Since 1997, the American Needlepoint Guild has had what’s probably the best resource for needlepoint on the Internet — their Stitch of the Month (SOTM) program. Every month, except December, visitors to their site would be able to see a new stitch. In December there would be a project using the stitches from that year.
The stitches ranged from the basics, to some quite complex stitches. For the last several years, the stitches and projects have been chosen and designed by some of the top names in needlepoint.
It’s been a tremendous resource and one that was free, extensive, and publicly available. If you wanted to learn needlepoint you could just go there and work your way through. When you needed information or a diagram for a stitch you could check there.
Unhappily earlier this month that resource changed, and not for the good. After several years of work ANG has unveiled a new website, which is great. But in doing so they have put SOTM behind their membership wall. It’s gone. At the moment I’m writing only members will be able to get to the entire program once it is added to the site. Only one selected year will be made available at a time to the public.
I’m very unhappy with this, as are many other needlepointers. Free stitch information along with projects is something that needs to be available to all. When we contrast needlepoint with other needlecrafts what do we see? If I am a knitter or crocheter I can join Ravelry and have access to hundreds of free patterns and stitches. I can track my stash, join groups, and learn to knit or crochet and it costs nothing. If I quilt I have access to dozens of sites with free quilt blocks. Plus all these crafts have YouTube tutorials, blogs, and tutorials on general craft sites.
How will needlepoint grow if no one can find information about us?
The New SOTM
I’m going to rectify this situation by starting a new Stitch of the Month site. I hope to have it up and running sometime in November 2017. It won’t have the 200 or so stitches that were on ANG’s site but it will be a start and it will grow.
What I need from you is your ideas so that it will be a good and useful resource.
- What did you like or not like about the ANG program?
- What would you want to see on a SOTM site?
- How would you use it?
- What needlepoint stitches would you like to see on the SOTM site?
- How could the community of needlepointers help with this?
Just put your ideas in the comments for this post. I want this to be a great resource and one that will be useful to both the community of current needlepointers as well as those who want to learn.
Let me know what you think!
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
It costs money to run an organization and maintain a website. Members pay both local and national dues. Member benefits now include exclusive access to SOTM.
Libraries have free books on stitches. The web contains other free resources as well.
Not everything is entitled to be free. The ANG works hard to provide for its members and provide a variety of services. Anyone can become a member at large. Please do so and support the efforts of this organization.
Excellent idea. One of the stitches I would like to see in more detail ( than the one on SOTM) is a plaid.
I think a site should have a mix of basic stitches and more complex ones – Tent and Chilly Hollow as an example. It needs to serve both new and experienced stitches.
I know you are a busy person, will there be anything that we (the designing, charting, and stitching community) can do to help with such a website?
Please, we need a site with free stitch information.
Probably yes, I’m thinking about that. I’d love to hear ideas about helping.
Keep stitching,
Janet
How wonderful of you to step up and take on this task. Kudos to you for taking it on, it will be much appreciated!! I used to do needlepoint exclusively then switched to cross stitch and now do a combination so am always looking for new resources.
When I started reading your post, I get t excited about the website with free stitches. As someone who is new to needlepoint, I was excited to find a place to learn some stitches. Then I was disappointed that they will charge now. I would love to learn easy, just a beginner, and then we able to work my way up to more challenging stitches. Thank you for helping out us newbies.
As a beginner, I as excited to learn of the website, then disappointed to find they will charge for it. I would love to see easy stitches, as I’m a beginner and also some more challenging ones as I get more comfortable. I would also like a grid to show the stitch.
Thank you!
Would love to see a Stitch of the Month Club.
It’s extremely bad that ANG has discontinued this service. For a LONG time I was an ANG member, but when chapters started only having day meetings, it was no longer worth my while. I did continue to review the SOTM site. Not good for those who don’t have a Chapter near them or as a way to attract future members.
I would like to see some layered (more complicated) stitches. The basics are nice, but layering stitches provides another level of texture and interest to a canvas.
Thanks!
-Suzann
I called ANG today to renew my membership. During the course of my lovely, helpful conversation I mentioned SOTM. This was an area where there was no discussion possible. The new company in NJ wants you to join for “only 45.00 a year”. I replied that is a lot of money for some people.
I disagree only because besides that being a lot of money for some people, I always looked at it as a good will gesture that might encourage people to join.
I also said how disappointed I was at working from a blind list and that it was not helpful at all. I was assured that by the end of the year all stitches would be labeled again.
I think your idea is wonderful – please continue to be helpful to our source of
needlepoint ideas that promote creativity and pleasure.
Thanks, Rae
To answer your question as to 10 stitches to start with Mosaic, smyrna, rhode’s, Criss-cross Hungarian,
Victorian Step, Leviathan,Milanese, VanDyke, upright cross, scotch.!
I am an ANG member but am having trouble accessing the site (went on line for a stitch this a.m.).
Would love to see random long and short stitch for a Congress cloth lovebird pair background I am working on.