How to Finish a Needlepoint Passport Cover Yourself
By Lauren McCarter
A self-finishing passport cover has an adhesive panel in its window, so there's no sewing. Once your canvas is stitched (and blocked if it has pulled out of square), trim it leaving a narrow margin of bare canvas, peel the liner off the adhesive, centre the canvas, press it down and tuck the cut edges under the leather.
These steps show you how to self-finish your needlepoint (or tapestry, if that's what you call it) in one of our Saffiano leather covers. If you're using a different cover, check its instructions and insert size before trimming.
What is a self-finishing passport cover?
Our covers are genuine Saffiano leather, with a window on the front for your needlepoint. The window holds an adhesive panel under a printed liner. Your canvas sticks to the panel and the cut edges tuck under the leather, so there's no finisher to book.
Each cover fits an 8 × 12 cm needlepoint insert. Inside there's a passport sleeve on the left and card slots on the right, and our logo is embossed on the back.
What you need
- A stitched canvas that fits the window. Our passport designs are 8 × 12 cm on 13 mesh.
- A self-finishing passport cover.
- Sharp scissors with a fine tip.
- A clean, flat surface to work on.
If you haven't stitched your canvas yet, start with our guide to choosing a first kit.
How to finish a needlepoint passport cover, step by step
1. Check it's square before you cut
Stitching can pull a canvas out of shape. If your edges have gone crooked, block it first: DMC's blocking guide says "Never cut the canvas before blocking." Let it dry completely before you trim, then check that the design sits squarely in the window. Our needlepoint finishing guide covers blocking and other ways to finish needlepoint.
2. Trim close to the stitching
Cut away most of the spare canvas first, then trim closer, leaving a narrow margin of bare canvas all the way around your stitching. Those edges tuck under the leather later. Hold the trimmed piece over the window to check the fit before you peel anything.
3. Score and peel the liner
Use the tip of your scissors to gently score the printed liner in the window, so you have an edge to lift. Then peel the liner away to uncover the adhesive.
4. Place and centre your canvas
Lay your canvas face up on the adhesive and line the design up with the window. Check that stripes, bands and lettering sit straight before you press.
5. Press it down firmly
With flat hands, press the canvas firmly onto the adhesive so it sits evenly across the whole window.
6. Tuck the edges under the leather
Work your way around the window, pushing the cut edges under the leather with your fingers. Once every side is tucked, your cover is ready to use.
The same no-sew idea works on something smaller: here's how to finish a needlepoint keyring.
Which needlepoint (tapestry) passport inserts fit the cover?
All eight of our needlepoint passport inserts are painted for this cover. Each is 8 × 12 cm on 13 mesh:
- Ticking Stripe in Pink, Blue and Green
- Basketweave in Pink, Blue and Green
- Mini Frequent Flyer in Blue and Pink
The inserts are the hand-painted canvas only, so threads, a needle and the cover are bought separately.
Canvases from other designers
You can use another designer's passport canvas if the finished stitching fits the cover's 8 × 12 cm insert size. Several self-finishing covers sold in the US take a 3 × 4.5 inch insert (about 7.6 × 11.4 cm), and some take 2.75 × 4.25 inches (about 7 × 10.8 cm), so a canvas painted for those will come up small in our window. As our cover listings say, "you may need to add an extra row or two of stitching around the edge to achieve the perfect fit." A canvas painted for the smaller size may need a few more. Check the fit before trimming, and add any extra stitching before you cut the canvas or peel off the liner.
Passport kit or build your own?
Passport kits
I started designing my own canvases to suit what I wanted to stitch. Each passport kit includes an 8 × 12 cm hand-painted canvas on Zweigart mono deluxe 13 mesh, Silk & Ivory threads (50% silk, 50% merino), a size 20 DMC tapestry needle, a project bag, and a Saffiano leather cover in tan, light pink, red, dark green or dark blue. Ticking Stripe and Basketweave kits are A$159.95 and include a hand-painted monogram. Mini Frequent Flyer kits are A$149.95.
Passport kit designs include Ticking Stripe, Basketweave and Mini Frequent Flyer. See every colourway in the passport kits collection. If a colourway is sold out, use the Notify me button on its page to hear when it's back. For something other than a passport cover, browse our other tapestry kits.
Building your own from an insert and a cover
If you'd rather choose each piece, pick one of the eight inserts above (A$69.95), a cover in any of the five colours (A$74.95) and your threads from our Silk & Ivory range (A$11.95 a skein). Use the Silk & Ivory colour chart to match shades to your painted canvas. You'll also need a tapestry needle.
An insert and a cover come to A$144.90. Orders over A$150 ship free within Australia, so a skein of Silk & Ivory takes you over that line.
Adding a monogram
Ticking Stripe kits include a hand-painted monogram of your choice, up to two letters, and Basketweave kits up to three. Your letters are painted into the nameplate or centre band, and you stitch them with the rest of the design. Mini Frequent Flyer kits don't have a monogram.
If you buy a Ticking Stripe or Basketweave insert on its own, the nameplate or centre band is painted blank, ready for you to fill in with the background colour or with letters you chart yourself.
Taking it on your travels
Once the canvas is tucked in, your passport slots into the sleeve and you can start planning the next holiday. If you'd like to bring some stitching on the flight too, our guide to taking needlepoint on a plane covers scissors and needles.
Our online shop sends to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. In the US, Matilda designs are sold through our distributor, Oz Needle & Thread, at shops across the US including Le Fil Studio in Los Angeles.
Quick answers
Do I need to sew anything to finish a passport cover?
No. The window of a self-finishing cover has an adhesive panel under a peel-off liner. You trim your stitched canvas, peel off the liner, press the canvas onto the adhesive and tuck the cut edges under the leather.
What size canvas fits the Matilda passport cover?
The cover is designed for an 8 × 12 cm needlepoint insert. Every Matilda passport insert and passport kit canvas is painted to that size on 13 mesh.
Can I use a passport canvas from another designer?
Yes, if the finished stitching fits the cover's 8 × 12 cm insert size. Several covers sold in the US take a 3 × 4.5 inch insert (about 7.6 × 11.4 cm), which is a little smaller, so you may need to add an extra row or two of stitching around the edge. A canvas painted for a smaller cover may need a few more. Check the fit before you trim the canvas or peel off the liner.
Do the passport inserts come with threads?
No. The inserts are the hand-painted canvas only. The passport kits include matched Silk & Ivory threads, a size 20 DMC tapestry needle, a project bag and a Saffiano leather cover.
Can I get my initials on a passport canvas?
Yes, with a Ticking Stripe or Basketweave passport kit. Ticking Stripe kits include a hand-painted monogram of up to two letters and Basketweave kits up to three. The Mini Frequent Flyer kits and the inserts on their own don't include a monogram.
Where can I buy a self-finishing needlepoint passport cover?
Our Saffiano leather self-finishing covers are A$74.95 in five colours and fit an 8 × 12 cm needlepoint insert. Our online shop sends to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. In the US, Matilda designs are sold through our distributor, Oz Needle & Thread.
Happy stitching,
Lauren x