cross stitch question "How do you stretch the canvas on a cross stitch piece".

Barbara , i never do a full canvass , hence it is part of an applique and or other techniques, thus i never have to `strech` ... But if i fill it doesn`t stay nice , i just turn this part, face down , lay it over a towel , moisten a handkerchief and softly touch over the wrong side of my work with the luke warm iron .. mirjam

Well, don't "stretch" it out - but you do want it to be blocked to even and taut. There are a couple of ways. The historical standard is to lace it from the back, around a backing board of some sort (foam core the standard now). You do some pinning to mark corners, centers, and then lace like an corset on the rear. Or, most framers now use stainless or brass pins - escutcheon pins - and pin into the full perimeter of the foam core. Takes a bit of skill to do this - generally centering and getting 3 corners in, then working around - keeping a thread of the cloth on the straight, parallel to edge of backing board in all directions. Then you re-do, to get the alignment just right. What you don't want to do is stretch it so tight that the fabric is all pulled open, or loose such that unstitched areas are all full of ripples.

I believe there is an article on how to block fabric/np on the American Needlepoint Guild website. If you google around, you'll find some info on a few how to sites. And there are books out with finishing instructions. Victoria's Sampler has a couple of charts that are on "perfect finishing" and I think she may have instructions on her website.

It's a good idea to have someone show you in person before you do it yourself.

Ellice (who used to do this a lot working at an LNS/Frame shop)

Theresa at Shakespeare's Peddler has good instructions:

I want to Thank everyone for the ideas and the wonderful sites. Thank you Barbara

Best of Luck ,, take your time and slowly work and keep care of the embroidery you worked on ,, mirjam