How Do You Prepare Needlepoint Canvas For Stitching?
To ensure a productive needlepoint experience, it is absolutely critical to prepare the canvas for stitching. Not doing the groundwork results in shoddy stitching and a distorted piece once the stitching has been completed. Here are the steps you should take to get your canvas ready for stitching. Trim the canvas as needed by carefully cutting it between threads and in a straight line. This is especially helpful when stitching square or rectangular needlepoint projects because the intersecting canvas meshes for squares that are uniform in size. Use masking tape on all sides or sew a zig-zag stitch around the edges to keep it neat and straight. The more you handle needlepoint canvas, the more it will unravel, so protect your canvas before making the first stitch. Using a light pencil and thick paper or poster board, trace around the edges of your canvas outline to make a pattern. This will be used to block your canvas during the finishing process. If the needlepoint project has been han
