I’m trying to ‘clear the decks’ a bit at the moment, as I’ve got several stitching projects on the go that are almost finished. I feel that I want to get stuff finished so that when I start the Carolyn Pearce Strawberry Fayre heart etui after Christmas for the stitchalong, I’ll be able to focus just on that project for a while, without the others ‘calling’ to me!
This country-style sampler by Rosewood Manor is one of those – it’s called Autumn Quakers, and I’ve been doing it occasionally for nearly two years. It’s one of those projects that is very good for when I’m travelling, as I have been stitching it ‘in the hand’, without a frame of any kind, which makes it very portable. Also, it doesn’t use many colours – but it’s beautiful, just the same 🙂
This is where I’d got up to the last time I blogged about my progress:
A couple of weeks ago, I finished it!
Isn’t it lovely?
So, last week I went shopping for a frame for it. I bought what I thought was a bargain, in Wilkinsons – £8.99 for a 16 x 20 inch walnut wood effect frame. It looks really realistic.
Unfortunately, there’s a problem with me using it for framing this sampler. The hardboard backing, even with the glass removed from the frame, takes up so much of the space in the rebate that I don’t think I’ll be able to get the stitching, once it’s mounted, in the rebate space – it’s almost flush with the back surface of the frame surround already.
So, I did a bit of Googling, and decided to get a small quilt hanger to display the sampler on instead. I sent off to The Homespun Loft , and got this lovely parcel by return – a very cute way to gift wrap a stitching goodie!
This is the quilt hanger – it’s made to look like a kind of weathered metal, with a wooden dowel to fix the quilt to (or, in my case, a sampler!).
The Homepsun Loft must have sold me the last one they had, as it isn’t shown on their website any more, but they are also available from The Cotton Patch in Birmingham for £18.95.
Now I just need to line the sampler, and attach it to the hanger.
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Janet Granger's Blog 
It is lovely.
Do you mount the piece before attaching it to the quilt hanger? Is it attached only at the top? How does it have weight to hang straight at the bottom?
Not sure how I’m going to do it yet. Yes, it’s only attached at the top. It’s like a one-bar bellpull hanger!!
I think if you mount it first, then attach it, it will hang straight.
That is something I would never have thought to check. I will now. Although I do have a stash of frames they never seem to be the right size for anything I want to frame.
The Sampler is beautiful and I would love to see how you finally mount it to the quilt hanger. Maybe it needs a bias around the edges so it has more weight and would be more quilt like.
Dear Janet, Why ever would you not splurge and have this magnificent sampler professionally framed? It is stunning. Maybe you could write a piece for us on framing needlework and what it entails.Thank you for your welcome blogs. With best wishes,Cynthia Borghesani Gloucester, MA , USA
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
Hi Cynthia! In the UK, as opposed to the USA, where it seems most people have things professionally finished all the time, it is very rare for people to not finish their own stitching – either framing, mounting into 3D boxes, etc….to me, it’s all part of the creative process to ‘finish’ a project completely myself. Even if that means figuring out a way to get something finished!! There is not the job of ‘stitching finisher’ in the UK that there is in the USA, to my knowledge, other than one or two people who may be attached to needlework shops as freelancers. We have a few framing shops, still, but they are few and far between, and they don’t tend to specialise in stitching – they just do paintings, usually, so I wouldn’t trust them, to be honest. It’s just a cultural difference, I think 🙂
I have used a framer for normal framing, not needlework, whose husband used to do the mounting with thread if requested, but it adds to the cost, and, as you say, Janet, would one trust the end product. A compromise would be you doing the mounting and them doing the framing, or ordering the exact size from a framer for the frame and the mount if using one. I do that often. They leave the back removable, and pictures or embroidery are easily placed inside by myself.
I have used a framer in the past, but the cost was enormous, and I felt I could do it just as well myself 🙂
Framers in markets are often very good price wise. Years ago, I used to use the ones in St Albans and they were fabulous.
Wow! What a big piece! Well done!
Thanks for the tip about Wilkinson’s for frames. Amazingly useful shop that. I like some of the frames available at Hobbycraft too.
I usually lace my own work, then see if we have a suitable frame in stock (my hubby used to have all his certifications framed, but them put them in a folder instead and now the surplus is available for any use). If not, then I’ll get one made. Mounts are another thing I can’t do…
Wilkinsons is great. I don’t have a Hobbycraft anywhere near me, but when I’ve been in them in the past, they had a really good range, including lots of coloured mounts.
Hi Janet,
Congratulations for all your work. You’re an artist.
I would like to send you how I have finished a Christmas cross stitch without frame, but I don’t know how to send you photos.
I know this is not the place where I have to write you to ask for the leaf conversion of Celtic Autumn, but I think you don’t have time to read the other blog. Please I would like to have it. Thank you very much.
Sorry for my bad English.
Hi Cristina, You can email images to me at janet@janetgranger.co.uk
I have emailed you the chart for the Celtic Autumn leaves 🙂