Punch Needle Revival

Punch Needle Embroidery has a long history dating back to at least medieval times and possibly even as far back as the ancient Egyptians. It has been used to decorate religious vestments and for rug making to pass the time on long sea voyages. In the past few years, it has seen a real resurgence in the modern crafting community and we are so excited to be offering classes and carrying tools/supplies for this simple and creative craft.

Punch needle is made using a loose weave fabric, yarn or thread, and a punch needle tool. You feed the thread through the punch needle and press it into the open weave of the fabric, creating loops. The tightly packed loops create pressure that holds the piece in place, you don’t us any knots in the process at all. It is obviously great for rug making, but can be used for pillows, bags, wall hangings, stuffed animals, etc!

There are tons of truly inspiring people out there making beautiful needle punch projects, but we have a few favorites that we have to share with you! Arounna Khounnoraj (@bookhou) is a Toronto based artist that has been whipping up the most lovely modern block prints, bags and punch needle art. Check out just a few of the cool things she is producing.

We also blown away by New York City’s Rose Pearlman ( @rosepearlman). Her elegant color combinations and unique shapes speak for themselves.

One of our awesome teachers, Heather Beckman will be teaching the basics of this quick and satisfying craft this Spring at Fancy Tiger. Heather will walk you through the technique while making a modern wall hanging with our rustic Heirloom Romney yarn. She has sessions in March, April and May!