Official blog of www.NeedlePaint.com –
where you can design your own Needlepoint!

NeedlePoint Kits and Canvas Designs | Design your own Needlepoint Kit!

Archive for the ‘Needlepoint Inspiration’ Category

Paying in Style – Custom Needlepoint Wallets

It’s important to have a few statement pieces in your wardrobe that show off your personality and spark up conversations. One of our most popular products, our custom needlepoint belts, is a great way to break away from the average dress belt and into something a little bit more fun. We decided to take that same idea and put create customized needlepoint wallets to add some color to an accessory you use every single day.

custom-monogram-needlepoint-wallet

A spotlight on our custom monogram needlepoint wallets!

There are few accessories as perfect for needlepoint customization as wallets. The healthy surface area on the outside of the leather allows for big, colorful, and detailed designs showcasing whatever the owner’s favorite hobbies are, giving plenty of room for you to customize 100% of the wallet. One of our most popular styles is a custom needlepoint monogram wallet. Some choose to have a dual-sided monogram, while others go for a classic design like nautical flags or golf clubs.

Whether you’re looking for a way to spoil yourself, or the perfect way to spoil a loved one, our custom needlepoint wallets should do the trick. As always, our products are stitched by hand, just for you. If you prefer to stitch your own, we also provide custom wallet needlepoint canvas kits that make for a great project.

 

Category:

NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Inspiration

Tagged with:

A Drink and a Stitch – Custom Needlepoint Flasks

Sometimes, a momentous occasion, or the end of a long week, just simply must be celebrated with a stiff drink. Many times, we find ourselves wishing we had a quick way to add a little bit of our favorite libation to a drink when we’re relaxing on the beach, camping, or attending an event. Drinks are meant to be shared with friends and a custom needlepoint flask is the perfect way to start a conversation to go along with a drink.

custom-needlepoint-flasks

Our needlepoint flasks can be 100% custom designed by you to ensure the personality shines through. Each flask can be designed with a simple monogram, a design of your choice, or a combination of both. Some of our most popular flask designs have been nautically themed, with anchors or burgee flags, animal themed, with dogs, deer, or birds, or a combination of interests and hobbies.

One of the most popular uses for this product is custom needlepoint flasks for weddings. The flasks make great gifts for groomsmen and can be customized to have a wedding design on one side, and each man’s monogram on the other, giving the groomsmen something they’ll be able to use for years to come that will remind them of their participation in the wedding.

Flasks are also a popular gift idea for formal events, date parties, or simply for the holidays. We’ve seen many fraternity brothers gift these flasks to each other as “big-little gifts,” or for birthdays and graduations.

No matter the occasion, we at Needlepaint can provide you the perfect design for your custom needlepoint flask. Check out some of the designs we’ve made and customize your own here!

Category:

NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Inspiration, Personalized Needlepoint

Tagged with:

University of Kentucky UK Needlepoint Belt

Finally, the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington is captured on a belt!

Long awaited, the University of Kentucky Needlepoint Belt features some of the historical buildings, basketball stadium, and gardens.  It came out great!  (please click the link above for a rundown on the buildings)

This design is available with the Rupp Arena or commonwealth stadium and comes as a fully stitched belt or a DIY needlepoint kit.  Designs can be personalized (monogram and graduation year is included) and even customized upon request.

If you are interested in ordering from NeedlePaint.com – Please read some testemonial reviews we recieved this month. (see them below the pictures)

University of Kentucky Needlepoint Belt

University of Kentucky Needlepoint Belt

 

“I just received the belt, and I am BEYOND pleased. Thank you very much for your great customer service and product! I look forward to buying from you all again.” – Kaelyn 2015-09-29

“Thank you so much!  I received the belt today and it is beautiful.  I will definitely pass on the word about Needlepaint.  I have lots of needlepoint friends here in MA.” – Katherine 2015-09-28

“Just got my belt yesterday.  I’m thrilled with how it turned out, it looks awesome!” – Alex 2015-09-15

“I gave it to him tonight and he LOVED it (and so did I)! I think it came out absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for helping me create such a great and sentimental gift!” – Cara 2015-09-14

“Got it. I love it.  Fits great! Thank you” – Chris 2015-09-08

“We received the belt and my son surprised me coming home from West Point for the weekend!  It fit him perfectly and it was beautifully done!!”  Elizabeth 2015-09-02

Category:

Colleges and Universities, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Belts, Needlepoint Inspiration, Testimonial Reviews

Tagged with:

Custom Needlepoint Wallet Canvases

A custom needlepoint wallet is a perfect gift for the person who seems to have everything.

