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Archive for the ‘Christmas Mantle’ Category

Stitch A Needlepoint Nativity Set

Capture the timeless charm of a Christmas nativity scene, with NeedlePaint’s new designs! Featuring a host of characters, curiously observing what they have discovered in the stable on that starry night. Our kits include: ornaments, stockings, a pillow, and a set of stand up figure designs.

These needlepoint designs capture the essence of the Christmas story; featuring Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus who represent the serenity and beauty of this Holy Night. 

Silent Night Jesus Needlepoint Ornament Kit

Silent Night Christmas Stocking Needlepoint Kit

Silent Night Mary Needlepoint Ornament Kit

You’ll find the folkloric charm and enduring spirit of the Christmas holiday with these needlepoint kits!

Folk Art Grace Needlepoint Ornament Kit

Angels tell the story of that starry Christmas night,
bringing joy and peace with graceful music to delight.

Folk Art Nativity Stocking Needlepoint Kit

From generation to generation this story has been told, a family tradition that never gets old! “The stars in the heavens looked down where he lay, the little lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.”

Folk Art Holy Family Needlepoint Ornament Kit

On that starry night, what a magical sight, embraced by a family with pure delight!

Folk Art Nativity Needlepoint Pillow Kit

It begins with a very special birth in Bethlehem — “The stars in the heavens looked down where he lay, the little lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.”

Folk Art Harmony Needlepoint Ornament Kit

Angels tell the legend of that starry Christmas night,
bringing peace and good tidings with melodic music to delight.

Blend your needlepoint artistry and a classic tradition to create a cherished holiday keepsake with stand up figures that radiate warmth and joy! We are featuring canvases with groups of three characters or the entire collection.

Christmas Nativity Set Needlepoint Kit

Featuring the entire set of nine nativity needlepoint stand-up figures. 

Mary Joseph and Jesus Nativity Needlepoint Kit

Featuring Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, who are a testament to the
beauty and serenity of the Christmas nativity scene.

Three Wisemen Nativity Needlepoint Kit

Featuring the three wisemen presenting the newborn king
with symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Shepherd and Animals Nativity Needlepoint Kit

Featuring the humble shepherd and his two loyal companions
sharing in the quiet wonder of the holy event. 

Our NeedlePaint family would like to wish you
and your family all of the very best this holiday season!

Needlepoint Nativity Set 3D

Magnificent Mahjong Needlepoint Kits

With a combination of strategy, skill, and a touch of luck, Mahjong holds an enduring fascination for players around the world. Be the envy of your fellow opponents after stitching one of these intricate needlepoint designs from NeedlePaint’s Mahjong Collection! 

Mahjong Sapphire Tile Bag Needlepoint Kit

These tile bag kits measure 16″ x 7″ on 14 mesh canvas,
and can be personalized with your name!

Mahjong Rose Tile Bag Needlepoint Kit

Mahjong designs are a unique blend of artistic expression and cultural heritage. Using classic Chinese characters and symbols, you’ll find each tile looks like a little miniature work of art.

Love Mahjong Needlepoint Coaster or Ornament Kit

Our coaster and ornament kits are a 4.22″ circle on 18 mesh canvas.
Fun to stitch and finish as a coaster to enjoy while playing the game,
or as an ornament for your holiday tree.

Mahjong Sapphire Card Bag Needlepoint Kit

These card bag kits measure 6″ x 4″ on 18 mesh canvas,
and can be personalized with your monogram or initials.

Mahjong Rose Card Bag Needlepoint Kit

Mahjong Meeting Needlepoint Coaster or Ornament Kit

Mahjong designs use detailed geometric patterns which serve as a reminder
of the game’s strategic and mathematical aspects.

Mahjong Sapphire Needlepoint Belt Kit

Mahjong Rose Needlepoint Belt Kit

Rack And Roll Needlepoint Coaster or Ornament Kit

Mahjong symbols use iconic imagery including elements like a dragon, winds, seasons and flowers. Each image is carefully designed to evoke the cultural richness and mystic of Mahjong.

Mahjong Sapphire Needlepoint Key Fob Kit

Mahjong Rose Needlepoint Key Fob Kit

The color palettes used in Mahjong are rich and harmonious,
capturing the vibrancy of the Chinese culture and the game’s aesthetic appeal.

Dot Crack Bam Needlepoint Coaster or Ornament Kit

We think you will find these detailed needlepoint designs capture the
essence of the traditional Chinese tile-based game of Mahjong!

Let us help with any of your needlepoint needs, please 
contact us at: info@needlepaint.com

Stitch, Enjoy, Play!

Stitch A Custom Designed Needlepoint Stocking Kit!

written by Gwynn Goodner

Needlepoint stockings are priceless family treasures, and now you can have stockings that are custom-designed for your family! We can help you create a personalized stocking that reflects the interests of every member of your family. Many customers find an existing design from our stock inventory and personalize it with a name, but if you want something completely unique, have us design one for you.

The First Step
Place your order for a custom needlepoint stocking kit through this link:
https://www.needlepaint.com/needlepoint-kits/custom-christmas-stocking-needlepoint-kit-1950

The Second Step
Choose a theme and design style.

The process starts with the customer choosing a theme—it can be anything from a sports interest to a travel destination. Our designers will take that theme and dress it out to a beautiful, personal design.

Once you have chosen a theme, a few small additional elements can be added if you want. Here is an example. The customer who commissioned this design wanted the West Coast as the theme and added various features up and down the coast. 

A different approach is to choose a theme such as a profession. This piece was done for a client whose daughter was an EMT. She wanted something in the holiday spirit that reflected her love for her work, so now it’s Santa to the rescue! 

The possibilities are endless! It is important to remember that there should be one primary element of focus so our designers can create a scenario that makes a statement. Along with that primary element, we can often add smaller images or background that will work within the scene. 

A main subject, a secondary subject and background item will make the best stocking design. 

Follow the rule of threes. For this example:
1. the dog is the main subject.
2. the presents a secondary.
3. the tree a background element.
This type of design approach makes for a more unified scene and a better overall result.

Here’s an example of a Christmas tree as the main image with the recipient’s interests reflected in the décor and presents on and around the tree.

Another thing to consider is the style of art you want for your stocking. We can take a more graphic approach, which results in cleaner lines and a bold visual statement.

Or we can take a more illustrative style that gives a more shaded, nuanced result.

Doing a Google image search is a great way to start. A simple search such as “Santa skateboarding,” or “Great Dane dressed as angel” will yield great inspiration for your stocking. You’ll be surprised at how many images pop up and provide good poses or direction for the designer to follow! Save some favorite images from your search and include them when you make your order to help inspire the design. 

When you place your order, please include all design requests and any images or links to images that may help our designers. You can include these in your order notes or in an email to info@needlepaint.com.

Once we have your order and this information, you will receive a layout from one of our designers in 7-10 business days. It is helpful to have images for our designers to follow so they have an idea of what you have in mind. 

The Third Step
You’ve submitted your ideas, and now our designer will begin creating your design!

When you receive your layout it may look something like this. The layout is a rough sketch showing the approximate size and position for the major elements on the stocking. You will have an opportunity to do a round of changes to the layout and once it is approved, you will receive a proof of the colored version of your design. 

Further small adjustments can be made at this point
to render the perfect stocking for your family member.

Things to keep in mind when you are considering a custom stocking design:

The general shape of a stocking is vertical, so horizontal objects (like cars, boats etc.) may need to be made smaller to fit and are generally placed in the lower 1/3 of the shape to maximize their size.

Vertical images such as Christmas trees or a nutcracker are ideal subjects for a stocking.

More isn’t necessarily better. Editing and curating the things you want on a stocking makes for a better finished piece. Too many items can make a stocking look cluttered and hard to see the individual elements. Simplifying the visuals makes for a cleaner, more cohesive design.

Our designers have also recreated heirloom stockings that have been lost over time. One customer lost their prized childhood stocking in Hurricane Sandy and commissioned us to recreate it from some old family photos. Using the photos as reference we were able to make a stocking that preserved the special holiday memories that they thought had been lost for good.

At NeedlePaint we pride ourselves in making the most attractive, personal and affordable custom canvases on the market, and it’s all just a click away.

We would love to help create a unique stocking design for you.
Please contact us with any questions that you may have at: info@needlepaint.com

Stitch a priceless family treasure!

New NeedlePaint Kits With A Touch Of Holiday Nostalgia!

As the holidays are in full swing, the smell of baking cookies, a song or a cherished ornament, will make a childhood memory come alive. At NeedlePaint we have created some new designs with a touch of nostalgia and that warm feeling from the past. Stitching these needlepoint stockings, pillows and ornament canvases, will add a vintage charm to your holidays!

Vintage Snowman Needlepoint Stocking Kit
12.43″ x 19″ on 14 mesh canvas

“Frosty the Snow Man came to town one bright, cold winter’s day!”

Vintage Snowman Needlepoint Ornament Kit
5.22″ x 5.22″ on 18 mesh canvas

“Frosty the Snow Man has gone away, where all snow men go on a sunny day.”

Vintage Snowman Needlepoint Pillow Kit
12″ x 12″ on 14 mesh canvas

“Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!”

Swirling Snow Needlepoint Stocking Kit
12.43″ x 19″ on 14 mesh canvas

Cool and crisp, yet warm and friendly; the swirling winter wind sparkles with magic!

