Oh, Stitch Episode 12: So You Finished It. Now What?

The last stitch is in. Cue the happy dance. Now what?

Natasha and Alonsa tackle exactly that on this episode of Oh, Stitch. (Take two, by the way. Take one was recorded together at The Greenbrier, and the video refused to cooperate:/)

What They're Stitching

Natasha: one teeny tiny and one capital F.

Rule of life: you cannot leave a local needlepoint shop empty-handed. At Stitch in Middleburg, Virginia, Natasha found a blue and white ginger jar about an inch and a half tall, then gave it a blue border, a Very Velvet bow, and an X-pattern background stitch. Done in a couple of hours. It's becoming an ornament, because she has enough bag tags at the moment, thank you.

Then the big one. Her "I'd Rather Be Needlepointing" canvas from the Needle Nook in La Jolla is back from Cara at Waste Not Want Not as a box pillow in pink and white Latouche. Padded satin stitch letters, satin stitch diamonds in the border, and no fabric border to steal the show. Next stop: the pink guest room in Palm Springs. Why a box pillow? Timeless meets modern, and you almost never see one in a store.

Alonsa: up, up, and away.

Two hot air balloon canvases from Alex at Lottie Lew, scooped up at The Greenbrier. One carries Santa and a reindeer in reds, greens, and golds on 18 mesh, with Very Velvet Petite, because holiday canvases deserve velvet. The other is pale blue with a giraffe on board. What will they become? No idea. And that's 100% ok.

Needlepoint in the Wild

A Charlottesville antique store that looked like one room and just. Kept. Going. Inside: needlepoint everywhere.

Footstools. Recovering an old stool or bench? Use a canvas. A needlepoint footstool by a nursery glider is pure charm.
A framed life of Mary Todd Lincoln. Old, intricate, and probably stitched freehand. Mind blown.
A wooden box with a needlepoint lid, spotted at The Greenbrier. Acrylic boxes let you swap canvases. Wood feels like an heirloom.

Go Big on the Wall

Frame a large canvas the way you'd frame a Hermès scarf and it becomes art. Tiny canvases are instant gratification, but big ones give you way more stitching for your money.

Will it take a while? Sure. Natasha has an unfinished picture frame, a set of coasters with zero finished, and a Fendi-style bag she hasn't touched in weeks. Your hobby, your rules.

Wear It

Jacket backs. Heather Ray stitches older canvases onto leather and denim jackets. Go full back, or a small surprise patch.
Jean pockets. Alonsa's newest obsession. Stitch a canvas in the shape of your back pocket and sew it on. A blue and white octopus version they spotted in Charlottesville looked enormous flat and fit perfectly on an actual backside.
Purse straps and belts. Always a yes.

Washing tip: hand wash or gentle cycle, then air dry. The dryer is not your friend.

Around the House

Tray borders. Stitch in Middleburg finished a belt-style canvas around the edge of a tray, and they'll do yours too.
Luggage rack straps. The sisters grew up with a needlepoint luggage rack in the guest room (technically Natasha's room, until company arrived). Straps feel substantial without being overwhelming, and you can match them to the room. Finish with a binding stitch, a soft backing so they have some give, and snaps.

Show Us Yours

Got an unusual finish? Spotted needlepoint in the wild? Made luggage rack straps? Slide into their DMs.

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