How to Needlepoint
Looking to get started with needlepoint? You’re in the right place! Needlepoint is a relaxing, slow hobby that is perfect for those looking to create something beautiful. I particularly love it for two main reasons: one, it keeps me off my phone, and two, it doesn’t inherently require an artistic nature. I wouldn’t call myself a very artistic person, and needlepoint is like paint by number – everywhere there is an intersection (or cross) of a certain color; you stitch over it with thread in a corresponding color. Needlepoint is certainly creative though! When it comes to choosing colors and threads, deciding if you want to color swap, or selecting which stitches to use, there are many ways to get creative and make your needlepoint project truly your own.
Supplies to Get Started
- Canvas
- Thread
- Tapestry Needle (Size 22 for 18 mesh / Size 20 for 13 mesh)
- Small, sharp embroidery scissors
How to Choose a Beginner Project
We recommend a 13 mesh project as the bigger holes make it easier to stitch. We also recommend looking for a canvas with less colors and big blocks of color as opposed to lots of fine details. It may not be your favorite project ever, but that’s ok! You will likely make some mistakes on your first project, so it’s not the time to worry about perfection.
Shop beginner-friendly canvases here and read more about what makes a good beginner project here.
How to Start a Thread
Start your thread by cutting your skein or unwinding enough thread to be about the length from your wrist to your elbow. Make sure you keep your skein tag – you'll want to remember the color and dye lot of the thread later. To thread your needle, there are three methods. You can fold and wiggle the thread through the eye, lick the end of the thread, or use a needle threader. Whichever way you prefer works (although we love a needle threader!).
After your needle is threaded, you should have a shorter end and a longer end. Tie a chunky double knot at the end of the longer end. This is called your "waste knot," and will be cut off your canvas later.
How to Stitch
Next, identify where you want to start stitching. It's recommended to start at the upper right-hand corner of the canvas, so locate the first intersection of color in that area with your needle. Move your needle to the left about 6-8 stitches to the left and enter the canvas from the front. Pull the needle through the back of the canvas until your knot catches on the front of the canvas. Now, bring your needle back to where you are going to start stitching. (Note: if you are lefthanded, you can mirror this process to make it easier for you!).
On the continental stitch, you are always creating a stitch that looks like a backslash (/), and you are stitching across a horizontal plane that snakes across and down your canvas. When you are moving from right to left, you are going to enter the canvas from the back at the bottom left, pull your thread through, and then enter the canvas from the front at the top right. This is called going from Texas to Maine – picture a map of the US and imagine where Texas and Maine are, this is the direction you are stitching. Make sure to turn your canvas over a few times to ensure your thread is wrapping over the thread on the back that's connected to your waste knot. This ensures that when you cut the knot off, the thread stays pinned in place.
When you get to the stitch before your waste knot, gently pull the knot toward you and cut the knot off. Pull any excess to the back so the cut end isn't sticking through the front. Now, keep following this same stitch all the way across the top row of your canvas!
When it's time to change direction and go from left to right for the second row, you also change stitch direction. Your stitches should still create a backslash (/) shape, but instead of going from Texas to Maine, you are going to go Maine to Texas. Remember, your stitches will move in the opposite direction that your row is moving. Switching direction ensures full and more secure coverage on the back of your canvas.
Alternatively, you can flip your canvas over and keep stitching Texas to Maine as you did with the first row. It's entirely up to personal preference! For traveling up and down, you will move from Texas to Maine while stitching down, and Maine to Texas while stitching up (or flip your canvas).
How to End a Thread
When you are finishing stitching, end your thread with the needle on the back of the canvas. Weave your needle through about 6-8 completed stitches to keep the tail in place, then snip off the excess. Make sure to send your needle through stitches either horizontally or vertically – if you cast off in a diagonal, it will create a ridge on the front of your piece.
How to Start a New Thread
When it's time for a new thread, you can either create another waste knot, or "cast on" by burying your thread on the back of the canvas, similar to how you end a thread. Just make sure to run your thread through 6-8 stitches with your needle pointing toward the intersection you want to start with. Carefully pull the first stitch through, so as not to pull out your tail, then stitch normally.
Miscellaneous Tips & Reminders
- Start at the upper right-hand corner of your canvas.
- Stitches move in the opposite direction that you travel:
- Stitching from right to left or down: Texas to Maine
- Stitching from left to right or up: Maine to Texas
- Only bury threads horizontally and vertically, not diagonally!
- Make sure to keep your skein labels! Dye lots vary between threads, so colors may look slightly different between dye lots. If you have any thread leftover from a project, you will want to know the color and dye lot for your next use!
- Because dye lots differ, it’s best to over buy thread rather than under buy. You will start to build your thread stash that you can “shop” from future projects!
- When you pull the thread through the canvas, try to keep even tension. This helps keep your stitches looking even and not bumpy. The “right” level of tension will cover the painted canvas but won’t be so tight that the canvas begins to warp. Soon, you will get a good feel for it as you practice, and it will become second nature!
- Your thread will twist as you stitch. Periodically, drop the needle to allow the thread to untwist.
- If you’ve made a mistake, unthread your needle and use your needle to unstitch the stitch and try again! If you try to pull the needle back through the canvas, chances are you may catch some of your thread which creates a pesky knot.
- Occasionally flip your canvas over to check that you are stitching correctly. The more covered the back of your canvas, the better. If you notice you are stitching incorrectly and some canvas is peeking through, don’t panic! As long as it looks the same on the front, simply adjust your direction and keep stitching.
- Remember that needlepoint is stitched on a grid, so when you are stitching round shapes, one side of the design will look smooth while the other is choppy. This is simply how a curve translates on a canvas! When you step back from the canvas, it’s not noticeable, promise!
