All basic needlepoint stitches are made diagonally over one intersection of canvas threads. These stitches look the same on the front of the canvas-see photo-the back side is what shows the difference. The other needlepoint stitches which slant in different directions and cross several meshes at a time are known as Bargello or canvas embroidery.

CONTINENTAL STITCH and HALF CROSS STITCH
work rows straight from right to left. Yarn goes from a lower left mesh to an upper right mesh (stitches are diagonal on both sides of canvas).
Half cross stitch is worked from left to right. Take a whole stitch through the canvas, needle going in and out on one stitch-see illustration

BASKET WEAVE OR DIAGONAL TENT STITCH:
(So called because the back of work looks like a basket weave.) Each square on diagram represents one large hole on canvas. Stitches are worked upward and diagonally to the right. Rows are worked diagonally up and down. Broken lines and arrows on diagram indicate direction of rows. Numbers indicate order in which stitches are worked. Except for those holes around outer edge of work, each hole is used twice. At uneven numbers above broken line in each square, bring needle up from wrong side At even numbers below broken line in each square, bring needle down from right side. EXAMPLE: Bring needle up from wrong side at 1, down at 2 from right side for first stitch; up at 3, down at 4 for second stitch; up at 5, down at 6 for third stitch, and so on. To begin an upward row, work first stitch directly below last stitch of previous row-as up at 7, down at 8.
To begin a downward row, work first stitch directly to the left of last stitch of previous row-as up at 13, down at 14. To begin a downward row on a left straight edge, work first stitch directly below last stitch of previous row-as up at 57, down at 58. To begin an upward row on a lower straight edge, work first stitch directly to left of the last stitch of previous row-as up at 69, down at 70.

CANVAS EMBROIDERY STITCHES

CANVAS: PENELOPE is the classic canvas which is used in Traditional Needlepoint. It is a double woven fabric with pairs of horizontal and vertical threads which form the mesh. When doing regular needlepoint, the stitches are worked diagonally over two horizontal and two vertical threads. For Petit Point, the double vertical thread is separated and all the meshes are worked. In Traditional Needlepoint the canvas measures 10 meshes to the inch or 20 Petit Point meshes. It is usually Antique Tan in color, but is also available in White and Off-White.
MONOPOINT is a single weave canvas in which every mesh is of equal size. It is not as firm as Penelope and generally is not recommended for furniture pieces or any item that will receive hard wear. Monopoint canvas is usually White and, therefore, is suitable for hand painting. It is made in sizes ranging from 10 to 16 meshes to the inch (and even finer for Petit-Point) but 12 to the inch is the popular choice.
INTERLOCKING canvas (Iino weave) is a monopoint construction made of vertical and horizontal double strands which are woven together at the intersections. The strands are permanently set and cannot be separated as in Penelope. This construction gives more stability than a simple monopoint weave, though it sacrifices something in strength

