GBH Openvault

Erica; Stitches in Needlepoint

Part of From the Vault. Part of Erica Wilson: The Julia Child of Needlework.

04/06/1972

While what Erica calls the “plain, flat, regular” tent stitch is the most common stitch for needlepoint, Erica invites viewers to broaden their horizons and “say goodbye to all those flat, beige backgrounds” in this episode by trying other, more textural stitches in needlepoint. Given this, Erica demonstrates many stitches in this episode, including Gobelin stitch (so named because of its resemblance to the texture of woven tapestries produced at Gobelins in France), and its variations—slanted Gobelin, encroaching Gobelin, and brick stitch. To demonstrate the beauty of more textural stitches in needlepoint, Erica shows the results of an epic, five-year project in which she designed kneeling cushions for a church in Ohio, each one unique. The cushions, which were executed by members of the church in consultation with Erica, were done in needlepoint in bold gradations of color using variations of the Gobelin stitch. The cushions depict God’s creatures, great and small. Summary and select metadata for this record was submitted by Amanda Sikarskie.


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Series
Erica
Program
Stitches in Needlepoint
Program Number

126

Series Description

Needlework series with Erica Wilson. “Erica Wilson, noted American authority on needlework, invites the viewer to explore the exciting possibilities of indulging his creative and artistic talents. In this series of color videotaped 15 minute programs she illustrates the wide vocabulary of stitches used in many types of embroidery including traditional crewel, needlepoint, bargello, and crewel point.

As well as demonstrating these stitches, Erica gives professional hints on creating useful and decorative objects. She encourages personalizing an original or derived design through the selection of motif, materials, stitch, color, texture, and size. C. 1971-2 Series release date: 1971

Program Description

While what Erica calls the “plain, flat, regular” tent stitch is the most common stitch for needlepoint, Erica invites viewers to broaden their horizons and “say goodbye to all those flat, beige backgrounds” in this episode by trying other, more textural stitches in needlepoint. Given this, Erica demonstrates many stitches in this episode, including Gobelin stitch (so named because of its resemblance to the texture of woven tapestries produced at Gobelins in France), and its variations—slanted Gobelin, encroaching Gobelin, and brick stitch.

To demonstrate the beauty of more textural stitches in needlepoint, Erica shows the results of an epic, five-year project in which she designed kneeling cushions for a church in Ohio, each one unique. The cushions, which were executed by members of the church in consultation with Erica, were done in needlepoint in bold gradations of color using variations of the Gobelin stitch. The cushions depict God’s creatures, great and small.

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Needlework – Liturgical
Needlework – Ohio
Needlework – Instruction
Gobelin Stitch
Wilson, Erica
Needlepoint – Design
Animals – Decorative Arts
Genres
Instructional
Topics
Crafts
Creators
MacLeod, Margaret I. (Series Producer)
Contributors
Field, James (Director)
MacLeod, Margaret I. (Producer)
Wilson, Erica (Host)
Mahard, Frances (Other (see note))
Publication Information
Copyright © 1971 Erica Wilson and WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “Erica; Stitches in Needlepoint,” 04/06/1972, GBH Archives, accessed March 28, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_655DAF6DE15648859AB694930645F6AA.
MLA: “Erica; Stitches in Needlepoint.” 04/06/1972. GBH Archives. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_655DAF6DE15648859AB694930645F6AA>.
APA: Erica; Stitches in Needlepoint. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_655DAF6DE15648859AB694930645F6AA
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