I am jumping into the deep end on this finishing thing. This is a fairly complex build, but also very fun to do. I'll end up with a hollow triangular 'box' display piece.
The needlework is my Plum Street Samplers "Scarecrow" (extracted from the "Cinnamon Stars" chart). Stitched on 18 count Rustic Linen with Gentle Arts Sampler Perle 5 Limited Edition colors. Buttons are from Just Another Button Co. This is one of the projects from the 2017 Fall Silver Needle camp. Finishing kit from "Magic by Mona" (she does all the finishing for the Silver Needle).
Materials:
Step 1: Measurements. If doing this type of project without a finishing kit, the first step is to determine the finished dimensions of the needlework. Using copy paper, 'frame' the stitched area and move the sheets around until you like how the margins look. Measure the dimensions between the paper edges and adjust slightly if needed to get to an even measurement. Cut your needlework 1 inch/2.5 cm larger than these measurements all the way around. Do not cut the fabric or felt at this time.
Step 2: Cutting the Mat Boards. For the Open Triangle Box, cut two identical pieces of mat board to the dimensions calculated in Step 1. These two pieces are the front (covered by needlework) and back (covered by fabric). For the base, cut a piece of mat board the same width as the other two. The height of the base can vary depending on how far apart the bottom of the front and back need to be in the finished piece. For this specific project, tall and skinny is the plan, so the base shown is fairly narrow (about 2 inches). Keep the base wide enough to provide stability; 1.5 inches/4 cm is about the smallest that I would go. TIP: if you don't have a mat cutter, most of the big box craft stores will do custom cutting in their framing departments for a nominal fee.
Step 3: Padding (Mona calls this "fluffing" LOL). Cut pieces of the quilt batting to cover one side of the front and the back mat boards. In order to be sure the batting pads all the way to the edges, cut the batting just a bit oversized. Do not pad the base, it needs to be unpadded for stability. Use a thin layer of craft glue to attach the batting. I use a piece of waxed paper over the batting and weight the pieces down overnight with a heavy hardback book or two so that everything dries without curling. Once dry, trim the batting even with the edges of the mat board.
Step 4: Mount the needlework. On a clean work surface, lay the needlework face down, place one of the padded mat boards (padded side down) on top of the needlework. Wrap the trimmed edges of the needlework around to the back and secure in the center of each side with small pieces of masking tape. Flip the piece over carefully and check positioning of the stitching; adjust as needed. Miter each corner. You may need to remove the center tape to fold the miters in; that's fine, just keep everything as stuck down as possible to be sure nothing shifts. Finally check again. If everything looks good on the front, then secure all the edges to the back of the mat board with the masking tape. Tape across the corners of the miters, too. Just keep the tape far enough back so it can't be seen from the front.
Step 6: Prepare the back and base. Iron the fabric that will cover the back and base of the piece; I like to use some Best Press when I iron to give a little more body to the fabric. I would not use classic starch as it can attract insects like silverfish. Place the fabric face down on the workspace. Place the remaining padded mat board about 1 inch/2.5 cm from one edge of the fabric (padded side down). If your background fabric is directional, the edge farther away from the base 'hinge' is the top of the finished piece.
Abut the base mat board to the bottom edge of the back mat board. Create a hinge by using two layers of masking tape across both pieces of mat board. Trim the fabric 1 inches/2.5 cm all the way around this combined piece and secure the fabric to the back of the mat board; center and miter as in step 4. If your miter points are a little 'off', you can tack them with a few hand stitches when you attach the front (Step 7) or base (Step 9). I ended up having to do that on this piece.
Step 7: Connect the needlework. Attach the upper edge of needlework to the upper edge of the back/base panel. (Be careful here, it's easy to get the needlework upside down). Use a whip stitch on the very ends for strength, and whip or ladder for the remainder of the seam. This seam can have edging - ribbon, yarn or cording - on it. If I'm using an edging, I will match my thread to the backing fabric. If no edging, then I'll match the needlework's ground fabric. In this case, I'm using a yarn edging (Step 10), so I used black thread to match the backing fabric. Catch two threads of the linen, and three or four of the quilting cotton.
