Let's talk this month about what you should do when your project is all stitched, but not yet framed.

I've talked before (I think) about HOW to stitch, ie make sure all your tails are run under at least 3-5 stitches; be sure you run your tails AWAY from unstitched areas; never run a carry thread across unstitched areas (it WILL show through on the face of the design - especially dark thread behind white fabric)...

And I think we've covered cleaning your project, but here's a quick summary - don't wash threads you know will run (you can check your floss by cutting a small length and letting it sit in water for a while, to see if it bleeds - dark colors and reds are most likely to bleed): be sure to use mild dish soap (or better yet Orvus - a small jar of which is available on our website) to wash with, never cleaners such as Woolite, which can make colors run; roll the washed piece in a towel and gently squeeze the excess water out, then lay the piece face down on another towel and press from the back (lift the iron to move it, don't drag it). Actually, once I've pressed a piece I usually let it sit overnight to ensure it's entirely dried.

OK, so what else is there? Well, here's something I didn't always think to do when I was a beginner stitcher... BEFORE washing the piece, go over the stitching carefully, looking for missed stitches, backstitching that was omitted, half-stitches that weren't worked, or even stitches that missed corner holes (and the darker the floss the more obvious some of those mistakes will appear).

I've even heard a suggestion about using a black light, which will make white (unstitched) spots pop out at you... but I've never gone that far, LOL.

Though I HAVE had pieces come back from stitchers that needed a LOT of work on the back - tails that needed to be tucked under and/or trimmed; missed stitches, etc., and it really makes a difference to the look of the finished piece - especially around the outer edges.

So don't be in too much of a rush to get to framing or finishing... take time to be sure the stitching is REALLY done - cause it's even more annoying to notice a missed stitch once the piece is framed than it is to take the time to find it beforehand!