With cloudy days, storms, and blizzards we could all use some cheering up. And what could be better for this than to learn about great new products that will be appearing on your local shop’s shelves in the next few months.
Most companies time their new releases to coincide with needlework markets. There are two coming up. Although it’s been primarily for cross stitch in the past, the Nashville Needlework Market (March 1-3) has many companies there that also make products for the needlepoint market. This is especially true of thread companies. A brand new show is TSNS, The Spring Needlepoint Show, which is March 29 through April 1. It’s a show for needlepoint shops put on by needlepoint companies of all kinds.
Both these shows are cash & carry which means your shop may be coming home with items for you to buy. Remember also that most shops will order specific items for you at the show. If you hear about something you’d like to have, let your LNS know so they can get it for you.
HSN Designs has added collegiate belts to their line in addition to the flags. Many schools are in the works for the belts. Annie Lane has added some larger canvases that have the animals having fun. Some are for holidays. The Fourth of July canvas has everyone piled into a car to be in the parade. The Halloween one has the animals in costume (I love the bear in the flying saucer) on the front porch. Thanksgiving has everyone dressed as pilgrims and indians ready to enjoy an outdoor feast.
Chris Lewis has a great new mini-sock out from Ashley Bradley. It shows four popular game consoles. A related design features the classic dot-eating game, ready to start. Patricia Sone’s line of canvases has expanded with the addition of six large angels. Each comes with a stitch guide by Patricia. Anne Fisher has a lovely new small (6×9) clutch bag canvas that is a Nantucket Basket with a lovely bee clasp. It would make an elegant evening bag. Deux Amis has some beautiful canvases of flowers including a single dahlia and a square full of wild roses. They also have an elegant wedding sampler that’s a frame to hold a customized design of names, initials, or dates.
The Point of It All has added canvases by Alice Vantrease to their line.Some of the canvases have matching frames or trays from Deux Bijoux Bijoux. Susan Roberts has an elegant set of four beehive coasters each with two bees on it. Kate Dickerson has licensed the dog portraits by Megan Carn. Available ones include a German Shepherd and a Chesapeake Bay Retreiver. Jude Designs has a canvas with a heaping platter of a crayfish boil. They have also added to their line of New-Orleans food canvases with “Slap Ya’ Mama” seasoning. Pepperberry has some lovely 3-D Easter eggs in bright modern pastel colors as well as an Easter egg topiary tree. Pippin Studio is adding more designs to the First Stitch Kits. These 12-mesh canvases come with needle, DMC #3 pearl cotton, and a frame and mat. They also have added three singles of golf bags.
Rainbow Gallery has added seven new colors to Alpaca 18. The colors have delicious names such as Morocco sand, wild dove, and butterum. Capri (a polyester and metallic mix) has four new neon colors: pink, orange, green, and yellow. Accoutrement Designs has a limited edition sunflower needle minder that will only be available in Nashville. They have also added more colors and designs to their popular cases. The cases are available with or without designs on them in nine colors.
Rittenhouse Needlepoint has a lovely new canvas of a daffodil-filled field near the shore. They also have a needlepoint adaptation of Van Gogh’s sunflowers in their Changing Woman line. Decorations has new butterflies that are Art Nouveau in their inspiration but in contemporary colors and an uncluttered style. Anne Brinkley’s Ultrasuede bookmarks with needlepoint inserts may not be new to you, but now they come in at least 20 colors with almost 100 available designs.
BB Needlepoint has a great folk art style canvas of colorful house going up a hill. It really reminds me of Pittsburgh where I grew up. Kelly Clark has four new designs that are 6″ x 2.75″ and made to fit the Lee self-finishing products. She also has six different rounds of cosmetic tools, designed to fit the Lee mirror and other round self-finishing products. Alice Peterson has a wonderful celebration canvas that features six champagne flutes each with a different cocktail or decoration.
Painted Pony has added a new artist, Nicole Tamarin. Her Texas-themed wreath and arrangements are striking against black-and-white checked backgrounds. Another of their artists, Mary Charles, has a sunflower-bedecked harvest landscape, including giant pumpkins and a clothesline of quilts. Renaissance Designs has an adorable canvas of a tabby cat nestling inside a knitting project bag. The naughty kitty is very realistically painted. & more has add some Easter canvases to the line of sayings in seasonally-appropriate pastels.
Love You More has added Teresa Kogut to their line of licensed artists. Her canvases include a great Christmas house. The company also has a clever Nashville canvas that features the city skyline as half the silhouette of a guitar with the other half reflected in the water. Kangaroo Paw has new canvas featuring MacKenzie-Childs colors and patterns. They come in several shapes including state, mini-socks, and rounds.
Stop by Thursday for Part 2 of this post.
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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