And more frames! Today We’ll talk about The Millenium Frame, and plain old stretcher bars.
The Millenium Frame
This frame comes with a great reputation. And it’s handmade in the UK by Needle Needs.
Read the great review by Mary Corbet for better details! I haven’t gotten my hands on one yet.
Cons – the only additional con I can find to Mary’s, is that not only are they a little spendy, but the hand made nature of these frames means that every time I’ve tried to get one, they’ve been out of stock. The wait is annoying. And I’ve never actually placed the order because of it. But I suspect they’ll be my go-to frame once I get my hands on some of them. No lacing! YAY!
Stretcher Bars
Most cross stitchers don’t use stretcher bars. They are more popular in the needlepoint community. The concept is really easy. They are wooden bars that snap together. You then tack your canvas to them using small brass thumbtacks, and pulling it tight. Stretcher bars were recommended to me in an EGA goldwork class, but lacing was used instead of the tacks. Same concept as lacing to a scroll frame. Needlework stretcher bars can get spendy, especially since you have to buy new ones for each and every size project you do. This also means that they take up a lot of space. When I have used them for canvas work, I have been known to go to the art supply section of the craft store and purchase the stretchers that were created for paintings. They aren’t as deep, but they are much wider – as you get into larger sizes, they may leave almost 2 inches of wood around the space open for stitching. So I really only recommend them for canvaswork – and even then, a good scroll frame can be used instead.
New to this series? More on Frames at the following posts:
