Decorative Needlepoint Stitches

I have devoted much time and energy to learning, designing, teaching, painting, and writing about decorative needlepoint stitches. I was reading a blog, Needlepoint in the 21st Century, this morning about "this fascination everyone in my *needlepoint world* has with ever more difficult stitches." It really got me thinking about why I have dedicated a great deal of my design techniques and my blog to decorative stitches. Personally, I started stitching decorative stitches because I had a "need for speed". As a designer I needed finished samples to display at shows. I'm a one woman operation. Using decorative stitches helped me stitch canvases faster. The result of using decorative needlepoint stitches was the finished item looked more interesting. People asked questions, wanted to know what I did. The same result occurred when I used specialty threads. Most of all I was learning something new. I had a sense of accomplishment. I could needlepoint the exact same canvas as someone else and it would look different. It would be mine! My hope when designing a canvas is that each stitcher will make it their own by changing colors, choosing specialty threads and adding decorative stitches. In my opinion, needlepoint is decorative, enjoyable, creative and functional. Each canvas I design hopefully has each of these components. My business mission statement includes "uncomplicated, clear colors are easy to needlepoint for the novice or creatively embellish for the veteran stitcher." This morning I was going to post another decorative stitch completed on the Poppy Plaid border, but I had to stop and think why was I doing this? I do this because I want to pass on what I've learned and hopefully help someone else learn in a simple, straight forward way, too. I'll keep you posted as I continue to create hand-painted needlepoint featuring clear color, specialty threads, and decorative stitches.

Comments

[Leslie]

I, too, read the original blog-post referenced on your blog tonight, Barbara.
But my experiences made me read it in an entirely different way.

After needlepointing for more than 35 years, I think I can safely make comments on what has changed in the field. Canvases have become more intricate, threads have expanded stitching possibilities and teachers have informed us of techniques. Enlarging our approach to a creative endeavor that is needlepoint is integral to an artist's growth.

But, I've also experienced a not-so-subtle one-ups-man-ship in the field. A race to see who can use the most contorted stitches in the most number of ways using the most obscure threads.........and woe to the stitcher who focuses on color, on texture and who (gasp) may choose to stitch a piece entirely in basketweave. This is one reason I left the gamesmanship played at my local ANG group.

For many years I was both student and teacher in the creative writing field. Let me assure you: the game is played there as well. Perhaps this is a dynamic found in the creative arts?

I don't know. I do trust my experiences, and it was the same that I brought to reading the original blog-post.

I enjoy watching how you develop your canvases. Your posts encourage me to think about modifying my own canvases, if I choose. I enjoy the play of colors you indulge and your blog is one I've bookmarked for daily reading.

So, for whatever it's worth, I offer another way of regarding the original poster on her blog. Truthfully, I laughed when I read it, saying to myself, well what do you know? Someone willing to speak up about this competition going on in our artistry.

Cheers!
Leslie