It can seem a bit daunting if you decide you'd like to try doing some tapestry or needlepoint and you don't know where to turn. There are so many kits to choose from and so many seemingly different styles and materials and techniques, you might not be sure what you are actually getting into. You will probably want to do something fairly straightforward to start with. I would say most tapestry kits you see on line consist of a printed canvas, like Ehrman or Jolly Red, tapestry wool and instructions. These types of kits are worked in a tent stitch (1/2 a cross stitch) and the completed canvas can be finished, or made up into a cushion.
The kits that I design at PippinKits are created on a blank canvas starting at the centre. The stitches are counted using the canvas holes as a guide from instructions that explain how the stitches are organised. As my designs are geometric/ symmetrical patterns this works very well. Most of the stitches I use are either a long stitch (Bargello) or a diagonal long stitch of varying lengths to make squares and triangles. This means that the designs can be worked up relatively quickly as many stitches are longer than the conventional tent stitch.
The picture below shows my Zig Zag Rainbow design, which is actually a style of long stitching (or Florentine stitching) that originated in The Bargello in Florence, Italy, where prisoners were detained from the 14th - 19th century. Hence the term Bargello for these types of patterns that were first created by the prisoners there and taken up by fashionable Europeans. It looks complicated but once you get into the swing of it. it is very simple to do - it only uses the one long stitch.
It is important to use the best quality quality materials when embarking on any project as you will have a more enjoyable stitching experience and your finished product will be more beautiful and longer lasting. The tapestry wool in all the kits I design and produce are sourced from Appletons in the UK and the canvas comes from Zweigart, imported direct from Germany. Customer support is very important at PippinKits and all customers should feel free to contact me with any stitching queries no matter how big or small. I hope, whatever kit you decide to try or whatever type of stitching you find suits you best that you start on a stitching journey that brings you joy. Happy stitching!
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