Our DIY custom wallet needlepoint canvas is available now in our shop.  And coming soon will be fully stitched custom wallets!  We include a monogram on one side a a picture of your choice on the other.

Some ideas for designs would be: a favorite sport, house, car, or pet.  I even have some being stitched with initials in nautical flags.

Please contact us if you are interesed in a fully stitched wallet for this Christmas!

Category:

Needlepoint, Needlepoint Inspiration, Personalized Needlepoint

Tagged with:

West Point Needlepoint Belt

A few months back, we had a few requests to design the West Point Military Academy campus which sits on high ground overlooking the Hudson River in West Point, New York.

The West Point Campus Needlepoint Belt was really fun, it features an American flag, Mitchie Stadium, the Cadet Chapel, Washington Hall, George Washington Statue, Jefferson Hall Library, Battle Monument overlooking Trophy Point on the Hudson, and a Bald Eagle.

We even have worked on a customized version that featuers a new visitors center that is being built!

West Point Needlepoint Belt

West Point Needlepoint Belt

I also am including in this post some feedback we recieved about our belts recently:

“Yesterday was —’s birthday and he LOVED the belt.  In fact, he said it was
the best gift he has received…  The image of Beezo was particularly good.  I appreciate all your help making this happen.”  Laura 2015-07-23

“the belt looks great, very happy with it.”  Mike  2015-7-11

“The belt arrived and looks FANTASTIC, of course!  Thank you for creating such a memorable gift for my husband… and for your inexhaustible patience.   :)”  Mary 2015-07-10

Category:

Needlepoint Belts, Needlepoint Inspiration, Testimonial Reviews

Tagged with:

Quick Open-Stitched Custom Needlepoint Belt Kits

Plate 119, The Needlepoint Book

Plate 119, The Needlepoint Book

If Jo Ippolito Christensen can leave backgrounds unstitched as shown in this piece from the 3rd Edition of  The Needlepoint Book, why shouldn’t I? (Click on the image to view the detail of the background. It is only partially stitched and the printed canvas is exposed.)

I was almost there with my Four Hour Needlepoint Ornament but this is one step further. A belt would be my test piece. Many of our Needlepoint belt designs are ideal for this technique. The backgrounds are solid and the images, like the surfboards and sailboats, are colorful and sharp.

Stitching Detail

Stitching Detail

Stitching these two belts went as fast as riding the waves. The only thing one needs to pay attention to is keeping on the thread ends within the stitched areas because the background will be unstitched canvas through which the thread ends will be visible.

Looking closely at the stitched surfboard, you can see that I also look the liberty of slanting the continental in two different direction. The top slants to the left and the bottom to the right, while in the center I used a straight stitch over one canvas thread. (Note: a straight stitch over one thread needs to be worked very loosely, and only works here because it was worked after the top and bottom of the surfboard was completed.) Working the top and bottom of the surfboard with two different slants has the advantage of giving smooth edges to the circle and rounded edges of the design. I used this technique on some of the surfboards and on part of of the sailboats. I was please with my finished canvases!

Quick Stitch Needlepoint Belts

Quick Stitch Needlepoint Belts

Category:

NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Belts, Needlepoint Inspiration, Uncategorized

Tagged with:

Nantucket Needlepoint Belt

We just finished a new Nantucket needlepoint belt design this week.  The timing is perfect for the upcoming holiday!  This design features a silhoutte of Nantucket combined with the American flag.  If you live on another island or would like us to incorporate an American flag into a state silhoutte, let us know, we’d love to help!

Nantucket Needlepoint Belt

Nantucket Needlepoint Belt

The image below features the Nantucket design and 3 other American favorites from our shop.  Just in time for the 4th of July!

The other designs are the Stars and Stripes Belt, 4th of July Flag Belt, and the personalized Airforce Belt.

4th of July Needlepoint Belts

4th of July Needlepoint Belts

Category:

NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Belts, Needlepoint Inspiration

Tagged with:

Landscape Photos on Congress Cloth 24 count Needlepoint Canvas

Last week we finished up some fun needlepoint canvases that have a LOT of detail.

