I only discovered needlepoint two years ago when I found the book "Glorious Interiors" by Kaffe Fassett for 25 cents. Specifically I fell in love with an armchair for which he had stitched a cover boasting a large sectioned cantaloupe, lettuces and cabbages, all floating on an iridescent blue background. And though I didn't really want to copy his technicolor-countryside motifs, I could see needlepoint for the versatile and exciting craft it is.
I used to know almost nothing about needlepoint and actually thought it was interchangeable with cross stitch. And my problem with cross stitch was I always pictured something like this:
Cross stitch is formed by making an X with your thread. And cross stitch generally doesn't fill in the canvas or backing fabric. (That said, you can fill in the background using the cross stitch, or use a mix of stitches in one piece, so all of this falls under the umbrella of "needle crafts.")
Materials...
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I purchased the aida cloth, embroidery floss and needles (not pictured) at Walmart, for less than $15. Sometimes I use a hoop, sometimes I don't. I really love my Q-Snap frame, but it can be bulky. It is 11x11 inches and holds your work tight from 4 sides which keeps the grid of your fabric square. I purchased it on Amazon. Usually I roll my work up and unfurl it slowly as I stitch my way across. As you can see from my designs I like bright colors and the challenge of using every skein in a multi-pack. You could buy individual skeins, usually DMC brand, but that will run about 30-50 cents each, whereas in the 105 pack it comes out to around 10 cents per skein. Works for me!
UPDATE: 3/27/15 -- It appears the J&P Coats brand of floss sold at Walmart may be either a knockoff brand or an intentional change from the normal Coats line. I only discovered this when I was trying to convert my colors to DMC and quickly realized the numbers on the Coats brand don't correlate with the color numbers on the Coats and Clark website. My Walmart skeins are all 5 numbers, for example a dark blue is 00137, bright yellow is 00160, whereas the J&P Coats on their own website are all 4 numbers. I am not the first to come across this anomaly. The fact is, it took me a while to learn this because I don't do the type of "stitch by numbers" projects that would require me to convert my floss to the exact shade to follow an exact pattern. I added this update because it is certainly distressing to some people who want to follow a pattern to the letter, and feel they "can't." And while I do not want to malign those crafters, I think substituting your own colors can make for an exciting project. By contrast, my work develops very organically and I pick my colors by look, not by number. I am going to continue to purchase these multi-packs (this explains why they are so inexpensive!) but I feel I have also done my part to save someone the frustration, because I realize my approach is not for everyone.
THe only stitch you need to know!
Depending on who you ask, it is called the Continental stitch, the Tent stitch or the Half-cross. I call it easy. And I made a diagram! Go ahead and share it with all of your friends.
For the 11 pt. aida, I use a double thickness of embroidery floss. With 14 pt. I only need a single thickness to create full coverage. If you aren't sure whether your piece will look threadbare or not, make a test square in the bottom corner of your cloth.
In needlepoint it is traditional to avoid leaving any knots on the back of your piece, which keeps your work smooth and flat. So how does one secure their thread? An "away" knot, of course. Once I have stitches in place I don't even bother with away knots any more, and simply push my needle through a few loops on the back of my canvas and everything is secure.
In needlepoint it is traditional to avoid leaving any knots on the back of your piece, which keeps your work smooth and flat. So how does one secure their thread? An "away" knot, of course. Once I have stitches in place I don't even bother with away knots any more, and simply push my needle through a few loops on the back of my canvas and everything is secure.
So give needlepoint a chance. If you HATE the thought of relying on your own imagination there are many kits available with art printed directly on the fabric, and floss measured out for you. I have even seen kits where you can stitch your own iPhone case or watch band, and I think these are a great idea if you're intrigued by the craft but intimidated about buying a bunch of supplies you might never use. At least you will know that if you power through a kit there will be a fancy new bookmark for you to hold onto with pride.