Top tips for presenting your textile art

Mounting and framing
I love mounting my artwork on textured cotton rag paper because you can easily stitch into it (it’s made of cotton pulp rather than wood pulp) and has a tactile feel that adds more texture.
Before mounting my piece, I neaten the edges by trimming them with a rotary cutter. But, you could leave the frayed edges as they are for more texture and movement – especially if you’re using sheer fabrics!
Adding extra details
As textile artists, we’ve got the opportunity to experiment with our materials and extend our creativity beyond the piece.
After mounting your work on cotton rag paper, you could embellish it with:
- Decorative hand stitches
- Free motion embroidery
- Splatters of paint going off the edge
- Extra beading
- Threads hanging free
- Double mounting with a deckle edge* (the opposite of a cut edge)
*TOP TIP: It’s hard to neatly tear a deckle edge, so draw a faint line in pencil, wet it either side with a paintbrush, get a ruler, then tear it. Or buy a specialist deckle edge ruler!


Window mount or box frame?
I love seeing raw edges, so I think it’s a shame to hide them. That said, you could use a window mount and leave a centimetre gap so you can still show off the textured edges.
Instead of using a window mount, you could display your artwork in a box frame. This works well for particularly textured pieces (or if you’re leaving threads hanging free, as the threads can cascade down without being squished against the glass).
Stretching as a canvas
Not keen on mounting your work? Try stretching it as a canvas. You’ll need to think about this before you start, because you’ll need to leave enough fabric around the edge to stretch over the frame.
You can buy frames and stretch the canvas yourself using a staple gun, or you can take your artwork to a framer and they’ll do it for you. Once stretched, you can place the canvas in a tray frame as a finishing touch.
Commerciality
I think there’s a limit to how far you can take a messy and textural style (that other textile artists love!) if you plan on selling your work. People tend to be a lot more conservative than I wish they were!
I went through a stage where I got really messy, going out onto the cotton rag paper with lots of paint splats and embroidery coming out… but I didn’t sell many like that.
So, I’ve gradually adapted my presentation style to be more commercial. For example, I make sure I cut my canvas really straight and keep my stitching details neat. When I have threads hanging down, it’s not hundreds of threads, it’s a select few. I also use non-reflective UV glass for bigger pieces because it helps really show the textiles without fighting the reflection. People often don’t realise the glass is even there – I find that ‘wow factor’ is worth the extra cost.
So, you need to consider whether you’re doing your textile art for yourself or as someone who wants to develop their work to sell.
The importance of finding your presentation style
As a textile artist, you have to go through a stage of playing, experimenting and developing your presentation style until you hit on something that’s really right for you, as that can become your signature. The way you present your work can become as recognisable as the actual work.
I don’t sign my name anymore – I embroider ‘EH’ at the bottom of my artwork. Free motion embroidery artist Meredith Woolnough uses pins to raise her water-soluble works off the mount and create impact with shadows. (They wouldn’t be the same flat on paper!)
The way you present your work can really transform it and make it come alive. In some ways, I think the way you present your work can be just as important as the work itself.
Interested in seeing more of my presentation style?
Check out the latest pieces on my art website!

