Mill Hill Bead Color Cards

If you use lots of beads and have to choose colors for online orders, Mill Hill's bead color flier is a must have.

https://www.thesilverneedle.com/millhill-buttons-beads.html#flier

It's inexpensive enough at a dollar (and it has real beads sewn on to help you match colors) that you can order several for all your stitching buddies.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright December 5, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Color Cards for Sale

One tool I'm never without is my DMC color card made with real threads.  I have a few other color cards (I use the Kreinik one occasionally) but if you have a thread brand you use a lot and need to have an idea of the available colors, a color card will be your best friend.  Needlepoint Gallery sells several types of these, which is very nice!

https://www.theneedlepointgallery.com/cocaforthco.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright August 15, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Breaking News: DMC Floss Color Card on Sale

DMC's color cards made with real bits of thread are on sale.  I'm guessing these don't include the new colors DMC just announced so they are getting rid of old stock in order to make and sell new color cards with all the colors.  But it's still a good deal for those of us who speak DMC.
https://www.dmc.com/us/dmc-floss-color-card-actual-thread-strands-9000086.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright October 15, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Wool Felt Color Card--with Real Samples

Thanks to Robin King I know know that you can buy a Holland Wool Felt Swatch Card. 
http://www.achildsdream.com/holland-wool-felt-swatch-card/

One hundred percent wool felt is hard to find, and to discover you can order it online AND buy a swatch card, well, I'm one happy camper today!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 22, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Today's Smart Cookie Award

Have you seen the skin color collection cards from Rainbow Gallery? For roughly $8 a card you get a selection of six silks that work for skin and lip tones.   (There are also a selection of Halloween and Christmas colors, too.)
http://www.homesteadneedlearts.com/product/splendor-designer-collection/

https://www.stitchingbitsandbobs.com/cgi-bin/Store/pageread.cgi?SDC

I've used these a lot when stitching people but recently I noticed how I use the same colors over and over so I run out of my favorites constantly, particularly when stitching a large design with lots of skin area.   I just ordered two new cards for myself and mentioned to a friend I had done so.  Her reply was genius--she uses the skin collection cards as a color card, matches the right shades to a painted canvas, and orders regular Splendor cards for actual stitching.  It's cheaper when you have a large area to cover as the regular cards of Splendor are roughly $3 each.

So the Smart Cookie Award goes to Pat.  You are so clever!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 26, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Cottage Garden Threads Display

Threadaholics will love looking at the stitched sampler of all the Cottage Garden Threads that were available up until last fall.   Cottage Garden Threads is an Australian company that specializes in overdyed cottons so seeing each color name stitched gives you a wonderful idea of the effect of each overdye.
http://cottagegardenthreads.typepad.com/cottage-garden-threads/2014/05/s.html

This is a new company and their threads aren't readily available in the U.S. but they are worth seeking out if you need a special color or just want to play with something new ordered from Australia.
http://cottagegardenthreads.typepad.com/files/PDF%20New%20Catalogue%20Nov%202010.pdf

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 13, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Color Cards

One of the best tools anyone who has to mail order threads can own is a set of color cards for your favorite thread. I treasure my DMC color card and use it often when I need a certain color.  (All I have to do is tell the shop I want to mail order a pink silk floss as close to DMC #3713 as possible.  They will pull out their DMC color card and inspect their wares for a match.)  So I was thrilled to see very reasonably priced color cards for sale at Fireside Stitchery.
http://www.firesidestitchery.com/fs/threads/index.cfm?fuseaction=getThreadList&CategoryId=16

This got me hunting for more color cards.  Here's what I dug up.
http://store.apneedlearts.com/krmecoca.html

http://store.apneedlearts.com/cacosocothgu.html

http://store.apneedlearts.com/cacovathcoca.html

http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Kreinik-Silk-Thread-Color-Card.html

http://www.needlestack.com/WebStore/Accessories/ColorCards.html

http://www.threadneedlestreet.com/cardbody.htm

http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/threads/Kreinik.html

http://www.lacis.com/catalog/data/AA_CordsThreadsSilk.html

By the way, EPiC yarn has an online color selector.  Kreinik also has online color cards as does Rainbow Gallery and Caron but these all are a bit chancy to choose colors from, so I am only listing the EPiC tool since it's brand new to me.
http://www.epicyarn.com/Pages_Yarn/ColourSelection.html

I'm sure other shops carry color cards.  I just ran out of time to hunt.  If you are a shop owner who has these in stock, please let me know in the Comments below or by emailing me at chillyhollow at hotmail dot com. I'll add your contact information or website or Facebook page to the list.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright Feb. 24, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Real Color Cards

Kreinik reminds us that they offer real color cards, made with snippets of actual threads. These are wonderful. I have a set myself that probably needs updating but I use it quite a bit when I am trying to mail order threads.  Nothing beats seeing the real thing if you are doing mail order.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2013/02/kreinik-color-cards.html

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

Bead Shopping?

If you are like me, you often have to order supplies sight unseen. If you don't happen to have the secret weapon of great shop owners that I trust to shop for me in your back pocket, then use Old World Designs' site to pick Sundance beads.  Lots of websites have photos of some of the Sundance beads available, but Old World Designs has the best selection and the largest photos I've seen.
http://www.oldworlddesigns.com/fibers/SundanceBeads_a.html

If you have a favorite site to use to help pick supplies, please let us know in the Comments or email me at chilly hollowathotmaildotcom and I'll post your source for you.

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

An Amazing DMC Color Card

I happen to have an old DMC color card, the kind with the real thread samples. I treasure it and use it all the time in mail order thread shopping. These are not available any more but Meredith didn't let that stop her.  She made her own color block project.
http://dmc-threads.com/dmc-color-block-project/

Anyone who has most of the DMC colors on hand could make their own color card, couldn't they?  It would be a fantastic and fun tool.

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