Harper Noel: Needlepoint Inspired by Endless Summer

Harper Noel was born from summers on Cape Cod — where seaside traditions, iconic landmarks, and long, sun-filled days inspired the first designs.

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A woman with long dark hair wearing reflective green sunglasses and a pink long-sleeved shirt is smiling and holding a small, fluffy gray poodle dog in her lap.

Meet Kate Caputo, Founder of Harper Noel

Teal decorative string with bow centered on a white background.

Kate is the artist behind Harper Noel, a collection of hand-painted needlepoint canvases inspired by the timeless charm of summers on the Cape. Wherever your beach is, Harper Noel is a celebration of endless summer moments spent near the sea.

A stitcher from a young age, Kate’s love of needlepoint broadened to design and painting when she and her mother, Janet, co-owned an LNS in Greenwich and later the wholesale line, Silver Needle. Chances are you’ve seen or stitched one of Kate’s designs in the Silver Needle line of travel rounds or a Nantucket sign ornament. Drawing on these experiences, Kate designs pieces that capture the sayings and nostalgic moments that define summers at the beach. Her goal is simple: to create canvases that are joyful to stitch and feel instantly familiar to anyone who loves the Cape or summer as much as she does.

When she’s not painting new designs, you’ll likely find Kate stitching on the beach in Westport, Connecticut or the Cape, running, or digging through her stash for her next WIP to stitch.

Needlepoint has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

When I was seven, my mom, an avid needlepointer and knitter, brought home a Fisher Price needlepoint kit featuring a giant strawberry. The kit included a tiny plastic canvas, wool yarn, and a bright pink plastic needle.

She told me needlepoint was just like coloring, except instead of crayons, you used yarn.

She was right. I was hooked immediately.

Years later, after painting custom canvases in our retail shop in Greenwich, Connecticut, I began designing my own pieces inspired by my favorite place on earth, Cape Cod.

At the time, there were only a handful of Cape Cod designs available. Yet everywhere I looked there was inspiration, from lighthouse signs and roadside restaurants to bumper stickers, paper goods, and the places that hold decades of summer memories.

Harper Noel was created to capture those moments on canvas, translating the feeling of summer into designs that feel both personal and timeless.

A digitally distorted image of a light blue gift box with a teal ribbon and bow, set against a dark background with purple and pink neon-like streaks and geometric patterns.

How it All Began

Quick Stitch Interview

  • Favorite stitch?

    -Basketweave, all day, every day!

  • Favorite threads?

    -DMC Perle Cotton (you can’t beat the color range), Milan, Silk Lame Braid

  • Favorite place to stitch?

    -On our neighborhood beach in Brewster, Massachussetts

  • Favorite canvas to paint?

    -The Brewster Store rounds (I can practically taste the penny candy)

  • What’s always in your project bag?

    -Peepers glasses, my trusty Gingher scissors, and way too much thread.

  • What was your favorite canvas to stitch?

    -When my best friend had her first child, I designed and stitched a doorstop for the nursery. It wasn’t a very complex design, but it was very sentimental piece.

A Few of My Favorite Designs

  • Call me when you get to the bridge needlepoint

    Call Me When You Get to the Bridge, HND-10

    When traveling to the Cape and Islands, you have to cross one of two bridges: the Sagamore or the Bourne. It is tradition to call your loved ones once you get to the bridge to let them know you will be arriving soon. And, it goes without saying, these are handsfree calls. No texting and driving!

  • Cross-stitch art of the Cape Cod lighthouse with the words 'Massachusetts Cape Cod' in large red and blue letters on a white background, blue sky and brown ground.

    Cape Code License Plate, HND-47

    When I see that sign, I know we will be “On Cape” very soon!

  • Needlepoint Flag design in red, white and blue with cape cod town names.

    Cape Cod Towns Flag, HND-57

    Every 4th of July, someone in our neighborhood always makes a flag cake using blueberries for the “stars” and strawberries for the “bars” (stripes). I wanted to do something similar using the 15 towns on the Cape for the stripes and an outline of the Cape in lieu of stars.

  • needlepoint design of a cartoon-like seal

    Harbor Seal, HND-91

    My favorite summer job I ever had on the Cape was working at the now-defunct Cape Cod Aquarium (formerly SeaLand) on Route 6A in Brewster. All the inhabitants of the aquarium were animals who were too sick or injured to survive in the wild. My favorite was Clarice, a harbor seal who had been blinded by diesel fuel from a boat engine when she was a pup. As a result of her injuries, she was unable to hunt for food or protect herself from predators. She was such a sweet girl and loved swimming around in the pool in her enclosure. She also loved feeding time and would flap her flippers in excitement at the sight of the bucket of herring. This design is my tribute to my favorite resident of the CCA.

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