Cross Stitching Series - Finishing and Framing

Welcome to Part 6 of the cross stitching series - this is the last post! If you missed Parts 1-5 click below.

1) Selecting a Kit
2) Prepping your Kit
3) The Stitches and following a pattern
4) Outlines (back stitch) and Details
5) Personalizing a kit
6) Finishing and Framing

When I first wrote about cross-stitching, Kathy from Creative Home Expressions and I started talking about our love for it and all the projects we've done over the years.  She has done way more than I have and I knew that she had lots of great information to share.  I was so thrilled that she agreed to write a guest post!!  (esp. on a topic I could use some help myself!) Kathy, take it away...

Heather at Pixie Dust is doing a series on cross-stitch and I really enjoyed following along because I used to be a cross-stitch fiend.  You know how you stay up late to blog?  Well, I used to stay up late to do “just one more row” of cross-stitch!  Heather has graciously allowed me to participate in her series with a post on finishing and framing your cross-stitch piece.

As we go through the different ways you can finish your cross-stitch, I thought I’d share some of the many pieces that I’ve done over the years.

Probably the most popular way to finish off your cross-stitch is to frame it.  I always took my pieces to a professional framer to have it done right.  You can have the matting done so that it enhances the piece whether it is the color of the mat or the way it is cut.  Non-glare glass works really well on a framed cross-stitch as it doesn’t distort the way it looks.  If you are comfortable framing your own work ~ more power to you!

Another way to finish your work is by making a pillow.  This pillow covering came this way and I used a pattern from a cross-stitch magazine.

This little tiny baby pillow I made from a found pattern {very simple to do, too, if you need a gift for a shower or new baby gift in general}.  I put it together with a linen fabric and ribbon.  I used to sell these and would do them in pink, blue, mint green, and yellow.

Like the pillow cover above, you can buy Christmas stockings that are already finished off and you just need to add the cross-stitch pattern.  I bought these quilted stockings several years ago at Michael’s and cross-stitched my family’s names on them using an alphabet pattern that I adapted to fit the aida cloth part of the stocking.

I’ve also made switch plate covers and eyeglass cases.  I have even used dissolvable aida cloth to sew cross-stitch designs onto sweatshirts and t-shirts!

You can find some great kits that come with everything you need to do the cross-stitch and even include a way of finishing or framing.  If you look through some cross-stitch magazines you will come across some novel ways of finishing off your cross-stitch.  That’s what happened when I found this one and was able to order the mitten frame.  I put this one together myself. 
Here is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I did for my son back in the early 90’s when he was into them.

Many of my cross-stitch projects became gifts and there were such a variety.  I did baby blanket and pillow sets; bibs; framed pieces with shaped mats; glass cases; baby alphabet samplers; baby hooded bath towels and much more.

This is the last one I finished.  If you notice, the bottom is dated 2000.

I have a couple of others in various stages of completion.  I have a very cute Winnie the Pooh sampler that I will be finishing off for my daughter; all it needs is the personalization and framing.
The manner in which you finish off {or frame} your cross-stitch is limitless!   Have fun with it!

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Wow, those are some awesome tips!  The dissolvable aida cloth sounds so fun! I am going to have to keep an eye out for that.  I love the thought of finishing a design as a pillow and now I know to ask for non-glare glass if I ever go to a framer.  Thanks Kathy.

Hope you all enjoyed this series,