
Everybody seems to be talking about life in terms of “normal.” Some talk about the “new normal;” others about the “normal normal;” still others about the “old normal.” Whatever you might think about 2020 so far, it has changed the ways we live. Maybe not forever, but it has changed us.
We are staying home more (this week is the first week in 8 months I’ve gone out 3 days in a row), we are stitching more, we are looking for ways to finish our own needlepoint. All these things are seen in the trends we see in needlepoint design. While these trends reflect the current situation, they also are ones that will continue to be important to us as needlepointers.
If you follow trends in the different worlds of fashion, home decor, and needlework, you’ll see that usually fashion (including trendy design in related areas) shows the trends first. Within a year or so, these trends show up in mainstream home decor. Trendy decor (think Urban Outfitters) follows fashion. Conservative home decor (think Ethan Allen) is a bit behind the trend. Usually, needlework outside of knitting is behind home decor. This has been true for many years.
This year I do not see this lag. Two of the trends, classic colors and succulents, are very hot trends. Halloween continues to be an important trend in holiday decorations. The self-finishing trend also reflects the growing importance of DIY, largely because this year’s events have left us needing things to do.
As I reflect on this, I wonder if this is happening only because 2020 has been an extraordinary year? Or is it happening because needlepoint designers are getting savvier of design trends and thinking seasons ahead as furniture and fashion designers do?
The Southwest Will Rise Again!
The easily recognizable style of the American Southwest has not been very prominent in recent years. For me, that’s a shame because I love this style. This year, I see more designs that reflect this style, not just from designers based in the Southwest. A major part of this trend is all the canvases I see that are of succulents. This reflects the growing popularity of succulents for gardens.
Classic Color Combinations
There are several color combinations that most folks would consider classic. While sometimes they may be less popular, they never completely go out of style. One of these, black and white, has been growing in popularity in the needlepoint world for awhile. This fall we see more new designs that use this color combination.
Bursting on the scene, the timeless combination of blue and white has many canvases from many designers. While these colors are always popular, often they are considered a bit on the conservative side. Pantone identified navy blue as an important color for the next year, largely because of its solid, conservative feel.
This year you’ll find designs that are primarily blue and white, plants and fruits in blue and white pots, and blue and white items set against bright colors because blue works so well with almost any other color will fit nicely into your needlepoint stash.
Self-finishing
As more and more stitchers decide to, or are forced to, finish their own projects, the market for items that can be finished ourselves grows. This trend has been growing for many years. Today we can easily finish ornaments, personal accessories, coasters, and boxes without needing any special skills.
While it is hard to finish projects without these items, they are only half the story. The other part is canvases that fit these items. Many designers make canvases that will fit into leather boxes, ornament rounds, wallets, and luggage tags. Many other items are designed to be used to self-finish items that were not designed just for needlework. For example, I will finish the new Dnji mini designs in 2″ ornament frames from Studio Design.
Halloween Everywhere!
Halloween is becoming ever more popular as a time for decoration. As a kid in the 60’s the emphasis at Halloween was to go around the neighborhood trick-or-treating. We took great pleasure in filling pillowcases with full-size candy bars. More and more today, the emphasis is on Halloween parties. With this emphasis on celebrating at home, folks are decorating their homes for Halloween.
I see a growing number of Halloween ornaments, decorative items, and large elaborate panels. If you don’t want to decorate for Halloween per se but instead for Autumn, you’ll find plenty of pumpkins, not Jack o’Lanterns, with or without decorations. These designs can be quite elegant and can fit in well with many other home decor items to add a seasonal touch.
Summary of Coverage
- New Needlepoint Products Part 1
- October New Needlepoint Products
- Lots of New Needlepoint Coming
- New Threads & Canvases
- October 2020 Needlepoint Products
- New Now Needlepoint for Fall 2020
- More Great New Needlepoint for October 2020
- Inspiring New Needlepoint for Fall 2020
- October 2020 New Needlepoint Products
- New Needlepoint 10/20
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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