“You can easily be into a 4” ornament for $150.” As someone who regularly shops the $5 Target ornament section only after they go on sale, this was an eye-opener.
My entry into needlepoint was 2022, after what those in the industry call the “first boom” of modern needlepoint in 2020 (hello, pandemic hobby). A friend brought over a project and being someone who never found a craft she didn’t try at least once, I had to know more. I was just finishing up a huge weaving and macrame phase and was looking for something a little more mobile and compact. But after a quick peruse, I was having trouble finding canvases I connected to. I didn’t see my lived experience in the middle class represented anywhere. I saw oysters ($57/dozen locally), Nantucket ($600/night), and designer patterns (untold amounts). Things I didn’t even know existed until needlepoint? Hill House nap dresses ($150), Stubbs & Wootton shoes ($575), and Clase Azul Tequila ($180, last checked and initially mistaken for a fancy salt shaker by this author). As much as this is the norm for some, I was more taken back by the casual way in which this lifestyle was thrown around and how exclusionary it felt based on what was being represented versus my own reality. Maybe needlepoint wasn’t for me.
But there’s nothing like feeling excluded to make me want to take up space in that arena. My first project was handpainted, my first purchased canvas was on major sale, and I used exclusively DMC embroidery thread for a very long time. I started designing canvases that were from my world: historic hotels that were more like $249/night (still a splurge for some), the iconic Wawa bag ($1.99 for the best jalapeno stuffed pretzel you'll ever have), and a Cinnamon Bun roll (our family birthday dessert of choice). Other designers are also creating designs of icons I know and love: Martin’s potato rolls, Good Humor ice cream bars, push-pops. Makers and artists of all kinds are sharing resources on painting, finishing, and alternate projects. We use what have to do what we love (even if it is glue(!), though that’s another discussion for another time).
Of course, the other piece of this pie is not just about the representation, it’s about the practice itself. As someone chimed in, “Having a stash is a flex, having the time to stitch is a flex, having many, many projects outside of basic ornaments is a flex.” “And why are we prioritizing handpainted canvases over printed ones?” (paraphrased) For those that aren’t aware, there is often a price difference between handpainted and printed, printed being less expensive yet less respected (as if anyone even sees the printed/painted canvas after it’s stitched?). Why would we want to exclude or belittle anyone who enjoys the same craft we do?
So, is there a place for the middle class in needlepoint? Thankfully, the answer is of course there is. Because the middle class will keep doing what the middle class always does: wait for sales, save up for special purchases, and learn skills like painting and finishing that help keep costs down. I’m so happy I found my place in needlepoint and I hope you have, too.
