How local shop The Elegant Needle is helping customers stitch handmade holiday gifts

Here come the holidays. And here comes holiday shopping. But instead of racking up receipts and stalking celebrity gift guides, some gift-givers are choosing to make handcrafted presents for their loved ones. Needlepoint is trending online as crafters show off their handmade ornaments, stockings, bag charms and even dog leashes–all destined to go under the tree this season.

The nimble-fingered art form of needlepoint is suitable for both seasoned stitchers and those who are just picking up a needle for the first time, with projects ranging from beginner to advanced level. After all, nothing says a gift is from the heart like one that was handcrafted.

“Everything [with needlepoint] is done by hand,” says Catherine Pletsch, the owner of The Elegant Needle needlepoint shop on Government Street.

Over the last few years, Pletsch has noticed people coming into the shop with the intention of getting off their devices and learning how to eventually make gifts for their friends and family. And the age group isn’t limited to seniors, she says. Pletsch has helped grandparents pick out personalized ornament canvases, but she’s also worked with beginners in their 20s who want to craft stockings for their future children.

No matter what patrons are looking to gift, the shop’s walls are covered from floor to ceiling in hand-painted canvases of almost every design imaginable. And there’s an entire hall and room dedicated just to Christmas, with ornaments and stocking templates aplenty. After selecting a design, a needlepointer can fill it with threads of any texture, making for a piece that can be velvety, silky, furry, cottony or sparkly.

“A stocking is by far the greatest investment as far as needlepoint goes,” says Leslie Nichols, manager of The Elegant Needle. Not only do stockings take an average of nine months to stitch, but the finished product is often a piece that lasts a lifetime.

After the piece has been needlepointed, it must be sent off to be “finished.” This involves taking a finished canvas and turning it into a functional piece, with details like a braided loop added for an ornament or a velvety backing for a stocking. According to Pletsch, this can only be done by experts trained in finishing needlepoint works, so the process can take another several months before the piece is handed back in its final form. 

Pletsch describes needlepoint as a hobby of love and time. Every piece she works on has a bit of her grandmother’s thread woven in. Needlepoint is a deeply personal and meditative process for her, and she has done it almost her whole life. She has owned the shop for 11 years, but she began working there when she was 18.

Staff members at The Elegant Needle offer to teach beginners who are interested in picking up the activity for the first time. Experienced crafters might want to explore the Christmas hall to eye templates for next year’s gift-giving ideas, pick up some new thread or check out the services offered at the store, including finishing, charting, custom designs and hands-on stitch guidance. The Elegant Needle is located at 6641 Government St. and is open Wednesday through Saturday.