For when you feel like stabbing something on July 4

These are the times that try human souls. Needlepoint is a good way to cope.

Disclosure: This post contains my affiliate links for Unwind Studio so I can support my needlepoint ritual. (Use EMILYGROSVENOR at checkout for an extra 10% off order).

I used to think that the stabby arts were mostly for Fall and Winter months; but lately, I remembered that stabbing is an all-year-long endeavor while I was reading Lindsey Stanberry’s Substack. So I thought I’d share the needlepoint projects I’ve done with Unwind Studio, my favorite needlepoint company. Maybe it will help. It sure helps me.

In the past, I had been working on more traditional kits made with wool threads and with historic designs — and which had a traditional flair. But I discovered Unwind when we were on vacation in Bend a few years ago, and I’ve since had time to do more than half a dozen of their kits.

For me, needlepoint is active self-care. I’m a picky person, and I need to have my hands doing something, you know, idle hands and all. The kits are cheaper than therapy and there’s something nice about having slow art on the wall.

I’ve turned to Unwind for a couple of reasons.

• Modern designs that people might actually want to live with

• Bold colors that feel good to look at for hours on end

• A rich online how-to library where I can learn new skills

• Finished needlepoint canvases that feel like fiber and not plastic

• (Mostly) cotton threads that feel exquisite going through my fingertips (this is perhaps the most important reason).

Here are the kits I’ve done so far. Most of these haven’t been stretched yet so they look wonky, but they are all going to look good when properly finished.

“Smokies” Needlepoint Kit

This has been my favorite kit to date, since I used it as an opportunity to practice some stitches beyond the basic needlepoint stitch. The palette is perfection, the design leaves a lot of room for experimentation, and the mountain scenery is basic enough to not feel specific to the Smokies (it’s not a reference for me).

“From the Other Side Rainbow Kit”

This was the first kit I did and it’s still a favorite. The sections are large enough that you can get lost in thought or actually listen to a podcast while stitching, and I like the novel approach to known symbology. Colors are fab. For this one, I added a metallic off-white border.

“Mt. Rainier Needlepoint Kit”

This kit is pure joy. I’m partial to the familiarity of Mt. Rainier being in the PNW, but I also flew through the stitching since I was having so much fun and the colors are supremely joyful. I learned so much about how light hits a mountain with this one. Pure happiness.

“Hilltop Needlepoint Kit”

Truth: I ordered this one because it was a little less expensive and I just needed to stab something instead of someone. The way I did it isn’t exactly how it’s supposed to read and I probably would have chosen different stitches in the places where I did non-traditional stitching. A good one to practice on, but not my favorite. Pretty mid.

“Starry Night Needlepoint Ornament Kit”

Small and sweet, this one is dreamy and fun, simple and elegant. I don’t love how the moon turned out and would probably do that differently next time, but it was my first time doing an ornament kit and I’m motivated to actually take the next steps with this and make it into something.

“Still Pomegranates Needlepoint Kit”

For verisimilitude I’m sharing an in-progress of some this pomegranate project. I was having a pomegranate moment over here ;ast Winter and this one helped me through the election news cycle. I really wish I had started the lilac with a different stitch type, like HERE. I LOVE the lilac. It’s been on all kinds of lifestyle book covers the past few years and I never tire of it.

Happy to answer any questions about any of these.

FOR AN EXTRA 10% OFF use the link HERE and use the code EMILYGROSVENOR at checkout.

Stabbily yours,

This post contains my affiliate links for Unwind Studio so I can support my somewhat spendy needlepoint proclivity.

In the design news…

The New York Times took on the architectural trend rising in Seattle since 2019 of attaching single family dwellings to ADUs (sometimes two at a time) in order to build housing density.

I liked this story from Domino about a Michigan take on the cabin. Although… I think peoples’ ideas about what constitutes a cabin are changing. Is there a sizing definition we can adhere to?

Architectural Digest put out a timely guide on how much house painting costs.

Even if the story angle was about the value of the objects and not the charm/story, I appreciated this House Beautiful piece on so-called “granny objects” that are now worth a lot in the marketplace.

This is an older one, but Virginia Chamlee’s Substack post on the best FB Marketplace finds being spelled wrong is a game-changer for antique lovers.

Schmatta did a breakdown of what it would actually cost to renovate her L.A. kitchen. I want to see more reality like this, where we understand that much of design media is now dominated by luxury projects.

Not specifically design-related, but I always love reading about what K.J. at #AmReading is reading. In middle age, I’ve learned to love a low-stakes novel. Let’s call it designing a reading life.

Questions no one has asked me

🚗 What rental company did you use on the trip you took last week?

We don’t rent cars often, but the last couple of times we have been having much luck with Sixt. It was somehow cheaper to book a crossover BMW than a smaller car, and we were able to get from Minneapolis, MN to Bayfield, WI to Menogha, MN on one tank of gas. Also, there is never anybody at the arrival counter (while like 100 people in the Budget line), and drop-off is quick and smooth.

🍽️ What was your favorite meal at the Wild Rice Retreat Center?

The Wild Rice chefs did this sweet potato hash I’d like to replicate, as well as a vegetable curry worth writing home about, delicate and with perfectly blanched vegetables. More on this next week!

✨Did you have any insights while on wellness retreat?

Yes. I came to the conclusion that when I am completely relaxed, I have no desire to write. None. I know writers are often anxious folk, and I definitely come from an anxious people, but it is a lingering question about how much I cling to my stories. I think the answer is to build more of a pared down lifestyle into my actual life instead of going full throttle on too much and all the things in my day-to-day.

😦What have you been doing differently this week?

My husband and I tried to share a suitcase. It was nice to save $75, but all in all, maybe not advisable. As you may remember, I am a racoon when I travel and Adam is more of a squirrel, so it made for some mildly tense moments that were 100% of the “I’m the problem” variety. 🦝

That’s Adam unpacking, immediately, into the provided storage! Much to admire and emulate.