The Brick Purse

Needle Nicely is working a small boxy purse from JP Needlepoint as a shop model. It's always interesting to see how Mary Agnes works pieces for her traditional clients. 
http://needlenicely.blogspot.com/2014/05/jp-brick-purse.html

If you are intrigued by the possibilities of "brick" purses, check out Juli Poitras' website.
http://www.jpneedlepoint.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 29, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Not Exactly New... UPDATED

...but these lovely things are new to me. Did you know The Needlepointer has a kits page on their website?  They all seem to be British kits with wool on larger count, perfect for a quick and relaxing stitch when you need a new pillow that will stand up to rowdy kids.  (By the way, they've added a specials section to their website.  Scroll down to the bottom to see the specials for August which happen to be Rebecca Wood Christmas stockings.)
http://theneedlepointer.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=112

For Medici and Needle Necessities fans, Needle in a Haystack has hanks of French wool, which is the overdyed Medici from Needle Necessities.  Their online catalogue has been updated to show the colors available.  They have some of the original overdyed Kreinik from NN available as well.
http://needlestack.typepad.com/whats_new/2012/08/we-have-a-few-colors-of-needle-necessities-hand-dyed-medici.html

I started poking around Needle in a Haystack's website and discovered some new and unusual needle magnets from Embellishments Plus!  I'd never heard of them before but I sure like their cameo style magnets!  Plus, some come in two sizes so you can get smaller or larger of the style you prefer.
http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/EmbellishmentsPlus.html

UPDATE:  Quail Run has these Embellishments Plus! magnets on order and has posted a chart that shows the designs and sizes.
http://sonorandesertstitching.blogspot.com/2012/08/sugar-skull-needle-minders-and-more.html

UPDATE:  Absolutely Needlepoint has posted photographs of their latest painted canvases. Not all are new, but all are wonderful.
http://absolutelyneedlepoint.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/hot-arrivals/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Choosing a Replacement for Medici UPDATED

A lot of folks are trying to find a good replacement for Medici wool, DMC's thin embroidery wool that was discontinued a year or so back.  If you are one of that number, this article from a reproduction stitcher is a must read.  The author documents how she test stitched a variety of threads to find one that would work as well as Medici when restitching The Bayeux Tapestry.
http://www.housemarshall.org/Documentations/Now%20What%20Do%20We%20Do%20for%20Web.pdf

UPDATE:  Please read the Comments as several folks have replacements and there is even a source for the original Medici straight from France.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The "New" Medici

Janet Perry reviews the replacement for Medici wool that you can pick up at Threadneedle Street.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/the-medici-problem

If you want to try some for yourself, here's what Threadneedle says about it from their website.
http://www.threadneedlestreet.com/Medicis.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Threadneedle Street Announces Replacement for Medici

Threadneedle Street sent me the following message announcing a replacement for Medici wool.  I am reproducing this with their permission.  Their email address for further information is at the end of the message.
Jane, waving from Chilly Hollow

*****************************************

NEEDLEWORK NEWS FROM THREADNEEDLE STREET

Special Announcement, February 12, 2010

IT'S BACK!

Our Medicis rack before		Our Medicis rack after

Many of us were shocked when we learned a couple of years back that DMC would stop producing Medicis wool yarn. As supplies dwindled and color after color sold out, people wondered what they would use in its place. More than one company has come along offering yarn that they suggest we use instead of Medicis, but none of it is yarn that duplicates the color range of Medicis.

We are pleased to announce that Medicis is back - but with a few changes. Here are the pertinent facts:

1) This yarn is not being produced by DMC.
2) It IS being produced in nearly the same color range as when it came from DMC.
3) Color numbers are also the same.
4) Yardage of skeins is the same as before, 25 meters (approximately 27 yards).
5) It is no longer available in hanks.
6) Eventually it will not be called Medicis. For now we will continue to refer to it as Medicis as that is the name people know it by, and many colors are still in stock with DMC Medicis labels.
7) Six old colors of Medicis will be discontinued. Although we still have inventory of these colors, when they are gone they will no longer be dyed. Thirteen NEW colors of Medicis are also being produced.

New Medicis colors

8) Not surprisingly, the cost of Medicis skeins has gone up. DMC has had 2 price increases in their line since Medicis was discontinued. If DMC still produced Medicis, they almost certainly would have raised the price. Currently we have Medicis yarn at $1.40 per skein.

There are bound to be skeptics out there who will question whether the new Medicis is the same as the old. In my opinion, they are virtually identical products. Even dye lots are comparable. Although every thread occasionally has dye lot differences between batches, in cases where we have the same color in both old and new Medicis, nearly all are virtually identical to the old colors. Two colors are a little different but they are probably an improvement over the original colors. Great care has been taken to ensure the quality of yarn and dyeing.

Original DMC Medicis colors side by side with replacements

Here is a list of all Medicis colors, with both discontinued and new colors indicated:

White	Black	Ecru	Navy	8009**	8023**	8026	8027	8095**	8096**
8100	8101	8102	8103	8104	8105	8106	8107	8108	8109
8110	8111	8113	8114	8118	8119	8120*	8122	8123	8124
8125	8126	8127	8128	8129	8132	8133	8134	8135	8136
8139*	8151	8153	8155	8164	8166	8168	8173	8175	8176
8200	8201	8202	8203	8204*	8205	8206	8207	8208	8209
8210	8211	8212	8214	8221	8223	8224	8225	8300	8301
8302	8303	8304	8305	8306	8307*	8308	8309	8314	8313
8320	8321	8322	8323	8324	8325	8326	8327	8328	8331
8332	8333	8334**	8341	8342	8344	8346	8369	8380	8381
8390**	8397	8400	8401	8402	8403	8404	8405	8406	8407
8408	8409	8410	8411	8412	8413	8414	8415	8416	8417
8418	8419	8420	8421	8422	8426	8427	8484	8500	8501
8502	8503	8504	8505	8506	8507	8508	8509	8512	8514
8515	8542**	8543**	8544**	8567*	8610	8611	8618	8627**	8634**
8666	8685	8713	8720	8725	8739	8742	8748	8794	8798
8799	8800	8813**	8816	8817	8818	8825**	8838	8839	8840
8841	8842	8845	8846	8871	8877	8895	8896	8897*	8898
8899	8904	8908	8930	8931	8932	8940	8941	8955	8993
8995	8996	8997

*Discontinued color, available while supplies last
**New color

Copyright 2010. All prices are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change without notice.

www.threadneedlestreet.com
e-mail: custservice@threadneedlestreet.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow