The idea of a needlepoint biscornu sounds great These pincushions have taken the cross stitch and embroidery worlds by storm — why not needlepoint?
The reality when done by Sekas & Co. falls short. On the plus side, the designs are charming and hand-painted. Their price is quite reasonable. The designs are simple enough for a beginner but use a variety of threads.
In the packet you get the canvases for front and back and a stitch guide that is a single piece of paper folded and printed on both sides. The stitch guide has stitch diagrams and finishing instructions.
Unhappily the bloom comes off the rose once you start to stitch. First the margins on the pieces of canvas are less than 1″. If you use stretcher bars, you must use minis. Even then stitching the edges can be quite challenging. The narrow margins made this little project unpleasant to stitch. Starting and ending threads required contortions to pull the needle through the back of the canvas.
I did manage to stitch the piece, mostly following the stitch guide but using my choice of threads.
Finishing was a different story. I know the idea behind a biscornu: corners meet the centers of the opposite face. I decided to follow the instructions in the guide to finish it.
Bad idea.
They didn’t work. While cross stitch fabric is thin and flexible enough for these instructions to work, needlepoint canvas is very stiff and thick. This method of overcasting just doesn’t tale this into account.
I had to seek the advice of my finisher to figure out what to do. Most people who buy this product won’t be so lucky and will end up, as I did with a piece partially finished.
While there is much to like about the Sekas & Co. Needlepoint Biscornu, I would recommend it only if you are consulting another source for finishing and don’t mind narrow margins on your canvas.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Bernadette Kirchner says
I just finished stitching a Sekas needlepoint biscornu and am struggling with making it into a biscornu too. Would you please share the advice you got from your finisher? I like the design and do want to finish it.
Janet M Perry says
It’s been ages and I’m afraid I don’t remember the specifics. There are lots of biscornu tutorials on-line.
Keep stitching,
Janet