Needlepoint

When I was young my grandmother was always doing needlepoint. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I really appreciate the her skill and the intricate work that went into each piece. My grandmother passed away in 1993, but I now have two of her pieces in my house, a stool that she made for me when I was an infant, and a piece that she designed and stitched to copy a Joan Miro painting.

I've always loved the Miro needlepoint and my mom gave it to me a few years ago. Each segment of the piece is made with a different stitch and I think it's absolutely beautiful.

Fast forward to a few months ago and one of my favorite blogs, Retro Renovation, had a feature on Erica Wilson, the 1970s queen of needlepoint. Specifically, they highlighted bargello needlepoint, a quite old florentine style of flame stitch that was popular in the 1970s and looks beautiful on pillows. The designer Jonathan Adler has been producing his own modern twist on bargello, but his pillows are quite expensive. 

So, inspired by my grandmother, I decided to pick up a few vintage books on bargello needlepoint and teach myself how to do it. With Margaret Boyles' Bargello: An Explosion In Color and The Margaret Boyles Bargello Workbook in hand, I decided to set out on my first needlepoint adventure.

Here's my progress so far. I think it looks pretty good. I'll keep you updated as I move along. I'm hoping to make at least four pillows. I need to procure a sewing machine from an estate sale, but that shouldn't take long. Hopefully I can keep up my motivation.