All About Tapestry Needles

The history of tapestries goes back more than 8 centuries. In ancient times, tapestries were created using the weaving technique of woolen and silk threads. Woven fabrics adorned the walls of the dwellings. Modern tapestries are created both using the weaving technique and by embroidering with tapestry needles on dense fabric.

The needle for tapestry embroidery is designed to create different types of tapestries with your own hands. Tapestry needles are made from carbon steel. Nickel plating for smoothness. The method of gold sewing has been preserved from the past centuries. Then gold embroiderers embroidered with gold or platinum needles. These needles were particularly smooth and easy to use. Currently, some manufacturers are making the ears of the needles made of chrome-plated metal for gold.... The contrasting color serves as a marker for ease of threading.

Tapestry needles for embroidery differ from others in that they are blunt, with a rounded tip.... The thickness gradually increases from the tip to the thread hole. The oval-shaped eyelet is convenient for free movement of the thread. For each type of embroidery, a needle is selected in accordance with the density of the fabric and the type of work performed. Thin needles with a small eye, even along almost the entire length, are used for embroidery in the Rococo style. Crosses in the "petite" style are embroidered with short thin needles.

To create a tapestry, a dense fabric with holes for a needle is selected. This tough canvas-stramin is reminiscent of a sieve. In handicraft stores, a printed stram is sold. It is very convenient to embroider with a tapestry stitch according to the pattern, using woolen, acrylic threads or floss.The embroidery canvas is divided into squares with holes for the free passage of the needle. When performing a half-cross, the needle from the seamy side is inserted into the lower left edge of the square and on the front side it enters the upper right corner. This is how the row is sewn from left to right.

When the next reverse row is sewn, the needle from the upper right corner draws the thread to the lower left corner. On the seamy side, straight vertical stripes are formed, similar to strokes. Tapestry stitch different from cross stitching. It resembles a "half-cross", but the technique is different. When sewing with a tapestry stitch from left to right, the needle is inserted from the inside out into the upper right corner, pulls the thread and exits down in the lower left corner. The back row moves from right to left. The needle is inserted from the bottom into the lower left corner and exits to the wrong side through the upper right. On the seamy side of the work, diagonal strokes are obtained.

The term "tapestry needle" extends to a large number of needles. Tapestry needles are called:

• embroidery needles;
• for carpet embroidery;
• for carpet weaving tapestry.

Embroidery needles come in a variety of sizes. Their length is 2.5-3 cm. Modern needlewomen embroider on Aida canvas, which is divided into cells. This is very convenient when embroidering - the rows of crosses are even, and the needle passes freely through the finished holes of the canvas. The peculiarities of the choice are that, depending on the size of the canvas cells, the size of the needle is also selected. Canvas manufacturers adhere to a single standard for the size of the cells. The canvas is subdivided into sizes 11, 14, 16, 18. The largest cross is at canvas No. 11. The sizes of the canvas correspond to the sizes of the needles:

• No. 11 (4.4 crosses in 1 cm) - needle number 22;
• No. 14 (5.5 crosses in 1 cm) - No. 24;
• No. 16 (6 crosses in 1 cm) - No. 26;
• No. 18 (7.2 crosses in 1 cm) - No. 28.

When embroidering, you need a lot of needles. Experienced craftswomen use a separate needle for each thread color. There is no need to constantly change the thread in the needle, which increases the embroidery speed. For tapestry embroidery on the strana, needles are used No. 20, 22. The thickest ones have No. 13-20. They are used when embroidering tapestry on a plastic base using woolen or acrylic threads.

For two-handed embroiderers, a double-ended needle is suitable. It is used when the basis of the work is fixed on a special embroidery machine, and both hands of the craftswoman are free. The eye of this needle is located in the middle, and it consists of two needles connected together. When using a double-sided needle, the sewing speed is increased.

Tapestries are created not only by embroidery tapestry stitch... A popular activity among needlewomen - carpet stitching... Fluffy rugs, pictures and pillows are created using special needles. They are fundamentally different from embroidery needles. Carpet technique embroidery is subdivided into looped and nodular. From the names it is clear that tapestries are created with a looped seam or in the form of knots of thread. To create a fluffy pile tapestry, you need to select the fabric to base your work on. This is Linda linen fabric, tough cotton fabric, burlap. The thickness of the work needle depends on the thickness of the thread used.

The tapestry buttonhole needle resembles an awl with a plastic or wooden handle... The needle is inserted into the lower part of the handle and secured with a special screw lock. The length of the needle is adjusted with the same retainer. The length of the loop depends on this indicator. Usually 2.5-3 cm. There is a thread hole at the tip. Some manufacturers produce needles that are permanently fixed in the handle. The size of the needle is not adjustable, and the buttonholes on the right side are uneven in length.But this fact does not degrade the quality of the tapestry. The loops on the front side of the work are trimmed with scissors.

A step-by-step analysis of the use of a tapestry needle with a handle is presented below.

1. Attach the selected fabric to a stretcher or hoop. Pull the fabric evenly, without sagging. But you can't drag it either.
2. Transfer the design to the fabric using a marker. This will be the wrong side of the tapestry.
3. Insert the thread from the top through the handle and pull it through the eye on the needle tip with the threader.
4. Pierce the fabric at regular intervals along the pattern, changing the thread in the needle depending on the desired color.
5. When the design is sewn up, turn the work over and evenly trim the hinges with scissors.
6. Secure the stitches on the working side with glue or single-sided glue cloth.

To create a pile tapestry, use tknot weaving technique. When working, you need a special needle, like a hook. For knotted weaving, segments of woolen, acrylic threads are used. The basis is loose fabric or large checkered canvas. With the help of a crochet needle, the thread is pulled through the cells of the fabric and tied with a knot. In this way, the tapestry pile is created. The work is done on the front side.

To create a pile tapestry using the knot weaving technique, it is convenient to use ready-made sets, which are sold in handicraft stores. The threads in the sets are cut by the factory. The sets are completed with tools, including a crochet needle. These needles are sold separately, without a kit. Available for sale sets of needles for embroidery with loops. It is a pen with two needles. The diameter of the needles is 2.5 or 3.0 mm. The density of the fabric depends on which needle to use when working.

The tapestry needle is selected according to the fabric and thread you are embroidering with. Unlike cross stitching, which is usually created using floss threads, tapestry is embroidered with thicker threads. These are woolen, acrylic threads. If floss are used, then the thread is folded in several layers for thickness. Therefore, the needle for embroidery tapestry must be thick enough and with a large eye.

For how to choose the right tapestry needles for embroidery, see the following video.