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A glimpse into the world of Needlepoint By Sheila Murray & Brooke McGowan

If you’re part of the Thorn Alexander stitching community, you may think of needlepoint and think of Mimi the Whale, Rosé Colored Glasses, or sweet quotes to live by like this one. Modern day needlepoint is filled with catchy phrases, sassy sayings and vibrant color palettes. How often, however, do you consider what came before this contemporary spin on an ancient craft? Who stitched before us? What did it look like?

While stitching my Eleanor the Elephant canvas, I have at times found myself daydreaming about the greater needlepoint community and how, through this craft, I feel more connected not only with the present moment but also the past.

I decided it was time to set my project aside and take a dive into the waters of needlepoint history. What I found was an evolution — from necessary to noble — as well as a handful of historical figures (who may surprise you!) that took up the craft and made their own waves.

Did you know that embroidery was one of the very first artforms? For thousands of years, embroidery has served humanity through a variety of means from necessary to novel. Whether it was used as a tool to identify families from one another, document history or keep ladies tended in the drawing room, the technique has passed down from generation to generation. From the Ancient Egyptians to the globalizing Chinese and the set of Julia Roberts films, embrodiery evolved into needlepoint and since then, has taken on all kinds of forms. Can you guess where the tent stitch comes from? Did you know there’s an award for needlepoint named after Princess Grace Kelly? Needlepoint’s tremendously long history has so many twists and turns to discover

Early Signs of Needlepoint & Modernization

The underpinnings of needlepoint date back to the ancient Egyptians! Evidence of the craft was found in the cave of a Pharaoh from 1500BC, during which time they used the notable slated stitch pattern to sew canvas tents. Recall your “tent stitches?” If you think back to your beginner lessons, you might recall the “tent stitches,” primarily composed of a series of repetitive slanted half-cross stitches. During this time, the craft was not a craft at all but rather a necessary tool to provide shelter. This stitch was also fundamental in bonding early textiles together to provide clothing. Before the Bronze age, needles were made of cactus thorns, bones and various withered down objects. Once metalworking was introduced, stitchers could turn to metal needles to adorn their clothing.

In the 16th century, needlepoint took on a more novel approach- a means to display emblematic depictions of status. After all, fine embroidery requires a great deal of time and skill. Needlepoint itself grew in popularity with the emergence of Bargello, a type of needlepoint technique that is characterized by upright flat stitches that form zig-zag like motifs. The name, Bargello, originates from a series of chairs found in the Bargello palace in Florence. Like the tents of the ancient Egyptians, the embroidered chairs of the palace served a specific purpose. As time and purpose went on, the craft was growing an attachment to the air of luxury, just as it continues to influence our modern-day perception through fashion houses.

In fact, embroidery is said to be one of the original forms of displaying tell tale signs of luxury goods while textiles themselves were the first technology.

Up until the 18th century, professional embroiderers had been attached to a court, a guild or a wealthy family. In the mid-18th century, the field began to change as the number of embroiderers grew. Many embroiders opened their own shops to sell supplies as well as needlepoint kits.

From there, stitchers stitched. They stitched upholstery, handbags, shoes, covering every surface manageable with timeless techniques like petit point, canvaswork, blackwork and more.

In the 60s, Needlepoint really took the crown as a leisurely activity, when women like Erica Wilson introduced their painted canvases to the cobblestoned streets of Nantucket and homes all over the US.

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In order to understand her influence, I am borrowing this snippet from her shop’s website. Even through she has since passed, the shop is alive and well and a well-traveled go-to for summery stitchers in the warmer months.

“To millions of needle workers, Erica Wilson is America's First Lady of stitchery. A graduate of the Royal School of Needlework in London, Erica was invited to teach in the United States in 1954. News of her classes spread and she was soon teaching groups all over America in classes, lectures and seminars. When students couldn't remember all the stitches she taught them, Erica wrote her first book "Crewel Embroidery" published in 1962 by Charles Scribner's Sons, which subsequently sold over one million copies! She wrote sixteen other books and produced and starred in two television series for WGBH seen on PBS nationally and the BBC in England and Australia.

