Confession Time: We Broke a Needlepoint Rule (And We're Not Sorry)
Natasha has a confession. Somewhere between her sixth and seventh unfinished canvas, she bought two more. If you have ever felt a flicker of guilt for starting something new before finishing something old, this episode is for you.
Because here is the thing nobody tells you when you pick up a needle for the first time: most of the "rules" you have heard about needlepoint are not rules at all. They are opinions that got loud. And on this episode of Oh, Stitch, Natasha and Alonsa are letting you off the hook for every single one of them.
What They're Stitching Right Now
Before diving into the rule releasing, the sisters shared their current works in progress, proof that even the pros are mid frog and mid frustration sometimes.
Alonsa is deep into her Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle canvas, a geometric two tone stunner with a shimmery gold foil top. The only hiccup? The thread she chose for the foil did not match the shimmer of the gold, so she is frogging that section and waiting on new thread to arrive.
Natasha, meanwhile, just returned from teaching at a needlepoint retreat in Maine, where she stitched a custom Maine themed canvas designed by Alonsa, complete with a camp flag, a lighthouse, and a lobster. She is turning it into a coaster, and the sisters are already dreaming up a whole series of state coasters to follow.
What They Wish They'd Known as Beginners
Before the rule releasing began, Natasha and Alonsa reflected on the lessons they picked up the hard way.
Choose a canvas that speaks to you. Yes, a 13 mesh canvas is easier on beginner eyes, but that does not mean you need to pick something plain. If a busier, more colorful design calls to you, stitch it.
There is no timeline. Needlepoint is a slow hobby by design. It is meant to be picked up and put down, not rushed through.
Nobody needs to see the back of your canvas. Old school stitchers may tell you the back should look as tidy as the front. Once your project is finished, no one will ever see it again, so let that pressure go.
You will probably ruin a canvas or two. Natasha's first self finishing attempt was an ambitious, irregularly shaped bow that never had a chance. It lives on now as a patch on her tote bag, and she loves it anyway.
Do not buy every gadget at once. Wait until you know you love the hobby, then figure out what you actually need. Frames are optional. Fancy edge clamps are optional. Stitch in hand if that is what feels natural.
A finished project does not have to be professionally finished. Plenty of projects can be self finished at home. Save the trickier ones, like eyeglass cases or pillows, for a professional if sewing is not your strength.
Above all, it should be fun. Not perfect. Not by the book. Just fun.
If you are just getting started, Georgie & Lottie has a free beginner video playlist that walks you through threading your needle all the way to your first stitches. Find it at georgieandlottie.com/playlist.
The Rules We're Officially Releasing You From
This is the part Natasha and Alonsa could not wait to get to. Consider yourself released from the following:
You do not need decorative stitches. An entire canvas stitched in Continental is completely valid.
The back of your canvas is nobody's business. Not even yours, if you would rather not look.
Stretcher bars are optional. Try them if you want. Skipping them is fine, too..
You do not have to start with the lightest color. There is a technical reason people recommend it, but if starting with a darker, more exciting color brings you joy, do that instead.
Frogging is not failure. It is editing. It is pivoting. It is part of the process.
You can have more than one project going. Natasha has around six. Alonsa has three or four. Some canvases sit for months before they get picked back up, and that is perfectly fine.
You do not have to block professionally. Blocking at home is easier than it sounds, and it is not required at all depending on how you finish your piece.
Stitching in front of the TV counts. In fact, it might be the best kind of stitching there is, especially if it means putting your phone down.
You do not have to use the exact thread the canvas calls for. Dig into your stash. Use the color you love or the color you already have.
You can change the colors entirely. Love a design but not the palette? Swap it to match your taste, your home, or your mood.
As Alonsa put it, there really is only one rule that matters: it should bring you peace and get you off your phone. Everything else is negotiable.
Ready to stitch your way? Use code OSTITCH10 for 10% off at georgieandlottie.com.