Needlepoint - Decorative Pillows

Decorative pillows make great home decor accessories and come in a variety of designs and materials. The main types one will find are needlepoint, embroidered, hooked, silk, and Aubusson.

Needlepoint Pillows

Needlepoint is a form of embroidery that covers the entire canvas rather than just being decorative handwork on top of a background. Needlepoint pillows are among the most popular of all decorative pillows and are available in all price ranges, sizes, and designs.

Embroidered Throw Pillows

The decorative needlework that embellishes many of the most beautiful accent cushions is often created by cross-stitch or crewelwork that is stitched entirely by hand.

Crewelwork and embroidery are considered among the most challenging and time-consuming of all the needle arts, the result of which is detail that can approximate a fine, painted canvas. Common materials for embroidery and crewelwork are silk, wool, and cotton.

Hooked Occasional Cushions

Hooked pillows, like rugs, are made from strands of woolen yarn hooked through a canvas backing to create a specific design or motif. Often considered less formal than needlework pillows, hooked cushions may showcase holiday or other themes, and many use humor and whimsy as well.

Using hooked pillows as accessories in home decorating is always a smart idea — and an economical one too — due to their affordability and familiar themes.

High-End Silk Pillows

Decorative silk pillows are made not only from silk, but also frequently have handcrafted silk patterns embroidered on them as well. The design might match the shade of the background so the pattern is discernible by its raised texture, or it may be in a matching shade so that you can see and feel the decoration.

Another exquisite type of handmade silk pillow to consider is one that has contrasting silk embroidery finely worked onto a solid background color.

Aubusson Accent Pillows

Throw cushions in the Aubusson style are named after an area in France that has been famous since the Renaissance period for its weavers and the woolen products they produced. Pillows made in the same tradition of highly intricate detailing using top quality yarns are still called Aubusson pillows today. Aubusson pillows are generally used in more formal settings due to their floral, regal, and antique French historical designs.

Despite being entirely handmade, decorative pillows are also remarkably durable. In fact, there are countless examples of pillows from the 18th and 19th centuries — Aubusson, needlepoint, embroidered, and more — still being used today. Proper storage and gentle spot-cleaning techniques will keep these home accessories looking new for years to come.

Difference between cross stitch, counted cross stitch and needlepoint?

I do crochet and like it because I don’t have to be “creative.” I need Christmas stockings and saw a lot of cross stitch, counted cross stitch and needlepoint kits for stockings. Is there a difference between the 3? Is it hard to do? Thanks

Answer
The big thing I notice that’s different between the three is their finished appearance. Needlepoint tends to look very much like tapestry, and I see it a lot on pillows. I am partially biased to cross stitch because it is one of my favorite hobbies. I would recommend that you not get a design that is preprinted onto the fabric, unless you are only adding slight embellishments to it. It does not look like stitching very much at all, and it instead looks like a regular picture. Counted cross stitch is where you will do everything from a pattern on your own. You’ll start from the middle of the design and work your way out. Counted cross stitch is my particular favorite out of the ones you are considering. Make sure when you do counted cross stitch that all of your stitches go in the same direction or your finished product will look very sloppy. Good luck!!