needlepoint

Penny Linn

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Before the summer travels started, I made my way to the newest needlepoint store in New York City, Penny Linn. Located on the very very far west of Manhattan, it was an incredibly beautiful space filled with more fibers and threads that I have ever seen in my life! Very different than my usual go-to-needlepoint-stop Rita’s (which I will forever call home base and love), this shop was HUGE. Massive. It had thousands of canvases to browse and select from, although as an avid needlepointer, I wished there were larger scale canvases.  That said, of course, I left with two canvases that I LOVED and so many cool threads to use for them. So if you are in need of a new needlepoint store in the city, DEFINITELY suggest going. And if you want to shop from their online store, I also love that website!

 

Check them out! I love their matchbox selections — so trendy and cool.

I loved this pizza box and worked on it during my time in Paris.

Completed! Ignore the belly button 😉

Did this one, too! And I love it so much!

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Can’t wait to go back there in the Fall and see what new canvases they have in store. In the meantime, I am searching for a new project, so will be browsing. their website all day today. Hope you are off to a great start this week!

Needlepoint Bookmarks

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As you know by now, I spend a lot of time being crafty. Needlepoint is a good source of meditation for me, where I just sit and needlepoint. I feel like I am accomplishing something even when sitting still. I have become an avid needlepointer in the last 6 years — and although I like bigger projects, I always love doing these bookmarks. I start from scratch and do all of it — needlepoint, cut, sew, pom pom, etc…and I wanted to show you the process.

 

This is the hardest part. The needlepointing. It takes forever. Even though they are small. They take forever.

I then cut it out, and put clear nail polish on the ends of the canvas so it doesn’t fray.

Then I glue it on felt.

Then found matching thread.

Then sewed it together (yes even on the subway)

Made pompoms and sewed them on top.

And voila! Bookmarks!

 

I think they are fun little gifts — even if people don’t understand how long it took to make them — they are just some fun sparks of joy!

Serpent Sea Customized Needlepoint Canvas

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My favorite new needlepoint to create (and gift) is a customized needlepoint zipper pouch that looks like an old school air envelope. There is something fun, retro, beautiful about it that instantly called my attention. So since I discovered Serpent Sea, I have made four of these pouches!

 

So many different options!

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Needlepoint Canvases

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Holiday season is upon us, which means more traveling and time to needlepoint! I love getting lots of canvases to work on during my travels (and down time), and here are some websites that I have recently loved purchasing my different canvases.

 

1. The Red Thread Atelier

 

I bought several canvases from this new website, and I love them all. Especially love this future pouch for all my emergency candy!

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Needlepoint Chair

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As you all know, in the past two years (thank you, pandemic hobby), I have become an avid needlepointer. I have made hundreds of coasters, pillows, sunglasses holders, and ornaments. I keep them or give them to friends and family. But this past week, I finally *SOLD* one of my creations and I am so happy. Yes, I  made about $2 per hour, but I love the process and the creation, so the money in the end isn’t the important part. I collaborated with upholster, Chairloom, to make a beautiful chair and I am so proud of the final creation that I had to share with you all — thank you for letting me share! We worked together to find the right vintage chair, perfect fabric to match, and then Chairloom put it all together. Take a look!

 

The chair! I did the BIG needlepoint and then teamed up with Chairloom. The chair is actually a tiny small chair — which we loved — BIGGIE SMALLS in a tiny kings chair.

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Needlepoint Pointers

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If you are a needlepointer (or interested in needlepointing), then this post is for YOU! In the past 16 months of my new found hobby, I have done a lot of research (and trial and error) on what works and doesn’t work. And because I am a sharer, here are various tips / pointers on websites, threads, anything and everything needlepoint that has worked for ME! (And if you have any favorites, please share with me, too!)

 

My most recent project!

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Custom Needlepoint Canvas DNS by Design

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As many of you know, since April 2020, I have become an avid needlepointer. I spend a lot of time planning a project, working on it, and finishing it. I love (and hate!) the process of it, but I absolutely love having a final product — especially when I am proud of the work. I have spent hours upon hours searching for canvases that strike a chord with me, but more often than not, I am left uninspired and wanting more. I absolutely loved making my Notorious BIG footstool, as well as my Tupac pillow, and I wanted to find something in the same genre — cool, hip, unique, exotic, and colorful. Unfortunately, after my own search,  I never found anything. Thankfully, a friend told me to contact Denise, of DNS by Design, who can custom paint any canvases, any size, any photo. And boy, did I luck out in finding her! What a gem!!!!

