It's been a while since we looked at ways to finish our needlework other then framing... and boy, is there a lot to consider!  What about... pillows, sweatshirts, Christmas stockings, bibs, hand-towels, box lids, ornaments, and one of my favorite finishes for small designs - cards!  In this blog, let's take a closer look at cards...

While you can frame a small design, using the card as a mat, these also make excellent gifts or remembrances, that are sure to be treasured - and since they're small, they're also very easy to stitch!  X's & Oh's has a good assortment of cards with different size openings - square, rectangular, round, oval, and even heart shaped... most of which come in large or small card sizes - and even include an envelope, so you can mail your finished gift to a friend.  We also have a couple of charts of designs that are suitable for the larger cards, but we also have what we call STITCH NOTES, which are a card, perforated paper (to stitch on), envelope, and design, all in one package!

I mentioned perforated paper, and this is one of the best options when making cards.  While you CAN use fabric, it is harder to keep it in position and stretched flat, than the paper, which is made for this purpose.  This evenly spaced heavy stock paper comes in various counts - just like fabric - though it can be hard to find sizes other than the most common 14ct!  While a cream color is most popular, we have some sparkly silver or gold in stock (perfect for holiday stitching), and other colors can be special ordered if desired. 

The cards themselves are "tri-fold", which means they have 3 folds, with the extra fold holding the stitching centered in the opening on the centre fold of the card.  Since the stitching is attached to this extra side flap, when it is folded over (so the stitching shows through the hole cut in the centre), the other side of the piece the stitching is attached to, becomes one side of the inner card, which leaves the other fold to form the back leaf of the card (booklet style).  That might seem more complicated than it really is... basically, one side of the card is folded in half, with the stitching sandwiched in between - so the face of the card is a double thickness (even more if you count the stitching).

If you are using Aida, be sure the fabric is firmly attached to the inner card with tape, applied so only the fabric and stitching show through the opening.

If you want to make your own card (a plain book style card with only 2 flaps), make a fringe around the edges of the stitching (by removing some of the edge threads).  This way, the fabric can sit on the face of the card and look quite decorative.  You may want to work a zig-zag or hemstitch around the edges (at the base of the fringe), or apply a bead of white glue at the base of the fringe on the back of the fabric, to stop the fabric from fraying.

We've also been playing with the Kreinik IRON-ON braid on cards for a Make-It-Take-It project for the Creativ Festival, but that's something for another tip!  Happy Stitching...