The Beginning Needlepointer’s Dilemma

I heard from a reader recently that she’s having a hard time finding kits for beginners. This isn’t a rare problem, nor is it a new one. Way back in 1970 when I learned to needlepoint, I made many copies of my first kit in different colors because I could not find more kits. After that, I started designing my own projects, partly because of this problem.

Today I’ll cover three things: tips for finding a beginner’s canvas, designers with kits or canvases for beginners, and how to make your own kit.

Tips for Finding your Canvas

It’s really tempting when starting needlepoint to buy one of those inexpensive kits you find in big craft stores. You’ll think this especially when you see the price of many canvases in needlepoint shops. Don’t do it!

These kits are more frustrating than anything else. They use floss, which can be tricky to use, and often the floss in kits is of poor quality making things even harder. The directions are often minimal and confusing. Finally, the design is often badly printed on low-quality canvas. This means you’ll have trouble figuring out how to stitch, and the results won’t look good.

Buy a small canvas with large areas of color that you like. Small projects get finished faster.

Buy from shops and designers who specialize in needlepoint.

Try to find designers on mesh sizes larger than 18 mesh (the lower the number , the larger the mesh).

Designers for Beginners

For kits, Stitching Littles from Purple Palm have changed beginners’ kits. They are on large mesh canvas and many of the designs are for kids. An increasing number are timeless and modern designs that adults will like. They come with high-quality materials, good instructions, and a drawstring project bag. Find them at needlework shops.

Stitch & Go kits from Alice Peterson are printed canvases accessories in a wide variety of designs. They are easy to stitch and finish. They do use floss, which is a drawback. Folks with arthritis might find them more challenging because there is no canvas margin. Find them in needlework shops and in some craft & fabric stores.

Pippin Studio is a designer who has canvases mostly of 13 mesh. Her designs are very easy to stitch. She has kitted beginners projects and small projects that include frames. I love these smaller designs.

The other designers are all independent designers who sell on Etsy. Not all of the designs work for beginners,

— Birdie Bouquet has designs for many types of accessories you can finish yourself. But she aso has great small designs on large mesh canvas (up to 10 mesh).

— Catherine Lenore has a big selection of designs available as kits with floss and a project bag. Her designs are available in several sizes and on 12 or 18 mesh.

— Froopy Designs – has checky and fun canvases for stitchers at all levels. Many of her designs work well for beginners.

— Laurel Wheeler – has great canvases for beginners, with many of them on 13-mesh canvas. She hass lots of sayings in several sizes and does personalization.

— Alt Sitchery – These designs, especially the words and sayings in shapes, are starting to show up in shops. These word designs are great for beginners as are many of other canvases here.

— OTH Designs – OTH is also starting to be seen in shops. Her designs, especially of iconic items and brands are great for bginners.

— My Pink Sugar Life has some designs distributed by Danji, as ZIA canvases. There is a wide assortment of designs, usually rounds. Most of them, espcially the patchwork ones, have large areas good for beginners. One of these was a stitch-along here in 2021.

Creating your own Kit

With few exceptions, you’ll find a great canvas from one of these designers but it won’t be a kit. That means you will need to buy your own supplies. First, you’ll need needles, although sometimes canvases come with them. You want blunt-pointed tapestry needles, either size 22 for 18 mesh or size 20 for 13 mesh.

Then you will need thread, one package for each color on your canvas. My thread of choice for beginners is #5 pearl cotton. It is inexpensive, comes in tons of colors, is sold in many places, and is easy to use because you use it as it comes out of the skein.

If you want to go with other fibers, look for other threads that are used as they come, sometimes called “grab & go threads.” Examples of this are Pepperpot Silk, Silk & Ivory, Rainbow Persian, and Vineyard Silk. Thre are many more of these threads, you can ask at your local shop for ideas.

With canvas, needle, and treads you have all you need to stitch. I would like to suggest a few other tools it’s great to use:
— stretcher bars & tacks – These will hold your canvas flat & straight.
— emboidery scissors -Small & with short blades, use them to cut thread ens.
— needleminder – A pair of magnets, one decortive, used to hold your needle when not stitching.