Elizabeth Crane Swartz is known for her colorful, contemporary needlepoint designs and creative approach to stitching. Through her unique artistic style and love of color, she has built a brand that inspires stitchers to embrace creativity and make every project their own.
In this edition of our Designer Showcase, we’re getting to know the artist behind the canvases and learning more about her creative process, inspiration, and advice for stitchers of all skill levels. Keep reading to learn more about Elizabeth and the creativity behind her beautiful designs.
Shop the Elizabeth Crane Swartz Collection here.
Tell us about yourself! We’d love to hear a bit about who you are beyond the needle and thread.
I’m a multi-craftual artist and designer based in Rhode Island. I create colorful contemporary needlepoint designs, hand-painted jewelry, and fine art. I recently rescued a lovely little needlepoint shop by the sea and renamed it Seagrass Studio. Creativity has always been part of who I am — I’ve always been drawn to color, pattern, and form, and I come from a long line of creative and entrepreneurial women who encouraged me to make things with my hands.
Before becoming a full-time artist, I studied studio art (graphic design and photography) at Skidmore College and briefly worked at GQ Magazine in New York City. Over the years, while raising my three children and moving all over the country for my husband’s job, I kept creating in different ways — from painting furniture and home accents, knitting and felting bags, creating hand-painted jewelry, and eventually needlepoint canvases.
I love painting, taking art classes, organizing everything by color, making lists, and collecting shelter magazines. I like to think my art conveys a feeling of joy and energy, and I have loved building a creative community through my designs and my shop.
What first sparked your interest in needlepoint?
During COVID, I was looking for a new creative outlet and discovered needlepoint. I loved the process, but I wasn’t seeing canvases that really reflected my personal style or sparked my interest creatively. So I started painting my own designs based on my hand-painted jewelry just for fun.
How has your style or approach to design changed since you started?
When I first started, I was really designing just for myself — creating canvases that felt fun, colorful, and different from what I was seeing elsewhere. Over time, my style has become more confident and refined, but it’s still rooted in joy, bold color, and a sense of playfulness. I’ve also become much more thoughtful about how people will experience a design as they stitch it. I hope stitchers find a way to make it their own and feel more comfortable playing with color.
What’s your favorite part of the design process?
Probably the very beginning, when an idea first pops into my head, and I get to figure out how to bring it to life. I love playing with color and the tiny details. Truth? Nothing I design is ever really ‘done’ - I color-swap on my own canvases all the time.
Where do you find inspiration for your next design?
Fabric, mid-century art and design, interiors, and travel. I’m constantly collecting inspiration. I keep notebooks filled with magazine clippings, fabric scraps, paint chips (SO MANY PAINT CHIPS), color combinations, and random little things that catch my eye. Flipping back through them will always spark a memory and inform my designs.
Do you have a favorite canvas in your line?
That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child.
What’s your go-to decorative stitch?
If I have to choose? Satin Stitch. Honestly, I prefer creating texture with colors and will forever scoop while basketweaving.
What advice do you have for new stitchers?
Don’t be afraid to make it your own! You absolutely do not have to use the exact colors the designer picked for the canvas - I always say that they’re suggestions. Also, the back of your canvas is the best way to make decisions when color-swapping because those are the colors you’ll live with in the end. The painted side can sometimes make it hard to see how it will come together.
Shop the Elizabeth Crane Swartz Collection here.