 

The final product of my Biggie stool.

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Biggie Footstool

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Since May, I have been utterly and totally obsessed with needlepointing. I cannot stop and love it so much. I find it meditative and calming….both the process as well as the finished product. Recently, I finished the canvas of Notorious BIG and sent it to an amazing upholster who made it in to a footstool. I love it SO very much that I wanted to share with you all!

 

Biggie

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Homemade Coasters

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Recently, I have been on a needlepoint kick. I can’t stop! I can sit there for hours, just needlepointing. It is relaxing, at the same time as being stressful. But in the end, I love the enjoyment of creating something from scratch. In the past two months, I have thoroughly enjoyed making a series of “duds” and “dudes,” and then making them in to coasters. I made each bit of them by hand — they look it, too — but I secretly love the organic, roughness of it. You can tell that someone made them, and I love that part of it. So now, we have fun and wacky new coasters for our home — I just need to have a party (thanks, COVID!)

 

This is my little nook, where I spent a big portion of the day…..

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Needlepoint Bookmarks

Josie Girl 1 Comment

This summer, I have spent hours needle pointing — even though I have a love hate relationship with it. It is meditative, creative, and gets my mind off of everything (COVID, NYC, school this fall, being away from friends, etc…) — but it is also incredibly frustrating as it takes FOREVER. That said, after I finished three projects, I didn’t know what to do with them. Do you frame them and hang them up? Make a boring pillow? Just felt incomplete and missing the final touch. SO I MADE THEM INTO BOOKMARKS. They went from boring to full on FUN PIZAZZ LIFE OF THE PARTY BOOKMARKS. They took forever to sew the edges, put on a backing, whip stitch it all together — and they don’t look perfect — but I really love them! They are truly a labor of love!

The three final products. The next project is in the mail arriving tomorrow — Veuve Cliquot Champagne! Can’t wait to start that and make yet another bookmark!

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Pip and Roo Needlework

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My COVID hobby of needlepoint is back in to my life again, thanks to the coolest and hippest needlepoint company, Pip and Roo. After my first two designs, I started googling “hip needlepoint” and sure enough after many duds, I found Pip and Roo. Unfortunately, as everyone and their mother started needlepointing during COVID (along with baking banana bread and bike riding), it was impossible to find one of their designs as they were sold out everywhere. Thanks to a notification, I finally was informed when they were back in stock so I jumped on it. I made the Rose (Whispering Angel, but of course) over the past three days and I just ordered the Aperol Spritz and I can’t wait to start on that. They are funny, cheeky, cute, and well designed. So many other companies make cheesy and flat out lame and uninspiring drawings….so if you are on the lookout for cool and hip needlepointing, take a look at Pip and Roo!

 

Night one. I love it — and hate it at the same time — I can’t put it down which is good and bad.

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Needlepointing

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Going old school and needlepointing! Over the weekend, after watching movie number 2 of the day  (it was raining), I decided that we needed to bring needlepoint in to our lives. I grew up without a television and a very artistic mother, so at a very young age, my brother and I cross stitched. I have fond memories of us camping and sitting by the fire and cross stitching. So, we piled in to the car, and drove to an embroidery store (The Enriched Stitch in Wilton, CT) to get the supplies. I really don’t have a clue on what I am doing, but I taught Cruzzie, too, and it is theraputic, frustrating, and extremely rewarding. I can’t wait to finish our first project and then start another one. They are so addicting!

 

There is a basic stitch that is easy to learn and then you just do it. We spent hours on the couch stitching….

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Needlepoint Belt

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For the past three years, my son has had a dress code at school of coat and tie. Next year, he will also have to wear a belt. No surprise, I like to put Cruzzie in colorful, playful, and patterned clothes everyday, and so when I went to look for a belt, I knew that I didn’t want a simple leather one that yelled BORING. So instead, I thought a skeleton one would add some humor and fun to his outfits at the same time as being neutral. A dear friend told me about the company Smathers and Branson, which makes cute needlepoint belts by hand. All of the patterns are too cute (Grateful Dead??? Amazing) and add a little pizzazz and flavor.

 

Hand-stitched needlepoint

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