Needlework & Papyrus Framing in San Antonio
Cross-stitch, needlepoint, embroidery, christening gowns, Egyptian papyrus and parchment — stretched and hinged by hand, never glued, under UV or museum glass. From $149, ready in about two weeks.
Call (210) 615-8229
Cross-Stitch & Needlework Framing Built Around Your Piece
Needlework framing at The Frame Gallery means a frame built to fit your piece, at 5563 De Zavala Rd, Ste 190, minutes from UTSA in north San Antonio. We have done cross-stitch framing, needlepoint and embroidery here since 1984 — along with Egyptian papyrus, parchment and calligraphy.
Your piece is stretched and laced onto acid-free backing board, never trimmed, taped or glued, so the mounting can be undone years from now. Choose from over 300 mats in paper, suede, leather and linen and thousands of frame samples, including Roma and Larson-Juhl, finished under UV-filtering, non-glare or museum glass. Needlework framing is part of our custom framing in San Antonio.
- Since 1984
- From $149
- Laced, never glued
- Over 300 mats
- About 2 weeks
Bring your piece in. No appointment needed. Leave the excess fabric on — we never trim it.
Choose frame, mat and glass. Free design help in the shop, with the fabric in front of you.
We lace and mount it. Hand-laced onto acid-free board, with spacers to keep glass off the stitches.
Pick it up. Most pieces are ready in about two weeks.
Three kinds of work, one shop
Needlework & textiles
Cross-stitch, needlepoint, crewel work, embroidery, silk work, antique samplers, quilt blocks and lace. Spacers or a mat lift the glass off the surface so the stitches keep their texture.
Christening gowns
Gowns, bonnets and baby pieces built into a deep shadow box so the garment keeps its shape.
Papyrus & parchment
Egyptian papyrus, parchment and calligraphy, hinged rather than glued down, so the natural edges of the sheet stay visible.
What We Frame Needlework, Textiles & Keepsakes
Some pieces are stitched here in San Antonio over many months. Others are carried home from a trip overseas, or handed down through a family. All of them need mounting that holds the fabric gently and can be undone later. These are the pieces we see most often.
Cross-stitch
Finished counted work of any size, laced flat with the stitch count square to the frame.
Needlepoint canvases
Stretched true and blocked square, with the canvas edges hidden rather than cut away.
Crewel & embroidery
Wool and floss work, raised with spacers so the glass never flattens the texture.
Silk work
Fine silk and thread painting, mounted without adhesive and finished under UV glass.
Antique samplers
Old, fragile and often irreplaceable. Handled with acid-free materials and reversible mounting.
Quilt blocks & lace
Single blocks, heirloom lace and linens, mounted so the weave is supported evenly.
Christening gowns
Gowns, bonnets and baby pieces built into a deep shadow box so the garment keeps its shape.
Tapestries & textiles
Woven pieces brought home from travels, sized and mounted to hang flat without sagging.
Not sure whether your piece can be framed? Bring it in. In over 40 years we have rarely seen a textile we could not mount safely. For keepsakes that need real depth — uniforms, gowns, medals and memorabilia — see our shadow box framing.
Shadow box framingEgyptian Papyrus & Parchment Framing Hinged, Never Glued
Papyrus comes home from Cairo and Luxor rolled in a tube, and parchment and calligraphy usually arrive creased from travel. Both are plant and animal fibre, not paper — they swell and shrink with San Antonio humidity, and anything glued or pressed flat will eventually buckle or tear.
So we hinge them instead. The sheet hangs from small reversible hinges on acid-free board, free to move, with its natural deckled edges left in full view rather than hidden under a mat. Papyrus framing is everyday work here, not a special order.
Floating hinges
Small acid-free hinges hold the sheet at the top only, so it can expand and contract instead of cockling against the board.
Deckled edges on show
The rough, hand-cut edge is part of the piece. We float it clear of the mat rather than trimming or covering it.
UV or museum glass
Plant fibre and natural pigment fade fast in Texas light. Most papyrus leaves here under UV-filtering, non-glare or museum glass.
We frame Egyptian papyrus, parchment documents, Arabic and Western calligraphy, illuminated pages and hand-lettered certificates. Bring the piece in rolled or flat — we will flatten it safely if it needs it. Papyrus framing is part of our custom framing in San Antonio.