Her television series and books brought her fame on both sides of the Atlantic. She opened her first store in Nantucket, which remains a "must visit" attraction for the past 45 years. She became the exclusive designer for a national kit manufacturer, designed sheets, fabrics and wallpaper, wrote a bi-weekly syndicated column and became the spokesperson for a national organization teaching needlework. She produced four videos on needlepoint, quilting, knitting and cross stitch. Erica designed and manufactured exclusive needlepoint kits for the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as her own wholesale collection available in through fine Needlework shops.

Her shop in Nantucket draws needlework enthusiasts from near and far. Before Erica passed away December 13, 2011, she worked side by side with her daughter Vanessa Diserio. Over the years, Vanessa has worked to turn the shop into a destination for unique fashion, custom designs and collaborations with designers from around the globe. Erica's husband and Vanessa's father - Vladimir Kagan, was a furniture design icon and his pieces can be enjoyed in the shop today.”

Erica’s impression on the needlepoint community not only formed a well-paved trail for later generations, her timeless designs can still be purchased today. I am the proud owner of two light houses and certainly intend to collect more on my next visit to the island. Folks around the world can still enjoy her designs through their online shop.

I feel so lucky to have had so many loving connections with her little shop, ages before I even picked up my very first needlepoint and it is always a must if you find yourself on Nantucket.

Notable Needlepointers

The needlework of Martha Washington was quite avant-garde relative to the other known crafts of 18th century women in Virginia or the South. There was certainly a nod to French fashion — the Washington’s acquired a variety of French household items and art around the same time that historians estimate Martha produced her work. The Indian Blackbuck is perhaps the most notable piece, which was done using the challenging “printwork” technique.

Queen Victoria’s daughter - Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein founded The Royal School of Needlework in 1872, which further solidified the prestigious nature of the craft. The school is still very much alive and well and Brooke had the opportunity to visit with a number of fellow designers through her efforts with Our Common Thread. In fact, RSN was behind the brilliance of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen.

Brooke visiting The Royal School of Needlework with Our Common Thread

Touring this historically rich estate, reflecting on all of the great British figures that have walked these hall, and as we were informed, even haunt them.

The gang enjoying a walk about the gorgeous Rose Garden

Did you know that there is actually a whole string of early actresses-turned-stitchers? This includes celebs like Lucille Ball, Ali MacGraw (pictured to the right), Julia Roberts, Sally Fields, Carol King, Barbara Bush and Mary Martin.

Mary Martin — an American actress, singer, Broadway star — was also an avid needlepointer! In fact, needlepoint was so important to her that she went on to write the book "Mary Martin's Needlepoint." Her memoir, portfolio, and needlepoint instruction book are all interwoven in its pages. She wrote about designing pieces for her family, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and homes in New York and Brazil.

The American Needlepoint Guild recognized Mary Martin for her contribution to the needlepoint world by creating an award in her name. The first person to win the Mary Martin award? Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly, also known as the Princess of Monaco, was responsible for the popularization of needlepoint in Monaco. She was often found with needle and thread in hand, even during interviews. At a needlepoint exhibition in Monaco in 1974, a reporter quoted Grace Kelly saying, “sometimes my husband just doesn’t quite understand when I say in the evening, ‘I must do at least one more row before I will put my needlepoint down.’” While in Monaco, the Princess established a local needlepoint club, highlighting her interest in creating community through crafting.

The American Needlepoint Guild has an award in Grace Kelly’s name, the “Princess Grace Award,” that is granted for needlepoint work completed entirely in tent stitch.

The Craft of Queens: other royal needlepointers include Mary Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, and Queen Elizabeth.

A notable modern contributor to the needlepoint story is American football player Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier. After his football career, Grier became a bodyguard for the Kennedy’s and took up needlepoint! In 1973 he released a book titled Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men, in which he juxtaposes the craft with his defensive-tackle past and questions “those old sex roles,” as he puts it.

All of this to say that while I thought I was diving into the history of needlepoint, I was really just dipping my toes in and there is much more to discover! The stories of historical influence and historical figures are interwoven much like the threads are on our canvases. Once a necessity, needlepoint has grown into a far-reaching pastime that embodies both a noble craft and a sense of timeless luxury.

