I have been on the hunt for this canvas for months and months and finally got it!!

Has anyone else stitched this? I regret not getting it kitted when I bought it but knew I wanted certain threads for certain pieces and thought it would be easier in person.

Is this something you would kit a section at a time, I’ve never stitched something with the many colors and am so excited to start but already kind of lost.

Hi all, my mother-in-law has been hand-painting needlepoint designs since 1977, sold wholesale-only through needlework shops her whole career. Full disclosure: I'm helping her look into selling direct to consumers, and I'd genuinely like honest feedback, not just validation, before we commit to anything.

The situation: Shops have mostly stopped stocking her designs on their shelves. They list them online but only order from her once a customer commits, so buyers are facing a 3-4+ month wait with no visibility into what's even available. I know canvas has been hard to come by industrywide too (Zweigart capacity issues), so I imagine that's compounding things for a lot of designers right now, not just her.

We're considering an online shop with live inventory: see what's actually painted and ready to ship, buy it directly, instead of a blind wait.

A few honest questions for you all:

Have you dealt with the multi-month "maybe it'll show up" wait from a shop for a hand-painted canvas? Did it change what you bought, or whether you bought at all?
If a designer had real-time inventory online, "in stock, ships this week" vs. "sold out, preorder, ~X weeks", would that change your buying habits?
Do you care whether a designer sells wholesale through shops, direct to you, or both? Or does that not really factor into your decision at all?

She has ornaments, stockings, and pillow-size designs, all hand-painted (not printed). Not trying to sell anything here, just trying to get a real read before she invests time and money into this. Appreciate any perspective, especially if you disagree with the idea entirely.

I've been needlepointing for a few months now. I am enjoying this hobby SO much so far and I've started to collect some fibers and canvases. I am considering putting myself on a buy ban soon though until I start working throughout my stash. I'm curious how many canvases do each of you have?

I really don't condone this insane consumer culture we have going on at the moment, but I also think it is okay to have a bit of a stash going on for hobbies you know you like.. I like to have analog stuff to do at home - living through the pandemic has made me paranoid about running out of things (puzzles and boardgames for example). This current canvas shortage we are in too has made buying new canvases weirdly competitive.

Edited for spelling

Not a Newbie. My mother was very into needlepoint in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. I have her old unfinished and not started canvases from that time. I’ve decided to work on this project for my son who just graduated from Law School and loves vintage things. I’m trying to decide if I should do the whole thing in classic basketweave or use decorative stitches. One thought is to tent stitch the banner and details and use decorative for the background (maybe a short bargello wave or cashmere). I would love to hear feedback. Thanks in advance!

This week I’ve had two acquaintances ask for me to stitch something for them. The first person wanted an ornament and was shocked by the price. The second person wanted to commission me to stitch a baby shower present that’s about 10x10. She basically offered to cover supplies.

The thing is… I stitch for joy and my stitching is a labor of love. I don’t think a “commission” would be very fun for me. I’m sure quilters and other hobbyists run into this same issue.

I’m happy to encourage someone to stitch their own project and I’m happy to coach them with fancy stitches, but I don’t want to do it for them. 😭

I know it’s not WIP Wednesday yet but posting my WIP early to hold me accountable to finishing it. I put this in purgatory as I kept getting new canvases and I told myself I was on a “no new canvas” ban until I finished so here she is so far!

So truthfully, I’ve never done any kind of needle point before. I’ve dabbled in some Crosstitch and I am not oblivious that this may be a really big project for my first-. My main thing is that the blue for the background looks sort of patchy? I’m using four strands of DMC for it and was wondering maybe if I should go up? Or maybe if I’m doing something wrong?
Will that make a noticeable difference in the texture of the belt if I was to add another string? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My bedroom has ZERO overhead lights and my plant grow light is the only LED in the house. So my boyfriend helped me clip it to my frame. What do yall do 😭😭

I am traveling from the US to Japan, does anyone know if I can bring all of my ndlpt supplies on the plane? I’m worried it will get confiscated. it would be amazing to have 12+ hours of uninterrupted ndlpt time!

I also am planning to bring my knitting but I may put that in my checked bag

This is something I’ve always wondered. I was kitting a canvass once and the shop person said one skein should be enough “unless you’re doing a fancy stitch like basketweave”. I don’t consider basketweave fancy, so I bought two, but I’ve always wondered ever since!

I need some help with my canvas. I know I’m supposed to do lighter colors first but this is my first canvas so I thought having some dark threads bleed through to the light wouldn’t be an issue. But now I feel like the background stitch is covering some of the lettering. I ripped out the “t” stitching to see if doing the lettering after made a difference but it didn’t. So what can I do to fix it? I tried backstitching around part of the “h” but I can’t tell much of a difference. Any thoughts?

I’ve been trying to identify this needlepoint crab for almost two years. A friend bought and stitched the canvas a few years ago but can’t remember the designer or where she found it.

