| Daisy's Needlepoint Kits are inspired by mid-century and sixties decor—drawing from my parents' vintage apartment photos—as well as Danish design, abstract art, and the aesthetic of the Jetsons. These influences result in a variety of themes, including cityscapes, nautical scenes, and groovy, hippie-inspired designs. |
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The designer's childhood living room.|
The designer, left, and Kelly, her sister. |
When I first learned to needlepoint, I was a child, maybe 7 years old. Back in those days, my old neighborhood in Washington Heights (northern Manhattan - check it out!) was a place with mom-and-pop shops. You could get buttons and ribbons at the notions store. Toys at the doll store. Meat at the butchers, and so on. I wandered into the haberdashery we had on 181st street and bought a small beginner's kit with acrylic yarn with my allowance money. I was hooked. |
As a needlepoint enthusiast, I like sweet images of flowers and taxi cabs, which are great, I just bought a mini one of a can of fish from a store here in NY. But one reason why I started Daisy's Needlepoint Kits is because I want needlepointers --seasoned pros and novices--to have the option to do non-traditional designs within a reasonable price range.
Over the years, fiber crafts got a little expensive. How do you balance offering a great kit, with everything included, at a price the average person can afford? It's not so easy; production costs go up, suppliers can't get materials or they can be very delayed, and sometimes even packaging can increase the cost you have to pass onto the customer.
One way to keep costs reasonable is to reduce the packaging, which also winds up being more sustainable. After all, what do we do with all the tissue paper in a box? We throw it out. What do we do with ribbons and linen pouches? We can reuse them but more often than not, they also add to landfill. That said, a client likes a nice package, it feels so nice to get what feels like a Christmas gift. So what is best? We shoot for a healthy middle ground. After all, the more affordable a kit, the more needlepointing you'll do. And that's a win-win for everyone.
Daisy's kits have the basics. A printed cotton canvas, needles, yarn, and instructions. Everything you need with less waste. We have a mix of canvases from 5"x5" all the way to 14" x 14". Most are beginner friendly.
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Does that vase look familiar? Behind, a design that will go into production soon. |