Ask a finisher: Is glue in needlepoint the ultimate sin?
discussing the dirtiest word in finishing
Stitchers talk about her at her at stitch club.
In hushed tones, clutching their pearls in small circles, sipping cups of earl grey piping hot just like their gossip.
They never invite her and instead love to talk about her. Never positively of course.
They say she’s too easy. Definitely not a professional.
They say she’s too alluring. The novelty will wear off.
They say she’s too messy. She leaves evidence everywhere.
They say you can’t trust her. She can’t possibly hold it together forever.
They say, sure she look's fresh now. But she’ll dry up and fall apart. Just you wait.
Her name? Glue.
There are three aspects that will affect the longevity of your needlepoint:
How it is made
How it is used
How it is stored
I hope to address the other two aspects in subsequent posts with the help of an actual expert on archival storage.
*If* longevity is your goal, glue is high on the list of no-nos for a lot of stitchers. But I think a lot of that is misplaced for a few reasons.
Not all projects need to last forever
Not all finishes can even be *achieved* without some glue, even by professionals
Even if you are using acid-free glue, it may not be enough to ensure longevity
This brings me to my overall philosophy on glue
Using glue sometimes makes sense. I never use glue on customer finishes, unless I specifically recommend it for the format requested.
But, avoiding glue may promote longevity (if you do other things too)
You do you. This is a hobby.
Team Glue: Helpful utility, speed, and ease
Glue does have an appropriate time and place in finishing.
There! I said it! Ahhh I feel so much better. Whew!
Self-Finishing certain projects
As a new stitcher I was impatient for finishing deadlines and honestly FLABBERGASTED at how expensive my new obsession was. So I started finishing my own projects with hot glue.
I was far more comfortable with that than hand sewing when I started. And I watched some videos that used hot glue and I thought that looked just fine.
Lesson for new self-finishers: start with where you are. Your techniques can evolve if you want them to OR you can hot glue your ornaments forever for all I care.
Using glue or not really depends on the intent of your project in my opinion.
Do you want this to be an heirloom ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ ornament backed in beautiful silk for your grandchildren to one day inherit? Probably avoid glue.
Or is this a funny snarky canvas of the moment or a niche pop culture reference? Then you could probably use glue.
By the way, I’m not out here trying to arbitrate what you want to pass down to heirs, maybe it is a canvas about Real Housewives or Brat Summer, but I hope you get my overall point: I think it depends on what you want to do with your project.
Certain finishes, even when finished professionally, require glue
If you reference professional finishing books, you’ll notice they recommend glue on certain finishes.
Patches, appliqué - Adding patches to handbags or other material
3D Finishes - Affixing cording at the top of a kissing ball or egg-shaped styrofoam finishes; Affixing cording to gusseted ornaments; Constructing the fabric covered gusset of a 3D standup
Coasters - Affixing the cork to the back
Magnets - Affixing a magnet inside matboard
Cartonnage - Custom box making
Frame - Custom needlepoint frame making
The glue in these applications does not touch the needlepoint stitches. Glue is used to construct or affixed to another piece of material that supports the needlepoint object’s intent.
I personally never use glue on customer finishes for basic shapes. I only use glue if I specifically recommend it for the format requested. This is always discussed before I use it. Sometimes on special shapes, it’s helpful to use glue on sharp inside and outside corners to secure fraying canvas. Just talk to your finisher about what they use–if the glue thing is important to you.
Because glue does have utility and older needlepoint books do recommend it, is the anti-glue thing and heirloom objectives a more recent phenomenon?
Glue products
If you’re interested in using glue, use a good one.
Here are excellent glues on the market that are pH balanced and will ensure longevity of your project if used in tandem with other preservation techniques.
Aleene’s Acid Free Tacky Glue - slightly more viscose than tacky glue, this is my favorite all purpose
LINECO Neutral pH Adhesive, Acid-Free, All-purpose Glue - even more viscose, but also highly recommended
E6000 with precision tips - even though this stuff can get you legitimately high when you’re using it, surprisingly it states it is acid free once cured. It is used by and sold by Local Needlepoint Shops (LNS)
Team No Glue: Skip the sticky stuff entirely if longevity is your goal
If you’re really interested in your needlepoint object being preserved for generations, you probably need to skip the glue. But if that’s your aim, glue-free isn’t enough for it to be archival. You should ensure that your finisher is also using exclusively acid-free materials like natural, plant-derived or protein materials (cotton, wool felt, silk, etc), natural cotton batting, and acid-free matboard for your finish.
You also need to follow best practices for overall preservation once you get your project back.
Another reason for no glue is that it’s trickier than lacing! It’s messy. It is risky that it can get on your needlepoint (and hard to remove). Once you get it, lacing is a lot easier and mistakes can be undone with the snip of a thread. That is simply not the case for glued projects.
Checking in on my original glued projects, my first little cute ornaments that I DIY fast-finished with hot glue are not holding up so well now. The hot glued cording is coming off (DMC pearle) and they’re showing their age. I’ll be re-doing them soon. The ones I did in tacky glue are holding up well!
You do you
So you do you. Maybe use glue on little projects you want to self-finish, if that’s what you’re comfortable with. Maybe if you want something to last a long time, work with an independent finisher or a shop who uses lacing techniques (or try them yourself!).
But know that sometimes glue is used, even by pros. Using the right glue or no glue can help longevity. But skipping the glue is not enough: you need to ensure all elements are acid-free and you’re preserving it properly (again, more on this soon).
If you’re interested in trying your hand at finishing, my free guide covers both glue and lacing techniques for simple shapes.
So what are your thoughts? I’d love to hear from you on this topic.