Yes, The Things They Carried was an amazing book but for me it’s also a phrase that applies to needlepoint. You really need to have all your stitching supplies organized when you travel…below is a list of needlepoint Things That Need To Be Carried.

A tote bag. Either with handles or without. These totes come in three sizes and have a zipper which is key. Bags always seems to get dumped upside down in the car. I like the see-through tote so you can tell which project is which. I mean who goes on vacation with only one project?! That would be ridiculous.

A magnetic needle safe. Keeps extra needles in one place plus your scissors and needle threaders will fit in there too. Very tidy.

A needle threader. Try wedging perle cotton through the eye of a number 22 needle without a threader. Our POIA threaders also have a razor blade cutter on the other end.

A Thread Cutter. If you are doing a lot of starting and stopping,  you will need a heavy-duty thread cutter. Great for plane travel…mean TSA agents are still confiscating scissors.

A fiber organizer. Very helpful to keep you on the straight and narrow. I also like the floss away bags.

Most of these products are available in our webstore and all are available by calling the shop at 202 966 9898.

Happy traveling…happy stitching,
Susan

Today marks the fourth anniversary of our owning The Point of It All! It’s been an amazing four years and we are excited about the future. We are pleased to have such wonderful customers who make it a pleasure to come to the shop each day. Thank you!

To celebrate, I will give 30% off any special order canvas ordered before April 30th. (Excludes custom canvases.) So start shopping! Here’s a link to the artists’ webpages in case you need inspiration! Please email me your orders at [email protected]

Happy stitching and thank you for all the support!
Susan & Chris

The proliferation of all these new deal sites like Living Social and Groupon is hard to miss, but I wanted to point out one current deal that may be of interest to any fellow needlepointers. Living Social and G Street Fabrics are teaming up to offer $50 in goods at G Street for only $25. I’m not involved with either party and receive no compensation from them. I just thought it was a good deal!

It’s Only Available for the next 18 Hours.

Here is the link:

http://livingsocial.com/deals/33900-50-to-spend-on-fabrics-sewing-and-more/social_share?ref=addthis-share5

I am excited to introduce our new line of wool…Appleton! It’s British and made exclusively for needlework as opposed to Paternayan which was developed for rugs. Here’s what you need to know about Appleton:

1. It comes in more than 400 rich, vibrant colors

2. This wool is made in two weights: crewal (use 2 strands on 18 mesh) and tapestry (use 1 strand on 13 mesh)

3. A mini skein costs $1.50. We can also order larger hanks. (Those take about 6-8 weeks to arrive because they must be hand-dyed in England and then shipped to us.) Perhaps we should just arrange periodic junkets to London to pick up the wool!

4. There is no plying or separating with Appleton! Just needle up and go!

5. Many Cathedrals only use Appleton for their kneelers

Why did we leave Paternayan wool after all these years, you ask?

The Paternayan company continues to be in dire financial straits and can’t fill many orders to any shop in the country. We have stuck with the company for nearly 11 months and at this point we cannot be without wool.

I really and truly feel we are coming out ahead…Appleton is a delightful wool that I am pleased to carry in the shop. Stop by for a sample!

Happy stitching,
Susan

Ho Ho Ho! It’s time for our annual Christmas in June sale! All in-stock Christmas and Judaic canvases will be 20% off from Tuesday, 6/1 through Tuesday, 6/29.* Stock up now for a cool yule!

Come by the shop and see our new layout…I moved some furniture and the shop looks great…a fresh look for the summer! (I’ll post before and after pictures later this week.)

Remember we are closed on Wednesdays for June, July, and August.

Happy stitching,
Susan

* Sale excludes custom and special-order canvases. All sales final; no returns, refunds, or exchanges.

Bella Lusso is a relatively new fiber and I really like it! It’s 100% merino wool and is supposed to be a replacement for Medici, which many of you know. (Who knows why Medici was discontinued?) I like to use 2 or 3 strands of Bella Lusso on 18 mesh. I haven’t tried it on 13 mesh but you would have to use so many strands…that might not be a good idea. I’ve also paired 1 strand with 1 strand of Alpaca or Whisper to give a little heft to those fibers. Bella Lusso comes in tons of colors and the company usually puts out 6 or so new ones a couple of times per year. Try it!

Mention this blog post and get one skein for free!

Happy stitching,
Susan

I am excited to announce the arrival of the DJ Designs trunk show! Check out the canvases on Dale’s website. The trunk show will be at The Point of It All through Saturday, March 21st.

Other news from The Point of It All and DJ Designs: Dale and I collaborated on a special “Christmas in Washington, DC” needlepoint stocking! Doesn’t it look great! So many of the DC landmarks are represented…this is an heirloom in the making!

The canvas is 14″ by 22.5″ and is painted on 18 mesh. The price is $324. Pre-order today!

I look forward to hearing your feedback on this stocking! Happy stitching, Susan

We’ve all done it: bought a canvas, stashed it away, and Oops! never quite gotten to it. It’s okay to change your mind! Here’s how you can clear out your closet AND support a worthy cause:

1. Donate your unwanted, unstitched, good-condition canvases to the shop between today and the end of February.*
2. We will divide the canvases into five price categories: $ 10, $25, $50, $75, $100.
3. Come in and SHOP between February 2nd and 28th.
4. ALL proceeds from canvases will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.

* Just ask me if you have questions about whether or not a canvas is eligible for the Oops! Sale. Canvases purchased elsewhere are still eligible. Canvases may not be redeemed for cash; donations only.

My mother loves to read even more than she enjoys needlepointing…outrageous, I know! She often bemoans the fact that she can’t turn out finished needlepoint as quickly as she likes because she is always reading. I happen to love to stitch more than I like to read–good thing since I own a needlepoint shop, right?! But I was disappointed how much mindless television I was watching. The solution for both of us…books on tape! I download books to my iPod from Audible.com or the iTunes store. Now I can listen to books and needlepoint at the same time! Feel free to suggest books you’ve particularly enjoyed.

AMH Designs has created kits for needlepoint iPod cases, too. Now you can be fully decked out!

It’s always fun to read other needlepoint blogs! Here are several we particularly like. If you regularly read others, by all means, SHARE!

Janet Perry writes a very well-known blog called Nuts about Needlepoint. She covers a wide range of needlepoint-related topics. From stitch instructions to answers to pesky fiber issues, Janet has an interesting take! She is the author of two books on needlepoint: Needlepoint Trade Secrets and Bargello Revisited.

Gail Hendrix’s blog, Squiggeeland, is a special blend of needlepoint and homage to her adorable dogs, Squiggee and Miss Bubbles. Gail is a marvelous needlepoint artist–anything you can dream, she can paint!

Carrie Wolf showcases non-traditional needlepoint ideas. I love her pin cushions and 3D butterflies. Check out her blog !

Barbara Bergsten of Barbara Bergsten Designs has a great blog called Create Needlepoint. Barbara illustrates many different stitches and she shares our sentiment that needlepoint is not only decorative, but also artistic, fun, & functional.