Notable fellow stitchers: Amy Adams, Chrissy Turlington, Julia Roberts, Jenna Fisher, Carole King

Both needlework and fashion as interwoven entities have historically depicted and shifted cultural norms and idiosyncrasies for centuries. From the Bayeaux Tapestry to The Met Gala’s Camp, we are inspired by the illustrative tales fashion and needlework have to tell both here in the United States as well as across the pond.

Fashion designers like Alessandro Michele of Gucci and Tory Burch have fully embraced needlepoint on the runway and it’s high time we catch that wave. In fact, Burch’s latest rendition of her Robinson bag, needlepoint is making a needlepoint comeback in a big way. Vogue’s 2015 interview with Michele in regard to his Italian home, reads, “The flora and fauna motifs, along with the sense of handicraft that Michele tries to weave into all his collections, recall not just his father’s hippie magic but other aspects of his childhood, as when his aunt taught him to crochet in an effort to focus his wayward childish energies. “I still love to work with my hands,” he says, admitting that now he picks up new stitches on YouTube and, when in London, makes pilgrimages to Liberty, the fabled department store, to buy needlepoint kits.”

Whether your family has been stitching for generations or you’re the only one you know who needlepoints, you are part of a deeply woven fabric of history. Moreover, you are part of the revolution trying to revitalize the industry with me for the longevity of the craft. I’m always thinking of the 100 year game and it is a joy to have you along with me. How will our generations shape the history of needlepoint. Something to think about, no?

Nowadays, folks are turning to needlepoint as a means to find comfort, relaxation, stress relief and solace. It’s also just a great way to stay off your phone! For the moments that you do choose to plug in, we have technology at our fingertips to learn new tips and tricks, inspire our inner-circles to take up the hobby through beautiful imagery and even turn to support. It’s only fitting that technology and textile continue their dance, aiding each other in avoiding a swan song of sorts.

Some fun threads facts and themes from The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair to get your wheels turning...

The textile industry was one of the first industries- and therefore, one of the first technologies. What seem like simple tools today, like the Jacquard loom and cotton gin were instrumental in the successes and elevation of modern day humans.

In fact, the Jacquard Loom works in a way that is very similar to coding with computers. Early computer programmers even looked to this loom’s technique- using cards with series of punched holes to determine the right order of the pattern. They later formed IBM.

The earliest fabrics known to be made by humans date to 34,000 years ago.

The words “line,” “linging,” “lingerie,” and “linoleum” are all rooted in the word “linen.”

“For much of recorded history, the four principle sources of natural fibers-- cotton, silk, linen and wool-- have borne much of the strain of human ingenuity. They have been pressed into service to give warmth and protection, demarcate status, confer personal decoration and identity, and provide an outlet for creative talent and ingenuity.

Many early threads were made of flax.

The Romans, The Greeks and The Norse each had tales of three beings that would determine your fate at your birth. In Greece, they were known as the Fates. Clotho, would spin the thread of the life of the baby. Lachesis would measure the length and Atropos would cut it! (Do you remember Disney’s Hercules?) This may contribute to idioms like “lives hanging by a thread,” “being interwoven,” and being “part of a social fabric.”

The Silk Roads transformed early globalization by creating pathways between many different countries for trade.

Early needles before the Bronze Age were made of cactus needles, thorns and bones.

Social Strata was often depicted through cloth- from the colors dyed to how intricately garments were embroidered.

Queen Elisabeth I was quite fond of intricacy. She believed that the more detailed her portraits, the more respected and powerful she would become as she rose to be on top of the world’s stage. She was well-known for her affections of fine embroidery, handmade lace and highly-esteemed dressmakers as well as her firm ordering of photoshopping by the painters.

English Fold Weaving Song: I’m a weaver, a master weaver, I’ve got a loom where the best cloth’s made. Plain cloth, twill, brocade or satin, I’m the master of my trade. Shed the warp and wing the shuttle, beat the reed the weft is laid. I can wind a flying bobbin, I can warm a them of thread. I can weave a sheet of linen, fit to grace a royal bed. Lift the heel and fly the shuttle, swing the reed, the weft is laid.

“The needle is your writing brush.”

- Ding Pej.

Embroidery was such a reliable industry that women sometimes found economic power and status through the profession. Hey, that’s how the word “spinster” came to be. They were so successful as spinners, lacemakers, ‘broiderers and beyond that some were even able to have financial independence- at times where the common custom was to settle down.