Memories in Stitches on Instagram has a short video about frame weights, showing what they look like and how they are used.
In case the video disappears, a frame weight is a bean bag filled with heavy items (pennies, shot, etc.) that you put on one corner of needlepoint on stretcher bars to weigh it down.
Why would you do this? Maybe you are traveling and don't want to pack your needlepoint stand. Maybe you don't work large projects often and you don't want to invest in an expensive needlepoint stand? With a frame weight, you can put your stretcher bar project on a table with half sticking out over the edge. The frame weight holds it secure as you stitch with both hands on the part of the project sticking out away from the table.
Traditionally frame weights were frog shaped like this counted project from Amy Wolfson.
Edie and Ginger created a lot of painted canvases of frogs meant to be made up as frame weights.
When Beanie Babies were a thing, some folks opened up the seam and filled their Beanie Baby with heavy shot and sewed it back up to make a customized frame weight much quicker than needlepointing one. Of course if you have stitched something and don't know what to turn it in to, maybe a frame weight would be a good use of your beautiful stitching.
UPDATE: This short video from The Wool and The Floss shows a frame weight in action. There's a video from Waste Knot, too. Now, don't you need one of these?!
Written by Jane/Chilly HollowBlogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 6, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
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