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Posts tagged ‘fun needlepoint’

Staying Positive Needlepoint

By Kathryn Berman:  I’m a beginner needlepointer (I’ve done 3 projects total in my life), but lately I have been thinking that with a little extra free time on my hands during the coronavirus pandemic it would be fun to get to work on a new project. Stitching is like a good book that you can’t put down… let me finish just this one row, or this one color.  I find needlepointing relaxing yet addicting, and now seems like just the time to put my extra energy into a project as opposed to watching the news or worrying about family members.

Lemons make Lemonade Needlepoint Canvas

Lemons make Lemonade Needlepoint Canvas

I wanted to work on a project that would feel positive, and one that I could hang up on a tiny wall space in my kitchen. I was trying to think of positive sayings that would be fun to stich, but also would look good as permanent artwork in my home. I’m a big believer in positive thinking, and an eternal optimist, but even I’ve gotten a little down lately, and what better way to brighten my day then to be stitching a positive saying.  I’ve always loved the saying “when life gives you lemons make lemonade”, and I asked the Needlepaint team (headed by my husband 🙂  to design a custom needlepoint canvas for me.  What seems more smile inducing than stitching a big juicy yellow lemon?

I love what they came up with!  The Lemons make Lemonade needlepoint canvas is now available on NeedlePaint. Hopefully I can finish it before summer.  Another really cool thing, is that I printed out my canvas preview and taped it to my kitchen wall where I intend to put the finished project.  I of course debated long and hard about what color the background checkers should be- but am sticking with blue for now. I love that I can easily change colors/design ideas with the help of the Needlepaint designers and get a good idea of what my canvas will look like before I get started on it.

What other ideas do you have for positive uplifting quotes that would make a fun needlepoint project?

Here are a few others I thought of: “Create your own sunshine” with a big yellow sun. “Stay positive” surrounded by a colorful rainbow.  “Be happy” surrounded by flowers. Stay positive and keep on stitching!

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas in Needlepoint

Needlepaint’s 12 Days of Christmas needlepoint canvases were inspired a quilt my mother made 25 years ago. Use the 3-inch circular, 18-point ornaments to decorate a tree or the 6 x 6-inch 18-point blocks to hang as a bunting (8 x 8 inch on 14 mesh). They are an ideal size to be  done while traveling, waiting in a doctor’s office, or babysitting a sleeping grandchild.  Or, in the tradition of a quilting bee, canvases can be done by several different needle-pointers.

I stitched and finished the bunting…….

12 Days of Christmas Needlepoint Kits

12 Days of Christmas Needlepoint Kits

The blocks can be stitched with the continental stitch However, I used a variety of stitches using DMC 6-strand floss.Quick-cover stitches for the backgrounds sped up completion and others I chose to provide texture. (Stitches will be described in subsequent blogs.) Beads, sequins, and/or ribbons could also be added for textures and highlights.

Finishing and display options are numerous…  If one has a large wall space or fireplace, a 12-block bunting would be cool, but it is easier to find a place for a shorter 4-block 3 string display. Also, consider a 2-block 6-string or 3 strings of 3 blocks, 4 blocks, and 5 blocks.

In the photo above, the blocks are framed and backed with red felt, hand-stitched together with 3 strands of red DMC floss to match, and strung on a ¾-inch strip of felt. If you are not into buntings, the blocks could be used to decorate a table or sewn together for wall hanging or table runner. Each could be framed in the Mill Hill Wooden 6 x 6-inch frames which are designed for needlework and available online from several vendors, including  JoAnn or Amazon.

Detailed directions and alternatives for finishing will be addressed in a later blog.

 

A Very Needlepoint Christmas to All

Christmas and Hanukkah are almost here!  Our little workshop has shipped over a hundred belts this past week and almost as many needlepoint kits.  We hope they all arrive and bring smiles to families across the country.

