Happy Tuesday friends! I’ve gotten so many questions about needlepoint, and here is the post to answer *most* of them! Today I’ll be sharing where to buy needlepoint canvases threads (currently online and over-the-phone), and where to learn how to needlepoint- hint hint, I’ll be teaching very soon!
A little backstory, I have been doing needlepoint since I was six years old and was taught by both my mother and grandmother. I would stitch small ornaments when I was younger, and it’s only been in the past ten years or so that I’ve taken on larger projects (like Christmas stockings and belts). I still do love a good small ornament canvas though! Needlepoint has been with me during the good times as well as the more difficult times (like Eloise’s hospitalizations), and seeing my needlework during these ups and downs really grounds me; it’s like seeing a visual autobiography, if that makes any sense.
Okay, back to the good stuff! The most popular question I get is, “How do I get started with needlepoint? I’m lost!” It can seem like it’s overwhelming to find where to buy a canvas and threads (online and in-store), and where to learn how to stitch (it’s easy!), but I promise you that this is an easy hobby that will keep your hands busy, and keep you calm and de-stressed.
First, let’s talk lingo- these will be the words you read or hear often in the needlepoint community and will help you to make your purchases online, over the phone, or in-store (once this stay-at-home order is lifted!). LNS means “local needlepoint shop”; NDLPT means “needlepoint”; COUNT means how many stitches in an inch of canvas (most are either 13-inch or 18-inch… but we’ll go over that later); SKEIN is a thread that has been bundled into a single sellable unit.
Finding your LNS (local needlepoint shop) is easy- just use Google! Just type “needlepoint shop near ____ (your location)” and you should be directed to the shop closest to you. I highly recommend you support your local needlepoint shop as it is a small business. The vast majority of these small shops are wonderful, kind, and eager to answer any questions and help with any problems. When you establish a relationship with a needlepoint shop, needlepoint becomes more than just a hobby 🙂 LNSs have everything you need to get started with your new hobby: canvases, threads, books, fun accessories… you name it! It’s a one-stop shop, and again, these owners are happy to help you find the perfect canvas and can pull threads- most even ship!
A few of my favorite little needlepoint shops that are still shipping are:
The Black Sheep – Orlando, FL (407) 894-4044
The Elegant Needle – Baton Rouge, LA email: orders@theelegantneedle.com
The Picket Fence – Edina, MN (952) 920-7888 IG @picketfenceneedlepoint
Stitches by the Sea – Delray Beach, FL (561) 865-5775 IG @stitchesbythesea
Stitch-Stash – Rehoboth, DE (302) 569-0063 Instagram @stitchstash
The Classic Stitch – Winnetka, IL (847) 881-2930 Instagram @theclassicstitch
Lycette Designs – Palm Beach, FL Instagram @lycettedesigns
Stitch Middleburg – Middleburg, VA (540) 687-5990 IG @stitchvirginia
Needle Arts – New Orleans, LA (504) 832-3050 Instagram @needlenola
Stitches in Time – Houston, TX (713) 975-9778 Instagram @sitneedlepoint
Knot the Point – Tampa, FL (813) 467-8935 Instagram @knotthepoint
Looking at canvases online, especially on Instagram, is currently the best way to see what needlepoint shops have in stock. In fact, I’ve purchased three canvases this week from shops in New Jersey, Virginia, and South Carolina just from looking on Instagram! My favorite hashtags to look for needlepoint canvases on Instagram are #LNS, #localneedlepointshop, and #localneedlepointstore.
Needlepoint designers that I frequently purchase from that are only able to be purchased through local needlepoint shops include The Plum Stitchery, Labors of Love Needlepoint, Painted Pony Designs, Kirk & Bradley, Kimberly Ann Needlepoint, Alice Peterson Designs, Funda Scully, Rachel Donley Needlepoint Designs, The Point of it All Designs, and A Poore Girl Paints.
If you see a canvas online on Instagram of Pinterest (another great canvas searching tool!), call any LNS listed above and they’ll be happy to help you find the canvas and/or order it. An added bonus of purchasing from a local needlepoint shop is that they have access to the threads needed for your project and can be matched perfectly to the canvas. Now is also the time for needlepoint shops to have their trunk shows from specific designers, and those trunk shows are usually discounted, sometimes at 20% off! I know that The Plum Stitchery has several trunk shows out in the needlepoint community now, and you could get your hands on one of her darling canvases at a discounted price. Reach out to a needlepoint shop, it can be anywhere in the US, and they’ll gladly help you find the perfect canvas! Photos via text message and FaceTiming a LNS is how we’re shopping these days, so don’t be shy- just do it! Like I said, I’ve purchased three from three different states and I’m so excited to have happy mail coming soon!
