Welcome to Carolyn Barrani's tapistree.com website, your source for  the unique and the unusual in Crewel Kits, Needlepoint Kits, Quickpoint Kits, Counted Work Kits, and Hand Painted Needlepoint Canvases!                                   


Throughout history, needlework has provided a quiet refuge from the troubles of the world as well being an economical form of entertainment which, at the same time, provides a sense of accomplishment in providing elegant items of decor or embellishment of clothing.  Many a broken heart has mended while stitching the silken petals of a rose, and idle hands have been kept joyously occupied as a magnificent work of art has revealed itself beneath the rhythmic motions of a needle threaded with colorful fibers. Royalty and priests have been traditionally adorned in sumptuous robes encrusted with embroidery and precious metals, and most cultures of the world have their own customs of elegant embroidery, including the bullfighters of the Hispanic world who face death glimmering in heavy layers of purled gold and silk, the bejeweled elephants of India, and the intricately embellished hats, shoes and jackets of the children of China. 

In further practical use of embroidery no longer practiced, Carolyn Barrani spearheaded The New Elizabethan Embroidery Project in the United States for George Washington's ancestral home in Sulgrave, England wherein elaborate new bedhangings for a 16th Century bed in the Grand Tudor Bedchamber were embellished with over 1000 petite point "slips" rendered by volunteers between the United States and Great Britain

Carolyn Barrani studied needlework at the Elsa Williams' School of Needlework in Massachusetts and the Royal School of Needlework in London, and has designed crewel and needlepoint for over 30 years, creating designs for major manufacturers in the industry as well as manufacturing her own kits including Needlepoint Kits and Crewel Stitchery Kits, for such national magazines as WOMEN'S DAY and FAMILY CIRCLE. Her designs have been featured by needlework magazines in both the United States and Great Britain. She brings to the field a fresh approach and innovative ideas, and is dedicated to the concept of needlework as a viable art form. In spite of popular trends, she is determined to explore design possibilities in wool embroidery, chainstitch and crewel kits, as well as Counted Variation Stitch, variations on cross-stitch to make it more interesting for her and you. If you are looking for crewel embroidery kits or canvas work kits, you have come to the right place. 

We hope that you find this collection of some of her needlepoint kits, quickpoint kits, hand painted needlepoint canvases  and stitchery kits to your liking and that you enjoy recreating the beauty of the original pillow or tapestry. To help you do that, we use only the finest materials, for your time is invaluable and the supplies you use should be worthy of the time you invest. In addition, many of the most popular designs are now available on hand-painted mono canvas.

A new addition to our site is our collection of sumptuous velvet tote bags and compact evening purses, some in denim, which are completely finished with an elegant ribboned frame in which you insert your completed needlepoint and whip into place. Turn your needlework into wearable art, either utilizing our canvas needlework kits or our hand-painted needlepoint canvases, most of which come with a stitch guide. ALSO NEW! Hand-painted needlepoint mosaics and kitted embroidered mosaics!

GOOD NEWS for our INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS! Since the shopping cart does not support international orders, you can now give us your order on the Contact Page, we will e mail you back the entire amount due with shipping and handling, and you can send us payment through your Pay Pal account on your end!

NOTES ON USING THE WEBSITE:

When you select a page, you will see a flashing button at the bottom which says "order."  It does not mean that you are ordering the picture that is shown on the first page, but it takes you to the shopping cart from which you can see the designs available with small pictures next to them.  Click on the classification you are interested in and it will bring up another page with larger pictures.  If you click on any of these, you will see an even larger picture along with the description.  Click on that picture and it will make it even larger, then 2 small gray boxes with a (+) plus or minus (-) will appear at the bottom of the photo.  To enlarge further, click on the plus sign and manipulate the position of the enlargement by moving to the lower right hand corner where you will see arrows pointing in 4 directions. In addition, if you wish to see any of the designs super-enlarged, please call us toll-free or send us a note on the Contact Page and we will e mail a jpeg of the designs you wish to see.

Welcome to the fascinating and entertaining world of the Tapis-tree! 

Enjoy!
 

Questions?  Call us toll free at 1-800-460-3373.