Step 8: Finish the inside face. Since this style of finishing leaves the ends of the piece open, felt is used to cover the inside of the triangle. On a clean work surface, lay the three connected panels face down. Measure the width of the piece. Cut the felt to a scant bit less than that width and the length of the connected pieced plus a 0.5 to 0.75 inch/1.5 to 2 cm overlap. Run a bead of glue a little in from the edge of the piece on all sides and along each 'hinge' edge to secure the felt. Leave the 'overlap' at the bottom of the base panel; it will be secured in the next step. If the panels are over 3 inches wide or tall, I will brush a bit of glue in the center of each panel as well to be sure the felt does not 'sag'. Let dry under weight overnight.
Step 9: Last seam. With the piece face up on the work surface, run a zigzag of glue on the overlap felt section and then fold the piece into a triangle shape with the felt tab inside. If you are using cording or yarn for an embellishment (next step), it's helpful to leave about a half inch on one edge of the overlap unglued to give a place to hide the cording ends. Press the glued felt down along the inside seam where the front and base meet. If the piece is wide, it's helpful to have an old spoon or wooden chopstick that will reach inside to press the glued felt down in the center. Whip stitch the outside bottom edge of the needlework to the base edge.
Step 10: Embellishment. Measure around all four sides of the needlework panel. Cut cording or yarn that length plus at least an inch. Secure the ends with small pieces of tape to keep the cording from untwisting or the yarn from raveling. Tuck the starting end in the corner under the unsecured felt. Whip stitch cording or yarn (Lion Brand Homespun in my sample) around the edge of the needlework panel. Use thread to match the cording or yarn color. Tuck the ending corner of the cording or yarn into the same unglued area. I put a drop of glue in that corner and press it flat(ish). The goal is to not have it immediately obvious where the cording starts and stops. Attach any ribbons, raffia, or other 'bling' desired. In this project, I used needle and thread to attach a small raffia bow in the corner.
ENJOY your finishing finished piece!! (See mine here!)
The needlework is my Plum Street Samplers "Scarecrow" (extracted from the "Cinnamon Stars" chart). Stitched on 18 count Rustic Linen with Gentle Arts Sampler Perle 5 Limited Edition colors. Buttons are from Just Another Button Co. This is one of the projects from the 2017 Fall Silver Needle camp. Finishing kit from "Magic by Mona" (she does all the finishing for the Silver Needle).
Materials:
- Needlework (completed and washed/pressed as needed)
- Mat board
- Low Loft Quilt Batting
- Quilting Cotton Fabric (a quilter's fat quarter is plenty for most projects)
- Felt
- Cording or yarn for embellishment
- Ribbon, Raffia or any other desired "bling"
- White Glue (School or Fabric Glue)
- Masking Tape (not low tac)
- Needle and thread
- Glue Gun if your 'bling' needs to be attached that way
Step 1: Measurements. If doing this type of project without a finishing kit, the first step is to determine the finished dimensions of the needlework. Using copy paper, 'frame' the stitched area and move the sheets around until you like how the margins look. Measure the dimensions between the paper edges and adjust slightly if needed to get to an even measurement. Cut your needlework 1 inch/2.5 cm larger than these measurements all the way around. Do not cut the fabric or felt at this time.
 |
| This looks good for dimensions. Buttons need added yet!!!! |
 |
| Cut out and buttons attached. Pins show where the edges will be. |
Step 2: Cutting the Mat Boards. For the Open Triangle Box, cut two identical pieces of mat board to the dimensions calculated in Step 1. These two pieces are the front (covered by needlework) and back (covered by fabric). For the base, cut a piece of mat board the same width as the other two. The height of the base can vary depending on how far apart the bottom of the front and back need to be in the finished piece. For this specific project, tall and skinny is the plan, so the base shown is fairly narrow (about 2 inches). Keep the base wide enough to provide stability; 1.5 inches/4 cm is about the smallest that I would go. TIP: if you don't have a mat cutter, most of the big box craft stores will do custom cutting in their framing departments for a nominal fee.
 |
| back, front, base |
Step 3: Padding (Mona calls this "fluffing" LOL). Cut pieces of the quilt batting to cover one side of the front and the back mat boards. In order to be sure the batting pads all the way to the edges, cut the batting just a bit oversized. Do not pad the base, it needs to be unpadded for stability. Use a thin layer of craft glue to attach the batting. I use a piece of waxed paper over the batting and weight the pieces down overnight with a heavy hardback book or two so that everything dries without curling. Once dry, trim the batting even with the edges of the mat board.
