Tutorial - Framing Your Cross Stitch Using Random Stuff (in This Case, a Jewelry Box Lid)

Ohhhh, Monday.  My crafting weekend was so productive - I knit a bunch of pieces, I added a super-soft lap blanket to my Etsy shop, I re-photographed some dish cloths, I worked on the dragon, and I designed a new veterinary-inspired embroidery project.  Now, I have to go back to my desk job!  :(

However, I wanted to finally get this tutorial posted.  As you might recall, I finished a cross stitched sock monkey some time ago that was originally intended to be a bookmark, but I decided to frame him instead because he was just so darn cute.  Unfortunately, because he was so long and narrow (you know, like most bookmarks are), it was tough to find a frame that would fit him.  I was having trouble justifying spending beaucoup d'argent on a custom-made frame for such a small piece, so when I found a jewelry box at Goodwill that looked to be about the right size, I decided I would try to turn it into a picture frame.  And - it worked!  Here's how I did it.

Here are "before" pictures of the jewelry box and the monkey.  (Hey, 1985 called - they want their jewelry box back!)

The jewelry box lid comprises the following layers, from outside in: a wooden frame, tapestry and padding, a backboard, a layer of glue, and a mirror.  So, the first order of business was to remove the mirror from the inside of the lid.  Disclaimer: you may want to wear leather gloves and goggles for this part.  I removed the mirror by sticking a table knife under the mirror and gently prying it from the backboard.  DO THIS SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY!  If you are not patient, you could shatter the mirror and really screw up your hands (or eyes, hence the safety disclaimer above).  This jewelry box was probably about 20 years old, so the glue was not quite as strong as it might have been 20 years ago (thank God).

This view shows the glue attaching the mirror to the back board and how I carefully used the knife to pry off the mirror.  You are looking down between the back board (top, light brown) and the mirror (bottom, blue-ish), parallel to the long axis of the jewelry box.

A word of caution: the glue was very difficult to remove from my shiny table knife after I finished removing the mirror!  You may either want to use an old piece of flatware that you can throw away or make sure you have some kind of solvent (paint thinner, maybe?) around to help remove the glue if you are using a "real" knife.

Here is what the inside of the lid looks like without the mirror.  This is the back board - you can still see remnants of wood glue.

You can see staples around the edge of the back board.  These staples go through the back board, the padding, and the tapestry fabric, attaching all of the layers to the inside edge of the frame.

I removed the back board and the tapestry and padding by gently pressing around the outside edge of the frame (i.e., pressing the fabric down into the jewelry box from the outside) to release the staples.

You can see the cross section here: the tapestry fabric and the padding are sandwiched between the back board (top, yellowish) and the frame (bottom, red-brown).

Some staples pulled through the fabric and the back board, so I used pliers to remove them from the frame.

Finally, I used a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the hinge from the lid.

Ta da!  Here is what the "naked" frame looks like, once the mirror, back board, tapestry fabric, staples, and hinge have all been removed.

I cut a piece of acid-free foam core that was 1/4" smaller on each side than the back opening of the frame.  I usually like to stretch my finished cross stitch pieces and mount them on foam core using thread, but I didn't have enough excess fabric to do that with this piece and still use this frame, so I used acid-free double-sided tape to attach the piece to the foam core instead.

I splurged and had a mat cut to fit the frame to cover up the edges of the fabric.  Then, I attached framing clips and a wire to the back of the frame so he could hang on the wall.  Aaaaaand... here is the finished product!

I think he looks quite adorable!  :)

So, there you go!  For small or irregularly shaped pieces, it really makes a lot of sense to try to find frames wherever you can, instead of paying to have a frame shop make a custom frame for you.  Maybe you will find a frame in an unexpected place, too!

Thanks for reading and for all of your thoughtful comments.  I hope this little project breaks up the monotony of your Monday!

-Erin
Less Bitching, More Stitching!

Next up - "The Finery of Nature" and a home for Mr. Sock Monkey

I got a new project in the mail yesterday - "The Finery of Nature," a kit in the Dimensions Gold Collection, modeled here by the ever-handsome Julius.

