1. How do you clean Needlework?
Most needlework can be safely washed by hand in warm water with a dish detergent. After washing the needlework can be laid out on a towel to dry. In some cases, where there is particularly stubborn stain to remove “bleach for the Unbleachables” will work.
2. How is Needlework mounted in a picture frame?
We typically stretch the needlework over acid-free foamboard and fix it to the foamboard using stainless steel straight pins. An important part of the stretching that takes some experience is to ensure the work is straight.
3. How do I figure out what size of fabric I need for my project?
The easiest way to do this is to take your stitch count and divide it by the count of the fabric that you want to use. For example, if your stitch count is 138 by 147 and the fabric that you are going to use is 14 count aida cloth then you will need a piece of fabric that is 138/14 = 9.8 or 10 inches by 147/14 = 10.5 or 11 inches plus several inches of white space all around the image to allow for stretching. In other words for this project a piece of fabric 14 inches by 15 inches would work fine. A safe way to make sure you center the image on the fabric is to start stitching in the center which you kind find by folding the fabric in four. If the fabric is square or nearly so it is a good idea to mark the top of the fabric with thread or symbol such a “T” to ensure you don’t end up stitching in the wrong direction.
4. Can I substitute colours?
Yes you can. All you need to do is refer to an Anchor or DMC colour specifier and pick out a range of colours that you like and replace the original colours called for in the pattern.