• New Designs
• Cushions
• Needlepoint patchwork
• Commemorative
• Doorstops
• Spectacle Cases
• Pincushions
• Christmas
• BeginnersPlain Canvas Kits &   Canvas-Only packs

Previous blogs

The real value of needlepoint

Following a chart

The One Off Stitching guide

A tapestry kit for Christmas?

Designing!!!!

Left-handedness

I'm not always in charge!

Four months to Christmas

Christmas must be coming

Summer Stitching

10 count canvas

New needlepoint kits ready

New designs update

New designs preview

Tapestry or needlepoint?

Needlepoint is for fun

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Wendy's Oneoff Weblog

27 February 2010

We're in a magazine!

Classic Stitches asked if they could do a feature about One Off and I readily agreed to an interview with Eileen McCarroll Outram. However, although I am happy to chat about needlepoint all day long, it was a different matter when I was asked to talk about myself!   The questions came thick and fast often about things I had never even thought about!  "Where do you get your inspiration?" for example.  I don't know - ideas just come.  Sometimes quickly, sometimes they take months. "Why are so many of your design blue?"... They're not!! ...are they?  Anyway, I babbled uncomfortably on for what felt like hours and that was that.

Then a few days later came the phone call.  Something had gone wrong with Eileen's recording equipment and she had all her questions safely recorded and none of my answers!  For a hideous moment, I thought we were going to have to do the whole thing again.  Fortunately, that wasn't the solution.  Eileen emailed the questions and I was able to type my answers.
Although it was a long interview, I really didn't expect three pages in the magazine and I'm childishly excited about it - a little bit like seeing yourself on television!
It's this one, published this month.

16 February 2010

The real value of needlepoint

I was chatting to a fellow stitcher on Twitter yesterday about needlepoint.  She said “I can’t believe I have fallen in love with such an expensive hobby”
I had to agree - needlepoint is expensive and as I said to her, believe me if I could make it cheaper I would, because I suspect some would-be-stitchers are put off by the price.
However, buying a needlepoint kit is only the beginning!  Thrown in for that price are hours and hours of pleasure.  What would it cost you to spend that long in the cinema?  What does it cost to have just one meal at a good restaurant?  Is it less than your partner’s subscription to the golf club for example?  Put in perspective, the cost of needlepoint is well worth the money and no more than you deserve!!
Then there is the second benefit.  Once your stitching is made up into the finished item, you have an heirloom that will last for generations. In fact I often recommend incorporating the year’s date into the stitching just before you finish. If you do that on every project, you will build up your own needlework ‘blog’!  

13 February 2010

Following a chart

Recently a customer ordered a Christmas Decorations needlepoint kit. Then a couple of weeks later she rang up to say she was a complete beginner and was having difficulty making her stitching match the chart. 
Normally, I say follow the printed canvas and use the chart only occasionally as a guide, but her problem went deeper than that. 
She didn’t know how to stitch on canvas. 
The chart confused her because she thought the grid represented the canvas threads. It does look that way with vertical and horizontal lines and my instructions took it for granted that even a beginner would realise that one coloured square represents one stitch.
I did a little bit of stitching on a scrap of spare canvas, posted it off and she later rang to say she could see now exactly what to do.  I hope she has gone on to finish her little decorations and we have a new needlepoint devotee!
But all this got me thinking.  The ‘Friendly Instructions’ that go into my kits have drawn so many kind compliments that I did realise that for some, there was this fundamental problem.  I should make it clear that on the chart, one coloured square represents one stitch.  I am fixing that now although it may take a while to filter through in new kits.  It has never cropped up before; I hope it won't again.

January 2010

The One Off  Stitching Guide

At last I have been able to add my page of 'Friendly Instructions'. It is a Stitching Guide for anyone who has lost theirs or who has returned to tapestry after a period of time doing other things.  Or maybe you are thinking of buying your first tapestry kit and would like to know what you are in for!

Tapestry (needlepoint) stitching is very easy to pick up if you are new to it, but perhaps it looks a bit daunting at first when you are faced with a stiff piece of canvas and a rainbow assortment of wools!  Everything you need to know is in theStitching Guide which is a downloadable pdf. for you to have available on your own computer and to print or keep whether you are stitching a One Off kit or one from another designer.

December 28th 2009

Did you get a Tapestry kit for Christmas?

Once the hurley-burley of Christmas is over we really have some time in the middle of the UK winter to settle down to some serious stitching!  Maybe you have been looking forward to this for weeks, or maybe you have been given a kit for Christmas and are wondering where to start.  Either way, you can look forward to many happy hours by the fire with your tapestry.

Beginners are in for a treat.  Tapestry (sometimes called needlepoint) is easy!!!
To begin with, the holes in the canvas are easy to see.  If your vision is not quite perfect, look for 12 count  or better still 10 count designs which have lovely big holes!  That way you can relax as you stitch without straining your eyes or your patience.
Our own kits are packed with our much complimented "Friendly Instructions"  but in the season of goodwill, I will shortly be posting those instructions on this website so that everyone can see them whether they have a One Off Needlework kit or not.
They are not long. They are not complicated.  But they can give you a flying start to a pastime that will give great pleasure for a life time.
So do keep looking on this page --- Friendly Instructions coming soon.