Swirling Snow Pine Needlepoint Ornament Kit
5.22″ x 5.22″ on 18 mesh canvas

Winter is welcoming, with a dusting of snow on a newly decorated pine!

Swirling Snow Needlepoint Ornament Kit
5.22″ x 5.22″ on 18 mesh canvas

This swirling winter wind is a favorite of this friendly snowman! 

Vintage Santa Needlepoint Stocking Kit
12.43″ x 19″ on 14 mesh canvas

“His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow!”

Vintage Santa Needlepoint Ornament Kit
5.22″ x 5.22″ on 18 mesh canvas

“His eyes how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!”

Vintage Santa Needlepoint Pillow Kit
12″ x 12″ on 14 mesh canvas

“He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly!” 

Stitch a little nostalgia, this holiday season!

Feel free to contact us with any questions,
or if our designers can create a special holiday memory for you to stitch,
let us know at: info@needlepaint.com

NeedlePaint’s New Christmas Stocking Cuffs!

Written by: Peggy Bond

Running late to get a Christmas stocking needlepointed? NeedlePaint suggests a Winter Wonderland Stocking Cuff. Needlepointing the cuff will take less than half the time of a full stocking. The bear and moose are perfect for my nephews who live in Maine,
and the chickadee will be prefect for Amos’ little sister who will be born in October.
It shouldn’t be difficult to get it finished in time for Christmas. 

Burly Black Bear Stocking Cuff Needlepoint Canvas

Woodland Moose Stocking Cuff Needlepoint Canvas

Joyful Chickadee Stocking Cuff Needlepoint Canvas

The bear and moose are finished and awaiting their big day. For texture and variety,
I used several different stitches on the large animals, sky, and snowy ground. 

The sky of the bear cuff is done with the vertical brick stitch done over 2 mesh.

The snowy ground is finished with the horizontal double brick stitch also done over 2 mesh.

For the bear, I wanted some color variation and texture.
His back is done using alternating continental with black and dark brown thread
while his under body and legs are all black and stitched with the continental. 

Alternating Continental Stitch

It’s winter and there must be snow falling sometimes, so the moose got the falling snow which was
created by using 3 strands of sky blue and 3 strands of light blue in the vertical brick stitch.
This created a random design that gives the sense of falling snow. 

The double twill stitch for the snow gives perception to the canvas,
accenting the varying size of the trees.

Diagonal chop sticks stitch: Mr. Moose took some searching for me to find the right stitch – one that I had never seen or used before. I found it in Susan Sturgeon Roberts’s book Needlepoint Dictionary of Stitches. It is called diagonal chop sticks. It is done in two shades of brown. 

I will post a the completed chickadee when I know the name of my niece.

We would love to help you with all of your needlepoint holiday decorations.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have at: info@needlepaint.com

Happy Stitching!

Merry X Mask! Stanta Stocking and Ornament Collection

It has definitely been a challenging year, with far too many adjustments that we’ve all had to make in our day to day routines. As we try to find comfort in a new norm, look on the bright side — we’ve all had a little more time for our needlepoint projects! 

While wearing a face mask has been one of the prominent changes we’ve had to make, NeedlePaint has turned this inconvenience into needlepoint inspiration. The results: a collection of new holiday designs with a light hearted twist on a traditional holiday theme. We think stitching these holiday canvases might just put a smile on your face.

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Merry X Mask Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

He performs his job with ease, and all though we give Santa all of the credit . . . .
we know it’s a team effort! The reindeer are also refining their safety precautions.

 

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Merry X Mask Needlepoint Stocking Canvas

Santa is not immune to the many changes that we’ve encountered;
and he has assured us, he will be extra safe when delivering your packages this year!

 

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Santa’s X Mask Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Some things never change . . . with those bright twinkling eyes; 
we know there is a big smile and bright rosy cheeks underneath that face mask!

Carve out a little time to slow down, regroup, recharge, take comfort in your family and friends, and do a little needlepointing!

Remember we are here to help you with all of your needlepoint needs! Whether it be providing you with a canvas to stitch, a finished product or to complete your stitch canvas with our stocking or ornament finishing service, please let us know how we can be of help at: info@needlepaint.com

The spirit of the holiday remains . . . . happy stitching!

NeedlePaint’s New Winter Woodland Christmas Collection!

Add an enchanting warmth to your holiday season by stitching NeedlePaint’s new Winter Woodland Collection of needlepoint canvases. Complete with sparkling snow covered trees; a dreamy woodland floor; and a cast of charming warmhearted woodland animals.

Our new collection is comprised of a woodland scene needlepoint Christmas stocking, picture or pillow woodland needlepoint design, and six delightful Christmas ornaments including: Robins, Owl, Hedgehog, Squirrel, Fox, and a Rabbit. Stitch one or the entire collection; we know these hand stitched decorations will be treasured by your family for years to come. 

