Punch Needle Embroidery Guide  Ccreativecottage Needleart-Notions

This technique  has been passed down from generation to generation since the 17th Century. It was first popular in Russia and Japan. The designs can be the basic or incredibly intricate. It is easy to accomplish either one.

What is a Punch Needle?  A handle with a removable needle. The needle shape reminds one of a quill. The back side of the needle is pointed & has a little eye in it. this shape makes it easy to pierce the fabric. you can work in any direction and the results are just wonderful! A tightly woven fabric is placed in a hoop, the design facing you, the needle is plunged into the fabric, dragged & plunged again. loops are formed on the "right side" and what looks like a miniature rug comes to life!

Easy to master, relaxing, rewarding and really so very simple. The subject becomes dimensional, the colors are very appealing, the topics are sometimes historic.whimsical, angels, stars, santas, centennial.  But! think of transferring a special child's art work onto the weaver's cloth and then filling with embroidery floss. Or, your own design.

There is one tool required, a punch needle.Next acquire a kit which includes the design on weaver's cloth( tightly woven fabric) and  add embroidery floss or thick thread. Usually a small project, the design is worked in a embroidery hoop from the back.  when needed, the items can be washed. pictures can range from 2" x 2" to about 4" x 7"  Of course, there are projects both smaller and larger than these dimensions. This makes the project easy to transport from room to room, on vacations, in the car, waiting rooms,etc.

There are several punch needles on the market. the handles usually come in metal or plastic. the punch needle requires its own very long needle threader. once purchased, the punchneedle can be used for many future projects. There are different sized needles. the handle is a permanent tool with the necessity of replacing the needles after several projects.  The needle size accomodate needle #1-very thin (one strand)  needle #2. medium-(three strands) and #3. thick-6 strands embroidery floss, wool, metallic thread,etc. of the same width. Each punchneedle comes with easy to understand and helpful instructions.  You set the  gauge on the needle to determine the depth of the loops.

the embroidery process is rather zen-like and very pleasant, results immediate!

Punchneedle "Kits" are frequently a design already on weaver's cloth and ready to work. the kits can come with or without floss. Easy to change the color choices to your own. It can be difficult to find the tool in chain stores. Many of the kits available are from talented American designers who concentrate on the charm & quality of a truly special project.  it is difficult to convey the wonderful results. So Rewarding!!

You can easily learn this technique and finish a project within a few days if you really work at it.

Here is a completed project. measuring:  6" x 4 1/2"                                      Metal Punch Needle with threader