Family Photo Wall with Fabric Accents

I've not fallen off the earth. Ive just been in Chicago for a shower last weekend and a wedding this weekend. I'm writing this on my phone so I trust you'll forgive wonky photos and typos. Also, the app won't let me label the photos on this post so you'll have to play the matching game.

In the week between the two events I basically had nothing to do. So I did a little cross stitch, visited quilt shops, and decorated my sister's house with a new picture wall. The cross stitch fabric is from my Splendor 1920 line due out in November. It's printed cross stitch from selvedge to selvedge.

The fabric is simply stretched over wood frames and stapled in place. Don't bother getting the canvas... Very expensive. Hobby Lobby has the wood frames that you can put together in the art/painting department and they cost about $6/each. If I realized I was going to do this, I totally would have brought my own fabric. Ha ha.

For the picture frames, my sister had a bunch of different colored frames. To make it cohesive, I spray painted them all a creamy white.

I used a really simple method to hang Ilisa's photo wall so I thought I'd share it with you. Here's how I did it:

1. Lay out the design on the floor.

Design hint: I did a couple things with this design to keep it from looking too hodge podge. You'll notice there are four vertical rows with three pieces in each row. In each row the pieces are centered above one another. The top and bottom horizontal rows are level with each other. The only piece that deviates from this is the "family" plaque. And you'll notice on that piece I managed to keep the lower letters aligned.

2. Trace each piece onto paper and cut out. (I taped together brown paper bags.)

3. Fold each piece of piece of paper in half to find the vertical center and mark at the top.

4. Turn the picture over and measure the distance from the top to the point where the nail will go into the wall. Mark that distance on the front of the paper.

5. Arrange the paper on the wall and tape on with painters tape. Adjust as necessary.

6. Hammer your nails through the paper where you marked for nail holes.

7. Tear the paper off and hang your pictures.