Needlepoint is a form of embroidery where you stitch decorative designs onto canvas using a needle and thread. A pillow. A belt. An ornament. A stocking. Pretty much anything you can dream up. Your design comes to life one stitch at a time.
And somewhere along the way, your hands slow down, your mind gets quiet, and you realize you’ve been happily stitching for two hours. That’s the magic.
What you need to start
- A canvas you love
- Thread and fibers
- A needle
- Scissors
- A stretcher bar or frame (optional)
We can stock everything on this list. That’s it. No fancy equipment. No secret handshake. No need to know what a “complicated basketweave variation” is. We’ve got everything else when you’re ready to go down the rabbit hole.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Starting a new hobby can feel like staring at a mountain. Where do you begin? Our advice is simple: start small. Start with a canvas you love. Take a beginner class or ask us for help. You don't need every thread, every needle, and every accessory on day one.
Three stitches to know
The Waste Knot, Continental Stitch, and Basketweave Stitch are the foundations. Waste Knot is a temporary anchor for your starting thread. Continental is a diagonal stitch used for detail and small areas. Basketweave is a diagonal stitch used to fill larger backgrounds without warping the canvas. We teach these three in every First Stitches class.
When can you start?
We open in September at 309 W. Main Street in Historic Downtown Norman. Join our waitlist <here> to register for beginner classes that start in October and we’ll save you a chair. Come see us when we open!
Every stitcher is welcome
Never picked up a needle before? We’ll help you find your first canvas. Stitching for decades? Pull up a chair and show us what you’re working on. However you stitch, we’re here to cheer you on, answer your questions, and help you create something you’ll love—with plenty of encouragement and zero intimidation.
That’s it! Everything else is just the fun stuff you’ll discover as you go. And trust us, there’s plenty of fun stuff to discover. Threads, specialty needles, project bags, gadgets, accessories…before you know it, you may have a stash that needs its own zip code.
Stitch Lingo
Tapestry Needles & Needle Size — Tapestry needles are made for needlepoint, with large eyes for easy threading and blunt tips that glide smoothly through the canvas. Needle size comes down to personal preference—what feels right in your hand matters most. Choosing the right size also depends on the canvas mesh. Here’s a handy guide:
- 8–10 mesh: Size 16
- 10–12 mesh: Size 18
- 12–14 mesh: Size 20
- 14–18 mesh: Size 22
Mono Canvas — The most common needlepoint canvas, white mono canvas is durable, versatile, and ready for all kinds of stitches and techniques. A great all-around canvas for stitchers of every level.
Needlepoint canvases can be stitch-painted, charted, printed, or painted by hand. With stitch painting, each canvas intersection is painted a specific color, making stitching easier because there’s no guessing where each color goes.
Mesh Size refers to the number of holes per inch of canvas. The lower the number, the larger the holes—making it quicker to stitch, less detailed, and perfect for thicker threads. Higher mesh numbers mean smaller holes, finer detail, thinner threads, and more stitching time. New to needlepoint? Start with a lower number.
Canvas Coverage — How much of the canvas is covered by thread. More coverage generally means more thread and more stitching.
Stitch Guide — Instructions or recommendations showing which stitches and threads to use on different areas of a canvas.
Canvas Intersections — The points where the horizontal and vertical canvas threads cross. These are the little squares/holes where stitches are made.
Companion Thread — A coordinating thread chosen to complement the main thread or canvas.
Overdyed Thread — Thread dyed with multiple shades or colors, creating variation along the length. Each stitch can look a little different.
Tension — How tightly or loosely the thread is pulled while stitching. Consistent tension = happier canvas.
Threads & Fibers — Needlepoint offers a wonderful variety of threads and fibers, including silk, wool, cotton, metallics, velvet, fuzzy, and sparkly fibers. Thread choice is personal preference and part of the fun!
- Skein — A packaged length of thread, wound and tied for sale. Once cut for stitching, each piece becomes a strand.
- Strand vs. Ply — A strand is a single piece of thread. A ply is one of the individual strands twisted together to make a thread. Some threads can be separated into individual plies for finer stitching.
- Dye Lot — Threads are dyed in batches, and slight color differences can occur between batches. Buy enough for the project to avoid a dye-lot scavenger hunt later!
Tent Stitches — Half-cross, Continental, and Basketweave are all tent stitches. They look similar from the front, but differ in thread usage and canvas coverage on the back:
- Half-Cross — Uses the least thread and provides the least coverage.
- Continental — Uses a medium amount of thread with medium coverage.
- Basketweave — Uses the most thread and provides the most canvas coverage and is the best for avoiding “canvas warping.”
Same look on the front, different work on the back!
Waste Knot — A simple way to secure the thread when starting a project. The knot is temporary and gets snipped away later.
Frogging — When a mistake means pulling out stitches. Rip it, rip it, rip it!
Needleminder — Cute, creative little happy spots for your needle! These magnetic accessories keep your needle safely in place while adding a little personality and fun to every project. Because even a needle deserves a happy place to hang out.
Blocking — The process of gently reshaping a finished canvas before finishing. It helps straighten out any warping from stitching. Your finisher will do your blocking.
Finishing — Turning your stitched canvas into something fabulous! Think ornaments, pillows, acrylic coaster holders, and more. The possibilities are endless! We’ll also offer finishing classes for anyone ready to venture out and learn how to turn a stitched canvas into something special all on your own.
LNS = Local Needlepoint Shop = London Mae Needlepoint! A warm and welcoming place to buy all your needlepoint supplies, to learn, get inspiration, and help with finishing.
WIP = Work In Progress. The current project(s) you are stitching.
Stash — All those unfinished canvases waiting patiently for some love, attention, and a few stitches. The bigger the stash, the bigger the adventure!
UFO — Unfinished Object. A WIP that has been waiting a really, really long time.