The Color Of The Year In Embroidery Thread

Kreinik Calling! Exclusive to Mr X Stitch!

Knock knock, Kreinik Calling! Happy new year, happy new projects, maybe happy new techniques to learn, new threads to use, new creative ideas to try this year. Somehow the turn of the calendar makes us all look forward with a little more energy, organization, and optimism.

My new year at Kreinik starts with a trip to The National Needlearts Association trade show in Phoenix, Arizona. This is a wholesale, business-only convention of sorts, where professionals in the needlepoint, knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, cross stitch and counted thread embroidery areas come together to debut and order new products or restock on favorites. I look forward to seeing friends in the industry: shop owners, designers, and teachers who keep us all supplied with products and projects that feed our stitching hobbies.

One of the hot items of discussion right now is the Pantone® 2015 Color Of The Year: Marsala. Kreinik will be bringing threads to match this delicious wine color, and I will be interested to see if needlework designers and yarn companies will be showing shades of Marsala. I’m pretty excited about it (and Pantone® fave’d me!!!).

There are several "Marsala" families in the Kreinik thread lines, both silk and metallic threads for hand and machine embroidery. Look for metallic colors 031L and 080HL, or silk colors 1098, 1107, 1119.
There are several “Marsala” families in the Kreinik thread lines, both silk and metallic threads for hand and machine embroidery. Start with metallic colors 031L and 080HL, or silk colors 1098, 1107, 1119.

In the design world, Pantone®  is the standard-bearer for color, the most famous color celebrity, the authority on color who influences many, many, let me say many, industries: home decor, fashion, paint, plastics, flowers. “Why are we seeing so much lime green this year?” you may have said at one point. The answer is that Pantone® probably declared it The Color. So when Pantone® talks, a lot of people listen.

Gushing about Pantone's color of the year, Marsala, leaves me gushing that they fave'd me! Pantone is the authority on color in the design community, and announces the Color Of The Year via their website, social media, and press releases.
Gushing about Pantone’s color of the year, Marsala, leaves me gushing that they fave’d me! Pantone is the authority on color in the design community, and announces the Color Of The Year via their website, social media, and press releases.

Pantone® describes Marsala as “a naturally robust and earthly wine red.” At a glance, it’s a rich, chocolate-wine-berry shade — which sounds downright yummy. You can’t go wrong with that combination. In the Kreinik metallic thread lines (Blending Filament, Braids, Ribbons), the colors 031L Berry Red and 080HL Garnet Hi Lustre fall into the Marsala matches. In the Kreinik silk thread line (Silk Mori, Silk Serica, Silk Bella), choose 1098 Wood Rose, 1107 Very Dark Mauve, or 1119 Garnet, depending on the amount of red or pink you want in your Marsala. Tip: to see these colors, put their numbers into the Kreinik Color Selector here.

You can go light or dark with your Marsala preferences, or go red or blue in the hues. Pick a shade that speaks to your passion, design, and emotion. (Kreinik color 031L on the left, and 080HL on the right.)
You can go light or dark with your Marsala preferences, or go red or blue in the hues. Pick a shade that speaks to your passion, design, and emotion. (Kreinik color 031L on the left, and 080HL on the right.)

I think Marsala is a great color, used singly or in combination with many other colors (so I like its versatility). Will you be using it in your home, your outfits, or your stitching this year? Let me know what you think of it. Here are a few design ideas featuring Marsala shades to inspire you.

The design on the left is a sampler by Barbara Rakosnik using Kreinik silk threads. The design on the right is a free pattern on the Kreinik website (http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Floral-Medallion.html)
The design on the left is a sampler by Barbara Rakosnik using Kreinik silk threads. The design on the right is a free pattern on the Kreinik website.
The brooch at top right was created by Gwen Blakely Kinsler with Kreinik silk threads. The shawl at the bottom is by Nazanin Fard using Kreinik Twist.
The brooch at top right was created by Gwen Blakely Kinsler with Kreinik silk threads. The shawl at the bottom is by Nazanin Fard using Kreinik Twist.
Zinnia is one of the Pixie Blossom designs in Mirabilia's cross stitch pattern line. Shades of wine in the dress stand out beautifully next to blue shades of cotton and Kreinik metallic threads (plus Wichelt Import beads).
Zinnia is one of the Pixie Blossom designs in Mirabilia’s cross stitch pattern line. Shades of wine in the dress stand out beautifully next to blue shades of cotton and Kreinik metallic threads (plus Wichelt Import beads).
The design on the left is a beautiful needlepoint canvas by Art Needlepoint using Kreinik silk threads. The design on the right is a Tree Jewel ornament kit from Kreinik using metallic threads.
The design on the left is a beautiful needlepoint canvas by Art Needlepoint using Kreinik silk threads. The design on the right is a Tree Jewel ornament kit from Kreinik using metallic threads.
Crazy quilts by Cindy Gorder and Pat Winter showcase wine-colored fabric swatches. Notice the complementary fabric choices, beads, and thread colors which work so well. Silk and metallic hreads by Kreinik.
Crazy quilts by Cindy Gorder and Pat Winter showcase wine-colored fabric swatches. Notice the complementary fabric choices, beads, and thread colors which work so well. Silk and metallic threads by Kreinik.
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