Dressmaker Details in Needlepoint

Updated July 11, 2023.
One of my favorite types of museum exhibits is clothing. I love them, from costumes to couture. I adore looking at clothing. I’m impressed at so many levels. First, there is the fabric; I love the patterns and textures of it. Second, there are the clothes themselves. When I see clothing, I can really see the art in creating that piece. Third, I’m fascinated by the details of making couture clothing.

I got my love of this naturally from my grandmother, who was an amazing seamstress. She was so good she would alter patterns as she cut out the garment. Many of her friends were tailors who would save the ends of bolts of suit fabric for her to make me clothes. She would delight when I picked out a pattern with an interesting detail or a new way of doing something.

Until I was in college, I rarely had clothes that weren’t made for me or bought at the New York design showrooms for me. From the linen version of the Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian dress I had at ten, to the silk “practice” wedding dress pattern she made me for my rehearsal dinner, I grew up on lovely clothes.

That has made me a pushover for dressmaker details in my needlepoint. You may think that the grid of needlepoint won’t work for this, but here are some ideas to incorporate in your work.

• incorporate tulle or other sheer fabrics as a background.
• Adapt free embroidery stitches to needlepoint
• add a button as an embellishment
• couch on rick-rack or other trim
• create a needlepoint based on a pattern you see on clothing
• use silk ribbon embroidery in your needlepoint
• add beads and charms to your stitching

What other dress details can you think of adding to your needlepoint?