before and after: monogrammed pin board

not all facelifts are scary.

my poor pin board was looking really pitiful in the background of the ribbon and bead striped necklace post. it's been with me for so long, that i can't bring myself to get a new one. to show it some respect after all the years of loyal service, i refurbished it with tea dyed cross stich fabric and a little monogram.

fabric size:

use 1 piece of fabric that is folded over the top of the board. my board was 1/2" thick, so i left a seam allowance of 1" around the sides and bottom edges. if you are going to monogram in the same spot, i'd suggest leaving a larger allowance initially, for the embroidery frame to fit. then reduce the allowance to 1" after you finish the monogram. if your board isn't 1/2" thick, then the final seam allowance should be twice as wide as the thickness of your board.

monogram:

the pattern i used was from the DMC cross stitch library. 2 strands of DMC floss in black and flo red worked well.

• lay fabric on board and mark the center of your monogram lightly with pencil, or disappearing ink.
• center marking in embroidery hoop.
• cross stitch or embroider monogram.
• remove hoop and press.

cover the board:

• mark edge of the board on the back side of fabric.fold in seam allowances so the edge of fabric touches the edge of the board. press.
• fold seam allowances again, along the lines for the board's edge.
• place board on fabric, insuring that it fits snuggly.
• fold over back side.

finishing sides and bottom edge:

• at the board's top edge, fold the fabric like a present: first at the side, then the top and bottom.
• the front side fabric should be the top layer. that way the visible seam will be facing the back of the board.
• push a tack into the side of the board, securing the layers.
• keep adding tacks every 2", or so along the side.
• repeat on other side of board.
• repeat on bottom edge. if the bottom corners are bulky, you can cut some of the seam allowance out to reduce the amount of fabric folded. make sure that no raw edges are visible on the exterior when it's folded up.

i really wanted to use upholstery tacks, but i couldn't find them anywhere in the neighborhood. had to use regular office supply tacks instead. i'll be purchasing the upholstery ones from amazon and replacing these as soon as they arrive.

finally, a backdrop that won't embarrass me.