Needlepoint

Needlepoint: An Overview

• Needlepoint is a type of canvas work, a form of embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas.
• The degree of detail in needlepoint depends on the thread count of the underlying mesh fabric.
• Needlepoint is the oldest form of canvas work, and its roots go back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians.
• Needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas, and many needlepoint designs use only a simple tent stitch.
• Common uses for needlepoint include eyeglass cases, holiday ornaments, pillows, purses, upholstery, and wall hangings.
• Needlepoint canvas is stretched on a scroll frame or tacked onto a rectangular wooden frame to keep the work taut during stitching.
• Commercial designs for needlepoint may be found in different forms: hand-painted canvas, printed canvas, trammed canvas, charted canvas, and free-form.
• The thread used for stitching may be wool, silk, cotton or combinations, such as wool-silk blend.
• Needlepoint continues to evolve as stitchers use new techniques and threads, and add appliqué or found materials.
• Royal needlepointers include Mary, Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, Queen Elizabeth I, and Princess Grace.
• The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen contains 436 stitches and 1680 illustrations in 560 pages and has been continuously in print since 1976.
• Needlepoint backgrounds were used most famously on the long-running game show, Family Feud from its premiere with Richard Dawson in 1976 to the end of the Ray Combs era in 1994.