Needlepoint Essentials & How I Use Them

I’m a firm believer in traveling light. When transporting my stitching, I try to keep my stitching bag as light as possible, but there are a few items that are always worth bringing with me. 

Note: For ease, I’ve included links to these items on Amazon (for which I make a tiny commission). However, most of these essentials are available from your LNS and I always support shopping small!

Extra needles - I can never be trusted to make sure I have a needle on my needle minder. I keep a handful of extra needles handy just in case I forgot or lose one while traveling. 

Scissors - There are so many great scissors on the market, but I always keep a stock of these mini scissors. They’re effective and cheap so I’m not worried about losing them. 

Needle puller - Occasionally I have a needle that I just can’t pull through the stitching. This is a great tool to help with stubborn needles. 

Snag Nab It - While I’d like to think my stitching tension is consistent, I inevitably have uneven stitches. I love having this handy for any stitches, Basketweave or otherwise, that need cleaning up. 

Needle threader - A threader can not only help with getting a strand started but also comes in handy if your tail gets a little too short, and you need help rethreading the needle before tucking the tail into threads on the back of your canvas. 

Extra tacks - I use stretcher bars so I carry extra tacks in case I need one to tighten the canvas. 

Correction pen - I am a color swapper, and a white-out pen can be incredibly helpful to lighten painted areas when switching to a lighter color thread. I also use this tool to cover black outlines painted on a canvas. The black can sometimes be visible under light color threads, and correction fluid can help minimize what is visible. 

Micron pen - Sometimes I need a little extra help adding rows to pieces for finishing. I use a Micron pen to help take the guesswork out of the extra rows. While black is a classic option, I often reach for a lighter color, like yellow or orange, to ensure the pen mark isn’t as visible under light colored thread or open stitches. 

I keep all of these items in an “emergency” kit to ensure I always have them when I transfer from project bag to project bag. A small bag helps keep them together and easy to find.

Final Thought: I hope these essentials will help make stitching a little bit easier for you. They also make a great gift for the new or experienced stitcher in your life! If you were assembling your own kit, what would you include?