Many needlepoint canvases have lettering, and if the lines are thin, the letters can be tricky to stitch. Here are three ideas for stitching needlepoint letters, at least one of which should suit the words on your canvas.
1. Use a Back Stitch For Needlepoint Lettering
The beauty of a back stitch is that it can follow the lines on the canvas regardless of the direction. Also, you can use a thinner thread for thin lines, or a thicker thread to fatten the letters.
This Busy Being Fabulous needlepoint design has letters created using a Back stitch. Super simple, just make stitches of varying lengths that follow the letters on the canvas. You can stitch straight onto the canvas and then fill in around the lettering with your other stitches, or you can surface-embroider the letters on at the end, which is what we did with this Patience Tested needlepoint design.
2. Needlepoint Lettering in a Cross Stitch
A cross stitch doesn't have a direction so it's a great choice for thin lines in lettering. You avoid the problem that tent stitches have when lines go up and to the left—a tent stitch will create a stepped line in this situation but a single line of cross stitches will look much more smooth.
3. Needlepoint Lettering Using a Horizontal Satin Stitch.
This is a great way of stitching thicker letters as it gives a nice smooth, satin-y appearance.
We hope you find a use for these three ways to stitch needlepoint letters. Sign up for our newsletter (bottom of the page) for more tips and tricks like these, and get $10 to spend on your first purchase.
