In The Beginning!

Often times when we start to do a craft project we overestimate some things.  It’s not that we mean too, it’s just that we tend to overestimate how easy or hard something is going to be.  It’s one of those things in life that has unexpected consequences. Case in point the woman at my work that has never held a crochet hook let alone made something.  She wants to make a baby blanket in two weeks with no knowledge of how to do a single stitch, let alone how long it’s going to take her.  While her heart was in the right place (making a handcrafted gift), her skill set, knowledge and experience were far from where they needed to be for such a project.   That lead me to thinking about needlepoint and other such crafts.  There seems to be a handful of things that all beginners in crafts that deal with yard of various types tend to make.  All of them can be overcome, but you need to be aware of them in order to do so.  Therefore, for your awareness and consideration are the following points for your enrichment.

Know Where You’re At!

• Skill Level: When you’re starting in needlepoint or most anything for that matter, you need to take a realistic evaluation to where you’re at.  In needlepoint, it’s especially critical to know where you’re at.  If take a look at the picture on the left, would you know how to make all of the color changes that are needed in order to complete the picture and give it it’s due?  If you’re hesitated or your not sure, that’s ok.  It tells you that you’re not at this advanced of a level.  But it doesn’t mean you won’t be.  You simple need to put in the hours of practice that is needed to get there.  I know of nothing that doesn’t need practice, including when you learned to walk.
• Length Of Time For The Project:  If you want to make this picture for a gift, you can’t expect to get it done the night before.  That’s an unrealistic expectation for yourself.  If on the other hand you know that you want it in 6 months, that’s a far more reasonable expectation then having it done in 24 hours.  Even the best of needlework artist can’t complete a project of this magnitude in that short of a timeframe.
• Amount Of Supplies:  Not all needlepoint kits are the same.  You need to make sure what comes in the kit that you’re selecting to buy.  Stores have changed how they have needlepoint kits, and often only the 3 X5 kits have floss (the thread for needlepoint kits).  If however, you chose to go a specialist in the field, you’ll find that the floss is almost always included.  (For an example, check out Chelsea Needlepoint).
• Patience! If you’re new to needlepoint, you need to be patient with your skill set.  It’s hard sometimes to remember that even Rembrandt and Picasso started out scribbling and Mary Lou Retton had to learn to walk.  Give yourself time to learn and make mistakes.  That means you have to be patient with yourself.

If you master these few things about being a beginner in needlepoint, you’ll find that in no time, you have increased your skills and are successful and you can move on to more advanced skills.  So, enjoy your new craft!

Amount of supplies