The needle
There is a lot of difference between one needle and another. It is very likely that we will initially buy an inexpensive punch needle from a haberdashery, Amazon or Aliexpress. But they are usually of poor quality because they do not pierce the fabric well, they do not accept all types of wool or fiber, the wool gets caught, you have to thread it with a wire, they are not ergonomic, etc. And finally you believe that the problem is you. But NO, it's the material. We have tried all the needles and when one comes on the market we always try it (also the imitations). The best needle there is the original punch needle OXFORD, but with a lot of difference. It's hard to find it, it's true. But it is because Amy Oxford wants to preserve its exceptionality and we are chosen few to be able to market it.
The fabric
Not just any fabric will do, it has to be a specific one with a certain open weave and elasticity. Perhaps you have heard that Monk cloth is the fabric par excellence for punch needle. Well, that's not the case and quite the opposite... Although we also sell it, it is not the one we recommend. It frays constantly, you can't use it for sewing, it's very difficult and almost impossible to finish with it, and it also leaves your sofa in a mess if you don't tape it beforehand... As it has a very open weave, we only recommend Monk cloth for children and older people with organic limitations who want to make canvases. At Moomzart® we recommend the Abbess linen fabric, is the all-rounder and is the one used by our punchers and punch needle artists.
The money
It is true that the punch needle allows us to take advantage of the leftover wool we have at home. This is what we did at the beginning: remnants of acrylic wool (it is the one that abounds in the trade) that were left around, and that's it, we already had abstract canvases to decorate the house. Until we realized that the punchies we made with conventional wool deteriorated. They shed fibers, they got dirty easily, we couldn't use it to place a hot fountain, etc. On an aesthetic and technical level we did not like the loops that were made with it, there was little relief. So we started researching the rug hooking to know what type of wool we would have to use to make rugs. And the wool that works best with the Oxford needle is 100% natural rustic merino wool. Like our grandmothers. The craftsman makes it exceptionally for us, with the braiding density that we ask for. Now we only use this one for everything, and there is a big difference. It is 100% wool from Spanish Merino sheep.
The frame
You need a frame with a lot of grip since punching puts a lot of pressure on the fabric. In stores you can find circular plastic frames with an internal rubber and also rectangular punch needle frames with gripper; that is, with metal spikes on the entire surface to place the stretched fabric. Neither of us have done well. Plastic is not a welcome material for crafts, apart from not being organic; and the gripper It is not comfortable and you have to be very careful not to hurt yourself. Well, not finding solutions on the market, we have designed our medium and large format racks: the Camille and Olimpia punch needle frames. To make them we involved 3 artisans, yes, us too.
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