Stroke turns into a fill

You'll have to be more specific about exactly what you're doing, the result you expect, and how the actual result differs. A screenshot or two might help us better understand the problem.

No. I'm not sure I'm following, so making a guess. Is the stroke so thick that it is clearly visible inside the frame? You can change the alignment of the stroke in the Stroke panel: inside, outside or centered. If this isn't it, please post a picture of the frame selected and the stroke panel open so that we can see what you're working with.

~Barb