History of Needlepoint

© 2001 Linda Alexander

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Needlepoint is a form of needle art that is worked with thread on a mesh of canvas or plastic. Designs in needlepoint range from abstract designs and repeated patterns to pictures. Needlepoint dates back thousands of years and is still around today.

Ancient Egyptians used small slanted stitches to sew up their tents. The Bible also mentions using needlepoint on religious articles. During the Middle Ages, a kind of embroidery was done on woven linen similar to canvas mesh. Tapestries were also popular in Europe at the time, and were woven on vertical threads on a loom.

The steel needle was invented sometime during the 1500s, and people began to do needlework on canvas backgrounds. The steel needles allowed people to do more intricate designs than they had with the fishbone needles they used before. While early forms of needlepoint were strictly practical, today it serves as a hobby as well as a practical use.

With an increase in leisure time in the modern era, and the invention of a way to print colored charts for needlepoint designs, needlepoint has become a popular hobby. Needlepoint is a favorite pastime of both men and women today. You can use it to express yourself on pillows, purses, and clothing, as well as wall hangings. There are also hand-painted canvases and new specialty fibers, allowing you to create your own work of art with thread.

Differences Between Needlepoint, Cross-stitch, and Embroidery

Cross-stitch and embroidery are two other forms of needle arts. Embroidery designs are stitched into a fabric with a close weave, such as linen or cotton. The designs are drawn on the fabric and the person doing the stitching follows the pattern with a needle and embroidery thread.

With cross-stitch, which is a form of embroidery, the design uses stitches that form Xs. With needlepoint the stitches cover the whole fabric, while with embroidery and cross-stitch, the designs only cover a portion of it.

Needlepoint fabric is stiffer than fabrics used for embroidery or cross-stitch. You should use threads that cover your canvas enough to produce a long-wearing fabric, since the threads become the fabric in needlepoint. The gauge of the canvas is measured by the number of squares per inch. For example, a good general purpose canvas is 18 mesh, or 18 squares per inch.

Types of Canvas

There are also three basic types of canvas, depending on the number of vertical and horizontal threads. Mono canvas has one vertical thread and one horizontal thread per mesh, while Penelope canvas had two each. Interlock, or interwoven, canvas, has two vertical threads and one horizontal thread per mesh. The horizontal thread is "locked" by the vertical threads--one vertical thread goes over the horizontal thread, while the other goes under it.

American Needlepoint

Colonial American needlepoint, beginning with European settling in this part of the world, was largely practical. There was little time to spare for leisure stitching. Consequently, early examples of needlepoint from that time in history are of household items like seat cushions and pillows.

American needlepoint, back in the 1700s, was called tent stitching. It differed from cross stitch in that it only used half the stitch. With just one stitch, you could build portraits and landscapes. By the 1840s, landscapes and Biblical themes on needlepoint largely replaced portraits as the popular subject. By the 1870s, a method of printing colored charts for needlepoint designs was developed; "Berlin Work" became popular. Less creativity has been seen since then.

By that time, people had more leisure time to stitch, and items became more decorative. Decorative rugs, bell pulls, benches, and seat cushions were both practical and useful, and household items such as these were often done in needlepoint. During World War II, many women left home to work in factories, thus decreasing the time they had available for needlepoint. But the 1960s brought back the desire to get back to our roots; quilting and other types of American needlework were taken up again as a pastime.

Today, American needlepoint is only a hobby rather than a necessity in sewing. However, it's still an art that should be preserved. We can learn from our mothers and grandmothers so that this great creative art of handwork is not lost.

Chinese Needlepoint

Chinese needlepoint has a long history, beginning with other needlework in China about 3,000 years ago. To this day, people in China continue their heritage by practicing the tradition of Chinese needlepoint. Recently, the improvement of needlework skills has surpassed any improvements in the past.

The Influence of Chinese Needlepoint

The influence of Chinese silk and designs on the world can be seen in needlepoint today. Silk was used as a primary thread for embroidery until the 1940s, when the World Wars dried up the silk supply instantly. Synthetic fibers were developed, and they replaced silk overnight. So people have looked at silk ever since as a rare and expensive fabric.

Chinese needlepoint often uses exotic designs such as black backgrounds with brightly colored patterns of dragons, flowers, and birds. The strong contrast shows the richness of the color and complexity of design. Silk is the primary thread used; it holds up over time and retains its luster, while cotton and synthetics lose their strength and color after a while.

The Chinese influence can be seen in many types of needlework projects. You can duplicate those designs for yourself too. Oriental items like kimonos may be decorated with needlepoint. Or, you may purchase needlepoint kits with traditional Chinese designs on them, such as dragons, geometric patterns, or flowers.

Learn Needle Pointing

Anyone can learn needle pointing. In fact, because the needles are not sharp and the canvas often has large holes, children can learn it easily. It's also an ideal craft for the elderly or those who have trouble seeing.