"The Finery of Nature" kit (and Julius)

The interesting thing is that I have already stitched this piece once (from a different kit), but it has since been discontinued, and I can't find my original pattern.  I LOVE this pattern - the colors are so pretty! - and I found this kit for a really reasonable amount online (around $13), so I just had to snatch it up so I could stitch it again!

Here is the piece I have already finished:

"The Finery of Nature" (minus Julius)

Now, as you can see, the piece is divided into four square panels.  You can see close-ups of the panels on Etsy.  So, to mix it up this time, and because I think each panel is very pretty in its own right, I am going to stitch the panels individually instead of stitching the entire large piece.  I think the panels would look quite nice framed by themselves!

Speaking of framing, I think I have found something to do with my cross stitched Sock Monkey!  Because he is such a weird size (7.5" x 2.5", or 22.5 cm x 6.3 cm for you metric folks), I was looking at probably having to have him custom framed.  But then... I found something at Goodwill that just might work!

Retro jewelry box with a tapestry lid - $7.99 from Goodwill

Oh, yes, that is a glorious cherry wood jewelry box with a tapestry lid.  You know you love it - but look how well he fits in it!

The jewelry box lid is the perfect size for my sock monkey!

Framing him is going to still require a custom mat and probably some creative mounting, and I also have to figure out how to remove the mirror from the inside of the lid without slicing off any fingers.

Mirror inside the jewelry box lid

However, if I can get it to work, it will be perfect!  For $8, I had to give it a try.  :)  I also picked up a few brand new solid oak 5" x 7" frames (with glass) that I can use for my smaller pieces - only $1.99 each!  Gotta love Goodwill!

Still not much to report on Celestial Dragon.  I promise to make some headway on it this upcoming weekend and take pictures!

I am also working on a piece for EtsyNEAT's May/June needlework challenge, but I'm not posting any pictures until I finish my piece and enter it into the contest.  It is coming along quite nicely - lots of specialty stitches and bold colors.  :)

And, finally, in the near future, I want to buy some foamboard and make a framing tutorial, now that I have frames and a few 5" x 7" pieces to frame.  Keep an eye out for that in the next few weeks.

Thank you everyone for all of your wonderful comments on my last post!  Hopefully I am keeping you entertained in my little corner of the Internet.

Until next time...

-Erin
Less Bitching, More Stitching!

Finished - Extremely Cute Sock Monkey! (Cross Stitch)

I finally finished my cross stitched sock monkey!  Well, not quite "finally," since I'd only been working on him for a week.   Nonetheless, here he is:

Cross stitched sock monkey

He is stitched over two threads on 28-count white Monaco using different shades of brown, red, and tan cotton embroidery floss.  I still have to decide how to finish him, but for now, I am leaning toward trying to track down a skinny picture frame (maybe a red one?) and framing him.  If not, I can always make a bookmark, I suppose, but as a Kindle fan, that option is less appealing to me.

(Hint: I removed the hoop marks from the earlier picture by ironing the piece wrong-side-up under a damp washcloth.  Works like a charm!)

Also, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read and/or commented on my cross stitch blog so far.  I'm kind of new to this whole endeavor, and it is really encouraging to see that people are actually reading my thoughts and looking at the pictures!  Keep checking back for more updates - I'm very happy to have you all here!  :)

Next up - the ocean!

Update on Sock Monkey Cross Stitch

Well, this is coming along nicely:

Cross stitched sock monkey - almost done!

This is the cross stitch piece that was partially finished (only his arms and shoulders) in my last post. This monkey was originally intended to be a bookmark, from the book "Hold That Thought Bookmarks" by Sandy Orton, but I'm not really feeling the bookmark vibe from him. Maybe I will try to find a skinny picture frame for him instead, or if anyone has any finishing ideas for a tall, skinny piece, I am all ears. I don't really have any significant progress to report on the Celestial Dragon; that thing is going to take forever.

However, I should be done with Mr. Monkey by the weekend. All I have left is some light brown shading along the bottoms of his feet and tail and the backstitching and lettering. This was a quick little piece! I think my next endeavor is going to be something more original, though, and probably ocean-themed, because EtsyNEAT's June challenge theme is "Water/The Ocean."

Until then... less bitching, more stitching!