Needlepoint to Go Product Review

Ages ago, when computer printing of canvases was new, they were beset with problems. The ink ran or flaked off, holes might be clogged with film, and lines weren’t true (i.e. on one canvas thread). With giclee printing, now used on most computer-printed canvases, most of these problems have been solved. The inks are stable and the quality is excellent. The straight line problem continued to exist, largely because canvas itself is not true throughout. Pulling and aligning the canvas could often solve most of these problems, especially for smaller canvases.

But market conditions cause some companies to take another look at the problem of computer-printed canvases. The pioneer here has been Kirk & Bradley with their Needlepoint to Go canvases. The first of these canvases I tried, although I didn’t know it at the time, was the Elizabeth Bradley beginner kit, pictured below.

Unlike the earlier generations of Bradly canvases, each intersection had only one color, making these excellent for beginners. But could this translate to smaller mesh sizes and more complex designs?

Needlepoint to Go has the answer and it is a resounding “Yes.”

As you can see from the picture at the top of the article, the canvas has the small areas and details you’d expect from a hand-painted canvas. Other canvases in the line include sayings, architecture, preppy designs, and ornaments. My champagne cooler is no longer made, but can still be found in shops.

What delighted me most about my canvas is how accurate the one-thread details are, above. I learned years ago that single straight lines are to be avoided on computer-printed canvases because they don’t always print correctly. This is why many printed canvases avoid narrow straight elements or patterns, such as checks, that must be printed accurately. That is not a problem with Needlepoint to Go. Every intersection has only one color. Straight lines are on one canvas thread. Most surprising to me, curves move in steps, just as they would on stitch-painted canvas, as you can see in the detail above.

A nice touch for stitchers is the color key printed on the margin of the canvas.

The proof of whether the product is good is the stitching experience. I stitch lots of painted canvases and this canvas has been delightful to stitch. I don’t know how Kirk & Bradley is accomplishing this magic but these canvases are equal to painted canvases in every way. I highly recommend these canvases,

Check out the article Thursday when coverage of new products from the Atlanta Needlepoint Market will begin.