In this blog post we go over the top 5 Finishing questions from our customers to give you a bit more detail on how our process works!

1- What should I include when sending my project for finishing? 

• The most important item to include other than your stitched piece, is your contact information! If you are turning in a pillow, we will need you to provide fabric and trim (if applicable). For ornaments/frames/stand ups/trays/etc, we provide the fabric and cording. You can always give us choices for fabric and cording colors or you can leave it up to us to choose! We always recommend shipping finishing UPS or FedEx with tracking. We always send an email when your finishing is received and will also ask any questions we may have. 

2- I need an item finished and returned to me by a certain date. Can you do that? 

• This is a very common question, since needlepoint is a wonderful and meaningful gift to give someone! Please ask us before turning in your project and we can let you know if we can have it back to you in time. It is a lot easier for us to work with your schedule up front rather than finding out the deadline once your piece is in the queue. 

3- When should I add extra rows? 

• For belts, It is always a good idea to add extra rows. We usually say two above and two below the design.
• A good rule of thumb for other pieces is that you usually lose 1-2 rows on the piece during the finishing process. So, if there is a border in the design, and you want it to be visible when finished, go ahead and add an extra row or two.

• Another example of when to add extra rows is in tight nooks/edges that the finisher will not be able to get around. This canvas is a great example, you would want to fill in between Santa’s legs, arm, around his hat and glove!

4- What is the acrylic tray process?

• Tray finishing is a two step process in which your piece will be sent to a finisher to have it turned into a classic hardback cookie without a loop, and then the piece will be sent to our acrylic tray manufacturer who will custom fit the tray to your piece. The turnaround time for this entire process is about 4-6 months, and, based on the size of this piece, trays start around $150.00. 

5- What is the difference between a hardback/cookie and a gusseted ornament? 

• A hardback/cookie is the most common way to finish a needlepoint ornament. It has a hard backside that is covered with fabric. It has a twisted cord (up to 3 colors) and a centered, hanging loop. The frontside has a slight puff to it. Our hardback cookie ornaments start around $55. 
• A soft/puffy ornament is another option! It has a soft backside and front side, we usually call it a mini pillow! It has a twisted cord (up to 3 colors) and a centered, hanging loop.  Our soft/puffy ornaments start around $60. 
• A gusseted ornament is a thicker ornament, usually around 3/8” thick. It has coordinating fabric on the backside, but also around the circumference of the piece. It has the same twisted cording as a hardback cookie along with the slight puff on the front side. It can have a centered hanging loop or a gold swirled hanger!  Our gusseted ornaments start around $110

Here are a few other samples:

For any other questions on finishing your needlepoint project, reach out to our experts at anytime by emailing finishing@needlepoint.com!