Jane Burton, of Upper St. Clair, has an obsession that she claims reduces blood pressure. So she passed it on to daughters to share with others.

This month the mother and daughters opened a store dedicated to that passion: Beehive NeedleArts, 671 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon.

A lifelong aficionado of needlepoint, Ms. Burton is especially proud of the 14 Christmas stockings that she created during 10 years for her grandchildren. The stockings hang behind the counter at the new store, owned by her and two of her daughters, Jessica O'Brien, of Squirrel Hill, and Kate Fitzgerald, of Peters. A third daughter, Ashley Porreca, of Wexford, works at the store.

The women have visited needlepoint stores as they travel around the country. They have visited stores in Arizona, Illinois, Florida, California, Texas, New York, and even Las Vegas.

They said they hope their passion -- and the knowledge they've gotten from their travels - will show in their business.

For the uninitiated: To get started with needlepoint, a person chooses among a myriad of painted canvases, decorated by artists in seemingly unlimited themes. She then selects fibers in various colors and textures to coordinate with the canvas. A basic stitch can be done over the entire canvas, or more advanced stitches can be done to create a textured look. When the stitching is complete, the project is sent to "finishers," who complete the work by sewing it into its final form, like a stocking.

With a background in graphic design from Penn State University, Ms. O'Brien can create original canvas designs based on a customer's ideas or inspiration. For example, for some cutomers, she has made belts with monograms or images depicting interests of the wearer.

The fee depends on the complexity of work.

In addition to hundreds of hand-painted canvases, the store stocks approximately 50 types of fibers. Each type of fiber is produced in between 7 and 600 different colors.

The fibers are important to create the effect of a piece, and specific fibers work best for specific projects. One fiber, called "Santa's Beard," can be used to create, of course, a white, beard-like texture. Other specialized fibers come in velvet and bamboo.

All of the women agree that needlepoint today is more creative and interesting than it was just a few decades ago. Ms. Burton credits the expanded array of canvases and fibers for making projects more attention-grabbing. Ms. O'Brien thinks that the influx of wearable art has attracted many people to the craft.

Among the wearable projects offered in the store are purses, belts, cummerbunds, yarmulkes, and golf club head covers.

The largest item for sale is a 4-by-3-foot marine-inspired rug. The smallest is a one-inch key chain.

"Needle pointing is relaxing," said Ms. Fitzgerald, who likes to work on her projects while taking short breaks from caring for her four children. She picks up her projects during her brief moments of downtime, such as while waiting to pick up a child from soccer practice.

All of the women feel that handmade needlework can be a meaningful family heirloom. Ms. Burton stitched a kneeler in memory of her father, which she used in the Washington National Cathedral. She has stitched Christmas ornaments that cover an entire tree.

The women hope that, in addition to the experienced, others will come to learn. The store offers classroom space, and a small area for children to play while parents shop.

On Wednesday evenings, the store is offering a free "Stitch Night" where people can bring their projects and stitch with others. The store also plans to bring in nationally recognized teachers for advanced classes. A class for children is planned for January.

The store is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Wednesdays, the store is open until 8 p.m. and appointments are also available.

For more, call 412-343-4630.