Our Needlepoint Portuguese Tiles Collection and what it means to us
When I started Unwind Studio, I always knew I wanted our kits to reflect myself in some way, not only my taste in design or my story, but the place that is home to my small business. Even though most of our products travel to other countries, our roots are here in Portugal, more specifically, in Porto. And this city really means a lot to us!
That's the reason the Portuguese Tiles Needlepoint Collection came to life, it's our way of bringing a little piece of Porto to you. A truly unique and special souvenir from our beautiful country.
Why Tiles?
If you’ve ever been to Portugal, especially Porto or Lisbon, you’ve probably noticed the beautiful tiles adorning different buildings in the cities: from houses, to fountains, to churches...literally all over the place. We grew up surrounded by them, and sometimes not even paying the attention we should since they’ve always been part of the background of our daily lives. But as I got older, I realized how special they actually are...
Portuguese tiles (or azulejos, as we call them here) go way back. They’ve been used here since the 1500s, and over time, they’ve become a big part of our culture. They’re not just decorative, they also tell stories. Some tiles show religious scenes, others are more geometric or floral, and some are just there to make a wall look beautiful. No matter the style, there’s something about them that really amazes people from everywhere in the world.
We see it all the time: when people visit Porto, they always notice the tiles! They take photos, ask questions, and ultimately fall in love with the patterns and the colors. They’re one of those things that make this city unforgettable...and as needlepoint kits, they're such a special and meaninful souvenir to take back home.
One of the most iconic National Monuments where you can find Azulejos is the São Bento railway station, considered one of the most beautiful of the world. Millions of tourists visit every year just to see the beautiful walls, filled with around twenty thousand tiles inspired by the history and the people of the north of Portugal. If you're planning on visiting Porto some day, this is definitely a must see!
São Bento railway station, retrieved from National Geographic Portugal
Inspired by the Streets of Porto
So when I decided to turn Portuguese tiles into needlepoint kits, I wanted to do it in the most meaningful way possible, so I actually went out into the city and found real tiles that felt inspiring and would translate well into needlepoint. Then, I named each design after the street or region where I found it. That way, the story behind each kit is connected to a real place that you can actually visit.
For example, one of the tiles comes from a wall I walked by all the time on Rua de Oliveira Monteiro (picture 1), other one I saw once in Paranhos when I was walking around the city with my husband and daughter and fell in love with it (picture 2). These are spots that Porto's people know and love, and it makes the collection feel super personal.
The original tile designs are all in the public domain, so we used them as a base and then adapted the patterns for stitching. It was really fun (and honestly a little emotional) to turn something so familiar into something creative that we love.
Do you want to see where the inspiration came from? Next time you visit Porto, we’ll tell you where to find each tile! 😉
Stitch a Piece of Porto
This collection means a lot to us, as you might have noticed already. It’s a mix of where we live, what we love, and what we do, and it always amazes us to share that with you and the way you react to it.
Lately, we've been receiving lots of visitors in our studio, and most of them are looking for the tiles...it really warms our hearts to see each of them go back home with a piece of our city in their hands.
We think of it as a way to bring a little piece of Porto, of your traveling experience, but also of our people and culture, into your home. Whether you’ve been here before and miss it, or you’ve always wanted to visit, or you just love the look of Portuguese tiles, these kits are a way to connect.
Oliveira Monteiro Portuguese Tile
You can stitch them and frame them, or gift them to someone who loves Portugal too, or had a magical experience when visiting our city/country. Whatever you do, we hope it brings you a little bit of the warmth of Portugal.
"Obrigada" for supporting our small business. It means the world to us <3
Love,
Cristina
