I hope the flowers are blooming where you are. This year California is having a banner year for wildflowers, called a super bloom. You can even see it from space! But the Spring Needlepoint Market was just as bright with tons of colorful canvases, threads, and accessories. Today’s column tells you about more of them.
Remember that this was a cash & carry market, so many of the canvases discussed here will be in your shops now or very soon. Many shops bring extra suitcases to bring home goodies. One Florida shop drove back home to Miami every night of the show to bring home more items. You’re sure to find some great new projects here.
Raymond Crawford has a series of animal outlines in a black & white check, each with pretty pastel bows. They join four stars with checked bottoms and floral tops. He has added a white color version of his popular Mr & Mrs wedding round. His Mary Poppins series has been expanded to include chimney sweepers and supercalifragilistic pieces. There are lots of new state stars that don’t include just the usual stuff (I love that Virginia’s features Monticello), as well as new beer steins, retro Santas, and big head nutcrackers.
Atenti has tons of new fabrics. These include a very elegant brocade and a playful llama print (llamas are everywhere right now!) that comes in two different background colors. Sudberry has had a wooden child’s rocking chair in their line for ages, but they accept orders for it just four times a year. Right now is one of those times. A chair like this with a needlepoint seat is a real heirloom.
PLD Designs, which incorporates Unique New Zealand and JulieMar, has an absolutely wonderful Christmas folk art piece that features an angel weathervane and the words “Peace on Earth.” It’s joined by new canvases in a folk art style as well as landscapes in warm colors and a series of seasonal dachshunds. There is a new set of a dozen canvases, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Finally there is a series of hearts in bright saturated colors with Sixties/hippie themes including one that has those iconic Sixties flowers on it.
Valerie Needlepoint Gallery has added over a dozen new inserts that are 3″ square and made to fit the Planet Earth self-finishing jewelry box. Sew Much Fun has new inserts for these cases as well, including a love design that looks similar to the famous sculpture. VNG also has additional designs that are 2×3 and fit Planet Earth’s credit card cases and luggage tags. They also have a new line of Santas, five in all, that are available on both 13 and 18 mesh. Th great thing about these is that they are similar in structure to the famous Amanda Lawford Santas, but they have fewer things around them. With simpler designs and larger areas, they are a great addition.
Jennifer Pudney has three new needlepoint kits. My favorite is called “Tempting Santa.” It features a woman hanging the last of 13 stockings, all ready to be filled. Sandra Gilmore has added new designs to her line of Quickpoint kits for children and other beginners. There are now 18 different designs in the line, all on 7 mesh and including tapestry yarn. Pippin has a fives canvas perfect for dog lovers, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie,” with five different dogs happily asleep.
3K Designs has new designs including a wonderful morning glory and a great winter chickadee on a pine branch. There is also a great pheasant and fox. Both of these have clean design and large areas that are greater showing of stitches. Kimberly Ann has added new make-up bags, including a pink one with lipsticks and a great saying. I’d use this as a way to showcase some wonderful red and pink threads. The Artist’s Collection has added four new Janet Zigler Casey Santas in painted canvas, each with a stitch guide.
Danji has plenty of lovely new canvases. In their CH Designs line there is a patriotic set with figures and a house, along with red, white, & blue hearts, and a series of sports candy canes. New from Earth Art are a heron, a loon, and two pumas. There is a series of dog house ornament surround for s picture of your pet. They have a beautiful nativity which I’m craving to add to my collection. From Laurel Burch there is a line of colorful birds that would make a great companion to her line of courses in bright colors. Finally they have a new series of animals wearing sunglasses that are just too cool.
Funda Scully’s new hinged boxes include a desert scene and one of succulents in pots. Tapestry Fair has added new animals to their long-legged pull toy series. The newest are a reindeer and a polar bear. These designs are 3-D with the head as a separate piece. A Stitch in Time has some bright animals in a sampler style that looks like Mid-century Modern folk art. These would be great for showcasing stitches. The Collection has added lots of new coaster canvases, including some by licensed artists Paul Brent and Penny MacLeod.
Purple Palm hs added a line of magnetic needle minders, called Needle Worthy. They have also added a new artist, Tony Krysinsky. In addition they have expanded their line of Woodstock canvases. You can stitch one up in time for the 50th Anniversary this summer. Penny MacLeod has some new ladies, a new series of colorful checked canvases and a new series of hearts. Gayla Elliot has added three new ladies including two needlepoints.
In addition to the new travel rounds, Kirk & Bradley has a new series of rounds with iconic London items on them from a double-decker bus to a London cab with a Christmas tree on top. Kathy Schenkel has added to her series of both travel and college rounds. She also has an adorable Baby’s First Christmas rattle ornament available in three different color schemes.
Read all the coverage of this season’s new products:
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Leave a Reply