We have a lot to be thankful for this year, and are looking forwards to 2017.  We’ll be offering some new services for our needlepointers and for our customers who are looking for fully stitched products.

Those of you thinking of taking up a new hobby, please check out what an art needlepoint really is.  You’re in for a treat, we have a Customer Spotlight at the bottom of this post.

Needlepoint Christmas Belt

Our first Big announcement for 2017 is that we’re now selling fully stitched custom needlepoint stocking!  We’ve sold some over the years, but finally have put a listing online in our Etsy shop.  Our designers are here to work with you, whether you’re trying to match an heirloom needlepoint stocking, or looking for an updated needlepoint design, needlepoint stockings truly are timeless.

Personalized Nutcracker Needlepoint Christmas Stocking

Our Fully Stitched Nutcracker Needlepoint Stockings in wool with velvet backing.

What better to give than a gift of personal memories!  These custom needlepoint pillows are going to a fishing lodge, but I had to sneak some pictures under the tree.

Needlepoint Fishing Pillows

Needlepoint Fishing Pillows

And those of you who made it this far are in for a treat.  Lisa, in New York just finished her second project ever.  She stitched this amazing Clara Nutcracker Stocking!  It is the same design as above (we did customize the background a bit), but you can see her talent in selecting her own colors and especially choosing fun stitches and embellishments that add even more depth and texture to the stocking.  Nice work Lisa!

Needlepoint is Fun and amazing. I hope you share these images with your friends and help inspire them to learn to needlepoint in 2017!

Fun Stitch Needlepoint Christmas Stocking

Fun Stitch Needlepoint Christmas Stocking

Custom Kids Name Needlepoint Sailboat

We’re back from the holiday and have a lot of fun needlepoint projects to share this week!

Today I’m posting a picture of the Boys Personalized Sailboat Needlepoint Kit stitched by Stemi finished in the winter of 2014.

Look how strait her stitching is.  Landon is sure to cherish this for a long time… Nice stitching Stemi!

Kids Sailboat Custom Needlepoint Project

Kids Sailboat Custom Needlepoint Project

 

Friday Favorites – Fun Needlepoint Projects for Christmas

Needlepoint is fun, and this is a great time of year to share it!

This week was one of the most challenging, and yet rewarding weeks we’ve ever had and NeedlePaint.  So many great projects, but not enough time.  We will be shipping, but not until Monday as we still have some packing to do over the weekend!

People looking for last minute Christmas and Hanukkah gifts have until Tuesday night to place your order.  There will be a FedEx surcharge of around $10 for guaranteed arrival.  Please email us to confirm shipping information and also note we can’t guarantee custom belt canvas designs will be ready, as they take us a few extra days.

Onto the fun projects!  (And if you want to read more reviews from our customers, please see the bottom of this blog post).

Needlepoint Family Portrait

Needlepoint Family Portrait

Black and White Needlepoint

Black and White Needlepoint

Custom Dog Needlepoint

Custom Dog Needlepoint

Dog Art Needlepoint

Dog Art Needlepoint

Modern Needlepoint

Modern Needlepoint

Fun Needlepoint

Fun Needlepoint

Custom Landscape Needlepoint

Custom Landscape Needlepoint

Needlepoint Baby Sampler and Ring Bearer Pillow

Needlepoint Baby Sampler and Ring Bearer Pillow

Custom Dogs and Beer Belt Needlepoint

Custom Dogs and Beer Belt Needlepoint

So, we like to share feedback we get, as it not only makes us smile, but also lets us know we are doing a good job, we hope we can help create something great for you someday, too!

“I received the canvas and love it.” Rachael 2014-12-11

“Received the belt over the weekend and I love it. Can’t wait to give it to … for Christmas – I know he will love it. Thanks again!”  Kelly  2014-12-08

“Just wanted to let you know that the belt arrived today and looks great!  Thanks so much again for all of your help over the past few months!”  Connor  2014-12-06

“It’s here and I love it!  Thanks so much!” Melissa  2014-12-06

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Favorites – Kids Needlepoint and other Fun Projects

Looking for great ideas to stitch for your kids?

