What a lovely thought. I hope you get some good ideas.

I think your idea is right on the mark. If you had the work cleaned, they use chemicals which might eventually destroy this heirloom. On the other hand, if her floss was not colorfast, the colors might bleed into the fabric. I think putting her name on her work is a great idea because this heirloom will be passed down through the years and each person needs to know whose work it was. You need to make sure that whoever frames this for you is trustworthy and will use acid free everything. You might want to see it BEFORE the framer puts the backing on. What a lucky grandmother that had a grandson who valued her and her work. I hope you get other great ideas from the stitchers on this site. Pam

What a wonderful idea!
My only concerns would be, if you wash it there may be some color bleed (older floss may not be color fast) and the needle may rust over time. If you have some extra floss she was using, you could test it by washing a bit. I would take it to a professional framer, they can give you different ideas on how to frame it, and should have acid free mounting board. To commemorate you could get a brass plague, and have her name engraved on it. ( a framer May be able to help with that too)

Think having it framed to look like a 10 gallon aquarium would be neat. I can see it in my head. Also, (and this is just me), think about typing up the story of it and attaching it to the back of the frame so future generations understand the reason it is the way it is. Looked up the pattern and it is adorable. Will be great in s child’s room (or anywhere for that matter.) Please post a photo when done. I agree with the other posters about the needle rusting. Wonder if it could be varnished first,

I agree with the others about laundering the item and whether colorfast thread was used. If you opt to rinse this yourself, make sure to remove the needle first and let the project thoroughly dry a few days in dry conditions (no humid locations) before reattaching the needle. Unless you know for sure what kind of thread she was using and ONLY if it was stitched entirely with DMC brand floss which is colorfast, would it likely be safe to wash yourself without the thread bleeding in cool water with regular Dawn dish detergent- if any bleeding occurs, soak and change the cool water every few hours for as long as needed until the water is clear and there is no visible dye or dye stains on the stitching or fabric, do not wring, 1st pat dry with white paper towels to check for bleeding then regular towels, hang dry, and then press with a medium heat iron without steam to avoid scorching under a light weight towel. I know some may bring their finished cross stitch to a dry cleaner but I do not trust that something unusual would happen to mine ):

Often when stitching my projects, I coat my needles with clear nail polish and let it dry completely due to a nickel allergy, which is the metal many needles are made from. Maybe this would prevent it from rusting over time into the fabric, though the clear polish may get dry and chip or break off over a long period of time as well. I think a professional framer is a good choice but they can be pricey and you want to be sure that they are experienced with framing needlework for proper framing technique. Good luck and hope you can preserve this meaningful heirloom for a long time.

What a beautiful heirloom to pass down through the family!
I agree with the others about whether the flosses she used would bleed or not. As one stitcher suggested, if you have any of the flosses used by your grandmother for this picture, use tepid, NOT HOT! Water in some clear non-drinking jars and put about a 1/2 inch strand of each different colored strand in a jar and let sit overnight; check in morning to see if any of the water is discolored. Do this with the dark colored floss first, ie. Reds, greens, deep blues, yellows because the darker flosses have a tendency to bleed WHATEVER YOU DO, do NOT allow anyone talk you into having it dry-cleaned!!! If the floss strands bleed, I would call some actual Brick-and-mortar CROSS STITCH stores that work specifically with cross stitch pieces. There is the Silver Needle and some of the other stitchers on this chat would probably know of other specialized cross stitch stores with a good reputation.
Everything used for framing must be ACID FREE as well, ie Mounting Board, Matting, etc.
Pam stated that whoever you have finish your project, tell them you want to see it mounted BEFORE the framer uses the framing paper to hide the back! The reason Pam said this is because some uncouth and in-experienced framers will use (Heaven forbid) GLUE. STAPLES and even cheap MASKING TAPE to hold the project onto the mounting board then cover the back with framing paper so you can’t see what they did and your paying big money to have the project ruined by glue, staples and masking tape.
Your grandmother deserves her project treated correctly!
Two accepted ways to attach the project onto the acid-free mounting board is either done by ‘pinning’ small stainless steel pins used to pin project or ‘lacing’ (which I was told by a framer that I know and trust just 2 weeks ago) that ‘lacing’ the project the better of the two.
As for the needle, I agree it could rust and cause the fabric to stain. Many good framers could possibly help you with ideas; a suggestion is to use a small amount of CLEAR polyurethane to coat the needle and once dry, have the needle placed on a small extra piece of the acid-free Matting attached to matting used to frame the project.
Another suggestion from reading on finishing cross stitch projects, the more information you have on the stitcher who stitched the project, the more valuable it becomes from a genealogical standpoint; stitch her name, including ‘maiden’ name, with her date of birth and date she died if you have room on the fabric.
Hope you let us know how you progress with your grandmother’s beautiful project and CONGRATULATIONS on your baby son!!

Gently soaking the piece in a needlework soak (perhaps a drop of original Dawn) with a thorough, thorough clear rinse. If something should bleed, there are products to remove it. I urge you to NOT attach the needle...even coated, it could eventually discolor the fabric and that discoloration could be devastating to the project. Instead, perhaps mount/attach the threaded needle to the matting. A good professional framer could advise you about all of this...some of them specialize in keepsake mounting and framing.
What a loving keepsake! Good luck! And, CONGRATULATIONS on the joyous birth! 😊

I’m so impressed with the Master Class in framing you ladies have given this chap. Well done all of you! 🏆

Hope this stitcher replies back to us with their decision of what they are planning to do, so we get feedback....that old saying, “two heads are better than one” always brings to mind the enormous benefits to be gained using multiple heads from multiple stitchers...

Six months ago, if you told me I would be chatting on cross stitch message boards I would have told you that you are crazy but here I am. I can't thank you all enough for the time and expertise you have shared.

I have gone to a few frame shops here locally in Providence, Rhode Island who have shown enthusiasm in my project but I fear that they aren't the right fit. Your collective words rang true when I had one framer put down one of those L-shaped frame examples directly in the middle of the piece. These frame examples have the male portion of velcro on them which affixed itself to my grandmother's hard work. I was able to remove it with minimal disruption to the stitching but I am further convinced that the framers must be experienced with stretching, mounting and framing cross stitch pieces specifically.

I just spoke with the lovely proprietor of Picket Fence Needlepoint in Barrington, Rhode Island and I think the guidance of someone as knowledgeable with the medium as she seems is the right choice. She suggested bringing it in to her first to be appraised physically, laundered if needed, and then brought to the framer that she uses for any custom projects like these. I am thinking now of having them stitch "Nana" with the remaining thread may be the finishing touch. I am so excited.

I want to highlight the fact that it is unfinished and show the piece in its entirety; tattered edges, blank borders, and all, which will put me at around a 30" x 40" frame. Its gonna be expensive but WHO CARES! I can't wait to share this piece with you all after it is finished.

Thank you all again and I Love You Nana, Brendan