Making a dollhouse needlepoint placemat

ONLINE MINIATURE NEEDLEPOINT EMBROIDERY TUTORIALS

These tutorials were originally written to help people who had bought my dollhouse needlepoint kits – they show you how to do the stitching and assemble each type of kit. In November 2024 I retired, so these pages are now a ‘legacy archive’ only. I NO LONGER SELL THESE KITS, so please do not contact me asking where you can buy them! I plan to keep these tutorials available until at least the end of 2026, so that people who bought kits but haven’t made them up yet have a while to use the tutorials to complete their kits  🙂

The placemats are to be worked on 32 count silk gauze with one strand of Anchor stranded cotton. The edges are trimmed and glued with fabric glue for a neat finish, so that hemming is not necessary.

In addition to a piece of 32 count silk gauze, each kit contains a colour block chart to count the design from, a suitable needle, Anchor stranded cotton (use one strand) and full instructions.

This tutorial features the ‘Christmas Candles’ doll’s house placemat design.

If you have never done miniature needlepoint before, start by reading the BASIC EQUIPMENT and NEEDLEPOINT STITCHES tutorials first, then come back to this page.

Before you begin stitching, you will need to make a card mount for the silk gauze. This will make it much easier to work on, and help to keep your stitch tension even.

Cut a piece of stiff card 3½ x 2¾ inches, with an aperture of 2½ x 1¾ inches. Fix the silk gauze to the card with masking tape along all four edges, as tautly as possible. See the HOW TO MOUNT SILK GAUZE tutorial for details.

Identify the thread colours supplied in the kit using the colour key, then, using one strand of the Anchor stranded cotton, start the design in the centre, using tent stitch. Remember that one square on the chart equals one stitch, and always use a ‘stabbing’ motion, not a ‘sewing’ (scooping) one.

When the stitching is complete, if it has become slightly mis-shapen (especially if you did not use a card mount to hold the silk gauze taut), press it on the reverse side with a medium hot iron, over a padded ironing board, pulling the fabric gently if necessary to get it dead square.

Hold the gauze piece face down and run a line of fabric glue such as Fray Check around the edge of the stitching, about a quarter of an inch wide.

Wait for the glue to dry completely, then, with a pair of sharp scissors, carefully cut away the unstitched gauze, right up to the stitching.

Press the stitching again.

Your placemat is now complete, and ready to display in your dolls’ house!