Every MJD canvas has a story before it ever reaches your stash bag. What starts as a spark of inspiration, whether from a trip, a team brainstorm, a request from our community, or a little moment that feels unmistakably MJD — goes through countless thoughtful steps before becoming the canvas you stitch.
From sketching and charting to hand-painting, quality checks, and finally finding its way to our stores, local needlepoint shops, pop-ups, or your doorstep, every design is created with intention from start to finish.
How An MJD Canvas Comes To Life
A canvas usually starts with an idea from me, a team brainstorm, a request from our community, a trip, or just a fun moment that feels like it belongs in the MJD world. From there, I sketch. Sometimes one idea comes together right away, but more often I draw several versions before bringing them back to the team. We talk through what feels most exciting, what feels true to the brand, and what we think you will actually want to stitch.
Once we choose a direction, I chart the design. Charting is the process of translating a drawing onto the intersections of needlepoint canvas. It is almost like pixelating the artwork, but every stitch has to be placed in a way that still feels like the original sketch.Then the chart is sent to our painting partners, where each canvas is hand-painted.
Once the canvases arrive, some come bound and some are bound by our team in the studio. Every single canvas then goes through a detailed quality check. Anything that does not meet our standards is held for a studio sale and offered at a discount.
From there, the canvases that pass inspection are divided across our website, wholesale orders for local needlepoint shops, our Jersey City and Florida stores, and upcoming pop-ups or events!