November 13th 2009

Designing!!!!!!

For needlepoint addicts in the northern hemisphere at least, this is the time when, as the nights get longer and longer, we can look forward to many peaceful hours stitching.  We can't be in the garden, or preparing barbecues and picnics so we have every excuse to snuggle up and enjoy the stitching season.
Christmas is nearly here and if you have stitchy friends, they will be thrilled to be given a tapestry kit for a present; if you do not, then the only thing for it is to do the stitching yourself and give the finished article.

At One Off Needlework the Christmas rush is well under way and it is not only Angels and Robins that are flying off the shelves. 
But I am in the mood for Christmas and have a new idea that is taking a long time to get right. My idea is guinea fowl... I know they don't conjure up Christmas in most people's mind but they do with me! They look so very festive with their grey plumage covered in white "snow flakes" and the flash of red and bright blue on their heads.  So I have been trying to translate all this into a Christmassy tapestry. It is not going well! However, I am not giving up just yet - I have a lot more stitching and unpicking and restitching before I do that. I will keep at it until I have design that works or that there is no hope. I will let you know the outcome...

Luckily, there is no shortage of Christmas (or otherwise) needlepoint kits for your winter stitching. Christmas Decorations and Stockings, Hearts, Angels, Music, and Pink Elephants.  Something cheery to brighten up the darkest of winter evenings.

September 19th 2009

Left-handedness

The owner of a needlepoint store in America contacted me recently to ask if she may pass on my Left-handed Instructions to her customers.  Of course I said yes because I believe the pleasure of stitching should be available to everybody. Those instructions, came originally from Anything Left-Handed in London.  That company had stopped using them, gave them to me and after adding a few remarks of my own, I have been offering them to left-handed customers ever since.  But this request from America made me look at the instructions again.
For linear tent stitch, after the first row is stitched, the work is turned upside down (through 180 degrees, not back to front) and the return row is stitched. Basketweave tent stitch fares a little better with no turning, but in both cases you must start at the bottom left corner of the stitch area.  These methods mean that the stitches lie in the same direction as if a right-handed person had done the stitching.
Why such a fuss?
Needles, wool, canvas – none of these have a right and left in the same way that say, scissors do. So I cannot see why there is a problem. Surely, left handed stitchers could just stitch the other way round - Go in the opposite direction.  If I would start in the top right hand corner, they could start at the top left.  An exact mirror image.
The only difference would be that the stitches would lie in the opposite direction on the finished work. Would that matter? Who says which way they should lie?
So as an experiment, I have reproduced my normal stitch diagrams, and simply flipped the images. Would this work? I don't know because I am right handed; what do you think?
(Anything Left-Handed is now an online store.)

September 10th 2009

I'm not always in charge!

When designing, I often find at some stage that the design itself gets a life of its own and takes charge. There comes a time when the design dictates what happens next whether it is colour choices, size, imagery - more or less anything can happen!  If all is going well I can surprise myself with the brilliance of what is unfolding, so when that happens I feel I can't really take credit for it.  At other times, I can have a day when it all goes badly; the things I wanted to include just don't fit, the colours look awful etc.etc.  I suppose then it is fair enough not to take responsibility for that either.  The odd thing is that sometimes designing just seems to happen by itself and sometimes not - and I have no say in the matter!
When sportsmen say "I played well today" it is not as boastful as it sounds because one's performance is a completely separate entity and sometimes you just have to wait and see what happens.  As a designer, I can be completely thrilled by one of my own designs and completely indifferent to another. Needless to say, the indifferent ones never see the light of day!

August 25th 2009

Four months to go for Christmas Gifts.

What can be nicer than a hand made Christmas gift?  The hours of work devoted to it make the whole thing so much more meaningful and precious.  There is still time to get stitching and make something personal for a grandchild, or maybe a son, daughter, parent or your best friend.
Perhaps there is a milestone wedding anniversary coming up.   We have all the big ones - Diamond, Gold, Ruby and Silver but they could be adapted to any anniversary using the alphabet charts provided in the kits.
All our Christmas Stockings can be personalised and if you don't manage to get them finished in the next four months, not to worry.....Christmas will be back again next year.

August 3rd 2009

Christmas must be coming!

This is normally the time of year when there is so much to do that needlepoint hardly gets a look in.  But not this year it seems.  I cannot believe how busy I have been, sending out new orders for needlepoint/ tapestry kits.  There has even been a rush for Christmas Stockings and Decorations, so stitchers are already planning ahead. 

If you prefer to enjoy the summer before launching into Christmas, we have plenty of summery designs that are perfect for your holiday, whether you spend it at home or away. 

Needlepoint tapestry is very portable.  The printed canvas means you don't have to concentrate really, so you can take it with you whatever your plans for the holidays.

