Introduction | Books | Magazines | Professional Resources | Related Articles | Sample Business Plans | Start-up Issues
Needlepoint is a form of canvas work created on a mesh canvas. The stitching threads used may be wool, silk, or rarely cotton. Stitches may be plain, covering just one mesh intersection with a single orientation, or fancy, such as bargello. Plain stitches may be worked as basketweave or half cross. Basketweave uses the most wool, but does not distort the rectangular mesh.
Finished works may be made into pillows or upholstery, or may be displayed on the wall. Typical mesh counts range from 5 to 18 stitches per running inch.
Needlepoint is valued as a soothing activity that creates durable and attractive objects for domestic use. Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I were avid needlepointers.
Styles
In needlepoint, many distinct styles have evolved. Among them are Berlin wool work,
Bargello and Hungarian point.
Business
Needlepoint as a business is classified as an industry based on its purpose. It can be
in the manufacturing industry as a textile product (NAICS Code
314999) if what is produced is a new product,
such as an article of clothing. It can be in the arts industry if the needlepoint is considered
to be a work of art (NAICS Code 711510),
rather than a product.
There are a variety of ways people make money from needlepoint. Some sell their needlepoint locally, at trade shows or via the internet. Others sell original patterns or kits they have designed themselves. And, still others teach needlpoint. The best way to learn more about the viabiiity of any of these business models is to participate in associations and workshops, subscribe to magazines that are related to your interests, and read books that give more in-depth information about the business.
Introduction | Books | Magazines | Professional Resources | Related Articles | Sample Business Plans | Start-up Issues
101 Needlepoint Stitches and How to Use Them
Provides detailed information for the beginning and advanced needlepointer
on a wide variety of stitches. Of special interest is a four page reference
section where stitches are listed according to their use as a background,
filling, detail, quick to stitch, slow to stitch and best canvas.
Animal Embroideries & Patterns: From XIX Century Vienna, from the Nowotny Collection
Filled with page after page of colorful Berlin work charts, in different
categories such as cats, dogs, horses, birds, and exotic animals. There
is a section of black and white charts at the back of the book. They are clear, easy
to use, and coded for DMC floss, and DMC wool.
The Basic Guide to Pricing Your Craftwork
Basic formulas for pricing craftwork, retail or wholesale.
The Basic Guide to Selling Arts & Crafts
Step-by-step help on over 150 topics for marketing your home made crafts.
The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts on the Internet
Unravels the mysteries of selling crafts online with clear, step-by-step advice.
Beth Russell's Traditional Needlepoint
Timeless needlepoint designs, often based on the work of William Morris and
the Arts and Crafts Movement. Full-color charts and instructions are given for
more than 15 designs, and lavish photographs showcase every finished piece.
Business and Legal Forms for Crafts
A complete set of business and legal forms designed to meet the active craftperson's every need.
The Business of Sewing, Volume 1
Sample price lists; lists of organizations and lending institutions; payment methods
you can offer your customers; how to get a merchant account for credit card sales;
how to collect money on past due accounts; buying in bulk with a list of
suppliers and a sample letter to contact them; business and financial plans;
studio design, networking; time management;
tackling your fears; turning sewing into a business and making the transition; how
to avoid getting frustrated; industry statistics.
The Business of Sewing, Volume 2
How to make a "Consumer Price List", and how to structure a "Working Price List"
and the use of both; what "Pricing" method is best for you and how to handle price
resistance; how to conduct production analysis with a time and motion
study; how to make a project inventory list; how to market your business;
subcontractors or fabricators and how to hire them; E-commerce and
on-line merchant accounts, web design, shopping carts and E-newsletters;
how to write books and articles, teach seminars and workshops, and produce sewing
audios and videos.
Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework
Originally published in France in 1884, this anniversary edition provides fascinating
historical information plus new additions that make it a classic.
