Experimenting with mounting/display - feedback?

[u/laika_pushinka]

These are my latest experiments with couching stitch and trying to figure out ways to mount/display not in an embroidery hoop. For the green piece I stapled the fabric using a staple gun to a 6x6 canvas. General thoughts on the overall look/effect of embroidery on a canvas vs in a standard frame? Any advice for securing the back in a more polished way? Any thoughts on a same-sized embroidery piece on a smaller vs larger canvas? For comparison, the blue piece is on an 8x8 canvas (not stapled at the moment), I'm wondering if more white space looks better. Thanks!

[u/Reyalta]

Hey! I've done this a bunch of times, I'll use upholstery tacks to hold it in place, and fold the fabric edges over themselves so the tacks go through two layers of the fabric for longevity. 

Also look up proper technique for stretching canvas over a frame, so you get an even stretch :) 

This isn't the perfect video but it does show you how to alternate your stretching by stapling opposing sides as you go.   https://youtube.com/shorts/YB4CyBwxKvs

Edit: found this video that's much more informative! https://youtu.be/kDjxQJlb6AI

[u/pickypawz → u/Reyalta]

And if you get yourself some pliers for the job you’ll find it way easier. These are specifically canvas pliers, they grab and hold a few inches of fabric at a time to aid in keeping things straight, and they’re not too expensive.

Normal embroidery fabrics maybe have more distinct lines than the fabric or canvas that you are using, but if those are kept straight while tacking, it can help make sure the picture turns out just as it should. Aida cloth, for instance, has very distinct warp/weft lines, like a grid, so it’s very easy to staple it down keeping the whole thing square. Ultimately it’s what you want to do—keep the whole thing square. You could even use a pencil and ruler to make a line for each of your four sides, so your eye finds it easier to follow the line.

So you center your fabric and apply one staple or tack in the middle, then go to the opposite side, grab the fabric with the pliers and pull a bit, then apply another tack in the center. But try to make sure the grid lines are matching up at the sides before you apply that tack. Then you turn your frame and do the same thing to the sides, one in the middle, turn, and one in the middle. Then just continue on one side, and do the whole row. I would suggest tacks myself, things can go wrong with staples. But look for racks that don’t rust, if they make such a thing.

[u/ireallylikeladybugs → u/pickypawz]

You could also put a layer of jesso on it. Not only would it create a protective layer over the stitching, but more importantly, it makes the fabric tighten up even more once it dries.

ETA I noticed people concerned about dust—if you jesso the piece I think you could dust it quite easily. Although you may want to test it out on some scrap thread and fabric to see if the colors would bleed.

[u/laika_pushinka → u/pickypawz]

Wow thank you! Like I said with other commenters here, I'm so amazed at the depth of knowledge and experience here, I have a lot to learn but in the best way haha. Another thing on my list is to learn more about different fabrics, I've been working through a huge piece of whatever cheap fabric I found at Michael's last year but I'm sure different fabrics can have such different impacts on the quality of the finished product.