I'm sure I'm not the first person to invent this hack, but it works so well I have to share. If you're doing miniature embroidery, for jewellery or dolls' house furniture pieces or similar, most instructions will tell you to tape your canvas to a cardboard frame to keep it straight; but my guys, do not follow this advice, it really doesn't work too well. Cardboard bends and crumples, especially if you're working on a piece for a while, and tape means sticky edges for your threads to snag on and to collect fluff.
So what does work?
This works. Cut your support frame from plastic canvas, allowing a reasonable width of plastic to keep the stiffness (about 10 holes on 14-count works well) and stitch your working canvas onto it. 28-count linen will line up perfectly onto 14-count plastic canvas; 40-count silk gauze will go onto 10-count. You can even finagle mismatched counts, seen above-right where I've got 32-count gauze onto 14-count plastic just by spacing the stitches a little unevenly on the gauze. Sure it's not as cheap as cardboard, but it works so much better, and the plastic frames are reusable indefinitely if you're making multiple pieces.
Also, you can leave your work safely flat and stretched on the frame if you're not ready to make up the final piece yet, like this one:
(This specific piece is from Janet Granger's doll furniture kit range, btw - her stuff is gorgeous, highly recommend if you like doing miniature work!)
