My Needlepoint Journey

From time to time, I am asked how I got started needlepointing, how did I start designing, etc.  So I have decided to write it all down and post it here on Blog.  It will be fun for me.  You will just have to suffer through it and/or skip it altogether!  It won’t be all at once, but in irregular installments.

INSTALLMENT ONE
To begin, my mother and both grandmothers did lots of needlework, but not needlepoint.  Mom sewed and tried many different crafts and needleworks, finally settling mostly on quilting.  Nana sewed, embroidered, crocheted and tatted.  Grandma sewed, knitted, crocheted and embroidered.  I was taught all of these but only sewing and knitting really “took”. 

One day on my lunch hour, approximately 1969-1970, I was browsing in the craft department of a Department Store In West L.A.  I saw a QuickPoint kit which was a geometric design in shades of brown.  I liked the look of it and decided to give it a try.  I started it that night and was instantly hooked!  I think that project was finished in a few days.

While working that very first kit, my mind was racing.  I could needlepoint anything!  Just draw something on a canvas and go!  Oh my!  About that same time McCalls published a new edition of “McCalls Needlepoint with step-by-step instructions for beginners”.  I was sunk.  Here I found out about different sizes of canvas, threads, stitches, and… wait for it… charting!!  (It was $1.25 and I still have it.)

I don’t remember what my second piece was, but my third piece was a lion.  A good friend was a Leo and had a nice decal of a Leo lion that we enlarged and drew onto canvas.  I then needlepointed it into a cover for the stool in his VW van.  Those were the days, huh?

So, I was off & running.  That first year or so I also stitched seats & backs for 2 folding chairs, one of which was a sampler of stitches.  The photo was taken years later when they were well worn!  The sampler didn’t wear well – I think I used knitting yarn that I had around.

River Dance Progress

River Dance is coming along nicely.  The left side is done and I'm pleased with it so far.  This picture is better than the last one, but I wasn't able to bring the color up as much as needed to be accurate. 

I'm still thinking about the right side.  Having a hard time deciding on vertical or horizontal stitches!  Vertical is much easier to shade, but horizontal would (I think) bring the right side forward, which I'd like.  I also have to decide on the colors.  The colors I had pulled are too dark.  Workin' on it....

Window Seat Cushion 4

Working on it - sometimes, when the mood strikes and the sun shines!  It is now ready to have the ends sewn and then I will make the casing for the inner cushion and buy the stuffing, which will be a piece of foam rubber.  There is a store here that will cut it to your measurements. Hard to photograph now, it is so big!  

Indian Pot

This canvas is a line drawn design from Danji Designs and it came with a stitch guide.  I've had it in stash for at least 5 years.  Recently I decided to give it a try.  It is a nice size to work on and not too demanding.  (Famous last words!)

Of course, I have to change all the colors to my usual aquas and coppers.  Which creates the very challenge I was trying to avoid!  I may also change some of the stitches.  Sigh.....

Here's my progress so far: