KARAKUM KILIM NEEDLEPOINT KIT
DESIGN OF THE MONTH – JULY

Karakum – a geometric Kilim pattern

Kilims – a global, ancient design language

This month I am delighted to feature our geometric needlepoint kit KARAKUM,  as our July Design of the Month. Kits are available at 20% off retail in all stock colors and sizes on the cross-point™ website.

At first glance, KARAKUM appears to be a bold and beautiful tribal geometric pattern, but behind its striking design lies something much more fascinating. The elongated hexagonal motif found in this design belongs to an ancient visual language that has appeared repeatedly in textile traditions throughout the world for centuries.

Variations of the elongated symetric hexagon geometric symbol can be found in tribal rugs and textiles from Central Asia, Anatolia, the Caucasus, North Africa, and even in the woven textiles and sand painting traditions of South West Native American cultures. Whether shaped by migration and trade or created independently by cultures responding to similar patterns found in nature, these motifs continue to connect human creativity across continents and time.

If you have stitched our classic KILIM, SOUMAK, or TABRIZ patterns, you already know the rhythmic addictive joy of bringing “just one more symbol” onto our jute background fabric. I invite you to explore Karakum this month and discover why Kilim inspired designs remain among favorite patterns to stitch.

We offer KARAKUM in five pillow sizes, including a large 23″x 23″ square pillow, large and small  lumbar cushions, rugs and custom upholstery. Large sizes are ideal for modern oversized chairs, beds and sofas. This pattern is equally striking as a decorative rug, wall hanging, sofa throw, or custom upholstery application.

Stitched in our proprietary cross-point™ technique, KARAKUM combines the ease of counted cross stitch with the durability and texture of traditional needlepoint. Worked in luxurious French tapestry wool on natural jute, the pattern stitches quickly and rhythmically and creates a durable finished surface for everyday use.

Color dramatically transforms the character of this design. Whether you are inspired by the turquoise and desert grays of the American Southwest,  or Mediterranean indigo and saffron, or traditional earthy tribal reds and blacks, we offer five stock colors. During July, custom colors are another option at no additional charge.

Kilim and tribal geometric patterns have always fascinated me because they remind us that beauty is universal. Across cultures separated by oceans and centuries, certain symbols reappear again and again — simple geometric shapes carrying complex histories and meanings. If you share that fascination, please read more here .

As always, PayPal will initially bill the Retail price, we issue the 20% credit back to you via PayPal as we process the order in our studio.  We now ship Ground Advantage to keep shipping charges as low as possible. It has all the advantages of Priority Mail except it takes 2 to 3 days longer to reach you anywhere in the continental US.

Happy stitching,

Sieglinde Anderson – The Cross-Point™ Collection