What is Needlepoint?

Needlepoint is a type of canvas work made with yarn or thread being stitched by hand, into canvas mesh to form a design or pattern. The types of stitching, threads and canvas used for needlepoint, make it useful and more durable than many other needlecrafts.

Needlepoint has been seen through history throughout thousands of years. The first needlecrafting began during the time of ancient Egyptians, but needlepoint as we know it, developed somewhere around the sixteenth century. Throughout time, it has developed and been used by a variety of stitchers because of it's durability and beauty.

The evolution of needlepoint through the years has taken many forms, but perhaps the most dramatic, is the introduction of non-traditional thread and fiber options. Modern designers and stitchers are finding ways to incorporate fun new fibers, threads and beads into their work making them unique and encouraging a heightened interest in finding even more ways to expand their crafting horizons!

Only a few tools and supplies are needed to begin a needlepoint project. Canvas, needles, thread, a frame, and scissors are really the only supplies needed to start your first project. Affordable and easy for a beginner, needlepoint is a perfect skill to learn and develop.

Starting a needlepoint project requires that you learn special ways to secure the thread without using knots.

Making a waste knot will allow you to hold this thread in place while you stitch over it and secure it to the canvas. This knot is used when you are beginning a project or a new area of a project and have no stitches in which to secure the thread.

To end a thread, simply run your needle under the back of existing stitches on the backside of your canvas. Clip away the tail. Again, knots should not be used.

Begin by choosing a project to work. You might choose to try a painted canvas where the design is painted (you can also buy some that are printed) onto the canvas. You could also try a printed chart for your needlepoint. There are many free projects on the internet or look for a local or online needlepoint store for a variety of patterns in every price range.

Needlepoint offers a wide variety of stitches for you to use depending on the texture and the design you want for you finished project. There are three basic stitches known as the tent stitches and dozens of novelty stitches for you choose from.

Needlepoint can be finished into a variety of different items. From being simply framed, to use on an upholstered item, pillows, purses, rugs, etc., finishing options for needlepoint are limited only to your imagination.