We’ve got a bunch of kids needlepoint designs ready to be personalized, or if you’ve got a great photo you would like to needlepoint, try it out on our website for free, or email it to us and we’d be happy to help!

Also, we do custom designs upon request, so if you have an idea that you can’t find anywhere let us know.

Below are some of the custom needlepoint canvases we made this week!

Ninja Turtles Legend of Zelda and Mocs Needlepoint

Ninja Turtles Legend of Zelda and Mocs Needlepoint

Kids Photo Needlepoint and Personalzied Wedding Pillow

Kids Photo Needlepoint and Personalized Wedding Pillow

Custom needlepoint belts are fun.  We have done kids designs and children’s sizes.

Fun Custom Needlepoint Belt Kits

Fun Custom Needlepoint Belt Kits

Below is the Busy Bee Personalized Needlepoint Canvas

Kids Flower Pillow Personalized Needlepoint

Kids Flower Pillow Personalized Needlepoint Kit

 

 

 

 

Friday Favorites – Peacock – Boats Cars and Motorcycle Belts – Reviews and More

Happy Weekend!

We’ve gotten some great feedback again this week, and even better projects to show you!  If you just want to see the fun needlepoint canvases, please skip over the rest of the text below and go strait to the pictures.  I got a little long winded today…

First are 3 positive reviews and one ANGRY customer.

“It came in the mail today.  I love it!” – Marsha – 2104-09-15

“Got it yesterday! It looks great – going to start on it tonight! Thanks again! I’ll definitely spread the word about Needle Paint!” Mary – 2014-09-16

“Received,the painted canvas today. It looks great.  Thank you very much.  I’m sure I will have something else to be painted in the near future.  Thank you again” – Susan – 2014-09-15

And on to the ANGRY customer (this was for the cat canvas that was featured in last week’s Friday Favorites).  Have you ever felt like somebody can YELL at you through email?  Well this customer loved to use the caps lock.  The gist of the problem, was that when we made the canvas, it did not show the pink in the cat’s ears or the green in the cat’s eyes.  The customer had said the wool colors were not correct.  After a few emails with a lot of UPPER CASE ANGER, I finally figured out that the customer actually did not order any wool from us.  Thus I can understand some frustration.

Now, we think that sugar is the answer to solving problems, so, every email I requested to know what we could do to fix it.  We want to be sure our customers are happy with their projects.  We even guarantee the quality of all of our canvases, including custom designs.  So, I was a little confused as to why I kept getting ANGRY EMAILS back.  I offered to remake the canvas with the adjustments, but this seemed to induce MORE ANGER.  The end result is that they seem to be keeping it as is.

The reason I’m writing about this email, is I believe it may be helpful to others.

#1.  What you see on the computer screen is what your canvas will look like.  If you want us to adjust the canvas, all you have to do is email us, and we will email you a new preview with the adjustments.

#2.  We do not hand match fiber colors on orders that are for the canvas only.  It takes us a long time to kit a custom project.  The computer offers a good starting point, but, when stitching animals, we often find that those colors need to be tweaked to match the animal better.  We always do this when we ship a kit that includes fiber, and will request a photo if we have any questions about the design.  But, for stitchers who are purchasing their own fiber, they should be able to do this on their own when they are rummaging through their stash or at the needlepoint store.

#3.  If you are not happy with the way your canvas came out, please don’t get angry with us.  Just let us know what you’d like us to do to fix the problem and we will take care of it!  Our motto is happy customers = repeat customers and we want you to enjoy your projects.  We work with a lot of needlepointers who have ordered 5+ canvases from us and keep coming back.  Every customer is important to us and we will do all that we can to make sure you love your project.  Worst case that happens, is that you can send back your project and we will refund it.