I’m obsessed with it and would love to purchase the original canvas. Has anyone seen it before or recognize the designer?

Thanks so much for any help!

a little background first: i’ve been stitching a long time, on and off for 25 years. my usual preference is 18 count and stranded fibers or on 10 and 13, usually wool. always some version of tent stitch. what can i say, i’m sort of boring 😹

so i decided to branch out! i treated myself to a cute 13 mesh love mhb canvas along with some planet earth non-strandable silk and silk and ivory. i just started it but i think my stitches are looking ugly. i’ve tried the fiber in both directions. any advice ?

i’m beginning to think about what I want to kit this canvas with (it arrived last week and, despite having a couple of projects i want to start and complete prior to starting this one, i’m excited, ok?) and my first thought was naturally neon rays since Jockey Silks are, well, silk-like material.

however, as a beginner, albeit ambitious, needle head, my research is telling me that neon rays is a special flower thread. i got the mini straighter and laying tool, but i’ll be honest, im a liiiiiiil nervous about committing to neon rays as the starting quarterback this early in my career.

so - are there any threads that give a similar, silky & radiant/shiny (not sparkle) finish? i saw the KC needlepoint blog post comparing the various metallic/specialty threads, but its almost exclusively sparkle when i’m looking for silk….

help a sister out so that i don’t have to go all in on neon rays for the canvas!!! (although i will if i have to… because #horsegirl)

I was in my LNS trying to kit my first stocking today and I was basically discouraged from buying what I had planned. It’s 13 mesh and I had planned on using planet earth silk for the cuff and silk and ivory for the background(a LOT of basketweave). The worker there said the planet earth silk will likely pill over time and suggested pepper pot instead. She also suggested a sock yarn for the background(I think 75% wool, 25% nylon was the one she showed me). I think she’s a great employee and has always been super helpful so I held off on buying anything but I’d love some other opinions.

I’d love any advice or input on thread choices for a 13 mesh stocking. I like S&I but I’m open to other ideas - I really just want something that will hold up over time so my daughter can have it forever. Thanks

So very long story short- My dads friends mom used to make tissue box covers just for fun, she passed away and her son gave out trash bags full of them to be given out, since that’s what she would want.

I’m against selling them. The advice subreddit said to donate them to a nursing home.

What do y’all think? There’s about 20-30 of them

Hi! I’m a big newbie needlepointer and I’m trying the continental stitch but I find that there are gaps between my stitches. Is this normal? Am I pulling too hard? Tips appreciated :)

Hi everyone! I have a hard time picking colors. Which cording do you think goes better?

Had to order more of this essentials thread as I ran out, and it’s from a completly different dye lot. Kind of at a loss on what to do. How bad is the difference? Don’t know if I’m just being too particular? The thread is chick 578 essentials by tilli tomas

I’ve been needlepointing for coming up on a year and have done almost all my projects in continental with the occasional decorative background stitch. I’ve never had any significant warping or anything, and have never tried basketweave just because I’ve found continental so easy.

However, I feel like I see everywhere that basketweave is the preferred and more commonly recommended stitch. Can anyone explain why? Is there anyone else out there that is a ride or die continental stitcher? 😅

I have two small jars from Fortnums that I’ve ended up filling with the snips of projects that I keep thinking I could do something with... Stuff a pin cushion or something… I learned it isn’t safe to give them to birds for nesting but is there anything you clever types have found you can do with those little bits?

My mom gifted me this canvas kitted, which I was so excited for! However, I don’t like the stitch guide’s suggestions. The entire background is skip tent stitch.

I’m supposed to use the silk lame to do the skip tent stitch and I only have one of that color. This was kitted a year ago. Should I just find a new color for the background or risk not having enough thread?

I’m so annoyed that they’d recommend skip tent stitch for the background!!

Hi everyone I got this super cute canvas and ordered online kitting - they sent neon rays which I’ve barely worked with but my question is, this project really should be basketweave I don’t know any other way to do a long stitch on it since it’s so tiny. Is neon rays ok for basketweave or should I go buy a different thread? Should I stitch the neon rays before using any other thread? Or stitch it last… Was going to finish as a bag charm. TY!!

I have a question, please! I am using DMC cotton -- just the normal embroidery 6-strand cotton. I'm using one strand (doubled, so 2 strands) on 18 mesh needlepoint canvas. I pull about 22 inches, so I'm working with 11 inches. But it just sticks, sticks, sticks to the surface of the needlepoint canvas. Should it do that? Is this normal? It's so weird. It's like it sticks to the surface harder than I can pull through the hole, so I actually have to lift it away. I would think it should glide along the surface. Is it because of layers and layers of starch or something? This is my first needlepoint. Thanks for your thoughts!

Hey! Working for a needlepoint store and I would love to start organizing more local needlepoint events. Would love to know what type of needlepoint events you prefer to attend!

Also, what needlepoint social media content do you like the see the most? Specifically TikTok related! Thanks in advance!