Saturday 3 October 2009

What a lovely afternoon it is here.  The sun is shining and there is not a puff of wind.  It is peaceful in the garden except for the sound of the neighbors next door who are building an extension. Every so often I can hear a saw or hammer knocking on a wall.

I have finished stitching the owl bookmark.  I am happy with the result.  I decided to use beads for the eyes instead of just stitching the eyes with wool.  I thought it was more interesting.

As you can see from the photo below the canvas has been stretched by the stitching and because I did not use a hoop to stitch it.

This post will show you how to block or stretch your little owl bookmark or any other needlepoint you may stitch.  You can ask your local needlepoint shop if they provide this service.  If not you can do it yourself because it is not difficult.

Instructions to block or stretch a needlepoint

You will need the following Materials;

• A large piece of hardboard or particleboard
• Nails or tacs
• Hammer
• Cloth for dampening or plastic spray bottle
• Wallpaper past, container and brush.

Step 1

Place the needlepoint face down on the board and align it with the right angles of the board.

Step 2

Dampen the back of the needlepoint with a damp cloth.  Don’t apply too much water.  You can also apply a small amount of wallpaper paste to the back of the work.  This will help hold the threads in place and ensure the needlepoint keeps its shape.  I don’t apply this step but you can if you wish.

Step 3

Hammer a nail into the unstitched canvas at one corner.  Pull the canvas down at the opposite corner and nail this down also.  Repeat at the bottom of the opposite corners.  Make sure all corners are square.  You can use a set square to do this.

Step 4

When all corners of the needlepoint have been nailed in place, stretch and nail securely midway along the sides of each of the canvas edge.  You should be pulling the needlepoint gently to ensure it is absolutely square.   Nail the canvas at regular intervals.  It does not have to be perfectly spaced !  Continue to stretch the work until you are happy it is square.  When you have finished it should look something like the photo below.    I did not nail the right hand bottom corner as it was quite stretched in one direction already and did not need to be stretched in that corner.

Step 5

Leave you work for about 2 or more days for the best result.  Make sure it is completely dry when you remove the nails from the board.

So there you have it.  You can now stretch your needlepoint yourself.

In the next few days I will provide you with instructions on how to finish off the bookmark by putting a fabric backing on it.

Enjoy your weekend wherever you may be.

Take care

Charlie

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