Guides / Finishing
Washing, pressing and framing your cross stitch
A piece fresh off the hoop has creases, the ring's mark and often a few fingerprints. A gentle wash and careful pressing take them all away.
A piece straight out of the hoop has creases, the ring's mark, a few fingerprints. A gentle wash and a press remove them. Always in this order: check, wash, press, mount.
What you need
- A bowl of cold or lukewarm water
- Mild washing-up liquid, with no dye
- Two bath towels
- An iron
- Acid-free board, or a wooden hoop
Before washing
DMC stranded cotton is known to be colourfast, but a bright red or an old thread can run. Five minutes of checking is enough.
- Take out the tacking threads and the tape on the edges.
- Check at the back that every thread is ended (see starting and ending a thread), trim the tails.
- Test bright reds such as 321 or 666: wet a corner, dab it with a white tissue.
Tip. Tissue coloured? Wash in cold water, quickly, with a colour-catcher sheet in the bowl.
Washing by hand
Cold or lukewarm water and a drop or two of mild washing-up liquid, with no dye. The rest is patience.
15 min of soaking, without rubbing or wringing
- Put the piece in and leave it to soak, pressing on it gently now and then.
- Rinse in clean water until there are no more suds.
- Lay it flat on a towel, roll the two up together and press to soak up the water.
Tip. A colour running? Whatever you do, do not let it dry: rinse in cold water until the water stays clear. Once dry, the stain stays.
Pressing on the back
Press the piece while it is still damp: that is when creases and the hoop mark come out best.
The iron on the cotton setting, pressed and lifted on the back, with a thick towel under the embroidery. Photo: Michael Slaten, CC BY-SA 4.0- Fold a thick towel in two and lay the piece on it, face down against the towel.
- Iron on the cotton setting: set it down and lift it, without sliding, to keep the fabric straight.
- Leave to dry flat.
- ✓ On the back, on a thick towel: the stitches sink in and keep their texture.
- ✗ Face up, straight on the board: the stitches are crushed and go shiny in places.
Tip. Hoop mark still there? A second, longer soak nearly always shifts it: new aida is sized, and the sizing comes out in the water.
Framing
The piece is stretched over a board. The 5 cm margins you allowed when cutting the fabric fold to the back; the fabric calculator adds them from the start.
Stretching over a board: the margins folded to the back, laced side to side, then top to bottom, before framing.- Cut an acid-free board slightly smaller than the frame.
- Centre the piece on it, pin the middle of each edge, then work towards the corners.
- At the back, lace from edge to edge with strong thread: the sides, then top and bottom.
- Tighten little by little, until the fabric is perfectly straight.
Tip. A frame with glass? Put a mount between the piece and the glass, or the stitches get crushed. Many stitchers frame without glass.
Finishing in the hoop
Simpler, and lovely for a small design: the piece stays in a wooden hoop, which becomes its frame.
A finished piece left in its hoop, which serves as the frame. Feather stitch here, but it works the same for cross stitch. Photo: Hey Paul Studios, CC BY 2.0- Centre the piece, pull it taut and tighten the screw.
- At the back, run a line of running stitch 2 cm from the ring and pull: the fabric gathers inwards.
- Glue or sew a circle of felt to the back to hide everything.
Tip. A ribbon tied round the screw is all it takes to hang it.
What next?
A piece can also be sewn into a cushion or a felt-backed bookmark, or slipped into an aperture card. Wash and press it first.
- Photograph it in daylight, lying flat.
- Show it in the finished pieces gallery, even if the chart came from elsewhere.
- Pick your next chart in the gallery, or make it from one of your photos.