We have been having a discussion recently on social media about threads for a canvas when purchased as a kit. One huge concern is that the threads cost more than the canvas. Today I would like to look at what goes into the cost of threads and why the cost can be high.
I’ll use a 4″ round travel ornament as my example. It’s a small canvas, but there are many small elements, meaning lots of colors. At least there won’t be a need for multiples of any color. I’m just going to guess that there are about 20 colors in a typical travel round. It costs $75.
Let me say that it is surprising how many colors even a simple canvas has. I just bought one of the Pippin crows. They are about as simple as you’ll find these days. Even so, it has five colors. Rarely will you find a new canvas with fewer colors, the vast majority have more.
It’s important to remember that the price of threads for a particular canvas is directly related to the number of colors and the cost of the threads specified. We know we have many colors. So what we’ll pay for threads varies significantly with thread choice.
I know that these canvases have lots of little areas on them and therefore lots of colors. Let’s say there are 20 colors in the piece, that’s 20 threads. My calculations are based on thread prices at an actual needlepoint shop. While these prices are not out of line, please do not take them as “suggested” prices of any kind. Shops have different pricing policies and costs, so prices on thread vary.
The next thing to ask is what threads are called for. If it’s 20 skeins of embroidery floss, it would be less than $20 because floss is under $1/skein (20 x $1 = $20). Because floss is the least expensive thread, this is the base cost for a completely kitted canvas.
But many shops and designers don’t like to see cotton floss in a stitch guide, so switch it to silk. Even inexpensive silk is $4.20/skein, so now it’s 20 x $4.20 = $84.00 for the threads. All we did was make a simple change and the thread now costs more than the canvas.
Let’s say you switch out some of these silks for the less expensive Rainbow Gallery threads (from $2.70 to $5) and pearl cotton ($2.15). If you replace just 10 silks with these specialty threads. With each thread replacing five of the silks, here’s the price calculation:
- 5 x $2.15 = $10.75
- 2 x $2.70 + $3.85 + $4.65 + $4.15 = $18.05
- 10 x $4.20 = $42.00
For a total of $70.80
Replace a silk with one Kreinik metallic ($4.70) and add $.55.Pick a different silk, Au Ver a Soie and it’s $4.55, but for a smaller amount, so if you use silk for the background, you’ll need to add a skein. To make this change, add $8.55 to the total (10 x $.40 = $4.00 + $4.55) Without tax and, if needed shipping, the cost for threads for our canvas is now $79.35!
You can see thinking about it this way, how the price adds up.
Years ago a needlepoint shop owner I knew told me that you should expect to pay at least as much as the canvas cost for the threads. It sucks but when I price out threads, over 25 years later, I still see that.
How Do I Cut the Cost?
My first rule for any canvas is to shop your stash first. Many of the colors in a canvas use small amounts of thread, often less than a yard. Do you have these colors on hand? Use them, don’t buy new. If you replaced three silks this way, you loped over $12 off the thread price.
You might also have one of the main threads in your stash. If the metallic you needed was gold and you had gold on hand, you would save another $4.70.
My second rule is don’t be afraid to change the stitch guide. The stitch guide may call for silk for the background, but you really like the look of pearl cotton or you just love this thread’s shade of blue. Substitute. If you changed out the background silk (2 skeins) for a skein of pearl cotton, you saved $6.
Finally keep must have threads in your stash. Areas such as faces, eyes, and metallics, can use many colors. If you keep on hand flesh colors, your favorite shades of gold and silver, and brown metallic for eyes. You can spread the cost over dozens of canvases instead of buying new each time. Add to this some skeins that will work as background threads and you have lots of projects waiting to be stitched without buying as many threads.
Is it all about the cost?
No, of course not. But that does not mean we should be clueless in our purchases.
Needlepoint is about the pleasure it gives you both in stitching and in looking at the finished piece. To a great extent those things are not about the cost of the threads. When we are prudent about our thread purchases and shop our stashes we are accomplishing two wonderful things.
First, we are using threads we have invested in already. Just like a smart business we are using our capital goods wisely. Second, it frees up money for you to buy new canvases. And what could be better?
This week we will celebrate threads. Tomorrow learn about my Essential Thread Inventory. Wednesday, learn about a new Internet Resource on threads. Thursday get me review of a new thread book. Friday learn about substituting threads. Saturday get links to some great projects for trying out threads.
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
Darcy Walker says
One of the challenges for needlepoint is that it is becoming an elitist hobby – $75 for
An ornament canvas, $80 for thread and $70 for finishing. $230 invested in a 5” ornament. A painted canvas can run $1000
When finally finished up. First – let’s talk canvas – why only pointillist painting? My early canvases were silk screened or brush painted. And why always an obsession with
Rare or silk threads. Remember simple wool. It is no wonder shops are closing if the only thing the community advances are pricey canvases, expensive stitch guides and even more expensive threads. How do we bring in beginners if the initial efforts or
“Sample Model” norms are so expensive?
Sue Aiken says
Glad you are addressing this issue, I’m looking forward to seeing the article the rest of the week .
Janet M Perry says
Thanks heaps, I’m glad you liked it.
Keep stitching,
Janet
Janet M Perry says
Darcy —
While agree that often needlepoint is expensive, let’s look seriously at how the cost of needlepoint can be reduced. How about instead of buying a stitch-painted ornament you traced an outline you found onto blank canvas you bought on eBay and traced a 4″ circle around it. The cost would be under $15 instead of $75, $20 if you bought a Pigma Micron pen (which you could use for years of projects)..
You stitched it with cotton floss instead of silk and specialty threads, again probably $15-$20 and you have thread leftover.
The most expensive part of this is buying something to self-finish. But again, I find these often inexpensively on eBay.
While there may be less expensive hobbies, this does not seem out of thew range of affordability.
Yes, it’s easy to get seduced by expensive canvases and specialty threads but needlepoint CAN be affordable and just as creative when it is. I am, and will continue to be, committed to showing how needlepoint can be affordable. Just look for tons of content, projects, and ideas under the category “budget needlepoint.”
Keep stitching,
Janet
Nan says
I am pleased to read that other stitchers are questioning the current cost of being a needlepointer.
I agree that the current fixation with “special” threads is one of the causes of many shop closings.
I love needlepoint and needlepointing. I became a fan when I walked into a local shop and there for my eyes to feast on was an entire wall of three ply wool ( I think it was Paternayn, sp?,. It was so beautiful and the colors were fantastic. As a young mother of three I was able to afford to become a stitcher! Oh, happy day.
Janet M Perry says
You exactly right. If more of us were showing how lovely needlepoint can be without costing a bundle it would bee great. Because of shopowners who did this I could still afford to needlepoint as a young stay-at-home mom.
Keep stitching,
Janet
Nan says
Thanks, Janet.