Needlepoint is a form of embroidery in which stitches are sewed through spaces or squares of an open-mesh fabric called the canvas. It is used to make clothing, pictures, purses, upholstery, and many other items. Needlepoint was once known as tapestry.
The pattern may be painted or printed on the canvas. The sewer uses a blunt-ended tapestry needle and a variety of soft threads. The threads may be cotton embroidery, crewel, knitting or Persian yarns, and sometimes leather strips or ribbon. Needlepoint stitches create a flat design.
The basic needlepoint stitch is the cross stitch. It occupies a square area over an intersection of the canvas mesh. Other stitches create various patterns and designs. These stitches include the slanting basketweave and knotted styles, and the bargello, a long vertical stitch. Needlepoint may be worked in fine thread and small stitches called petit point, or in large stitches known as gros point.
