Needlepoint blocking question

Vancouver

Grumbler in Training
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Jul 11, 2005
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Vancouver Washington
Does anyone out there have a great trick on framing a very tight needlepoint that is cocked? The shape is more a trapazoid than a rectangle and we have used all we know to straighten it.

[ 07-11-2005, 11:06 PM: Message edited by: Ron Eggers ]
 
This needs to be posted on The Grumble to receive answers.
 
It would be helpful to know what you have already tried in blocking this piece. There is a procedure, but nobody wants to insult you by telling you what you've already done.

It would be helpful to use a more descriptive topic title - something like "Blocking needlepoint?" This will grab the attention of people that know how to block needlepoint and greatly facilitate future searches.

And, as SisterSusie pointed out, it would be very help if you would post this on the main Grumble forum. People look to this one for tips, not questions.

I'd move it, but I am powerless on this forum.

Lance could move it, but who knows what time it is in New Zealand right now.
 
Ron beat me to the punch.
Not by much, Dave.

Looks like Lance moved this thread, and I took the outrageous liberty of changing the topic title.

By morning, there should be 22 pages of ideas about how to block needlepoint.
 
Back in the early 70s there was a strange football player by the name of Rosie Greer.....

Rose was about 6'huge and weight about two VWs...and to calm down he did needlepoint.

When home, in Pasadena, he would bring them to us to be blocked and framed....

At first they were as tight as a cigar but as he learned yoga and Lily and Sunny beat the tar out of him they became down right straight and nice....

But I digress.... In those days before there were learned persons to tell us not to... we soaked them in cold water and then stretched and blocked and stretched and blocked untill they were square then we stapled them out to Swedish soft board to dry. After we could turn and pin to 16-ply rag board then stitch the back together.

Now there is a nice board with aluminum nails for blocking..

Now you will hear from those that think my head should be stapled down to a board for suggesting a wet block....
 
At first they were as tight as a cigar but as he learned yoga and Lily and Sunny beat the tar out of him they became down right straight and nice....
That, or he started stitching them on a frame and used a basektweave stitch. A good stitcher who does this will produce a needlepoint that will require very little blocking. If you have a customer who does that, kiss her and ask God to kiss her on the eyes for making your job so much easier. Or him.
 
Wet it (excessively damp is enough really), block it, dry it. Repeat until the unnecessary tension has been removed from the work and absorbed by you. Staple my head down too...

Ron, you made a typo in the title...
 
After it is pulled square on the blocking board, (upside down please, and lifted on the aluminum nails so that the face of the work isn't touching the masonite base), you can use a damp pressing cloth and a hot iron to steam the wool yarns to help set them in place. Wool is particularly nice to be able to do this, which tailors have known since forever ago. Don't do this UNTIl the piece is pulled straight...

The other piece of advice I have is to have the lacing thread, backing board etc all ready to go when you remove the piece from the stretching board. That ol' needlepoint will start to drift back to where it was pretty quickly. I hope you warned the customer that it probably won't be straight!!
 
The Vivian Kistler book on framing needlework has a diagram that explains the pinning order for blocking a trapezoidal needlepoint, which depends on whether the stitcher is right- or left-handed.

(I'm not making that up.)

Since I block one needlepoint every 3-1/2 years, I keep that diagram pinned to my blocking board.

Which is fifty miles from here.

As is the book.
 
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