Photo Courtesy of The Needlepoints North/ Rolling Fields Photography
Becki Barnwell has been needlepointing for some 50 years. It all started decades ago, when the part-time Mackinac Island/Traverse City resident was with a friend, on the island, who had been in a bike accident and needed a pastime. The friend’s mother had worked in a needlepoint store in New York. “(My friend’s) mother ordered needlepoint kits for us,” Barnwell recalls. “(I remember) they were simple daffodils.”
Meanwhile, one of Barnwell’s present-day friends, Susie Wipperman, also loves to needlepoint, after learning the craft from Barnwell about six years ago when visiting her in Florida. “I love to gift the finished pieces,” says Wipperman, who also spends summers on Mackinac Island and lives the other part of the year in Traverse City.
Barnwell and Wipperman note that since COVID-19, interest in needlepoint has hit a new high. “Lots of people started to needlepoint for something to do at home during COVID, and now young designers are really getting into it and have shot new energy into the craft,” says Barnwell, who designs her own patterns. Adds Wipperman: “It’s now fresh, fun, and even edgy.”
This year, the two women opened a needlepoint shop, The NeedlePoints North, in Traverse City. “More and more folks want to get off their phones. They’re recognizing that they’re on some sort of device all the time,” Wipperman says.
“Instagram and TikTok have played a major role in getting younger designers out to the public and inspiring younger people to take up needlepoint. Entrepreneur Penny Linn is one popular feed that comes to mind,” Barnwell says.
The fascinating uptick has been observed by organizations such as the American Needlepoint Guild and Craft Industry Alliance, which also attributes its rise to social media and younger generations seeking stress relief, a sense of accomplishment, and connection.
Connection, indeed, the women agree, noting that needlepoint has most definitely inspired a sense of community. “A lot of people desire to be part of a community. There are more stitch clubs opening every day,” Wipperman observes. Barnwell, in fact, started a club that meets twice per week. “We had four people, and that grew to 20 people, so we started going to the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City,” she says. “There’s a huge audience out there.”
She says she was inspired to launch the needlepoint business with Wipperman, an attorney, after partnering with her in other ventures. “At first we were thinking really small, like just leading needlepointers on a trip or retreat,” says Barnwell, who’s holding a needlepoint retreat at a Mackinac Island hotel in June. “We sold out way back when, and I realized I’d always wanted to have a shop with Susie, so we said let’s do it.”
They both fondly recall the story that takes them back to the 1970s, when Wipperman’s father asked them about Barnwell’s business aspirations for the island. Her response was that she wanted to open a needlepoint shop. He became her first investor, presenting Barnwell with a crisp hundred-dollar bill.
With that, she bought a roll of canvas to design a rug for the Mackinac Island Needlepoint Group (MING). Stitched by local women, Barnwell will never forget the experience.
Today, the 600-square-foot space, which opened in January and is located on Front Street, welcomes stitchers to shop in person or online.
An intriguing tapestry of offerings awaits shoppers at their Traverse City emporium. You’ll find everything from heart motifs to sailboats to the Round Island Lighthouse in stock. Canvases come in a variety of sizes, while threads arrive from all over the world and include silk and cotton options. Future themes include golfing, kayaking, canoeing, and nature.
The women say they bring their needlepoint projects with them just about wherever they go, from doctors’ offices to the car.
A quick lesson on this craft: Needlework is the big umbrella under which arts such as needlepoint, embroidery, and cross-stitch fall, Barnwell explains. “Needlepoint is half as much work and twice as much fun,” she says with a laugh.
If you’ve not needlepointed, Barnwell says it only requires patience and time. “And the holes are bigger in the beginner kits, making it easier.”
Want to give it a try? If you’re in the Traverse City area, check out their classes. The shop’s beginner class costs about $80 and includes all supplies. “It’s everything you need to get off to a good start,” Barnwell says. Or, she notes, you can purchase a kit online. Over time, she says you’ll learn about embellishments and different stitches, as well as ways to create more texture.
So, what do you do with your finished canvases? Stitchers can frame them for wall art, or create everything from ornaments and eyeglass pouches to clutches and pillows.
Barnwell and Wipperman say they could have launched their shop just as an online business, but they both wanted to offer in-person classes to bring more people into the needlepoint world. They also like hosting special nights, like “Sip and Stitch.”
“Community is very important,” Barnwell says. “It’s why we wanted brick and mortar.” Adds Wipperman: “(Our shop is) a place to go and get your questions answered.” 
More Information
The NeedlePoints North is located at 109 E. Front St., 215A (second floor), Traverse City. Email the company at hello@theneedlepointsnorth.com. For shopping and class details, visit theneedlepointsnorth.com.
