Needlepoint

Needlepoint is a form of canvas work embroidery, in which yarn is stitched through a canvas ground fabric. Unlike surface embroidery, needlepoint uses the canvas, or ground fabric, to create a new fabric. Needlepoint worked on very fine (high-count) canvas is called petit-point. more...

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Needlepoint is often referred to as "tapestry", but differs from true tapestry which is woven on a loom rather than stiched on canvas mesh.

Finished works may be made into pillows or upholstery, or may be displayed on the wall, framed or unframed, or made into holiday ornaments, purses, stuffed stand-up figures, or rugs.

History

Modern needlepoint descends from the canvas work in tent stitch that was a popular domestic craft in the 16th century and from 17th century Bargello through the shaded Berlin wool work in brightly-colored wool yarn that was a fad in the mid-19th century.

In Early American culture, young women commonly created needlepoint or cross stitch samplers which usually contained a blessing on their homes along with the alphabet and numbers. This rite of passage demonstrated not only the girl's proficiency in stitching, but her literacy.

Contemporary techniques

Materials

The threads used for stitching may be wool, silk, cotton or combinations, such as wool-silk blend. Variety fibers may also be used, such as metallic cord, metallic braid, ribbon, or raffia. Stitches may be plain, covering just one thread intersection with a single orientation, or fancy, such as in bargello or other counted-thread stitches. Plain stitches, known as tent stitches, may be worked as basketweave, continental or half cross. Basketweave uses the most wool, but does not distort the rectangular mesh and makes for the best-wearing piece.

Several types of embroidery canvas are available: single thread and double thread embroidery canvas are open even-weave meshes, with large spaces or holes to allow heavy threads to pass through without fraying. Canvas is sized by mesh sizes, or thread count per inch. Sizes vary from 5 threads per inch to 24 threads per inch; popular mesh sizes are 10,12,14,18, and 24 (Congress Cloth). The three types of needlepoint canvas marketed are mono, penelope, and interlock.

Mono canvas comes in the widest variety of colors (especially on 18 mesh) and is plain woven, with one weft thread going over and under one warp thread. This canvas has the most possibilities for manipulation and open canvas. It is generally used for hand-painted canvases.; Penelope canvas has two threads closely grouped together in both warp and weft. Because these threads can be split apart, penelope sizes are often expressed with two numbers, such as 10/20.; Interlock canvas has single threads but stable mesh intersections. This occur because the weft threads, split at the intersections and wrap around the warp threads. Interlock canvas is generally used for printed canvases. Silk gauze is a form of interlock canvas, which is sold in small frames for petit-point work. Silk gauze most often comes in 32, 40 or 48 count, although some 18 count is available and 64, 128 and other counts are used for miniature work.;

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