What Needlework Framing Costs and What Changes the Price
Needlework starts higher than a simple print because the work is different — the piece has to be stretched and laced by hand before anything else happens. From there the price follows three choices, and you make all three with the fabric in front of you.
Bring the piece in and we will price it exactly, on the spot. Design help is free and there is no appointment.
Starting price
$149
Small, simple needlework pieces $149 & up
The three choices
The frame
Thousands of samples on the wall, from plain natural woods to deep ornate mouldings, including Roma and Larson-Juhl. Size and moulding width move the price more than anything else.
The mat
Over 300 mats in paper, suede, leather and linen, all acid-free. A single mat, a double mat or no mat at all — with spacers instead — to keep the glass off the stitches.
The glass
UV-filtering glass slows fading and is what most needlework leaves here under. Non-glare UV cuts reflections on a bright wall. Museum glass is almost invisible and costs the most.
The mounting
Hand lacing onto acid-free board is included, not an upgrade. Deep pieces that need a shadow box — a gown, a christening set — are priced as shadow box framing.
2 weeks
About two weeks
Most needlework is ready in roughly two weeks from the day you drop it off. Lacing a piece by hand is labor intensive — it is not like framing a certificate or a photo.
Free
Free design help
No appointment and no charge to work out the frame, mat and glass with us before you commit.
We have been pricing work like this in San Antonio since 1984 — over 40 years of it. Call (210) 615-8229 or bring the piece to 5563 De Zavala Rd, Ste 190, minutes from UTSA.
Call (210) 615-8229Trusted With Pieces That Cannot Be Replaced
Most of what comes through the door has no replacement — a sampler stitched by a grandmother, a gown worn once, a papyrus carried home from a trip taken decades ago. Framing it is a small act of trust, and we have been earning it in San Antonio since 1984.
I had a piece that is 50 yrs old and required delicate handling for reframing after it broke. The piece had a painted glass, a material made back piece and needed a shadow box type of frame… She took her time to help me find the right colors and mats to give the piece an antique look and compliment all the different pieces.
Dolores M.Yelp review · May 2017
Needlework Framing FAQ Questions We Get Every Week
If your question is not here, call the shop and ask. We would rather talk it through before you bring the piece in than have you wonder whether it can be framed at all.
Do you frame cross-stitch and needlepoint?
Yes. We frame cross-stitch, needlepoint, crewel work, embroidery, silk work, samplers, quilt blocks, lace and christening gowns. We also frame Egyptian papyrus, parchment and calligraphy.
How do you mount needlework so it is not damaged?
Your piece is stretched and laced onto acid-free backing board. Nothing is trimmed, taped or glued, so the mounting can be reversed years later. Spacers or a mat keep the glass off the stitches so the texture is not crushed.
What does needlework framing cost in San Antonio?
It depends on the size of the piece, the mat, the frame and the glass. Small, simple needlework pieces start at $149. Design help is free, so bring the piece in and we will price it exactly.
How long does needlework framing take?
Most projects take about two weeks. If you need something sooner, ask us — we can sometimes work faster.
Do you frame papyrus and parchment?
Yes. Papyrus and parchment are hinged rather than glued down, so the natural edges of the sheet stay visible, and we finish them under UV-filtering glass to slow fading.
Still deciding? Bring the piece to 5563 De Zavala Rd, Ste 190, minutes from UTSA, or call (210) 615-8229. No appointment, and the design help costs nothing.
Call (210) 615-8229Bring Your Needlework to Our Studio We Will Tell You What It Needs
Walk in with the piece, rolled or flat, finished or still on the excess fabric. We will look at it with you, talk through the frame, mat and glass, and give you an exact price before anything is started. Needlework and papyrus framing is everyday work here, not a special order.
The Frame Gallery
5563 De Zavala Rd, Ste 190
San Antonio, TX 78249
Minutes from UTSA in north San Antonio
Monday to Friday — 11am to 6pm
Saturday — 11am to 5pm
Sunday — closed
No appointment needed
(210) 615-8229
framegallerysa@gmail.com
Framing San Antonio since 1984
Also framing in San Antonio: custom framing · shadow box framing · diploma & certificate framing · photo framing · poster framing · canvas stretching