Needlepoint guide
How to block needlepoint
Stitching pulls canvas out of square. Blocking is how you pull it back: dampen the piece, pin it straight on a board and let it dry.
Before you wet anything
Blocking uses water, and water can make some dyes run. If you are unsure of any thread, or of the paint on the canvas, test first. Put a drop of water on an out-of-the-way spot of each color, press white blotting paper or a white cloth on it, and look for color on the white. Look again after a few minutes. If any color transfers, do not wet the piece. Ask a finisher.
Do not trim the canvas. The pins go through the bare margin.
What you need
- A blocking board marked with a grid, or another flat, padded board you can pin into, larger than the canvas
- Rustproof pins or tacks, such as T-pins
- A spray bottle of clean water and a clean towel
- Something to check square against: the grid on the board, or a sheet of paper cut to the size the piece should be
Steps
- Lay the needlepoint face down on the board. A piece worked in raised stitches goes face up so they are not flattened.
- Spray it evenly until the canvas is damp but not saturated. Let it rest for five minutes, then pat off any extra water with the towel.
- Pull it gently toward square with your hands, against the lean.
- Pin the middle of the top edge through the unstitched margin. Pull gently straight down and pin the middle of the bottom edge. Do the same for the two sides.
- Work out from those four pins toward the corners, a few pins at a time on each side in turn. Pin every three quarters of an inch to an inch (2 to 2.5 cm), easing the canvas until the edges are straight and the corners are square. Check against the grid. If the canvas starts to dry, dampen it again.
- Leave it flat, at room temperature and out of direct sun, until it is bone dry. That can take several days. Take the pins out only then.
A needlework shop can also have it blocked for you.
If it is still out of square
Block it again. Some canvases need the whole process more than once before they stay straight.
Less blocking next time
Large areas of continental or half cross stitch pull canvas further out of square than basketweave does. Basketweave is the form of tent stitch most likely to keep the canvas square as you work, and stitching on a frame helps too.