OK, so onto the fun stuff!  Our first order for the classic car needlepoint belt canvas was timed well with two other custom projects that have boats, cars, scooters, and motorcycles.  Also, a lot more fun needlepoint projects below, including a giant peacock that came out really well!

Boats, Cars, and Motorcycle Needlepoint Belt Canvases

Boats, Cars, and Motorcycle Needlepoint Belt Canvases

Opti Ornament, Nautical Key FOB, and Telluride Needlepoint Canvases

Opti Ornament, Nautical Key FOB, and Telluride Needlepoint Canvases

Giant Peacock Needlepoint Kit

Giant Peacock Needlepoint Kit (The design is 28 inches high on a 32 inch high canvas!)

Jack Russel and Custom Brick Cover Needlepoint Canvases

Jack Russel and Custom Brick Cover Needlepoint Canvases

 

 

 

Fun Kids Needlepoint Designs

We’ve added some fun new needlepoint canvases to our shop today!

These are all new personalized needlepoint designs. We will add your baby’s name and birth details to your order.

Stitch them yourself, or we can do it for you.  Also keep in mind that we can adjust the colors to order, and we stock 20 colors of velvet!

Most of these designs can be stitched and hung on the wall or made into a pillow.

See more of our baby and kids needlepoint products in our shop.

Girls Bird Bath Birth Announcement Needlepoint Pillow

Girls Bird Bath Birth Announcement Needlepoint Pillow

Boys Bird Bath Personalized Baby Pillow

Boys Bird Bath Personalized Baby Pillow

Red Greatest Kid Needlepoint Canvas

Red Greatest Kid Needlepoint Canvas

Blue Green Greatest Kid Needlepoint Kit

Blue Green Greatest Kid Needlepoint Kit

Cute Bunny Baby Birth Announcement Needlepoint Kit

Cute Bunny Baby Birth Announcement Needlepoint Kit

 

 

 

 

Friday Favorites – Tennis Needlepoint and NeedlePaint Reviews

Happy Mothers day to all the wonderful and unconditionally caring moms out there (including my amazing wife!)

This weeks favorites are a bit shorter than normal, as I’ll be posting those canvas images next week.  But, we did get some great photos from a customer who finished a really fun tennis project!

Tennis Needlepoint

Custom Tennis Needlepoint

Here is some feedback we got this week from our customers.

“Just wanted to let you know I have received the canvas and it looks GREAT!” – Katie 5 -5-14

“I got the package today and it’s absolutely perfect and beautiful! Thank you for including everything I needed to complete it. Thanks a lot!” Lauryn 5-6-14

More fun needlepoint projects to come next week!

Friday Favorites – Custom Belts, Pillows, Reviews, and more

We’re back in the swing of things, and happy with how great the projects we made this week came out.

Not only us, but here are a few more testimonials we received last week.

“Thanks so much for your work on my needlepoint belt last fall!  It’s fully stitched and finished and its recipient LOVES it! ” – Jessica 3-28-14

“The canvas came today and it looks amazing I cannot thank you enough for your help in perfecting the image. I will be sure to send you a picture when it is finished!”  Elise 3-19-14

Anyway, onto the fun stuff, custom needlepoint belts!  Our finishers are gifted, have a look at the belts we did.  The second image shows off the other ends one of which has a statue of liberty design that I love!  (you can see the New York apple on the first image, too)

Custom Needlepoint Belts

Custom Needlepoint Belts

Statue of Liberty Needlepoint

Statue of Liberty Needlepoint

And now onto needlepoint kits.  Below are some of the wonderful projects we made this week that I can’t wait to see once they are finished!

Hunting Needlepoint Belt Canvas

Hunting Needlepoint Belt Canvases

Fun Needlepoint Canvases

Fun Needlepoint Canvases

Custom Needlepoint Logo

Custom Needlepoint Logo

Needlepoint Photo Canvas

Needlepoint Photo Canvas