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  Mounting, Matting and Framing
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While you may not think the twenty little holiday ornaments you finished late
last night have great value, this is not your decision to make.  Fifty years
from now, they may be someone's pride and joy.  And you don't want to be the
person who messes up someone's priceless collection of late twentieth century
needlework, do you?

Not all cross stitch needs to be framed like a picture.  Cross stitch can be
found on pillows, linens, clothing, box lids, jewelry, light switch plates,
and so on.

If you _are_ going to frame your project, here are some suggestions.  They are
very conservative and cautious.  It seems safest to list many things that a
stitcher might want to know.  You are then free to use or ignore whatever you
choose.  If you take your work to a shop to get it framed, ask the people
there if they do conservation framing.  Make sure they are aware of the
following issues.

   ~ Don't do anything which cannot be undone several years later.

   ~ Avoid anything which cause the project to have long term exposure to
     chemicals, metal or acid.

   ~ Cut any selvage edge before framing.

   ~ Zig-zag each edge, or stitch unbleached muslin to each edge.

   ~ Use acid free foam core or acid-free white mat board as a backing.  These
     are available in framing stores, art supply stores and office supply
     stores.  Have it cut at the store, or use an X-acto knife at home.  Avoid
     normal cardboard and paper, as they have high acid contents.  The acid
     can damage fabric over time.  Do not use sticky board.  The chemicals can
     damage your fabric, and the glue can provide lunch for bugs.

   ~ Center the piece on the backing.  Fold the extra fabric to the back and
     tuck in the corners.  The fabric on the front should be taut but not
     stretched.  You may want to use straight pins pushed into the edge of the
     backing to temporarily hold the fabric in place.  Use unwaxed dental
     floss, quilting thread or some other strong thread to lace the fabric to
     the backing.  Lace the long edges first, sewing from the left to the
     right and back to the left, somewhat like lacing a shoe with only one end
     of the shoe lace.  Keep the stitches about an inch apart.  Make sure the
     thread is evenly tight.  Repeat the lacing for the short edges.  Remove
     the pins, as even rust-free pins will rust over time.

   ~ If you use matting, make sure it is acid-free rag matting.  Consider
     using acid-free rag matting even for double and triple matted pieces,
     where not all of the matting is touching the fabric.  The regular matting
     ages much faster, and it releases fumes.

   ~ Should you use glass?  Like everything else, it's up to you.  On the one
     hand, glass can protect against dust and pollution.  On the other hand,
     it may trap moisture and cause mildew.  If you use glass, make sure it
     does not touch the needlework.  Spacers or matting are good for this.
     Regular glass is O.K.  Standard non-glare glass is bad, as it actually
     lets more ultraviolet light in, and may release chemicals.  Conservation
     glass or UV glass is very good, but expensive.  Figure out how much the
     project is worth to you, and be willing to pay accordingly.

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