YARNS AND THREADS: TAPESTRY WOOL is the Traditional yarn for needlepoint. It is made of long fibered, tightly twisted wool, which because of its quality and construction resists fraying and wear while it is being worked. A single strand of tapestry yarn can be used on 10 mesh penelope or 12 mesh monopoint canvas, or it may be split in half for working Petit Point. Tapestry Yarn,  It is permanently mothproofed.
PERSIAN YARN is actually a Crewel Embroidery yarn but it is also used for needlepoint. It is constructed of 3 loosely twisted strands of 2-ply yarn and it is interchangeable with tapestry wool. It is very easily separated into 1 or 2 strands for use on finer mesh canvas. Needlepoint and Crewel Wool, are packaged in 10 or 40 yard skeins and are also available by the strand.
COTTON THREAD is used in working needlepoint for various special effects.  Six Strand Cotton in multiple strands can be worked on regular mesh for highlight areas or on Petit Point canvas as a background for evening bags and purse accessories. It has more gloss than wool, which makes it suitable for dressier items.
METALLIC & RAYON THREADS may be used for highlighting small areas or for complete pieces such as Belts, Jewelry, etc. Spotlight  in Silver or Gold and Rayon are recommended.
ACCESSORY ITEMS: NEEDLES. The blunt tapestry needle is recommended for all needlepoint. For standard Gross Point (10 and 12 mesh canvas) use size 18 or 19 needle; for Petit Point, size 21 or 22.
NEEDLEPOINT FRAMES. Large panels of tapestry can be worked more conveniently on a needlepoint frame. Even for smaller pieces, the use of the frame keeps the canvas in shape so that it requires a minimum of blocking when it is completed. Most frames are of a rotating type and they come in many sizes to be used in the hand or on tables.
TYPES OF NEEDLEPOINT TRADITIONAL NEEDLEPOINT is usually done on 10 mesh to the inch Penelope canvas. The design is pre-worked and only the background needs to be filled in with the color and stitch of your choice to complete the piece.
TINTED NEEDLEPOINT is like painting on canvas. It is screen printed rather than hand painted, though some are retouched by hand. The canvas may be white Monopoint or Antique Penelope. Sometimes these are packaged in kits with yarns and other materials needed to complete the item such as pillow backings.
AMOUNTS OF YARN REQUIRED
The amounts of yarn required may vary considerably depending on how many color changes there are within an area, the mesh count of the canvas and which stitch is being used. The following is given as a rule of thumb:
HALF CROSS STITCH requires approximately 4/5 of a yard of tapestry or persian type yarn for 1 square inch of 10 mesh canvas.
CONTINENTAL STITCH requires approximately 1-1/4 yards for 1 square inch of 10 mesh canvas.
DIAGONAL TENT STITCH (basket weave) requires approximately the same yardage as the Continental Stitch.
For other kinds of stitches or different meshes of canvas, it would be necessary to work a 1 inch square to see how much yarn is required.
TO BEGIN WORKING
Tape the edges of the canvas with masking tape. This prevents raveling and protects the yarn from catching in the raw edges’. Measure and mark the area to be worked. If it is to be a picture, select the frame and work only the part that will show. For a furniture piece, measure the Chair Seat or Foot Stool across the widest part, then plan to work one additional inch on all sides.
Allow 2 inches of unworked canvas all around to facilitate blocking and finishing.
Work with a strand of yarn not over 18″ in length. If a strand is too long, it becomes frayed and does not cover the canvas. To end a strand, run the needle under a previously worked row for about an inch and clip closely. If the yarn becomes too frayed to cover properly, fasten off and begin a new strand.
For best results, work your piece in a needlepoint frame. If you prefer to work it in the hand, use the “Frame” or “Punch” method. This is done by bringing the needle straight up from the back to the front, then straight down from the front to the back in two stitches instead of sewing through in one stitch. This method prevents the yarn from wearing, makes stitches that are even, and keeps the canvas from pulling out of shape. Pull stitches taut but not tight. If the yarn becomes twisted while working, drop the needle and let it unwind. Although there are no set rules, it is usually recommended to work the design first then the background.
Work the stitches in numerical or alphabetical order as given in each illustration. Bring yarn up at the odd numbers and down at the even numbers. If both numbers and letters are used, work numbers first, then letters. Where numbers or letters are upside down or sideways, turn canvas and diagram to correspond and continue work. Some stitches are photographed in several colors. These are shown to illustrate different effects which can be obtained by alternating colors. The same stitches may be worked in one color only for textural effects. When there is not room to work a complete stitch, work as much of the stitch as is necessary to cover the canvas.

BLOCKING
Blocking is necessary for most completed pieces because the diagonal direction of the needlepoint stitch pulls the canvas out of shape. Even when the use of a frame serves to keep the canvas in shape, blocking refreshes the yarn and brightens the colors.
BLOCKING: Do not wet embroidered piece; it needs only to be somewhat dampened so that it can be stretched into shape. Wet a terry towel that is larger than embroidered piece and wring so that it is just damp (not dripping wet). Center piece flat on damp towel and roll up, being sure that towel keeps embroidered piece from touching itself and leave overnight. Remove slightly damp embroidery and stretch into shape by tacking or pinning to a board (wrong side of embroidery up) using rustproof pins or nails. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and let dry COMPLETELY before removing.

bodice front 3 waist darts
1) trace the front foundation; then square a line across at top of dart.
for the 3 darts, first trace part of the first dart, from a to a-1.
2) mark position for the top of the 3 darts 1” apart between a, b and c.
make the space at lower part of the first dart, between a-1 and a-2. 1/3 of the single dart in the front foundation.
3) complete the second and third dart (same size as first), making the space 3/4″ wide between each dart at waistline.
bodice back with neck dart
illustration shows waist dart omitted.
diagrams 4, 5 and 6 show how to eliminate the waist dart, and how to form the neck dart.
4) trace the back foundation; then eliminate the waist dart by reducing 1” at waistline to nothing at armhole near side seam. mark sections d and e.
5) bring sections d and e together; then draw new center back line, by adding 1/4″ at neck and reducing 1/2″ at waistline, as shown by dotted line.
6) make the neck dart 1/4″ wide and 3” long, 1-1/2” from center back.
 

