A B OV E & B E YO N D
New Life for
Needlepoint “I
had no idea that’s what is in
there!” Jane Burton, owner of Beehive
Needle Arts, has gotten used to hearing that
about her vibrant storefront on 650 Wash-
ington Road. Passersby may glimpse bright
fabrics and spools of thread or admire the
whimsical bumblebee decals zooming
around on the store’s many windows, but
only experienced needlepointers seem to
notice Beehive Needle Arts and recognize
it for what it is.

At the most basic level, Beehive Needle
Arts, which opened in 2007, is a needlepoint
Axeman owners, Chris and Joe,
are Mt. Lebanon residents who
work on-site at every Axeman
project and are committed
to offering homeowners the
most skilled and cost-effective
solutions. “Our goal is to safely
resolve your tree problems
while leaving your surrounding
landscape preserved. We spe-
cialize in leaving the job site with minimal impact and
clean-up of all debris.”
The Axeman name comes from Chris’ lifetime of fighting
fires and helping the community. A portion of our sales will
be donated to the West Penn Pediatric Burn Program.

supply store. But with an unusual amount of
fiber variety, an in-house artist who creates
custom designs—Burton’s daughter, Jessica
O’Brien—and a team of “worker bees” who
come together to teach and help stitchers
of all levels, Beehive Needle Arts has be-
come a headquarters for people who are
interested in needlepoint.

“I probably started needlepointing 60
years ago. I’ve been doing it forever,” says
Burton, who owns the shop with three of her
daughters. “I’ve always loved textiles and
fabrics, and as my daughters grew up, they,
too, became interested. It’s a passion. It’s re-
laxing. It’s a challenge.”
And business is booming. When the
COVID-19 lockdowns hit, Beehive Needle
Arts, like many other businesses, enhanced
their online store and increased their pres-
ence on Instagram. At the same time, peo-
ple around the globe were suddenly more
in need of a relaxing hobby than they have
ever been before. Now, Beehive Needle
Arts is shipping fibers and custom canvases
out of state and even out of the country, to
places as far-flung as Australia.

Needlepoint projects require a can-
vas with a design painted on it—usually
stretched over a frame—needles, threads or
“fibers,” and a little bit of vision. At “the Bee-
hive,” they carry 110 complete fiber lines,
Fall is the time to begin prepping
your yard for cold weather, ice
and snow. Your trees should
be a priority now to keep them
healthy. Let Axeman prune your
trees and clear those loose
and dead limbs to keep your
property looking great and your
family safe.

Oak trees can only be pruned in
the winter and Axeman begins
oak season on Nov. 1st. Call now
to schedule!
Axeman Tree Services offers:
• Tree Removal
• Tree Pruning/Trimming
• Stump Grinding
• 24-hour Emergency
Tree Service
• Free Estimates!
Call or text Chris Cerci, 412-638-9882 or Joe Faille, 724-647-7882
Web: axemantree.com Email: TheTreeHouse@axemantree.com
42 Mt. Lebanon Magazine | NOVEMBER 2020



some of which have more than 100 fibers and
dozens of artists’ canvas designs, from all around
the country, including O’Brien’s originals.

“There is a lot of artistry that happens,” says Jen
Broadhurst, Racine Avenue, a customer who be-
came a Beehive Needle Arts employee. “Some-
one will come in, let’s say they pick a stocking can-
vas. They might say, ‘This is beautiful, but this is for
my grandson, and he likes trains. Could you paint
a train on here, instead of a truck?’ And Jessica
will alter it and hand-paint the names at the top.”
Once a customer selects a project, they can
come back to the store at any time to get advice
from the worker bees or bring their project to a
class or private lesson (during non-pandemic
times). Then, once the project is finished, they
bring it back to Beehive Needle Arts, where it is
sent away to a finisher, who will make the design
into the final product.

Broadhurst’s favorite project was a custom job.

She asked O’Brien to stitch a canvas featuring her
kids’ and husband’s name, then she selected a
variety of metallic fibers to stitch into the design.

She had it finished into a bag, and whenever she
carries it, she loves when people ask her where
she got it, and she can say “I made it, actually!”
“The store is organized into different sections.

We have Christmas things, Valentine’s things,
sections for babies, neat clutches and purses,
lots of ornaments … little jewelry boxes,” says
Broadhurst. “Millennials are really into it now,
so we’ve got lots of young, fresh designers. The
other day, I sold a canvas that said ‘Don’t be an
a******.’ You can come into the shop and see
canvases your grandmother would have had on
her couch, but that is changing and becoming
more fresh and fun.”
The store re-opened at the beginning of the
pandemic with limited hours, which they have
been gradually expanding as restrictions allow.

At press time, it was appointment only, but Bur-
ton hopes to re-open soon, with hours on Mon-
day, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

“It’s a very colorful, happy place,” says Burton.

“Call or check the hours before you make the
journey, but come and enjoy. Needlepoint is a
very fun, old art.”
Visit Beehive Needle Arts at www.beehiveneed-
learts.com or on Instagram @beehiveneedlearts
for more information on hours or to peruse the
online store.

—KATIE WAGNER
#HP3663 PA Contractor #069727
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