A couple of weeks ago I was sorting out the box of stuff that came out of the conservatory before it was rebuilt. Down the side was a very faded framed print, and it was inches from the charity shop pile when a bell rang in my head – I needed a frame for my first attempts at crewel work, and this might be just the thing. It was a close run thing, with only about half an inch to spare vertically, but I didn’t let that put me off, and set about blocking the embroidery.
I pinned it out on a foam board as instructed, then soaked it with a water spray. The instructions said to then leave it for up to three days to let it dry, but when it was still absolutely sodden that night, I gave up and stood the board up in front of the radiator, with the embroidery facing away from the heat. By morning it was dry, with no ill effects that I can see. Sadly whoever said in the comments that the blue lines wouldn’t disappear was right, they’re still very much in evidence in places if you get close. It would have been nice to have been warned of that in the instructions, but hey, I’ll know for next time.
Yesterday I finally got round to fitting the frame and the fabric together. I couldn’t do the lacing thing over the back because there just wasn’t enough fabric to sew into, so I just laid it over the board and slotted it into the frame, it seems to have worked.
The frame’s a little battered in places, but I think that goes with the style of the embroidery. What you can’t see from the photos, because of some weird camera thing, is that the frame blends very well with the pale green walls.
I’ve put it in a corner which doesn’t get too much direct sunlight (only first thing in the morning), so hopefully it won’t fade too quickly.
Minniemoll knits and crafts 