Help First time using my attach-ez for cross stitch

[tobogon]

This is my first time posting, though many of you have saved my ### over my past two months serving as the only picture framer in a new store. I've only been framing for 2 years and have not encountered many cross stitches at all.

I just watched the instructional dvd for the attatch ez gun and the lady told me to spray cross stitch with isopropyl because my foamcore wouldn't warp. Buuuut my foamcore has now warped and I'm only half way through.

I tried easing in back flat but cracked the foam strait across, so now I need to start again anyway. Anyone have any tips for my next attempt? To use isopropyl or not to use isopropyl? I must say that I did try it first with out and then after I started spraying it all got a lot easier.
Thanks.

 

[RoboFramer]

Welcome to TFG!

Spraying any artwork with anything - unless maybe you created it yourself is baaaaaaaad!

Isopropyl ....

"A clear, colorless, flammable, mobile liquid, (CH3)2CHOH, used in antifreeze compounds, in lotions and cosmetics, and as a solvent for gums, shellac, and essential oils"

Baaaaaaaad!

The gun can be used for 'speed lacing' and the support can be 4 ply (+) rag - or other preservation quality board.

I don't think foam board is a suitable support for lacing, but that's not what you are doing, is it?

Lacing is easy, with or without the tag gun

 

[tobogon]

Welcome to TFG!

The gun can be used for 'speed lacing' and the support can be 4 ply (+) rag - or other preservation quality board.

I don't think foam board is a suitable support for lacing, but that's not what you are doing, is it?

Lacing is easy, with or without the tag gun

I don't know what lacing is. Last time I did a cross stitch I pinned to the exposed foam all around the sides. This time I'm tagging it 1/8th in all the way around the board with some overhang and tagging straight through the overhang on the back.

I looked up lacing and it seems that's what I did last time.

Well, screw this tag gun then. So much for a justified purchase.

 

[MabSadie2]

I never thought of using the ez attach for needlework. It works very well on jerseys and newer textiles. I use it a lot for patches in memorabilia frames. Pays for itself all the time. Don't worry, you'll be glad you have it over the next year.

 

[Bill Henry-]

John's a purist, and he is most likely correct.

It may be that the alcohol shrunk the cross stitch rather than the foam board. Generally, commercially isopropyl alcohol contains some water, so it is possible that the water in it shrunk the foam board.

We use a mixture of alcohol and water to tighten needlepoint on our rack. When it is first spritzed on the back, the alcohol/water slightly relaxes the canvas. When it dries it tightens.

It may work that way on cotton canvas, too.

 

[Accent Images-fotosource]

When I stretch needlepoint I use foam core. I cut the foam core essentially the size of the frame and then cut out an area about 3/4" larger than the matcut. On the knock out I then pin, using stainless silk sized pins the needlepoint. I am able make the minor adjustments to be sure that the threads of the needlepoint will be straight+/-. I normally then will use stitchery tape on the back side to hold securely the excess canvas. When everything is straight I then eaze the knockout back into the rest of the foam core. Unless the canvas is very thick I do not need to trim the opening larger. I normally will remove most of the pins since it will be held by the snugness of the foam core and the stitchery tape or lacing. I do not think that the attacheaze will keep the threads straight.

 

[Ack Cents In Framing]

Welcome to the Grumble. I lace all xstitches I do, but that said the attatch-ez has saved my hyde deveral times. Its better for Jerseys, Doilies, etc... I LOVE my attatch-ez.

 

[Bogframe]

I love our Attatch EZ too, but I don't use it for everything. Jerseys, patches, yes. Cross-stitch, only sometimes, and those indian embroidery pieces? Nope, I sew those with thread.

 

[Dave]

I quite often will use the AttachEZ for needlework if the needlework is to be matted.

First I block the needlework on a blocking board backside up after spraying the back with a 50/50 mix of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and distilled water. Do not saturate! If I get called away I'll lightly mist the work when I return to relax the fibers.

I usually use poly-flute board as a backer because of it's rigidity.

Older needleworks I generally try not to use the solution with because often the dyes in older work will bleed more easily than newer dyes in use today.