bodice with 3 shoulders tucks
illustration shows 3 tucks at shoulder and no darts at the waistline.
the garment fits closely at the waistline and smoothly over the bust.
according to the design, the tucks may be made as inside or outside tucks. in appearance, both ways are decorative; in fitting value, both serve the same purpose.
1) use the front with the 3 waist darts as a guide; then mark positions for the 3 tucks as follows: first draw the center tuck line, from the center of shoulder to the middle dart; then draw a line 1” each side of the center line, and mark sections a-b-c-d.
2) cut out front; then slash along the 3 tuck lines. place front on another sheet of paper and close up the waist darts to spread section a-b-c-d evenly for the 3 shoulder tucks. pin to position.
3) trace front and mark shoulder tucks in dotted lines, making the left tuck 5” long, center tuck 4-3/4”, and the right, 4-1/2”.
4 and 5) cut out front in muslin and make the 3 shoulder tucks, as shown in the diagrams.
press tucks toward the center front.
as a rule, tuck lines are parallel to the center front, at lower part of tucks. use the front with the 3 waist darts as a guide: then mark positions for the 3 tucks as follows: first draw the center tuck line, from the center of shoulder to the middle of dart: then draw a line 1” each side of center line, and mark sections a-b-c-d

styles 2 fitted bodices
French fitted bodice
1) illustration show front and back view of french bodice.
2) trace fitted front and back, including the darts; then square a line across at lower part of armhole as shown by dotted line.
3) divide front into two parts as follows:
a to b – equals front shoulder
a to c – equals 1/2″ of shoulder
c to d – draw line from c to d at top of dart, divide back into two parts as follows:
e to f – equals a to c on front shoulder.
f to g – draw line from f to g at top of dart
h – center between f-g.
i to j – equals b to c on front shoulder.
j to h – connect.
for the plain grain lines, mark arrows on side sections by squaring from the bust line.
4) trace each section about 2” apart, eliminating the darts at the waistline and the dart at the back shoulder.
draw a curved line inside section of front at point d as shown by dotted line.
5) for the first fitting, add seams on the edges, as shown in the diagram. make corresponding notches as indicated.
use two single notches in front, one above the bust curve and one below.
when making a final pattern for a garment, allow seams also at neck, armhole and waistline.
6) this diagram shows fitting partly joined. first join the front sections, matching notches; then join seams of the back sections. join side seams and press all seams open, before joining shoulder seams.
 
bodice with low neckline
1) illustrations show seams in front and back running from waistline to armhole instead of to shoulder seam.
2) trace front and back foundation and shift position of darts as shown by dotted lines; then draw seam line from top of darts to armholes in front and back.
mark sections a, b, c and d.
3) lower the neckline in front and back to correspond with the neckline in the illustration.
the lower neckline at center back is usually dropped about 3/4″ of the drop at shoulder.
lower the waistline at center front, 1-1/2”, as illustrated.
4) trace sections a to d about 2” apart and round the corners as shown by dotted lines.
the grain lines, seam allowance and notches are to be made in the same manner as for the french fitted bodice.

The illustration show how to take the necessary arm measurements for drafting the dress sleeve pattern For sleeve pattern measurements in junior and misses sizes, see chart below. No seams are allowed.
The measurements include about 3” ease allowance around arm (at muscle), and the necessary ease around elbow and wrist.

1) a to b – equals overarm length measurement. draw straight line from a to b.
b to c – equals underarm length measurement. mark point c on line a-b (a to c equals cap height or 1/3 of armhole circumference. for example: if armhole of bodice measures 19-1/2”. cap height is 6-1/2”).
c to d – equals half of arm circumference measurement. square this line across at point c.
c to e – same amount as c to d. square across at c.
2)
b to f – equals half of b to c. mark point f on line a-b for elbow line position.
f to g – equals half of elbow measurement. square this line across at point f.
f to h – same amount as f to g. square across at f.

b to i – equals f to g, less 1”. square across at point b.
b to j – same amount as b to i. square across at point b.
i to k – draw line from i to k through h and e, bringing point l to the level of point a. connect k to l.
4. (guide lines for sleeve cap)
a to m – equals 1/4 of a to k.
d to n – equals 1/4 of d to c. connect m to n.
m to o – equal 1/2 of m to n. mark point o on line m-n.
a to p – equals 1/4 of a to l.
e to q – equals 1/6 of e to c. connect p to q.
p to r – equals 1/2 of p to q. mark point r on line p-q.

a to d – draw curved cap line from a to d through q for front as sleeve cap as indicated.
a to e – draw curved line from a to e through r for back of sleeve cap.
i to s – equals wrist measure. mark point s on line i-j.
s to t – 3/4″. square a line down at point s.
i to u – equals half of i to b.
u to t – connect; then draw curved from t to i.
6. (v-shaped elbow dart).
the back edge of sleeve, from e to h to t, is 1-1/4” longer than front edge, from d to g to i. make v-shaped dart 1-1/4” wide and 3-1/2” long at elbow as indicated, making upper line of dart, parallel to elbow line.
 

BACK

Front

The illustration below indicates where each body measurement is taken on the figure.
the measurement 4 and 6 on the back, and 9 and 10 on the front, are taken from side seam. the measurements 2 and 8 are taken from armhole to armhole. for a figure with prominent bust, take an additional measurement over fullest part of bust, about 2” below the ‘full front width’ measurement, and if this measurement is greater, adjust front pattern as follows: cut out dart, then slash from p to s [2” from n] and spread needed amount at p, pivoting at s. [this also reduces armhole slightly].