The customer wanted as much as possible, so we decided to use 24 count congress canvas.

The detail is amazing!  The other request from the customer was that instead of stitch counted, she wanted “photo” canvases.  She still is using the stitch charts, but likes to improvise so wanted to catch all the detail possible.

She was very excited and wrote back to us after they arrived “THE CANVAS’S CAME AND THEY ARE WONDERFUL. SO FAST POSTING, SO WELL PACKED AND SO WELL DONE. THANLKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU.!!!!”  Patricia 2015-06-02

Landscape Photo Needlepoint Canvases

Landscape Photo Needlepoint Canvases

Category:

NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Inspiration, Testimonial Reviews

Tagged with:

University of Missouri – Mizzou – Campus Needlepoint Belt

We continue to suprise and delight every time we design a new college campus needlepoint belt.

This blog post features the University of Missouri Campus Needlepoint Belt.

The Mizzou columns take a prominent place in our Mizzou campus needlpoint belt along with, Memorial Stadium, Student Center, Tiger Plaza, Jesse Hall w/ statue to left, Mizzou Columns, Memorial Union, Mizzou Arena and one of Columbia’s favorites, Shakespears’s.

Mizzou Needlepoint Belt

University of Missouri -Mizzou – Needlepoint Belt

Check out our other college campus needlepoint belt designs.  And if you don’t see the school that you are looking for, click the link at the top of the post to comission a custom college campus design!  All of our belt designs are available as fully stitched needlepoint belts, or as DIY needlepoint kits.

Last note in this post, is some feedback we recieved recently from our customers:

“From the moment Seth and I connected about my custom belt project, it was so fun to collaborate with him. We went back and forth on design a few times and he was always accommodating, provided helpful recommendations, patient when answering my many questions and set my expectations clearly. As we progressed into the production phase, Seth kept me well informed of how the belt was coming along and what kind of a shipping date we were looking at. The belt ended up arriving earlier than expected – a big thanks too since it was for a birthday. And the belt arrived in a velvet pull-string bag. The presentation was beautiful as was the final product. A belt with complete leather backing, incredibly detailed needlepointing and it fit perfectly (Seth’s sizing guide is incredibly helpful). Highly recommend NeedlePaint!”  –  Amber  2015-05-18

“Shipped earlier then expected. Really wonderful belt – exactly what I was looking for. Shop was really great at accommodating my custom request. So impressed!”  –  Laila – 2015-05-14

“Just received belt!! It looks fabulous!” – Nancy 2015-05-14

“The belt arrived yesterday and it looks great.  The detail is amazing.  Once again I am quite happy.  Thanks!” –  Kyle 2015-05-14

“Got the belt! Looks great!!” –  Lynn 2015-05-21

Read more reviews here

 

Category:

NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Belts, Needlepoint Inspiration, Testimonial Reviews

Tagged with:

A New Bible for Needlepoint

The 3rd edition of Jo Ippolito Christensen’s The Needlepoint Book is out. I hadn’t imagined that this bible of needlepointing could get any better but it has!

Needlepoint Book Cover

Needlepoint Book Cover

The new edition includes expanded discussion of techniques for stitching and design as well as 225 new color plates and over 40 new stitches. I haven’t absorbed even half of the new material, but I have already spotted some new ideas for my next Needlepaint project — open work on belts. (Give me a couple of weeks and I will let you know how it works.)

I have both the print and eBook version and I like them for different reasons. I am a bit of a book snob and I love my paper versions — thus the print. However, I travel a lot and in order to keep my suitcase light, I got the eBook. I am delighted with both. A plus to the eBook is the color plates which can be enlarged on the screen to view details. The plus to the print version is ease of finding and comparing stitches.

And, this is not all that comes with the new edition. There is going to be a stitch app for our mobile devices. It isn’t out yet, but for those who by the print or eBook you need to go to www.needlepointbookapp.com  from your mobile device and enter your  information. Simon & Schuster will notify you with your download code as soon as the app is made available. I can’t wait!

Category:

How to NeedlePoint, NeedlePaint Inspiration, Needlepoint, Needlepoint Inspiration, Uncategorized

Tagged with: