Where engineering meets needlepoint
Quick turn acrylic
We are excited to share new options for needlepoint acrylic finishing!
Our in-stock acrylic coasters, ring trays, and handled trays are precision-fabricated to the highest quality standards. Island House flat finishes your needlepoint to glide perfectly into an acrylic protective slot within your choice of our finishing options.
We are passionate about cultivating outlets for you to use your finished needlepoint daily! No more leaving your hard-earned stitches in drawers only to be pulled out for special occasions. Our standard acrylic finishes provide endless gorgeous ways to use and display your needlework for years.
A NEW APPROACH TO AN OLD TECHNIQUE
JoAnn takes tremendous pride in uplifting her passion for needlepoint finishing. Combining the skills she developed as a lifelong Needlepointer and decades working as a mechanical engineer, she infuses as much design and development into her practice as she did to create precision medical devices.
During the 15+ years JoAnn spent finishing for local needlepoint shops, she experimented with many different materials and finishing techniques to ensure large pieces would remain flat (no warping) and not degrade when subjected to other environmental conditions. Through an extensive process of testing more than twenty materials and techniques, she has fine-tuned her methods to two different structural material options for the inside. The outside of our finishing is hand sewn with no glue or other materials that could degrade the stitched piece.
Every flat finish we produce for our standard acrylic trays is finished over a precisely sized precision laser-cut acrylic internal form. Utilizing acrylic as a structural interior form serves many purposes:
* Pieces that have been blocked often return to their stitched miss-shape over time. With commonly used materials and finishing techniques, this most often results in a warped finished piece. Warping often happens when your piece is exposed to humid conditions.
* Have you ever noticed that condensation quickly develops when you take your stitching out in the sun in a non-breathable bag? The same thing will likely happen when your needlepoint is enclosed in the pocket of an acrylic tray. Through traditional finishing techniques, the condensation is absorbed by the mat board or paper inside of the piece. Thus begins the endless cycle of mold and decay of your work. Having acrylic as the structural element of the flat finish eliminates this possibility. Should it dampen, remove the piece from the tray pocket and leave it to dry. Nothing will move, shift or begin the deterioration cycle!
As a sidebar, this is why Island House would never recommend “enclosing” your work fully inside a sealed acrylic piece. Once condensation forms, a finisher cannot salvage the needlepoint from decline without complete removal and restoration.
* The acrylic is rigid and will remain flat when stored inside the tray, on a flat surface, or properly supported on other displays.
*Being able to laser cut acrylic allows us to ensure that when you stitch to our dimensional requirements, your pieces will all slide perfectly in and out of our acrylic trays using only our handmade cord as friction.
WHY Standard ACRYLIC
TIME: We will flat finish your needlepoint (stitched to our standard size dimensions) and return it to you in a perfectly fitted acrylic coaster, ring, tray, dresser tray, or handled tray within two months of our receipt!
COST: While the initial investment in an acrylic tray may be pricy, it is a one-time investment! Continue to stitch multiple pieces with the exact dimensions, send them to us for flat finishing, then dress your tray (slide the different finished pieces in and out of the tray) to fit any mood.
AESTHETICS: The sleek, translucent structures show off the best of your work in a chic manner while providing excellent projection. Our coaster design includes a lip around the top, creating the perfect frame to accent your piece while ensuring that no wet-bottomed glasses slide off of them and no drips (e.g., my husband’s morning coffee) up on your finished work.
QUALITY: Everything about our standard acrylic trays and flat finishes screams QUALITY!
HOW IT WORKS:
To ensure the perfect fit of your needlepoint with our standard acrylic product line, the stitched area of your work will need to conform to specific dimensional requirements. These dimensional requirements were extensively prototyped and tested by Island House to ensure an heirloom finish for each piece we finish.
When we finish your dimensionally stitched piece over our precision laser-cut acrylic internal form and add our custom twisted cording, your needlepoint will glide in and out of a protective pocket in the acrylic on the top and bottom edges of the cording. The precision fit between our flat finishing and standard acrylic ensures that it doubles as a frame when you display your acrylic on its side.
To take advantage of Island House Needlepoint’s standard fishing options, the stitched areas of your needlepoint canvas needs to have particular dimensions. We have developed a guide on how to measure your canvas before and after it is stitched. This guide can be found in our blog/resources. If measuring is not your thing, we offer laser-cut acrylic templates to be used as guides to develop your stitching areas. Templates are available for purchase in our online store. A template is available for each size of standard acrylic and a myriad of other sizes and shapes. Our templates’ best feature allows you to quickly look at canvases (sort through your stash or take them to a shop) to determine what is required to bring it to the standard size.
Our current offerings can be found in the table below.
As a side note: Painted needlepoint canvases reflect the artist’s vision. Slight modifications to the canvas/design may be necessary to conform to the required standard finishing dimensions. Please be aware that advertised canvas dimensions may vary from the actual measured dimensions (we have seen +/- 1/4″) for many reasons.
We recommend ensuring the stitched area of your conforms to size requirements before beginning stitching; this allows you to plan for any modifications that may be required. For canvases stitched in hand, measurements should be verified upon completion of stitching before submitting your canvas for finishing; the tension of your stitching may have caused the canvas to go out of tolerance.