Andrew's Custom Needlepoint Belt + Q&A

I was going through my weblog posts drafts as well as realized I had this i sitting hither waiting for the lastly photos to live taken. SO SORRY it took hence long! Better belatedly than never??

Last Christmas I wanted to needlepoint a belt for Andrew. I bought him his showtime belt from Tuckernuck from Smathers as well as Branson the previous Christmas (which, btw is a groovy build to purchase from if you lot don't desire to needlepoint yourself). At showtime he didn't dear it but over fourth dimension it became his go-to weekend belt.

So it got me thinking that I should build a custom i for him. They're also called hobby belts for this reason. In college they were called the swain or breakup belts (because you'd build them for your swain but they took hence long that past times the fourth dimension you lot were done you'd live broken up). I'm non certain if this was simply a southern affair or not, but they were big inwards college at University of Kentucky.

I picked upwards needlepointing inwards college for this argue as well as ended upwards making 3 belts as well as a handful of keychains over my iv years. I actually took to needlepointing as well as how fun as well as relaxing it is. It's also actually fulfilling to build something for yourself or others that you lot love. The hobby belts became my hobby!

Fast forrad to 2018, I decided since Andrew liked his Smathers as well as Branson belt hence much, I'd build him his ain as well as it would live a groovy gift. One that he volition dear as well as wearable forever (hopefully)! We pose together a listing of the things he'd desire represented as well as I texted Mimi at Eye of the Needle (the store I used inwards Kentucky) to house an order.

Here's his belt:

AJL -- his initials. It's really mutual to ever receive got those right at the front end starting off the belt

Golf -- durr

New York -- where he was born as well as raised. Filled alongside the colors of the NYC flag

Baseball -- his favorite sport as well as where he works

Airplane -- for our dear of travel

Blackjack -- his dear of gambling as well as blackjack (and the H5N1 as well as J are purpose of his initials!)

Palm Tree -- for dear of warm weather condition as well as vacations

Nantucket -- our favorite place

Decadent Ales logo -- his beer company

I decided to work Eye of the Needle for the belt because I trust them as well as receive got alone ever used them. Their website is non ideal for ordering because it's a footling outdated (it's a minor trouble solid unit of measurement owned business). But if you lot telephone outcry upwards them they tin flame assist house as well as lodge for you lot or you lot tin flame check out their Etsy store here!

I texted Mimi, i of the owners, as well as told her what I wanted. H5N1 few days afterwards she texted me a photograph of the painted canvass to approve/edit as well as hence sent off the belt as well as supplies I would involve to practise it. When I was dorsum inwards Lexington for a wedding, I took it into the store to live finished as well as almost 3 weeks afterwards it was sent dorsum to me consummate as well as develop to live worn!

The whole procedure was actually easy. I'm positive that at that topographic point are local needlepoint stores you lot tin flame become as well as lodge from equally good equally stores on Etsy who tin flame practise the same thing. Just honour a house that is convenient as well as you lot experience expert almost as well as lodge from them. I tin flame evidently alone vouch for Eye of the Needle since they are all I've ever used but you lot practise you!

Q: As a beginner what should I start out making?

A: I started out alongside a keychain. I recommend doing something minor as well as tardily to acquire the hang of it!

Q: How long does it receive got to acquire comfortable alongside needlepointing? Is it hard to learn?

A: It's pretty quick, at to the lowest degree for me. It's the same sew together i K times over hence you lot acquire used to it. The hardest purpose is the color as well as making certain you're next the designing correctly. Still, it's non likewise bad.

Q: Is it expensive?

A: This is all relative -- what practise you lot desire to stitch, how big is it, how many items are on it, etc. For the to a higher house belt, I believe it was unopen to $195 for the canvas, the painted items (hand painted btw), the thread as well as needles. Then it's unopen to some other $70 or hence for the lastly sew together (which I don't know how to do) as well as the leathering. It's expensive, but it's handmade, which is to a greater extent than than coin tin flame buy!

Q: How did you lot start? How did you lot learn?

A: I started inwards college as well as made a flat, one-sided keychain alongside my initials on it. If you lot become to a store that specializes inwards needlepoint, they volition assist instruct you lot how to stitch. Like I said, it's the same sew together over as well as over as well as over, hence it's quick to learn. They also taught me dissimilar ways to practise the same sew together -- upwards as well as down, across, or diagonally. It all ends upwards the same. 

There are also a ton of resources online similar articles as well as videos on how to sew together dissimilar kinds of needlepoint. For Andrew's belt, since I hadn't made i inwards years, I took to YouTube to remind me how to start a stitch. You tin flame acquire anywhere, but I call upwards it's best alongside person at that topographic point to assist exhibit you lot face-to-face. 

Q: How long does it receive got to build a belt?

A: This could receive got anywhere from 1-6 months. It all depends on how ofttimes you lot function on it. This took me 3 months total, but I could receive got easily done it inwards a month. I was inwards no hurry to acquire it done over the summertime because it was meant equally a Christmas present. It's a groovy projection to practise passively piece watching TV, inwards long car rides, on planes or somewhere on a beach -- whenever you lot receive got downwardly time. 

Q: Where practise you lot purchase the materials?

A: Wherever you lot purchase a belt or project, they volition (or should) give you lot the materials you lot need. When I purchased the belt it came alongside the color groups for each motion-picture exhibit on the belt, a ton of khaki thread (more than needed) as well as ii needles. So whether you lot become to a store or purchase on Etsy, they should render everything you lot involve to needlepoint the project. 

Q: How long receive got you lot been needlepointing? 

A: I started inwards college (around 2014?) as well as made 3 belts as well as a TON of keychains. I stopped when I moved to New York as well as picked it dorsum upwards lastly yr to build Andrew his belt. I receive got a listing inwards my heed for some things I desire to build for our wedding!

Q: How practise you lot secure everything?

A: For my purpose of the belt, I secure the thread past times tying or knotting it alongside the thread unopen to it. I volition acquire out a unloose terminate as well as hence wind a colored thread unopen to it. This helps concur it inwards tight. When I took it dorsum to the store to live finished, they added the lastly sew together on the top as well as bottom. You tin flame run across inwards the pictures to a higher house that at that topographic point is a thicker sew together running horizontally along the edges. That sew together as well as the leather backing assist concur the belt inwards house over time. 

Q: What practise you lot pose on the dorsum side?

A: Other than the leather, nothing.

Q: Can you lot acquire custom patterns?

A: Yes! You tin flame acquire whatever you lot desire (within reason, of course) on the belt or detail you're needlepointing. I sent through images of what I wanted as well as they painted it for me without whatever issue. 

Let me know if you lot receive got whatever other questions below. Happy to assist answer!

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