Showing posts with label Straw Silk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Straw Silk. Show all posts

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Tariffs and Needlepoint

A friend asked me late last summer about how I thought tariffs would impact needlepoint.  As you can see, many designers are uncertain how this is going to work.  Tanya Bentham is an embroiderer in the UK who specializes in Medieval-style embroidery.  Her blog posting about tariffs is typical--she has to do two invoices to include tariff charges.

As for the impact on stitchers, prices will go up because so much of the raw materials for threads and other supplies comes from overseas. Right now the Canadian and UK suppliers are waiting for clarification on how this will all work.   Traditional Stitches in Canada has this to say about tariffs.

I also follow Colour Complements in Canada. Lorraine says that she's got a good grasp on how it will work now. She will have a list of how much tariff you'll pay that will be added on like shipping costs. I think the UK suppliers believe they will have an exception to tariffs but that's still in flux. 

Ehrman says that they add any tariffs or customs duties to their kits before they are sold so you won't have any surprises with an order from the UK. 

Susan Johnson of SJ Designs has discovered that manufacturers of certain bead and satin ribbon items are discontinuing them or going out of business entirely. She's looking for replacements in Central Europe.  I think some older owners of craft supplies businesses will choose to retire instead of coping with it all, especially if they can't find buyers for their firms.  Some items are going to be impossible to get.  Already the importer of Straw Silk is finding it almost impossible to get supplies from overseas and that may have to be discontinued.

A small painted canvas (let's say a 4 inch round) is approaching $90-100 each now. Of course there is still older inventory in the shops that costs $50-70 but you have to want a less popular design. Printed canvases are better quality now and I'm seeing more of them. Needlepoint.com is pointing the way, there.  Moore Stitching is another printed canvas firm with good quality items.  I've stitched both and had no problems, although I admit I don't really have an issue with figuring out what color goes where.  I just pick one and keep going.  

But I digress. I think painted canvas prices will continue to climb, threads will be harder to get (and more expensive), and lovely tools and embellishments like the Swarovski crystals that Swarovski is no longer making for the craft market may be harder to find, too.  If you can source good quality tools you want, buy them now.  On the other hand, issues like the problems getting Kreinik plus their switch to putting it on cards instead of spools means we have new suppliers of metallic threads like the Au Ver A Soie metallics that people are importing and the new Reflections metallics that Meredith of M's Canvas House has brought out.  So some companies are getting creative.  Overall, I think some things will be harder to get (embellishments, good quality tools) and others will cost more (painted canvases) and the range of what's available may narrow some. I'm betting older owners of companies manufacturing some of this stuff will throw up their hands and retire but we'll see.

My thoughts, for what they are worth and that's not much!

What do you think?

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 4, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Thread Exploring at Waste Knot

Lori at Waste Knot* is Instagramming about the various threads the shop carries.  It's a great way to explore various threads that are available for needlepoint, especially if you don't have a shop of your own where you can see thread options in person.

First up, size 3 perle cotton--

Secondly, size 5 perle cotton--

The third thread is Planet Earth's Essentials, a strand of silk/wool perfect for 18 count that comes on 10 yard cards.

Now Lori shows you Vineyard Merino Wool.

Followed by Vineyard Silk.  Both are lovely threads, by the way.

Lori likes Pepper Pot for 18 count but I do find it a little thick for 18 count.  If you have tight tension, you will love it on 18.

Next is Kreinik.  Lori has all the sizes and explains how/where to use them here--

Silk Road Fiber's Straw Silk comes in a huge array of colors.


Planet Earth Silk is a thicker silk for 13 count.  Very pretty colors.

Lori's right, Gloriana's 12 ply silk has the prettiest colors available. 

Lori shows off Silk n Ivory, which isn't the most wearable silk/wool blend, but it's very pretty and perfect for 13 count.

Next up is Soie d'Alger, a French 7 ply silk in beautiful colors.

Lori carries a lot of Impressions, my favorite wool/silk blend.

Boucle is a fun thread for curls, bushes and more.

Next Lori shows off Glisten, a wool with a sparkle filament woven in. It's not as shiny as Silk Lame Braid but gives a very nice subtle gleam.  Lori uses one strand on 18 count.

Floche (from DMC) is the next thread Lori shows off.  It's cotton and comes on big skeins, making it perfect for backgrounds.  It's got a nice subtle sheen to it. 

Lori has tips for when you use Very Velvet and Petite Very Velvet.

Here are the two weights of Very Velvet.

Next up is Silk Lame Petite, one of my favorites.

Silk Lame comes in four sizes now.

Entice is similar to Silk Lame but is rayon for the base thread.

Lori has some good tips for dealing with the kinks in Neon Rays that appear after it's wound around the Rainbow Gallery card.

The next thread Waste Knot carries is Caron's Watercolours, a favorite of counted thread designers.  Lori doesn't mention the drastic color changes you can get between dye lots of these cotton overdyes; it's wise to buy plenty for your project if you are using it in a large area.

With the holidays coming, Lori goes fun with Fuzzy Stuff.

ThreadworX's overdyed cotton floss is a particular favorite of mine.

Bella Lusso wool is quite pretty and easy to stitch with.

Burmilana is another fav.  Great animal fur!

Gentle Arts' Sampler Threads have lovely muted colors.  This is an overdyed cotton floss that is popular with sampler repo stitches because of the faded look you get.  Perfect for animals!