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Winter Woodland Stocking Needlepoint Canvas

The magic of the winter woodland animals,
will add a special warmth to your holiday mantle place.

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Winter Woodland Robins Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Adorned with a crimson red breast;
these robins are handsome and honest, optimistic and elegant.

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Winter Woodland Owl Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Keeping a close eye out on his friends;
this owl often takes flight, gliding under the stars of a midnight sky. 

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Winter Woodland Hedgehog Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Keeping warm with his prickly coat;
this hedgehog is curious and bright eyed, small and round.

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Winter Woodland Squirrel Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Wearing a question mark for a tail;
this squirrel is cheerful, merry, and loves to playfully tease his woodland friends. 

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Winter Woodland Fox Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Wearing a charming red coat;
this fox is quick and crafty, smart and sincere. 

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Winter Woodland Rabbit Needlepoint Ornament Canvas

Gently nibbling all about the bushes;
this rabbit is timid and cautious, polite and inquisitive.

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Winter Woodland Needlepoint Pillow Canvas

The woodland animals gather to celebrate the season;
in their own unique, signature style.

Let NeedlePaint help make your holidays special;
feel free to contact us with any questions at info@needlepaint.com

Winter has a warm magic of its own . . . . happy stitching!

Eleven Pipers Piping and Twelve Drummers Drumming Christmas Needlepoint

By: Peggy Bond

Day 11, Eleven Pipers Piping

The Day 11 and 12 blocks have many of the same stitches used in the previous one. The Shingle Stitch background – my favorite – also reappears.

Eleven Pipers Piping Christmas Needlepoint

Eleven Pipers Piping Christmas Needlepoint

Day 11 Blog

 

Day 12, Twelve Drummers Drumming

The background for the drum is a new one – Marble Inlay which is diagramed below.

Twelve Drummers Drumming Christmas Needlepoint

Twelve Drummers Drumming Christmas Needlepoint

Day 12 Blog

The Marble Inlay stitch was patterned from a 14th century Italian marble mosaic at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in the Baptistry of the Cathedral in Florence.

Marble Inlay.fw

Done at last! On to finishing touches…

 

Nine Ladies Dancing and Ten Lords A-Leaping Christmas Needlepoint

By: Peggy Bond

Day 9, Nine Ladies Dancing

The Dancing Lady is stitched with 9 traditional stitches, none of which require explanation.

Nine Ladies Dancing Christmas Needlepoint

Nine Ladies Dancing Christmas Needlepoint

Day 9 Blog

Let her smile keep you happy while stitching.

 

Day 10, Ten Lords A-Leaping

The leaping lord has a few different twists. His hair is done in French knots with 3 twists per stitch. It took me a couple of tries to get them correctly placed to give him a full head of hair. Not noted on the diagram is that the flower and leaves are done in Continental and the center of the flower is another French knot. 

Ten Lords A-Leaping Christmas Needlepoint

Ten Lords A-Leaping Christmas Needlepoint

Day 10 Blog

Seven Swans Swimming and Eight Maids Milking Christmas Needlepoint

By: Peggy Bond

We’re continuing our 12 days of Christmas Needlepoint Projects!  (See other posts for all 12 projects!)

Day 7, Seven Swans a-Swimming

The swan is the last of the birds. The only fancy feathering here is on the wings.

Seven Swans o-Laying Christmas Needlepoint Kit

Seven Swans a-Laying Christmas Needlepoint Kit

Seven Swans Swimming Stitch Chart

L Wing Stitch Detail

The pink “L”s in the wing are done with two Cashmere 2×4 stitches – one worked horizontally and the other vertically. The “L”s are surrounded by brown “L”s where space permits and then the remainder of the wing is done in Continental as shown below.

 

 

 

 

Wave Stitch DetailThe main portion of the wave is the Double Parisian with the peaks done with left and right slanting Continental.

Slanted Straight Stitch NeedlepointAnd, the background Slanted Straight stitch is done over three canvas threads working right to left. It is quick and easy.

Day 8, Eight Maids a-Milking

Our Maid is done with her work and is carrying her milk home from a job well done.

Eight Maids a-Milking Christmas Needlepoint

Eight Maids a-Milking Christmas Needlepoint

Eight Maids Christmas Stitch Chart

Eight Maids Christmas Stitch Chart

Needlepoint Vest DetailHer vest and pocket of flowers require some explanation.

The center of the vest of worked in Slanted Gobelin 3×3 working left to right and right to left to form the lower points of the vest. The edges are Continental and button French knots.

 

 

 

 

Pocket Stitch DetailThe pocket is done in a manner similar to the heart of the Day 2 and the flowers are a satin stitch.

The Milanese stitch, like the Medieval Mosaic stitch, is quick and easy to do after getting it established.

Now on to Dancing Ladies and Leaping Lads…