Flower Show 2011

The annual Philadelphia Flower Show is coming up soon! It's being held March 6th through the 13th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 12th & Arch. This year's theme is Springtime in Paris. We love flowers, both fresh and needlepointed, and definitely love Paris too! In honor of the flower show and spring being around the corner, I thought I'd show you some great floral needlepoint canvases that we have in stock right now.

There are so many amazing floral needlepoint canvases that it's very difficult to find just one that would be a beautiful addition to your home. The good thing is that there are different types of canvases for beginners, intermediate, and advanced stitchers.

The key to finding a good beginner's canvas is to find one that has a large mesh size, which makes it easier to see where your stitches are going. Colonial Needle recently bought the company Lee. Lee has a lot of really fun canvases, as you may remember if you saw their trunk show in shop in November. They carry a few beautiful flower canvases that are perfect for beginners. The Iris canvas on the left, which is painted on 12 mesh, is a perfect choice for a beginner. It's stitch painted, which makes stitching very easy. You don't have to decide where to begin shading, as each shade is already painted. Also, the canvas is just gorgeous. It would make a very nice pillow once it was stitched and finished. The tulip above is also by Colonial Needle and is also great for beginners.

At the Intermediate level, you'll be able to start doing a little more shading and dealing with smaller mesh sizes, such as 18 mesh. By this point, you'll be able to work with a lot more detail as well, which means your pieces can be much more intricate. This red and white orchid piece would be an excellent choice for an intermediate project. It's still on 13 mesh, but there's quite a bit more detail involved. Orchids are lovely flowers, and this piece would look gorgeous finished.
The Geranium bush by Sandra Gilmore on the left would also be a good intermediate canvas. There's definitely a lot more detail, and you get to start working with shading and patterns. This is done on 18 mesh. Both of these canvases are starting to deal with shading and patterns.

As an advanced stitcher, you should be comfortable with shading and patterns and also with doing lots of detail. The Orange Hibiscus on the right is an
excellent example of a canvas that an advanced stitcher would feel comfortable with. Although it's not stitch painted, you have the opportunity to decide where you want the shading to begin, and also get the opportunity of blending fibers. This would help create seamless shading and make this flower look as realistic stitched as it does painted. This piece is gorgeous, and I think it would look very pretty framed or as a pillow. It's made by HP Designs.

All of these canvases are beautiful, and whether you're a beginner or advanced stitcher, you're sure to find something you would love to stitch. If you have any questions about any of these canvases or would like to come in and see the other canvases we have (we definitely have a lot!) feel free to get in touch! We look forward to seeing you in the store!