River Silks silk ribbon is lovely to work with, comes in a variety of widths and colors, and is tough as nails!

Another ribbon-like thread is Rainbow Gallery's Sparkle Rays (also available in Petite Sparkle Rays).  You get a bit of sparkle and some pretty pastel colors, plus a really white white.

Like Lori, I think Alpaca 18 is too thick for 18 count but it has some fabulous animal coat colors and might make great hair for people.

Today Lori's talking Flair, aka Barbie's Panty Hose.  This versatile thread is a delight although you might not like how the cut end unravels.  This is why God invented the Thread Zapper, folks.

I like Frosty Rays.  The colors are like sugar coated candy!  Note that Lori only carries the Petite size.

Next is Fyre Werks.  This Rainbow Gallery 1/16 inch ribbon is a quite shiny metallic.  A laying tool will help it stay flat.

Lori goes over overdyed threads carried at Waste Knot:  Gloriana silk, Gentle Arts' Sampler and Shaker  cotton threads, ThreadworX cotton, Tilli Thomas Planet Earth Pepper Pot overdye, and Caron's three ply cotton Watercolours.

Lori now stocks the new Radiance metallic in size 18.

Lori talks very briefly about Au Ver a Soie's metallic, which she stocks in sizes 12 and 16.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 16, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Straw Silk: The Movie

 
Straw Hat in Straw Silk

Needlepoint.com has posted a short video about Straw Silk, the ribbon-like thread that creates all sorts of lovely effects.

The thread is a little thicker than a ribbon and you can split it down the middle if it seems a bit thick for the stitch you want to use on 18 count canvas.  I particularly like it for leaves, tree bark and other slightly rough-looking items.  It makes a fabulous straw hat, too, as you can see in Leigh Design's "Miami" from her Gold Diggers series above.

You can explore the colors available on the Silk Road Fiber website but you'll have to order from your favorite shop as Silk Road Fiber sells wholesale only.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 28, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, June 21, 2020

How to Stitch with Straw Silk: The Movie

Needlepoint.com's latest little video is about using Straw Silk.
https://needlepoint.com/blogs/needlepoint-know-how/all-about-straw-silk-fibers

It's pretty basic information so I'll just add that Straw Silk can be split right down the middle if you want to use it for tent stitches on 18 count.  It is very similar to The Thread Gatherer's Sea Grass (link below) except Straw Silk has more of a sheen and it is a tad wider than Sea Grass which looks more like the paper used to weave baskets.
https://threadgatherer.com/collections/sea-grass

Both threads make fantastic leaves and tree bark, realistic woven baskets, and fun decorative stitches for borders.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 26, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Needlepoint Now Profiles The Needlepointer

Recently the editor of Needlepoint Now magazine was in Washington State and visited The Needlepointer in their new location.   It's a great article about the history of the shop and how they got into selling Straw Silk, plus the shop manager Brian Shaw gives us a great way to judge if we are going to run out of thread for a project.  There is a lot more in this issue of the newsletter, but I loved reading about one of my favorite shops.
http://needlepointnow.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/j/26AF9C28B456D0892540EF23F30FEDED/D89D82459BF7DCF144D0DD5392A9C75A

If you are too far away to make a visit in person, you can be like me and browse The Needlepointer's website.
https://www.theneedlepointer.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright  October 27, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Straw Silk, the Lists

Straw Hat in Straw Silk

Silk Road Fibers has created a color list of all their available Straw Silk threads. This ribbon-like flat thread is a mix of silk and paper.  It looks like raffia, and can be used on either 13 or 18 count, depending on the stitch you want.  For tent stitches or long stitches on 18 count, you can split it down the middle to get a thinner thread.  Use a needle to get the split going at a cut end, then pull the two parts apart slowly and carefully.
http://silkroadfiber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Silk-Road-Fiber-Color-List-6.2017.pdf

I used a lot of Straw Silk on Leigh Designs "Japanese Tea House."  The tree bark and the lower layer of leaves are in Straw Silk.  So is the mass of bushes in the lower right corner.  I've used it in places on many other designs but not in such profusion as here.  It was perfect for the plants on this piece.
https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2013/11/tantalizing-glimpses.html

I also used it for the straw hat worn by the "Miami Gold Digger," again from Leigh Designs.  The photo of the hat is above.  Once again it was the absolutely perfect thread for this section of my canvas.

If you prefer a look at the color card, here it is.
http://silkroadfiber.com/straw-silk-fiber/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 7, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Breaking News: Silk Road Fibers has a Website

Look! There's a new website for Silk Road Fibers! If you want to see the Straw Silk colors now available in this interesting cross between ribbon and thread, now you can browse to your heart's content.
http://silkroadfiber.com

The newest colors are shown on the home page.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 9, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Threadaholic Alert!

Needle in a Haystack has added new colors for several threads to their fabulous online database of threads.  They have added the newest colors for Entice, Capri, Silk Lame Braid, Soie d'Alger and Straw Silk.
http://needlestack.typepad.com/whats_new/2016/01/new-threads-for-2016.html

Here is the link to their website thread database.  Bookmark it because they have good color photos of most threads.  Ordering from them is a slow business (they only ship one day a week and it can take a while to get threads in) but their customer service is excellent and their stock outstanding.
http://www.needlestack.com/thread.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 14, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.