Needlepoint Kits With Silk Threads

Poppy Monk needlepoint kits are carefully constructed of fine quality materials—silk threads, the best cotton canvas, high quality steel needles, instructions, stitch suggestions—in our own North Carolina atelier (a fancy word for a room where we do this stuff). They'd be less expensive if we outsourced the construction overseas, but then we'd lose control over the quality of the finished product and the quality of the jobs we create. We also manufacture in small batches so we can quickly create new designs and discontinue ones our fans tell us they don't love. This high-quality, in-house, small-batch model costs more than a mass-produced product. There are less expensive needlepoint kits on the market and it's up to you, the consumer, to decide if the quality of our products justifies their expense.

So, now that you know what goes into our products, you might wonder why they aren't more expensive. First of all, the designs are printed onto the canvas and not hand-painted (which is why much of the needlepoint sold in the U.S. is so expensive). Secondly, we sell almost exclusively to the end consumer, so there is no wholesale-to-retail markup. You buy directly from the "factory" (although we like to use that fancy word, "atelier" because it makes us sound exotic and cool).

Poppy Monk Needlepoint is a lean little company. There are no VPs, or CEOs, or IPOs, (or even Oreo's, come to think of it). It's very simple: we make needlepoint kits we love and sell them to people whom we hope will also love them. If that  model ever fails we will go out of business, so we keep trying harder and harder to ensure our customers are happy. We hope we're succeeding and we always invite you to tell us, one way or the other.

Use the threads as they come. You don't need to split the threads or join them together. We use single-stranded silk and wool threads to make stitching super-easy and to get the smoothest stitches. Some kits contain stranded cotton which is usually used as an accent and the instructions will tell you what we suggest you do with these if stranded cotton is included in your kit.

We cannot guarantee that all the thread colors will be color-fast. Red and black are especially prone to "leaking". For this reason we recommend you dry-block your project and that you never wash it. If you do want to get the threads wet for some reason then please test them for color-fastness first by blotting, with a paper towel, some spare thread that you have dampened. If any color comes off onto the paper towel then you will know that the dye may "run" into adjacent colors.

Some of our kits come with the threads already cut and twisted into a bundle, and some kits will have one or more complete skeins that you will need to cut to the required length (about 16"). To open a skein, remove the label and pull open the two ends of the skein so you can find the two strands that are securing the two ends of the skein. Cut one of these strands so the skein is untied. You will have a circle of thread. Cut the threads through the knot and then cut the threads in half again so you have thread lengths of about 16".

Here is a video on how to open a skein of Pepperpot Silk thread.

Poppy Monk needlepoint kits are all made in the U.S. (in North Carolina). We use Zweigart needlepoint canvas (from Germany) and Planet Earth silk and wool threads (from India). Other kit items are sourced from wherever we can find the highest quality products. For example, our Bohin needles (two included in each kit) are from France.

Yes, every Poppy Monk needlepoint kit comes with 2 stainless steel Bohin needles.