A small few of favorite (there are so many I love) online needlepoint designers that you can purchase from directly (like right now!) are:
Eva Howard Designs
Eva Howard is a designer known for her witty “Welcome to Adulthood” series, and designs other equally as darling canvases. Sydney, the vision behind Eva Howard, is a dear friend. If the Xanax canvas looks familiar, it’s because I stitched it and had it made into a pouch! You can find these canvases (above) and more on her website and on Instagram.
www.evahoward.com // IG @evahowarddesigns
Audrey Wu Designs
Audrey Wu Designs is a newer designer, but her adorable designs certainly don’t show it! Audrey creates whimsical creatures, figures, and designs that make you happy just to look at. I personally own her Year of the Rat canvas and her famous diamond canvas, but the pelican, the Converse sneaker, and the popsicle canvas are all on my must-buy list!
order on Etsy here // IG @audreywu_designs
Middle Sister & Co.
Edgy but classic all at the same time, Middle Sister & Co. is brand new to the needlepoint designing community, but her designs certainly don’t show it! Kirsten is inspired by classic quotes from movies and pop culture and adds flair to create them as her very own canvas design. Trust me when I say this, I have a very long list of must-haves from her collection, including her In Spite of canvas, the You & Me, and Panic at the Costco (my husband’s real true love is Costco). To see what she has available and what’s coming, click on the links to go to her Etsy page and Instagram account.
order on Etsy here // IG @middlesisterandco
Morgan Julia Designs
Morgan Julia is a fresh designer from the northeast (Maryland, respectively) who recently began to sell her needlepoint designs; next month she will have been open for a year! She’s known for her Chill Pill canvas, but her other canvases like American Sails and her Christmas Tree Delivery show off her northeastern roots. Take a peek, take a TopoChico canvas too!
www.morganjuliadesigns.com // IG @morganjuliadesigns
Thörn Alexander
Thörn Alexander makes waves (pun intended, you’ll see why!) in the needlepoint community with her ocean-inspired needlepoint canvases. But it isn’t only underwater creatures that she’s known for, she’s also known for her very popular RBG canvas, as well as several pop culture icons (like my Biggie Smalls!). While she does have a website, a wider variety of her canvases can be ordered through your LNS.
// www.thornalexander.com // IG @thornalexanderstyle
Crude Canvases
Her canvases are exactly that, crude, but fun and bold and snarky all at the same time. But here’s the really fun part of Crude Canvases- she’s anonymous. Yes, anonymous! She’s the Banksy, the Stig of needlepoint canvases and I love it. Is it a she? Is it a he? Who knows, but I’m here for it and continue to support the anonymity with the recent purchases of the IBeFukt canvas (a recent finish, and personal favorite), If I Were a Bird, and Bad Hair Day (NOT a political purchase, let’s make that clear!).
order on Etsy here // IG @crudecanvases
StitchRock Designs
StitchRock Designs is known for her llama canvases, and her series of Larry the Llama is nothing short of fun! I’m not kidding, Laura Rock has many different colors of Larry the Llama and I want them all. StitchRock’s Christmas canvas collection is lit (another pun well-placed) and her pink Christmas tree ornament reminds me of A Charlie Brown Christmas in the very best way!
order on Etsy here // Instagram @stitchrockdesigns
Hedgehog Needlepoint
Of all of the needlepoint designers that I have met, Hedgehog needlepoint has to be the most generous and giving. Her designs are simple and sweet, but several canvases’ proceeds have benefitted charities and disaster relief. Her Peace&Love&6ft canvas proceeds were used to purchase 200 bagels and multiple spreads for medical staff at the Emergency Department at NYU and at Spring OB/GYN in NYC. And if it couldn’t get any better, Hedgehog Needlepoint chose to support a small bakery in the city to supply the food. This generosity is the reason I chose to purchase the Peace&Love&6ft canvas, and I hope you’ll support her too!
order on Etsy here // IG @hedgehog_needlepoint
Finding the right resources to learn how to needlepoint can become overwhelming, it’s true! In the coming weeks I will be hosting a needlepoint stitch-along with a very fun designer that I’ve mentioned in this post and will also offer be offering help to anyone who could use some troubleshooting with their project via Zoom video conferencing! This is a really fun time to learn a new craft, and I’ll be happy to forward some community videos and other resources to your inbox to you personally to help you get started!
If you’re also interested in the Zoom virtual stitch happy hour I’ll be hosting every Tuesday night at 8:30pm EST until 10pm EST, drop an email to
faisonanne.stitches@gmail.com
Thank you so much for reading this massive blog post! I know this is a lot of information to take in but I hope it was informative! And as always, I’m more than happy to answer any questions via email or DM on Instagram 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
xo Faison
Thank you so very much, Faison,… looking forward to you weekly stitch-ins. I am so very overwhelmed by your mention in your blog… really the support the needlepoint community has shown is like reviving a huge hug every day. 🥰
My goal is to needlepoint some Christmas stockings! I haven’t ever done needlepoint before so maybe I should start smaller!
Thank you for being so supportive of us LNS’s. It means a lot and keeps our doors open! I love when I see you join our IG live events! Thanks for being a part of this great little world!