Needlepoint
From LoveToKnow Crafts
Needlepoint is a fun, classic craft that produces beautiful works of art from fabric and thread. For inexperienced crafters however, there can be some confusion about what needlepoint is and how exactly it differs from other crafts. For instance, what's the difference between needlepoint, cross stitch and embroidery.
Needlepoint defined
The American Needlepoint Guild has an inclusive definition of the craft: "any counted or free stitchery worked by hand with a threaded needle on a readily countable ground."
This definition would include cross stitch in the world of needlepoint, but not embroidery. To make things more confusing, embroidery is often used as a general term for stitching, but it call also define a specific sort of decorative thread art.
Embroidery vs. Needlepoint
Let’s get the easy one out of the way first. Embroidery doesn’t have much at all to do with needlepoint. They both involve fabric, thread and a needle but that's where the similarities end.
Embroidery is done on plain fabric and is a sort of freehand style. Stitches like the blanket stitch, outline stitch, running stitch and chain stitch are combined with decorative knots to make designs such as flowers and to outline shapes in the fabric.
One popular way that embroidery is used is in Crazy Quilting. Learn more about embroidery by visiting the Embroidery section of Love to Know CRAFTS.
Cross stitch vs. needlepoint
The differences between cross stitch and needlepoint are a little harder to spot. Both crafts use a fabric (also known as a canvas) with little squares and holes. In cross stitch, the stitches are formed by making x’s across the squares to make a pattern.
Needlepoint uses different stitches, which we’ll talk about in a minute. The other major difference between cross stitch and needlepoint is that a needlepoint design fills up the entire fabric, while cross stitch can be large or small but almost always has blank canvas around the stitched image.
Needlepoint stitches
Several different stitches can be used in needlepoint, but the most popular is known as basketweave (also called tent, continental or half-cross). These are like the first stitch in a cross stitch x. Different names are given to the stitch depending on which direction the stitch is made.
Other stitches include the slanted gobelin, which is a long diagonal stitch across two squares, and Byzantine and Jacquard, which are stairstep stitches.
Straight stitches include bargello, gobelin and Parisien. Stitches can also be made in boxes and crosses. For a look at how the different stitches look in a finished pattern, visit Needlework.com.
Great needlepoint sites
To learn more about needlepoint, in addition to the wonderful articles on this site (see related articles, below), check out these great sites dedicated to needlepoint.
- Needlepoint.org, the site of the American Needlepoint Guild, offers education and resources for crafters, including a stitch of the month. Start at the beginning, in February 1998, to see the most basic stitches.
- Stitching.com has a great free online needlepoint guide, which shows how to work stitches on different kinds of canvas, how to work a project and some of the basic stitches.
- Needlepoint Now is a magazine for needlepoint crafters. The online classroom and free projects sections are great places to look for ideas and inspiration.
Related articles
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