If you want to learn needle pointing, you can take a class at your local craft store. But really, it's easier than that. To get started, you can learn from a book or on the internet. Your first designs won't be complicated anyway, and this is a craft that is simple enough to teach yourself.

Once you advance past the basics, you might then want to learn needle pointing from someone else or through a class. That way, you can ask questions about things you have had trouble with and learn more complicated stitches and patterns. But to begin, just remember to keep your stitches going in the same direction throughout the whole piece.

It doesn't matter if you do it left to right or right to left, as long as they go the same way. Tapestry needles work best as they are blunt and have a large eye. Choose the mesh according to the type of project you want to make. You are the artist, so experiment to find what you are comfortable with.

Textures and Durability in Needlepoint Threads

Many different needlepoint threads are readily available today, in a range of fibers, textures and colors. The combinations provide you with limitless possibilities as to the patterns, stitches, and colors you can use on your project. Two main classifications of needlepoint threads are natural and synthetic fibers.

The most common natural fibers used for needlepoint are cotton and linen, silk, and wool. Synthetic fibers are often blended with each other or with natural fibers to make specialty threads. Keep in mind that not all threads are washable, nor are they all stitchable (capable of being passed through the canvas without being damaged or damaging the canvas). If you need to block your work or will be making an item that must be washed, be careful to only choose washable threads.

When choosing needlepoint threads, consider their texture: smooth, textured, shiny or matte. You can also create texture in your piece with twisted threads or textured stitches (like cross stitch). Will your project need to be durable? For upholstery, use wool, cotton, or certain silks and linen, which hold up to wear. For a wall hanging, you can use specialty or more delicate threads.

Remember that not all threads are colorfast either. If you will be blocking your work, even if it's not a piece you will need to wash, be sure to use a colorfast thread. Otherwise, the colors may run and ruin your project before it's even finished. Also, to prevent waste, only allow a short end of yarn to hang from the needle. Needles will damage the thread, so you don't want to run much of it through the needle. Two inches is a good length.

Traditional Needlepoint Canvases

Traditional needlepoint canvases are made out of mesh. There is mono canvas, where the mesh is made up of one horizontal thread and one vertical thread. There is also Penelope mesh, which has two horizontal and two vertical threads. When using this traditional needlepoint canvas, be sue that the more tightly woven threads are running vertically through your piece.

Traditional designs are also woven on plastic canvas. Plastic canvas usually comes seven mesh per inch. Plastic canvas has no raw edges; it holds its shape and is great for sturdier projects like tissue boxes. Breakaway canvas is one other type, but is not made fore needlepoint. Instead, it is designed for stitching on fabric; it dissolves when wet and "breaks away" easily for when you are finished stitching the fabric.

Traditional needlepoint canvases are used with a blunt-end tapestry needle. The Needles you use must be fit easily through the holes in the canvas, and the proper weight of yarn must easily pass through the eye of the needle. If you are working with 10 mesh canvas, for example, use a size 18-20 needle and with 12-14 mesh canvas, use a size 20 needle.

Many kinds of yarn can be used for traditional needlepoint canvases. Usually wool is used because of is strength against the canvas. Tapestry yarn and Persian yarn are two the two types of yarn that are used for needlepoint.

Needlepoint Accessories

Needlepoint accessories have become increasingly popular in recent years. Stitchers are following a trend to create needlepoint projects that are both practical and ornamental. Needlepoint accessories are perfect for this because you can wear them for years after you finish the needlepoint.

They are small in size, easy to carry around, and make great travel projects. Often, the accessories are small enough that you can finish them in a few hours. When you are done stitching, you'll have a fashionable belt, handbag, eyeglass case, or pair of shoes you can wear for years to come! They also make wonderful gifts for holidays or birthdays.

Needlepoint accessories are available in a wide variety of designs; there is literally something for everyone's taste. You can easily personalize a generic design, too. With the quickness of these projects and choice of designs, you may find yourself making a number of accessories!

Stores continuously add to their offerings. If you don't see a design you like at first, search other stores or websites, and check back with them often. Before you know it, you'll have more canvases than you know what to do with!

Needle Pointing Tips: Doodling for Practice

Want some needle pointing tips? Search all over the web and you will find message boards and forums where stitchers openly share tips, ideas, and suggestions. Here are some needle pointing tips I've found just from a quick web search.

As with any needle craft, including knitting and sewing, keep your stitches neat. This will come with practice. In order to keep the surface of your project even, you should keep your stitches as even as possible.

Feel free to "sketch" or "doodle" on practice canvases. Along with keeping a notebook of your ideas and what you learn, using practice canvases help you save ideas, track your progress, and remind you how to do something in case you forget. These will become your own needle pointing tips for later use. Develop your own rhythm. Remember, you're the artist and this is your canvas.

It is also helpful to do some sample stitching before you start your actual piece. It will help you to gauge your tension and get a feel for the wool you are using. When you have warmed up, you can begin your new project.

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