Needlepoint

Needlepointis a type ofcanvas work,a form of embroidery in whichyarnis stitched through a stiffopen weave canvas.Traditionally needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas.Although needlepoint may be worked in a variety of stitches, many needlepoint designs use only a simpletent stitchand rely upon color changes in the yarn to construct the pattern. Needlepoint is the oldest form of canvas work.

The degree of detail in needlepoint depends on thethread countof the underlying mesh fabric. Due to the inherent lack of suppleness of needlepoint, common uses include eyeglass cases, holiday ornaments, pillows, purses, upholstery, and wall hangings.

History

Modern needlepoint descends from the canvas work intent stitch,done on an evenly woven open ground fabric that was a popular domestic craft in the 16th century.

Further development of needlepoint was influenced in the 17th century byBargelloand in the 19th century by shadedBerlin wool workin brightly colored wool yarn. Upholstered furniture became fashionable in the 17th century, and this prompted the development of a more durable material to serve as a foundation for the embroidered works of art. In 18th century America, needlepoint was used as a preparatory skill to train young women to sew their own clothing.

Terminology

• Differences between needlepoint and other types of embroidery
• 
  Needlepoint is worked upon specialized types of stiff canvas that have openings at regular intervals.
• 
  Embroidery that is not needlepoint often uses soft cloth and requires anembroidery hoop.

When referring to handcrafted textile arts which a speaker is unable to identify, the appropriate generalized term is "needlework".The first recorded use of the term needlepoint is in 1869, as a synonym for point-lace.Mrs Beeton'sBeeton's Book of Needlework(1870) does not use the term "needlework", but rather describes "every kind of stitch which is made upon canvas with wool, silk or beads" asBerlin Work(also spelled Berlinwork). Berlin Work refers to a subset of needlepoint, popular in the mid-19th Century that was stitched in brightly colored wool on needlepoint canvas from hand-colored charts.

"Needlepoint" refers to a particular set of stitching techniques worked upon stiff openwork canvas. However, "needlepoint" is not synonymous with all types of embroidery. Because it is stitched on a fabric that is an open grid, needlepoint is not embellishing a fabric, as is the case with most other types of embroidery, but literally the making of a new fabric. It is for this reason that many needlepoint stitches must be of sturdier construction than other embroidery stitches.

Needlepoint is often referred to as "tapestry"in the United Kingdom and sometimes as "canvas work". However, needlepoint—which is stitched on canvas mesh—differs from true tapestry—which is woven on a vertical loom. When worked on fine weave canvas in tent stitch, it is also known as "petit point". Additionally, "needlepoint lace" is also an older term forneedle lace,an historic lace-making technique.

Contemporary techniques

Materials

The thread used for stitching may bewool,silk,cottonor combinations, such as wool-silk blend. Variety fibers may also be used, such as metallic cord, metallic braid,ribbon,orraffia.Stitches may be plain, covering just one thread intersection with a single orientation, or fancy, such as inbargelloor other counted-thread stitches. Plain stitches, known astent stitches,may be worked asbasketweave,continentalorhalf cross.Basketweave uses the most wool, but does not distort the rectangular mesh and makes for the best-wearing piece.

Several types of embroidery canvas are available: single thread and double thread embroidery canvas are openeven-weavemeshes, with large spaces or holes to allow heavy threads to pass through without fraying. Canvas is sized by mesh sizes, or thread count per inch. Sizes vary from 5 threads per inch to 24 threads per inch; popular mesh sizes are 10, 12, 14, 18, and 24. The different types of needlepoint canvas available on the market are interlock, mono, penelope, plastic, and rug.

• Interlock Mono Canvasis more stable than the others and is made by twisting two thin threads around each other for the lengthwise thread and "locking" them into a single crosswise thread. Interlock canvas is generally used for printed canvases. Silk gauze is a form of interlock canvas, which is sold in small frames for petit-point work. Silk gauze most often comes in 32, 40 or 48 count, although some 18 count is available and 64, 128 and other counts are used for miniature work.
• Mono canvascomes in the widest variety of colors (especially 18 mesh) and isplain woven,with oneweftthread going over and under onewarpthread. This canvas has the most possibilities for manipulation and open canvas. It is used for hand-painted canvases as well as counted thread canvaswork.
• Penelope canvashas two threads closely grouped together in both warp and weft. Because these threads can be split apart, penelope sizes are often expressed with two numbers, such as 10/20.
• Plastic canvasis a stiff canvas that is generally used for smaller projects and is sold as "pre-cut pieces" rather than by the yard. Plastic canvas is an excellent choice for beginners who want to practice different stitches.
• Rugcanvas is a mesh of strong cotton threads, twisting two threads around each other lengthwise forms the mesh and locking them around a crosswise thread made the same way; this cannot be separated. Canvases come in different gauges, and rug canvas is 3.3 mesh and 5 mesh, which is better for more detailed work.