 |
| Fluff where fluff is needed. But no fluffy bottoms! |
Step 4: Mount the needlework. On a clean work surface, lay the needlework face down, place one of the padded mat boards (padded side down) on top of the needlework. Wrap the trimmed edges of the needlework around to the back and secure in the center of each side with small pieces of masking tape. Flip the piece over carefully and check positioning of the stitching; adjust as needed. Miter each corner. You may need to remove the center tape to fold the miters in; that's fine, just keep everything as stuck down as possible to be sure nothing shifts. Finally check again. If everything looks good on the front, then secure all the edges to the back of the mat board with the masking tape. Tape across the corners of the miters, too. Just keep the tape far enough back so it can't be seen from the front.
 |
| sides (temporary) and the start of the miters |
 |
| all secure |
Step 6: Prepare the back and base. Iron the fabric that will cover the back and base of the piece; I like to use some Best Press when I iron to give a little more body to the fabric. I would not use classic starch as it can attract insects like silverfish. Place the fabric face down on the workspace. Place the remaining padded mat board about 1 inch/2.5 cm from one edge of the fabric (padded side down). If your background fabric is directional, the edge farther away from the base 'hinge' is the top of the finished piece.
Abut the base mat board to the bottom edge of the back mat board. Create a hinge by using two layers of masking tape across both pieces of mat board. Trim the fabric 1 inches/2.5 cm all the way around this combined piece and secure the fabric to the back of the mat board; center and miter as in step 4. If your miter points are a little 'off', you can tack them with a few hand stitches when you attach the front (Step 7) or base (Step 9). I ended up having to do that on this piece.
Step 7: Connect the needlework. Attach the upper edge of needlework to the upper edge of the back/base panel. (Be careful here, it's easy to get the needlework upside down). Use a whip stitch on the very ends for strength, and whip or ladder for the remainder of the seam. This seam can have edging - ribbon, yarn or cording - on it. If I'm using an edging, I will match my thread to the backing fabric. If no edging, then I'll match the needlework's ground fabric. In this case, I'm using a yarn edging (Step 10), so I used black thread to match the backing fabric. Catch two threads of the linen, and three or four of the quilting cotton.
 |
| Base is far left, then back, then needlework. |
Step 8: Finish the inside face. Since this style of finishing leaves the ends of the piece open, felt is used to cover the inside of the triangle. On a clean work surface, lay the three connected panels face down. Measure the width of the piece. Cut the felt to a scant bit less than that width and the length of the connected pieced plus a 0.5 to 0.75 inch/1.5 to 2 cm overlap. Run a bead of glue a little in from the edge of the piece on all sides and along each 'hinge' edge to secure the felt. Leave the 'overlap' at the bottom of the base panel; it will be secured in the next step. If the panels are over 3 inches wide or tall, I will brush a bit of glue in the center of each panel as well to be sure the felt does not 'sag'. Let dry under weight overnight.
Step 9: Last seam. With the piece face up on the work surface, run a zigzag of glue on the overlap felt section and then fold the piece into a triangle shape with the felt tab inside. If you are using cording or yarn for an embellishment (next step), it's helpful to leave about a half inch on one edge of the overlap unglued to give a place to hide the cording ends. Press the glued felt down along the inside seam where the front and base meet. If the piece is wide, it's helpful to have an old spoon or wooden chopstick that will reach inside to press the glued felt down in the center. Whip stitch the outside bottom edge of the needlework to the base edge.
Step 10: Embellishment. Measure around all four sides of the needlework panel. Cut cording or yarn that length plus at least an inch. Secure the ends with small pieces of tape to keep the cording from untwisting or the yarn from raveling. Tuck the starting end in the corner under the unsecured felt. Whip stitch cording or yarn (Lion Brand Homespun in my sample) around the edge of the needlework panel. Use thread to match the cording or yarn color. Tuck the ending corner of the cording or yarn into the same unglued area. I put a drop of glue in that corner and press it flat(ish). The goal is to not have it immediately obvious where the cording starts and stops. Attach any ribbons, raffia, or other 'bling' desired. In this project, I used needle and thread to attach a small raffia bow in the corner.
ENJOY your finishing finished piece!! (See mine here!)
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