Punchneedle Napkins

If you enjoy rug hooking or punching, I encourage you to try miniature punchneedle embroidery. I think you'll enjoy it, and these classic oak leaf and acorn napkins are a perfect place to start!
 
Punchneedle stitching varies in scale from using a single strand of thread for embellishment to using a thick yarn to make rugs. The process is basically the same. The thread or yarn is fed through a hollow needle and out through an eye in the needle tip. When the needle is punched into the back of the fabric and withdrawn, it leaves a loop on the front. The loops are considered the right side of the work, and the collected loops create a lush pile surface.
 
The basic difference between rug punching and miniature punchneedle embroidery is scale. Rug punching needs to be worked on a quality woven fabric, like monk's cloth, while miniature punchneedle embroidery can be worked on a wide variety of fabrics, including Weaver's Cloth, silk, wool, velvet, cotton, linen, rayon, and blends. Punchneedle of any type requires a rigid frame or an embroidery hoop to keep the fabric taut as it is being stitched.

This article is from the January/February 2011 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.