Frames and hoops

Needlepoint canvas is stretched on ascroll frameor tacked onto a rectangular wooden frame to keep the work taut during stitching. Petit point is sometimes worked in a smallembroidery hooprather than a scroll frame.

Patterns

Commercial designs for needlepoint may be found in different forms: hand-painted canvas, printed canvas, trammed canvas, charted canvas, and free-form.

In hand-painted canvas, the design is painted on the canvas by the designer, or painted to their specifications by an employee or contractor. Canvases may be stitch-painted, meaning each thread intersection is painstakingly painted so that the stitcher has no doubts about what color is meant to be used at that intersection. Alternatively, they may be hand-painted, meaning that the canvas is painted by hand but the stitcher will have to use their judgment about what colors to use if a thread intersection is not clearly painted. Hand-painted canvases allow for more creativity with different threads and unique stitches by not having to pay attention to a separate chart. In North America this is the most popular form of needlepoint canvas.

Printed canvas is when the design is printed bysilk screeningor computer onto the needlepoint canvas. Printing the canvas in this means allows for faster creation of the canvas and thus has a lower price than Hand-Painted Canvas. However, care must be taken that the canvas is straight before being printed to ensure that the edges of the design are straight. Designs are typically less involved due to the limited color palette of this printing method. The results (and the price) of printed canvas vary extensively. Often printed canvases come as part of kits, which also dramatically vary in quality, based on the printing process and the materials used. This form of canvas is widely available outside North America.

On a trammed canvas the design is professionally stitched onto the canvas by hand using horizontal stitches of varying lengths of wool of the appropriate colours. The canvas is usually sold together with the wool required to stitch the trammed area. The stitcher then uses tent stitch over the horizontal lines with the trame stitches acting as an accurate guide as to the colour and number of stitches required. This technique is particularly suited to designs with a large area of mono-colour background as such areas do not require tramming, reducing the cost of the canvas and allowing the stitcher to choose the background colour themselves. The Portuguese island ofMadeirais the historic centre for the manufacture of trammed canvases.

Charted canvas designs are available in book or leaflet form. They are available at book stores and independent needlework stores. Charted Canvas designs are typically printed in two ways: either in grid form with each thread intersection being represented with a symbol that shows what color is meant to be stitched on that intersection, or as a line drawing where the stitcher is to trace the design onto his canvas and then fill in those areas with the colors listed. Books typically include a grouping of designs from a single designer such asKaffe Fassettor Candace Bahouth, or may be centered on a theme such as Christmas orVictorianNeedlepoint. Leaflets usually include one to two designs and are usually printed by the individual designer.

Free-form needlepoint designs are created by the stitcher. They may be based around a favorite photograph, stitch, thread color, etc. The stitcher just starts stitching! Many interesting pieces are created this way. It allows for the addition of found objects, appliqué, computer-printed photographs, goldwork, or specialty stitches.

While traditionally needlepoint has been done to create a solid fabric, more modern needlepoint incorporates colored canvas, a variety of fibers and beadwork. Different stitching techniques also allow some of the unstitched, or lightly stitched, canvas to show through, adding an entirely new dimension to needlepoint work. Some of these techniques include "shadow" or "light" stitching,blackworkon canvas, andpattern darning.

Needlepoint continues to evolve as stitchers use new techniques and threads, and add appliqué or found materials. The line between needlepoint and other forms ofembroideryis becoming blurred as new stitchers adapt techniques and materials from other forms of embroidery to needlepoint.

