WHAT STITCHES ARE USED TO DO NEEDLEPOINT?
‘Needlepoint’ is a simple embroidery technique which is sometimes called ‘tapestry’ or ‘petit point’ – even if it gets called by different names, the stitches used are the same! There are only two main stitches to learn, and they are very easy to do. Needlepoint can be worked on any fabric with an even number of warp and weft threads, such as canvas or evenweave, as it is a stitching technique which is counted from a chart. You will find it is a relaxing thing to be stitching away, covering the fabric with simple stitches in a rhythmic movement of the hand. Needlepoint differs from cross stitch in the stitches used, but it is quickly picked up by beginners. If you can already do cross stitch, you can definitely do needlepoint – and it’s quicker, too! Needlepoint uses two stitches – tent stitch and basketweave stitch. From the front of your work, both stitches look similar to half cross stitch (that is, the stitch is a slanting one that goes diagonally across an intersection of the base
