Painting Canvas

Question How do you frame cross-stitch like a painting canvas before you cross-stitch the pattern?
I want to frame cross-stitch fabric like someone would painting canvas before I cross-stitch the picture. That way I can see the whole thing as I cross-stitch.

Best Answer That's impossible. Think about it for a minute...you will need to put the needle through the fabric, and then draw it back up. You can't do that if the fabric is framed.

Question How to fix a crease or fold in an oil painting canvas that crarcked the paint?
While travelling to East Africa I purchased a painting from a local artist. It's not "valuable" but it's impossible for me to replace the sentimental value. He rolled it up and placed it in a tube, which unfortunately got crushed in my luggage on the way home. As expected, there is now a series of creases across the painting. It's oil on rough canvas and the crease has cracked the paint in several sections. I don't expect to be able to "fix" it entirely, but is there any way to minimize the aesthetic loss? Could I carefully apply solvent to the cracked areas to blend them together? Heat? Thanks a lot! I'm happy to answer questions, etc. Happy New Year! David How much do restorers charge? I'm hesitant to spend more than $50 on it. I'm very happy to do the labor myself.

Best Answer Try using a citrus based solvent. You can get it at an art supply store, it's sold as a substitute for turpentine. Put the solvent in the cracked areas and wait until the paint becomes gummy. Then carefully try to blend the paint in the cracks. Heat may cause further cracking, so I don't recommend it.

Question where to find cheap canvas for painting in London?
I am looking for a big art shop in London where I will be able to choose from a variety of sizes of painting canvas which are sold at OK prices. At the moment I just know a few small shops that sell them but there is not much choice and it's quite expensive so I though I'd ask around. Thank you in advance for your responses.

Best Answer I've had luck at the London Graphic Centre (http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/acatalog/Retail_Stores.html) which has several locations in London, and at Cass Art (http://www.cassart.co.uk/shops_01.htm), again with several London locations. In my experience Cass Art is a bit cheaper and I believe they have a sale on at the moment. Hope this helps!

Question Where can I buy a painting canvas?
Where can I buy a large painting canvas, NOT the painting, just a large plain canvas so I can paint on it? And how much should I expect to pay? I paint with acrylic, but I don't mind oil. I live in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Thanks!

Best Answer Try the craft and hobby stores