Although the Online Needlework Show is in mid-May, I have gotten plenty of information about new products to share with you. First off is a new ribbon version of Rainbow Gallery’s Silk Lame. It’s called Silk Lame Plus, and can be used on 18-mesh canvas. Painter’s Thread has also announced a new thread to its colorful lineup. Painter’s Braided Rayon is a rayon ribbon, similar to Neon Rays. It is available in all 40 colors of Painter’s Threads and comes on 10-meter spools.
Ridgewood Needlepoint has an intriguing new product — Mason jar kits! The kits include “a pencil-drawn canvas, DMC Floss, matching ribbon & the mason jar.” It looks as if you cut the canvas in a circle, place it on top of the flat part of the lid and secure it by screwing on the top. This could be a delightful gift idea (maybe add a jar recipe & mix to it), or clever storage for parts of your stash.
Needlepoint Junction, a shop in South Carolina, will be introducing a wholesale line, NPJ. They will be the new distributors for Point2Pointe. In the coming months, they will be adding canvases from other artists. Although Amy Bunger’s shop is closing her popular Home Studies will continue and will be offered through The Needle Works in Austin. The shop is also the new distributor of Burmilana.
Penny MacLeod has lots of cute new designs, including unmasked doctors and nurses, a stitching lady (in two different settings) mah jong payers, and a lady chef. She also has several new Christmas tree designs and a cool design with six different martinis.
Planet Earth has a new coin purse and snap wallet that fit 2×3 canvases. They come in a variety of colors. The new products will fit the same canvases as their luggage tags and the credit card case. I’m excited because they come in some new colors. I have one of each on its way to me, so I will keep you posted. I recently saw another very interesting self-finishing product, napkin rings, made by Halcyon House. They come in sets of four including four napkin rings for finishing. It looks as if they finish similarly to the bangle bracelets from Point2Pointe. The rings I saw had plaid designs in four different colors.
Headbands and barrettes are also getting the needlepoint treatment. Two companies, SCT Designs and Penny Linn Design, have teamed up to make headbands in several graphic designs, including plaids. An Etsy seller, BirdieBouquet, makes charming barrette kits in a wide variety of styles.
There are also many new designers out there and they are showing off their canvases for pre-ordering. Mopsy Designs has colorful canvases, including a delightful one of four ring pops. Stitch Rock Designs also has colorful canvases including llama ornaments with different color backgrounds and a lovely canvas of six tile designs. Audrey Wu has several canvases of Chinese zodiac symbols, two different jean jackets, and some lovely individual high-top sneakers. What a Gem features close-up canvases of colored gems in different shapes. Although this company specializes in these designs, both Audrey Wu and Mopsy have gem canvases.
Rachel Barri also has canvases that show single items. Some of hers include hockey jerseys, Adirondack chairs in several colors, a Bloody Mary, and a 3-D Trader Joe’s bag. She also has several beautiful designer-inspired clutch bags. Sara Fritz brings a beachy, preppy vibe to the single-item canvas with designs of market baskets, weathervanes, and an Aran fisherman’s sweater. I can’t get over Jen Laine’s cocktail canvases. Each one tells you the ingredients of a cocktail in a variety of typefaces. They are hard to describe but so colorful, fun, and unusual. Blueberry Point, a new designer, has lovely canvases of Faberge-style eggs. These are available as just the egg or the egg on a stand.
Ziggy Stitches has sayings as well as five adorable First Christmas ornaments. I am in love with the company’s Holy Cow design. It has a spotted ‘holy’ with a picture of a cow. all on a grass-green background. Cabell Stitchery has a small line with either Christmas trees or hearts that feature colorful strips both straight and slanted. Lauren Bloch has customizable graduation cap ornaments, luggage tags and 3″ inserts in various patterns, and a delightful heart-shaped box of chocolates. Alt Stitchery makes charming colorful canvases including a series of bunnies in patterns shaped like bunny Peeps. I recently completed her tangled tree lights round and loved it. Marianne Lynn has a series of absolutely beautiful floral eggs. They have a William Morris feel without looking old-fashioned. She also has a seasonal/holiday series of retro pickup trucks.
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
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