Preparing your Heirloom Finish System

• First, collect your tools.  You will need: Fabric scissors, small scissors, pencil, screws (which are included), and a Phillips head screwdriver.
  
  
• Identify the front frame and the back frame.  The front frame has a magnet at the top and the holes for the screws do not go all the way through the wood.  The back frame has no magnet, and screw holes through the frame.

• To begin, align your back frame, by centering the top frame over your canvas design. Next, use your pencil to mark the holes on the canvas. As a reminder, you can go through this process with a fully stitched canvas, OR an unstitched canvas. 

• While continuing to hold the frame in place, trace a circle around the outside edge of the canvas, then remove the frame.

• Using embroidery scissors with a pointed tip, make a small snip in the canvas at each pencil mark. Gently twist the tip of the scissors in each hole to slightly enlarge the opening.

• Use your fabric scissors to cut along the circle you traced on the canvas.

• Identify the front frame, by looking for the small magnet centered at the top (more on that later).

• Place the canvas painted side down on the front frame, aligning the holes. Place the back frame, again, aligning the holes. Take a moment here to use your embroidery scissors again to open up the holes in the canvas.

• Now, insert screws. For the first round, tighten until the screws hold, but do not fully tighten until the last step.

• Continue securing the screws by working back and forth across the round, like you would when using tacks and stretcher bars.

•  Once all screws are in place, fully tighten them, again working back and forth across the frame.

The result is a tightly secured canvas.  No distorting. No re-securing. No blocking. As you prepare to stitch, you can use the magnet at the top of the frame as a needle minder, or, you can magnetize any needle minder to the top of your frame. Now, it’s time to stitch away in the heirloom finish system. 

Placing the outer frame

• Once your canvas is stitched, simply place the back of your outer frame on the back of your needlepoint. Gently twist to secure.  Then place the front frame over top.  The back and front pieces will lightly click together.

• Stitch and finish it today: cherish it for a lifetime.