Many stitchers are familiar with the traditional needlepoint of the past - shaded roses or other flowers with the background filled in with either black, maroon, green, navy or beige. They were ubiquitous - displayed on dining room chairs, a piano bench or footstool. In many cases, the stitcher of old even bought the canvas with the flowers already worked, requiring her to just fill in the background with tapestry wool in a tent stitch.
Contemporary needlepoint is fresh, new, inspired, invigorating, experimental and innovative.
The technique now encompasses a wonderful variety of disciplines. Today's market offers a huge array of glorious fibers from fine wools and cottons to silks, linens, novelty threads as well as paper, fabrics, ribbons and threads that have been overdyed. Not to mention the explosion of charms, beads and other embellishments to choose from. Today's needlepoint features techniques borrowed from Hardanger, blackwork, drawn and pulled thread work and surface embroidery. For some insight into what and where needlepoint is today, The Caron Collection is proud to display works designed and stitched by some of the ribbon winners from the 1999 National Exhibit of the American Needlepoint Guild held in Atlanta, Georgia.