July 13th 2009

Summer stitching

The summer is here and whatever the weather, there is plenty to keep an eye on while you are stitching.  Wimbledon, The Ashes, and at the beginning of August, Cowes Week.  The Regatta Tapestry is a stunning sunny seasidey design that will keep you smiling as you stitch.  It couldn't be easier to do, so if you are half watching something else at the same time....

June 8th 2009

10 count canvas

I have been busy stitching the new 10 count designs on printed canvases.  As I said last month, this is new for me because most of my designs are on 12 count and I always stitch my new designs from the chart on plain canvas. When stitching on PRINTED canvases the following problem does not arise; but with the best will in the world, it does not work on 10 count plain canvas.  The wider holes mean that the tapestry wool does not cover as well, unless you naturally work very loosely.  Even then the result may not be perfect.  So if you are the type of stitcher who prefers working from a chart, I recommend that you stitch the same design on 12 count canvas, to ensure complete coverage. The finished tapestry will be a bit smaller but it will be perfect.

May 24th 2009

New Needlepoint kits ready

The canvases have arrived, the kits are made up and we are delighted with the response. 
I have already had to order more canvases from the printers! 
Now I am happily stitching worked models for display in shops.  Normally, new designs are stitched from a chart on to plain canvas.  It means that for the photographs, every stitch is in the right place for those who find it easier to check the photograph than figure out the chart.  Even with the best printers in the business, printing cannot be completely accurate because of the slightly wavy nature of the canvas threads.  The good news is that pin point accuracy is Not Necessary. In most cases if you are worrying whether a stitch should be across one thread or its neighbour -- it will not make a scrap of difference and after you have moved on, you will never find that place again any way.  The only time it might matter is where there is accurate drawing of an outline or in lettering; that is why we provide a chart and the photograph on the bag for you to check.  What I advise you not to do, is try to follow both the chart and the printing.  That definitely would not be relaxing and needlepoint should always be relaxing.
So now I too have the luxury of stitching printed canvases until the next bright idea pops into my head for 2010.

April 24th 2009

New designs update

During these horrid weeks and months of the credit crunch, more and more people have decided to stay at home this year.  So I am delighted that the new needlepoint designs are about to arrive in time for a summer to be spent doing quieter things.  What could be better than relaxing with your tapestry? 
The printers promise that the canvases will be ready within the next two weeks and the new kits will appear here first.

Keep looking on the Latest News page.

March 4th 2009

New designs preview.

We have three new designs now at the printers and I am really excited about these.
They are a new departure for us, each being on 10 count canvas.  This means the canvas holes are bigger, the stitching is easier to see and the whole tapestry is just a joy to stitch.

Two designs for cat lovers:  Oriental Cat, based on a fabulous example of 18th Century Korean Art;   Multi Cats, a jolly collection of cats just sitting - like they do; and Music, designed in response to a plaintive request from a stitcher -- "Do you have anything with a trombone on it?"  I didn't then, but now I have.

If these are not quite up your street, there are more designs to come in the summer, on my usual 12 count canvas this time.

Feb 14th 2009 

Tapestry or Needlepoint...?

The word Tapestry strictly speaking, refers to a woven form of textile art.  It is done on a loom, weaving coloured yarns around warp threads.  No needles or canvas are involved. 
The tapestries and wall hangings we see in great houses and palaces all over the UK were done in this way.

It must be therefore, their colourful and decorative appearance that has led us to borrow the word for the much more accessible form of textile art that we call Tapestry, otherwise referred to as Canvas Work or Needlepoint.
In America, they use the word Needlepoint; but in the UK we have got ourselves into a further muddle. 
I have gathered from talking to many enthusiastic 'Tapestry' stitchers that Needlepoint is frequently assumed to mean Petit Point and consequently too fine to be seen comfortably by many.

Petit Point is very fine.  It is stitched on special canvas called Penelope canvas which is woven with the threads in pairs. 
Petit Point is then stitched over the single canvas threads and Gros Point is stitched over the pairs.  The two stitches are often mixed on the canvas to great decorative effect.

Petit Point and Gros Point are not for the timid and so far, it is not technically possible to print two different sizes of stitches on to one canvas in one operation. 
So for now, let us return to the familiar:  Tapestry... Needlepoint... Canvaswork...
They all mean the same thing.

Jan 20th 2009 

Needlepoint is for fun-- not for an exam.
Have you noticed that so many people, when they admire a piece of needlepoint, turn it over and study the back. 
Why do they do this?  Would they check out your china for the mark on the back, or look for a hallmark on the silver?  Well I suppose they might.
But I want to assure you, it really doesn't matter.   FAR more important is the ENJOYMENT that you have in your stitching.  There is no need to worry about the back of the work when it will not be seen on the finished article. 
If the work is looking good on the front, just enjoy that and leave the back to take care of itself.  Before you know it, your backs will start to look neat and tidy of their own accord!

However, a handy hint.  If you can't stop worrying about the back, it is worth knowing that if you stitch in tent stitch or continental tent stitch, you will find it much easier to fasten off your yarn.  But beware.  Some kits from other manufacturers are designed to be stitched in half cross-stitch and you might run out of wool if you change that.  In those cases you will just have to stop worrying.

Wendy Hope-Falkner