Famous needlepointers

Historical and political figures

Royal needlepointers include:Mary, Queen of Scots,Marie Antoinette,Queen Elizabeth I,Princess Grace.In fact, the American Needlepoint Guild has established a Princess Grace Award (Needlepoint) for needlepoint completed entirely intent stitch.(This award is not formally associated with the Princess Grace Foundation which presents the "Princess Grace Awards".)

An American historical figure who was an avid needlepointer isMartha Washington,the wife ofGeorge Washington.

Modern celebrities

American football playerRoosevelt "Rosey" Grierreleased a book titledRosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men(1973) that shows Grier stitching and samples of his work.

ActressMary Martin's bookMary Martin's Needlepoint(1969) catalogues her works and provides needlework tips. The American actressSylvia Sidneysold needlepoint kits featuring her designs,and she published two popular instruction books:Sylvia Sidney's Needlepoint BookandThe Sylvia Sidney Question and Answer Book on Needlepoint.

TheMTVdocumentary9 Days and 9 Nights with Ed Sheeran(2014)revealed thatTaylor SwiftmadeSheeranaDrake-themed needlepoint as a friendship gesture.

ActressLoretta Swit's book,A Needlepoint Scrapbook(1986), includes a design forMs. Pac-Man.

Needlepoint stitches

Most commercial needlework kits recommend one of the variants oftent stitch,although Victorian cross stitch and random long stitch are also used.Authors of books of needlepoint designs sometimes use a wider range of stitches.Historically, a very wide range of stitches have been used including:

• Arraiolos stitch
• Brick Stitch
• (Victorian) Cross Stitch
• Encroaching Upright Gobelin stitch
• Gobelin stitch
• Hungarian Ground stitch
• Hungarian point stitch
• Mosaic stitch
• Old Florentine stitch
• Parisian stitch
• Long Stitch - A pattern of triangles in double rows used on a single canvas.
• Cross stitch
• Smyrna stitch
• Tent stitches- Basketweave, Continental and Half cross variants
• Upright cross stitch - This stitch creates an almost crunchy texture and can be used on both single and double canvas.
• Whipped flower stitch

There are many books that teach readers how to create hundreds, if not thousands, of stitches. Some were written by famous stitchers, such as Mary Martin and Sylvia Sydney. However, the most popular and long-lived isThe Needlepoint Bookby Jo Ippolito Christensen, Simon & Schuster. First published in 1976 by Prentice-Hall, the widely distributed text has been continuously in print and was revised in 2015. Over 425,000 copies have been sold as of 2023. It contains 436 stitches and 1680 illustrations in 560 pages.

In popular culture

A needlepoint stitched byCullen Bohannon's murdered wife, Mary, is referred to repeatedly throughoutHell on Wheelsseason 1.For example, in episode 2, "Immoral Mathematics"(November 13, 2011), Bohannon flashes back to seeing Mary stitching the needlepoint; in episode 3,"A New Birth of Freedom"(November 20, 2011), Bohannon finds a piece of that finished needlework in the personal effects of the now-deceased foreman, Daniel Johnson (who in the previous episode had admitted to being part of the Union outfit that raped and killed Mary); and in episode 4,"Jamais je ne t'oublierai"(November 27, 2011), the inebriated Bohannon realizes he's lost the needlepoint, and he gets into a fight with Bolan, when the latter tauntingly reveals that he has the swatch.

Needlepoint backgrounds were used most famously on the long running game show,Family Feudfrom its premiere withRichard Dawsonin 1976 to the end of theRay Combsera in 1994.

Examples

• Examples
• 
  TheBradford carpet,completed in the early 17th century, is a famous example of large canvas work. It is currently housed at theVictoria and Albert Museum.
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  From Switzerland, a valance depicting theBinding of Isaac– early 17th century.
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  Afire screeninRococostyle.
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  Detail of asamplerofBerlin wool work– middle 19th century.
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  A needlepoint pattern featured in an 1861 issue ofGodey’s Lady’s Book.
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  One of the hand-stitched patches for theApollo–Soyuzmission, created by members of the American Needlepoint Guild.

See also

• Berlin wool work

Further reading

• Reader's DigestComplete Guide to Needlework.The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (March 1992).ISBN0-89577-059-8

External links

• American Needlepoint Guild
• Needlepoint Tapestry: A Guide
• The Needlepoint Group
• The National NeedleArts Association
• List of embroidery and needlepoint shops all around the world (LNS)