My Favorite Places to Find New Projects and How Much You Can Expect to Spend

Before we go any further, if you’re a new needlepointer, hop over to our Needlepoint 101 post with everything you need to get started!

There are few things better than a fresh canvas. Doesn’t that apply to many things in life, after all? I love getting DM’s on Instagram about my needlepoint works in progress. That’s one thing I L-O-V-E about the needlepoint community. It’s collaborative, creative, and truly a community. It’s a wonderful network that seeks to lift its “members” up. So, if you’re new, dive on in. The water’s swell.

If you’re new, you’re also probably wondering…how does it work? Well, I’m glad you asked! In today’s post, we’ll talk about what it costs and where I find some of my favorite canvases.

How much should I expect to pay for the canvases, and how does the pricing work?

Now, on to canvases. I love getting questions about where I find my favorite canvases – and I always, always, always want to hear where others get theirs. If you’re new to this space, it’s important to first note that, unless canvases state that they come “kitted,” or with threads, you’re paying for the canvas only. This isn’t a bait-and-switch. It’s pretty standard for the hobby.

The quality canvases are hand-painted and they are truly worth every penny. You can expect to pay $45-70 for ornament sized canvases, belts are usually $95-150, and pillows vary by size but are around $86-375 (a large spread, right?).

I went down a needlepoint rabbit hole last night and there are some beautiful William Morris rugs that are between 395-595 GBP, depending on size. Can you imagine a better heirloom than that? Wow. I read somewhere (of course, I can’t find the link now) that former First Lady Barbara Bush took squares of a rug she was working on to 20-30 different countries while she traveled with her husband. It later ended up in the White House while they resided there. Needlepoint projects carry so many fascinating stories!

How detailed a canvas is impacts your pricing – and how many colors are used in it does, too. I have two very large canvases that I’ll be turning into pillows right now in my bag from Lycette (more on Lycette below) that are hand-painted. One is 15×16-ish and was $135. The other is large. I want to say it’s around 18×18. The center pattern is a pheasant with 543 colors (not really, but quite a few) bordered by a beautifully detailed plaid. I paid $225 for it. And, you can see it two paragraphs down.

Remember that buying a needlepoint canvas is like buying a print from an artist. They’re hand-painted and painted in a way that takes into account the positioning of the colors so that you can follow along with your needle. It is painstaking work.

There are three main expenses for a needlepoint project: 1) the canvas, 2) the threads, 3) the finishing. Oh, and of course, time. You are stitching something that’s going to be passed down and that will, quite honestly, never go out of style. We’ve hit on the canvas cost. I go into the threads in more detail on in this first post on needlepointing, so I highly recommend checking it out. As for the finishing, well, more on that later! I’m working on a whole separate post on that coming soon.

Have questions still that I haven’t tackled? Let me know in the comments below!

Ok, spill. Where can I find the good canvases?

The short answer is: everywhere! But, really, I’m not joking. Much like you’d search online for somewhere to eat when you’re about to travel (or, you could just head here, right?! Wink, wink.), you can also search “needlepoint shop,” then add the city and state. Chances are good that there’s a local needlepoint shop (fondly known as an “LNS” in the needlepoint community) where you’re heading.

I’ve said it before: the needlepoint community is amazing. The shop owners, I’ve found, almost always know one another. Case in point: I’ve ordered from the West Coast and from Florida and both times their owners knew our DC shop owner, Susan! They always happily offer their services, but also stress to visit your local shop to support them, too.

Here’s where I find my canvases:

My LNS: The Point of It All in Washington, D.C., Waste Knot Needlepoint in Arlington, VA, and In Stitches Needlework in Alexandria, VA.

You’ll definitely need a home base and that’s where your LNS comes into play. They’ll be your contact for finishing your projects (i.e. turning them into pillows, belts, ornaments, clutches, loafers, the sky is quite literally the limit here!). They will also be where you can get your threads quickly and easily.

All of the owners I’ve worked with are super passionate and more than willing to help you pick out what threads you’re going to use on a new project. That can mean changing up the existing colors on a canvas (example: if you bought a blue and white ginger jar canvas but you’re really feeling pink and green – they can help make that happen). A lot of them also offer lessons, tips for incorporating a new stitch into your project, or helpful suggestions, like having the finisher add a ribbon around the neck of the Christmas goose ornament you just stitched before you send it off to the finisher.

Two other bonuses: 1) trunk shows – your LNS will often host a trunk show where a designer’s canvases are available at a discount (usually 15-20% off!). It’s a great way to discover new favorite designers (sign up for your LNS’ mailing list to receive these – or just ask the next time you’re in), and 2) ordering – your LNS can track down and order just about any canvas you have your eye on – all it takes is asking!

Out-of-town shops

We talked about visiting LNS’s when you travel. There are SO many fabulous ones to check out. Thanks to Instagram, Etsy, and the Internet in general, you can also order from nearly all of them from the comfort of your sofa…I mean, home office. Here are a few of my favorites:

Lycette Designs – Jessica Chaney has breathed new life into needlepointing with fun and, dare I say it?, grandmillennial-style canvases. Her new website is launching soon, and you should check out the fantastic canvases she’s painting herself. She is insanely talented. I’m pre-ordering at least three of them! In the meantime, follow Lycette on Instagram for new and in-stock canvases. Give them a call for easy and effortless ordering.

Erica Wilson – Always a stop to make when in Nantucket, especially for lighthouse and sailing fans. Now, you can shop their store online!

Needlepoint.com – I’ve yet to visit this fantastic shop in Raleigh, NC, but you can order from them online, too (seems a bit obvious now that I say that, hmm?). I’m working on a set of these Tina Griffin Designs coasters. They are too fun (and $50 per coaster). I ordered mine from my LNS, The Point of It All, but Needlepoint.com also carries a few in stock.

Elizabeth Bradley – My grandmother bought me my first Elizabeth Bradley canvas and I was hooked (no pun intended). They are truly the timeless, and gorgeous, style needlepoint that you see on footstools at Scully and Scully.

Pip & Roo Needleworks – Looking for an ode to the Aperol Spritz, Whispering Angel, or your Barbour jacket? Pip & Roo has the most fun pieces. My fox and Veuve Clicquot bottle ornaments both came from their site. And, yes, I’m signed up for loads of their out of stock items (they email you notifications when they’re back, but jump on them fast so you don’t miss out).

Etsy – What can’t you find on Etsy? There are dozens and dozens of needlepoint canvas sources on this online merchant’s site. Here are a few of my favorites from the site: Jessica Tongel Designs, Needlepoint by Laura, NeedlePainters (this is who we used for custom belts), Bags of Love (I had so many questions about who we used to print a canvas off of a photo we took on one of our trips – this is it!), LW Needlepoint (I have this canvas from them in my project bag), A Sailor Stitches (“Stark and Dormy” canvas – please! It’s in my cart), and The Eye of The Needle (out of Lexington, Kentucky, horse fans – fabulous belts).

eBay – Try searching “vintage needlepoint canvas” for some really fun ones. Just be mindful as some are “pre-worked,” i.e. already stitched. If you’re into that, perfect, but if it’s only halfway stitched, you might have trouble matching new threads with the old and faded ones that were used in the canvas. Rudy introduced me to the fabulous world of eBay canvases. He’s scored some amazing ones. Seriously, check out his Instagram. I’m still on the lookout, but have a few on my watch list!

Happy stitching!