

She expected to find the needlepoint laced.

Here’s what you need to do to examine the mounting method of a framed piece. As Brenda notes, after doing this you will need to have the needlework remounted in the frame and a new paper dust backing put on.

Begin by removing the eye bolts and wire, so the backing is clean. Use a utility knife to cut away the paper dust backing.

If the piece is laced, you should be able to tell right away. You will see thread criss-crossing the back of the mounted stitching.

If there is no lacing, you will need to remove the pins holding the needlework in the frame. This can be done with pliers. Once removed you should be able to pop the needlework out.

If the needlepoint is pinned you will see pins all around the edge of the needlework. If you see rust spots, get your needlework remounted immediately. The pins were not stainless steel and can permanently discolor your needlepoint.

If there are no pins, it has been glued. There are several methods to do this. A padded board with adhesive on it could be used. This is more common for cross stitch. It is not acid-free or archival. Tape could be used to attach the needlepoint to a larger uncut mat board. There are both tapes and mats boards that are archival, although this isn’t a sturdy method of framing. Finally glue could have been spread on the board and/or needlepoint, making a permanent bond. This also may or may not be archival.

The big problem with these glues (except tape) is that they are permanent. You will have difficulty if you need to redo the process or if the stitching buckles.

Here’s one place where it’s worth it to go with experience.