The Complete Needlepoint Course
This comprehensive volume teaches everything from bargello to wheat stitch,
free embroidery to pulled thread work. More than 100 stitches are explained with
clear instructions, photos, and diagrams. Dozens of projects incorporate the
stitches and their variations into chair seats, samplers, pillows, frames,
pincushions, covered boxes, and rugs. The befores and afters are also here:
selecting canvas, threads, and other equipment, and finishing techniques -
from blocking to mounting to adding trim.
The Complete Needlepoint Guide
Complete introduction to the art of needleworking, discussing the finer points of canvases,
yarns, and the various materials available for creating beautiful pieces of homespun art.
Crafting as a Business
How to develop a thriving retail business.
Crafting for Dollars
Covers every aspect of starting and managing your own craft-based business.
Crafts and Crafts Shows
Good business practice in dealing with customers, pricing, and presentation in the show booth.
The Crafts Business Answer Book & Resource Guide
Answers to questions about starting, marketing, and managing a homebased business
efficiently, legally, and profitably.
Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Needlework
This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of needlepoint, embroidery, and cross-stitch
stitches. Each stitch is shown from both the front and the back of the fabric.
Color illustrations shown how to make the stitch, step-by-step, with brief directions
included just beneath the illustration. This book also includes projects for each
area, as well as a brief history of needlecraft and a listing of supplies and tools.
The Ehrman Needlepoint Book
35 needlepoint projects from 14 top designers, including Kaffe Fassett, Candace
Bahouth, and Elian McCready. Ehrman needlepoint sets are recognized all over
the world and this new and varied collection reveals the Ehrman standards at their best.
Elian McReady's Needlepoint
As one of Ehrman Tapestry's best-selling designers, Elian McCready's work is
colorful and larger than life, yet beautifully subtle. Included in this gorgeous
book are designs that were previously only available in kit form, plus six
completely new creations.
Handmade for Profit
Hundreds of secrets to success in selling arts & crafts.
Make It Profitable!
The best ideas and information from 80 professionals in various fields of the craft industry.
The Needlepoint Book
A complete update of the classic guide, which has become known as "The Black Bible."
The Secrets of Needlepoint: Technique and Stitches
99 different stitches that are diagramed and illustrated; basic and advanced
principles of design; handy tips and techniques; and sound advice for selecting
equipment and supplies.
Stitch Sampler
Part One consists of both traditional and contemporary techniques, grouped into
14 families of related stitches. This clear and concise shows readers how to
use and combine every stitch to achieve the best decorative and textural effects.
Part Two contains photographs of the basic equipment needed, as well as
techniques demonstrating how to design projects, prepare fabrics, and transfer
designs using templates. Also included is a section on how the choice of
fabrics and threads in varying combinations produces varying effects. Finally,
a special section features ways to care for fine finished pieces.
Your Crafts Business: A Legal Guide
Explains legal principles that protect a crafts business and help it grow. It also
provides practical advice on how to deal with day-to-day problems -- such as dealing
with delinquent payments. The book provides over a dozen tear-out contracts and other
legal forms, plus step-by-step instructions to fill them out.
Introduction | Books | Magazines | Professional Resources | Related Articles | Sample Business Plans | Start-up Issues
Beadwork
Beautiful beaded projects with clear instructions, inspiring articles filled
with techniques, and features to keep you up-to-date with the beading world.
Expression
Paper arts, jewelry-making, fabric arts, and home decoration projects and ideas suited
to both the novice and professional artist.
Fiberarts : The Magazine Of Textiles
Reviews national and international exhibitions, and explores new trends and issues facing the field.
Inspiration
Features the work of top needlework, smocking, and sewing designers from Australia and
around the world, complete with embroidery keys, full-size patterns, illustrations, and
step-by-step directions for completing projects at home.
Ornament
A 25-year old international publication devoted personal adornment, covering
ancient, ethic & contemporary jewelry, beads & historic and artist-made clothing.
Piecework
Cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting, quilting, crochet, beading, lace making, and crochet,
plus the stories and ethnic traditions behind the techniques.
