Holiday in July is here! Shop 25% off Christmas canvases.
Shop 20% off The Elizabeth Bradley Design Trunk Show
Free US Shipping on Orders $75+
View current store hours at our two locations.
Search
Login
Sign up
USD
CAD
(0)
Navigate
Cart
Search
Home
Needlepoint To Go
Kits & Classes
Canvases
Stitch Guides
Accessories
Blog
Sale
Back
Category
Artist
Technique Classes
Collections
Videos
In Person Classes
All Kits & Classes
Animals
Beach
Christmas
Elizabeth Bradley
Floral
Food & Drinks
Halloween
Houses
Kids Kits
Makeables
Needlepoint To Go
Online Classes
Ornaments
Signs & Sayings
Technique Classes
New! Little Christmas Car & Wagon
Abigail Cecile
All About Stitching/The Collection Design
Anne Fisher
Burnett & Bradley
Charley Harper
Danji Designs
Elizabeth Bradley Designs
Kirk & Bradley
Madeleine Elizabeth
Morgan Julia Designs
Pepperberry Designs
Pippin
Plum Design
Rachel Donley
Scott Church Creative
Two Sisters
New! Little Christmas Car & Wagon
How to Needlepoint
Intro to Ribbonwork
Flowers and Foliage
How to Pick a Background Stitch
Christmas Techniques
Architectural Stitches
Fur and Feathers
Intro to Decorative Stitches
Just Bead It!
Perfectly Tailored Stitches
Turkey Work
Tricky Stitches
Santa's Beard Part I
Santa's Beard Part II
Openwork Backgrounds
Haunted Halloween Stitches
Frosty Stitches
Lots of Knots
How to Needlepoint Online Class
Animal Alphabet
Brilliant Baubles
Chelsea Gardens
Christmas in London
Cozy Critters
Holidays in New York
Musical Santas
Polar Bears
Sunbathers
Trees
Tuscan Baubles
Verona Baubles
The Christmas in London Collection
Helpful Videos
Back
Category
Artist
SALE
All Canvases
New Arrivals
Canvases with Stitch Guide
Christmas
Ornaments
Animals
Babies & Children
Beach
Clothes & Shoes
Colleges & Universities
Florals
Geometric & Patterns
Holidays
Houses
Landscapes
Makeables
People
Signs & Sayings
Transportation
Weddings & Engagements
Shop our Spring Gift Guide!
New Artists
Abigail Cecile
Alice Peterson
Associated Talents
Birds of a Feather
Burnett & Bradley
CBK Needlepoint Collections
Colonial Needle
Danji Designs
Kate Dickerson
Kirk & Bradley
Painted Pony Designs
Pepperberry Designs
PIP & Roo
Raymond Crawford Designs
Susan Roberts
The Meredith Collection
The Plum Stitchery
The Princess & Me
View All Artists
Shop canvases from our favorite new artists!
Back
Artist
All Stitch Guides
All Stitch Guides
Alice Peterson
Anne Fisher
Burnett & Bradley
Charley Harper
Danji Designs
Eye Candy Needleart
Kirk & Bradley
Morgan Julia Designs
Needlepoint To Go
Pepperberry Designs
The Plum Stitchery
Rachel Donley
Scott Church Creative
Two Sisters Needlepoint
Read all about stitch guides on our blog!
Back
Category
Gift Cards
All Accessories
Bags
Books
Frames & Stands
Leather Goods
Lights
Magnets
Scissors
Stitching Supplies
Shop needleminders!
E-Gift Card for Online Shoppers
Physical Gift Card for In-Store & Online Shoppers
Back
Blog
Learn
Needlepoint To Go Learning Series-Knitting Stitch
Why You Need To Know the Criss Cross Hungarian Stitch Today
A Quick Guide to Self-Finishing Your Needlepoint Canvas
View All Blog Posts
How to Needlepoint
Take Your Stitching to the Next Level
Thread Tips
Helpful Videos
Helpful Videos
Back
Promotions
Trunk Show Schedule
SALE
20% off The Elizabeth Bradley Trunk Show
Sale Items
This Is Needlepoint
January 27, 2020
Needlepoint for Beginners
This time of year, we get an influx of new customers who want to learn how to stitch, and often their first question is, “where are your beginner pieces?” Answering that is a process because every person has different taste. Here are a few things to consider if you’re taking up needlepoint in the new year.
What will you enjoy looking at every time you pick it up? Depending on the size of your project, you’ll spend days or weeks working on it, so make sure to choose a design you’ll love seeing again and again.
Pick something you’ll use after you’re finished stitching. Christmas ornaments are fun, but you only use them for a few weeks of the year, then they are stashed away for months. For your first project, consider something you can keep out, or use, all the time. Seeing your finished piece will help motivate you as you work through your next project.
If you do choose a holiday piece, consider one you can enjoy all winter long- rather than just the few weeks around Christmas.
Look for a project that doesn’t have too many colors or a lot of shading. You can keep your thread cost down by selecting a canvas that has five or six colors versus one that has every color of the rainbow and lots of shading. Those projects will be fun for you later as you build up your thread stash. Your first project will be more enjoyable if you can work with one color across a large swath of canvas without stopping to change threads. This way you can get a hang of the stitch you are learning.
If you pick a canvas that doesn’t have a background painted on it, you will need to stitch a few extra rows of background around it for finishing purposes. This is particularly important on canvases that have sharp corners or extraneous features. This way you can ensure you won’t lose any of the design in the finishing process. It’s always a good idea to double check with your finisher to find out if they want you to add extra rows your canvas for finishing purposes.
It’s important to take canvas count into consideration for your first piece. Canvas count is determined by the number of canvas intersections per linear inch. You may want to select a canvas with larger holes if you’re new to needlepoint. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the smaller the holes and the more stitches needed to cover the canvas. If you have trouble seeing, there are ways around it, so if you cannot find a perfect piece painted on 13 count canvas, don’t shrug off a favorite on 18 count. Grab a pair of reading glasses and buy a clip-on light so your canvas is easier to see. That might be enough, but if you need extra magnification, you can also find fairly inexpensive lights with magnifiers attached.
Now to choose your threads. The combinations seem endless, but for your first venture, it might be good to stick with threads you don’t need to ply or lay. Look for single strand silks (like Pepper Pot or Vineyard Silk), wools (like Planet Earth Wool) or cottons (like DMC Perle) so you can simply thread your needle and stitch. Add something fun to the mix like a Kreinik metallic or sparkly Silk Lamé Braid for a little bit of glitz and glamor. You may want to ask for help when selecting threads to make sure you pick a fiber that will work with the count of your canvas.
Be sure to add a set of stretcher bars to hold your canvas taughtly in place. Your stitches will be more even and your canvas won’t become distorted by the repetitive motion of your stitching. You might also want to consider a magnet for keeping your needle and scissors in place when you’re not stitching.
Be sure to browse our Resources page for tips on getting started, learning new stitches and having your completed piece professionally finished. We also have a wide selection of Online Classes that can help you explore new stitches and techniques as you progress. Several of them would make a fantastic first project. They come fully kitted and include stitch guides and access to online instruction that never expires.
The most important part of stitching is the fun and gratification you will experience with each new project. Happy Stitching!
Home
/
This Is Needlepoint
/
Needlepoint for Beginners