Stamp Collecting Thru the Eye of a Needle

Like many needlepoint enthusiasts I am always searching for new patterns and subject matter. A few months ago, the designs on the Wildlife Conservation Series in my husband's stamp collection caught my eye and imagination. Just the thing, if I could enlarge them, to embroider as seat covers on my six dining room chairs. I decided to start with the cardinal, and it's working beautifully.

Here's how ...

First I enlarged the 1-inch-by-2-inch stamp to a 12-by-18-inch free hand drawing, using a plain pencil and a good quality white paper. After I was satisfied, I went over the lines with a black felt-tipped pen so the subject could be more easily traced on the canvas.

To transfer the drawing, I placed the paper copy underneath the proper size canvas, tracing the outline on it, this time with indelible marker. I don't suggest using a black pen on the canvas because the color is harsh and may show through the yarn after stitching. Mono canvas was used after first binding the edges with masking tape to prevent raveling.

Many women paint the yarn colors they intend to use in oils or acrylics on the canvas, but I simply needlepointed in the traced areas, adding shading with other hues where necessary. For the first chair I used the same colors on the stamp, putting the cardinal against a pale, ivory-green background.

That chair took me about four months to finish. It will take some time to complete all six with varying bird designs. Also learned a bit about adapting a canvas to the chair seat. Measure your chair seat length and width, and purchase canvas an inch longer and wider than the area to be covered. You may feel more confident if an excess of two inches is left on each side. Better yet, consult your upholsterer, and he will tell you exactly what measurements he will need to cover the seat correctly.

Also, after you have purchased the canvas, ask your upholsterer to mark it for you so that you needlepoint only the areas that need to be done no point in wasting time, effort, and yarn in filling in corners that won't show. Then center your design and go to work.

When your piece is finished, return it to the upholsterer and suggest that he set the dyes before he begins to stretch the canvas. One acquaintance of mine took her seat cover to a man who thought her yarn colors were so vibrant that they wouldn't bleed, but they did.