 

[Patricia Kotnour]

It sounds a bit like you did not set the board up correctly before you started the stretching process. If you watch the DVD you will see that there are specific instructions that must be followed if you want to be successful using this method. I have been using it for stretching needlework for years and have found that the boards will only warp if you try to mix water in the alchohol. If you are going by my instructions, either from the written or the DVD, then there is no reason for the boards to warp. The 70 proof kind straight out of the bottle is what I always use.

Anyone who has seen me at a show has also seen the same samples of counted cross stictch and petit point being sprayed with alchohol over and over again, and they still look the same as when I frist stretched them. If you watched my DVD you also saw those same samples and me spraying them. The indian lady has well over 5 years of spraying now and it is wool. I will have the displays in Atlanta for anyone who is interested to come and look at.

A drycleaning man who has 13 stores and has been in the business for over 30 years is the one I consulted before ever using alcohol. He assured me that it would do no harm to needlework fabric or the thread, as it is innert.

As you probably know there are some things I won't use Alcohol on, but I have been using it to strech needlework for over 8 years now and have never gotten anything back for sagging, stitches breaking, outgassing, bleeding, or any other type damage. There are needlework shops all over who are now using this method exclusively because it not only creates a perfect strech, it does no damage to the artwork.

Please call me and I will see if I can help you figure out what went wrong and try to help you fix it. 1-800-527-1521

 

[RoboFramer]

John's a purist, and he is most likely correct.

I'm a Capricorn actually!

I quite often will use the AttachEZ for needlework if the needlework is to be matted.

First I block the needlework on a blocking board backside up after spraying the back with a 50/50 mix of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and distilled water.

Surely you mean Needlepoint ?

There is no need to block (square) most any needlework other than needlepoint, which is stitched on a stiff canvas mesh with wool (usually) and always comes in as a parrallelogram - diamond shaped.

This is because of the type of stitch used - single diagonal stitches, all going the same way, and it doesn't matter if the stitcher used a frame either.

You can find this sort of stitch in X stitch - where areas, but rarely the whole piece, have used that same stitch - a half X stitch - IOW a / stitch, and that can affect the squareness of the fabric too, but it's aida, or linen - etc, which has more give and does not need any wetting to tease back in to shape. Plus most serious stitchers would have washed and pressed the piece before bringing it in, and if they have not - we will actually do that - not for all pieces - depends on a few things.

Also, depending on the tension of the stitch(es), a needlepoint can be 'teased' square without any wetting - it may be just out of square.

Now, by 'teased' I do not mean slowly undressing whilst whispering, huskily - "Oooooh you're such a hot little needlepoint"

Although I have not tried that - could work!

(Edit) Just read Pat's post - we must've been tie pin at the same time - so maybe you (Dave) do not mean needlepoint after all!

All I'd say is that I do not like wetting - with anything - any needlework, but with needlepoint I have to, to relax it and hold it in place, square, until it dries.

Sometimes I'll have to do it more than once as it can spring back - and sometimes I'll even block it in to a diamond shape, but the other way, to anticipate that!

But I have never, ever, had to wet a X stitch or any type of needlwork on a fabric other than canvas mesh.

I'm not scared of doing that - as I've said, I'll even wash them - just have never had the need - and I frame a lot of needlework.

 

[Lulu]

Another way to skin a cat!

I use our Attach EZ for rugby jerseys (Go All Blacks!!) and misc. fabric art that doesn't quite require the strength of sewing.

Needleworks IMHO should never be dampened with any type of chemical....

This is how we handle the hot little needleworks in our workshop!!!

We start with a inert foamcore product the exposed foam completely sealed with opaque mylar film to prevent out-gassing then it is 'faced'with a 100% cotton museum board.
The needle work is then gradually stretched straight and even to measurement all around with stainless steel pins.
If the work requires an overmount then it can be sunk into a separate bed of sealed foam core.

We find in our workshop that this is the quickest most accurate and stable support for needlework. Lacing can slacken and fail over time, but it is the only other technique that is completely reversible....

Hope this makes sense and helps in any way