Back in the 60's and 70's needlepoint was as popular as knitting is now. It was enjoyed by housewives, celebrities, free wheeling single girls like myself - even football players! And the interest in the medium made fertile ground for talented designers who created beautiful projects for themselves and others. It was such a popular hobby that books were published and magazines had countless features on the craft.
What I like about needlepoint is it can be easy or difficult, simple or complex. You can decide how involved you want to get in fancy stitches and shading, but simple projects can be equally as compelling.
This bandana pillow is a good example of simple. The design is easy to recreate. It's from one of my favorite needlepoint books from the 70's - Better Homes and Gardens Needlepoint, 1978.
Slightly more complex are these needlepoint flowers from the same book. The petals are each done individually, then wired and taped to a stem - such a pretty detail in a room!
Of course you can get as complex as you want to. Also from BH&G This freeform design breaks all the rules and is a lovely example of needleplay.
Our last Better Homes example is the beautiful kresh done in an abstract style. The detailed shading and elegant painterly quality of the faces is just lovely - so modern and sophisticated, yet still retaining a sense of humor.
Men took to needlepoint in the 70's, like they're taking to knitting now. There was quite a faction of male needlepointers, The most famous was perhaps Rosey Grier, the LA Giants tackle.
He loved the art and published a book all about it and the men who do it.
Here's Rosey with some of his projects
Another talented male needlepointer was Louis J. Gartner, Jr. He published a book in 1970 (Needlepoint Design, A House and Garden Book) that featured some of the beautifully detailed work he did.
This is a good example of his work. Notice the sense of depth he was able to achieve in a medium not unlike digital photography. Each stitch is like a pixel. Take note of how he uses the diagonal tent stitch (the basic stitch in needlepoint) to his advantage by lining them up to create a pin that holds objects on the wall. I particularly love the shadows cast in this still life.
Needlepoint is due for a revival. It's languished in the land of teddy bears and folk art long enough. If you're interested in the more creative side of needlepoint look on eBay or Amazon for the books mentioned above. I also have a few books on the art for sale on Etsy. Have a look at those too!
We did an episode on the art of needlepoint a few years back. Here it is again if you missed it:
Hi people! It's spring! The weather
is so beautiful here on the east coast. I was inspired to create
something springy today, so I put together an embroidery project using
my Felix Populi Tablecloth Check Napkins.
It's the perfect base for daisies! The white, yellow and green look so
cheerful on the red and white check ground. I love simple embroidery and
this project is just that! I used three stitches and four different
colors of yarn. Here's what you need:
Napkins Embroidery floss in ecru, yellow and two shades of green Embroidery needle Embroidery hoop Scissors
I did this freehand, so no markings
necessary. If you're new to embroidery, you'll want to practice the
stitches on some scrap fabric first. I started with French knots, which
formed the flower centers. To make a French knot, come up at the point
you want the knot to sit, wrap the yarn around the needle twice.
Then put the point down very close to
where the yarn comes out of the fabric, but not in the same hole. Pull
the yarn closely around the shaft of the needle and press it down to the
surface of the fabric.
Then pull the needle through and it will catch the loops and make a nice little nubbly knot on the surface of the fabric.
When working on something like a
napkin that will get a bit of wear, I like to leave a tail when I begin
my knots and then tie them off with the tail that comes back through the
fabric with a square knot or a granny knot.
The petals are a detached chain stitch.
Come up through the fabric close to the French knot, then go down right
next to the up-stitch but don't pull the loop flat - about 3/8" away
from the French knot, perpendicular to the stitches you've just taken,
come up and with the point of the needle, catch the loop.
Insert the needle just beyond the
first stitch and pull the stitch tight. It will catch the loop and
create the petal. Tie off as you did your french knot. Keep your
stitches short so they are less apt to get snagged.
The leaves are done in satin
stitch. I've separated one strand of the two different colors of green
into three threads each and combined them.
The
satin stitch is done by imagining a leaf shape on the surface of the
fabric and filling it in by creating parallel stitches over the surface
of the shape - coming up at the bottom and down at the top along the
edges. Again, tie off with a knot on the back.
To finish the design, I've scattered a
few French knots in white through it to represent the charming potential
of daisy buds. Once you get going this doesn't take long at all. You
can complete a full set of napkins over a weekend - perfect for spring
meals alfresco!
