diff --git a/lib/extensions/input.py b/lib/extensions/input.py
index 21248dd9b..99bb70abb 100644
--- a/lib/extensions/input.py
+++ b/lib/extensions/input.py
@@ -8,48 +8,29 @@ import inkex
 if getattr(sys, 'frozen', None) is None:
     sys.path.append(realpath(path_join(dirname(__file__), '..', '..')))
 
-from libembroidery import *
+import pyembroidery
 
 from ..svg import PIXELS_PER_MM, render_stitch_plan
 from ..svg.tags import INKSCAPE_LABEL
 from ..i18n import _
-from ..stitch_plan import StitchPlan
+from ..stitch_plan import StitchPlan, ColorBlock
 from ..utils.io import save_stdout
 
 
 class Input(object):
-    def pattern_stitches(self, pattern):
-        stitch_pointer = pattern.stitchList
-        while stitch_pointer:
-            yield stitch_pointer.stitch
-            stitch_pointer = stitch_pointer.next
-
-
     def affect(self, args):
-        # libembroidery likes to dump a bunch of debugging stuff to stdout
-        save_stdout()
-
         embroidery_file = args[0]
-        pattern = embPattern_create()
-        embPattern_read(pattern, embroidery_file)
-        embPattern_flipVertical(pattern)
+        pattern = pyembroidery.read(embroidery_file)
 
         stitch_plan = StitchPlan()
         color_block = None
-        current_color = None
 
-        for stitch in self.pattern_stitches(pattern):
-            if stitch.color != current_color:
-                thread = embThreadList_getAt(pattern.threadList, stitch.color)
-                color = thread.color
-                color_block = stitch_plan.new_color_block((color.r, color.g, color.b))
-                current_color = stitch.color
-
-            if not stitch.flags & END:
-                color_block.add_stitch(stitch.xx * PIXELS_PER_MM, stitch.yy * PIXELS_PER_MM,
-                                       jump=stitch.flags & JUMP,
-                                       color_change=stitch.flags & STOP,
-                                       trim=stitch.flags & TRIM)
+        for raw_stitches, thread in pattern.get_as_colorblocks():
+            color_block = stitch_plan.new_color_block(thread)
+            for x, y, command in raw_stitches:
+                color_block.add_stitch(x * PIXELS_PER_MM / 10.0, y * PIXELS_PER_MM / 10.0,
+                                       jump=(command == pyembroidery.JUMP),
+                                       trim=(command == pyembroidery.TRIM))
 
         extents = stitch_plan.extents
         svg = etree.Element("svg", nsmap=inkex.NSS, attrib=
@@ -69,4 +50,4 @@ class Input(object):
         # Note: this is NOT the same as centering the design in the canvas!
         layer.set('transform', 'translate(%s,%s)' % (extents[0], extents[1]))
 
-        print >> sys.real_stdout, etree.tostring(svg)
+        print etree.tostring(svg)
diff --git a/lib/output.py b/lib/output.py
index 1c580f04b..0d7f9918c 100644
--- a/lib/output.py
+++ b/lib/output.py
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@ from .utils import Point
 from .svg import PIXELS_PER_MM, get_doc_size, get_viewbox_transform
 
 
-def add_thread(pattern, thread):
-    """Add a thread to a pattern and return the thread's index"""
-
-    libembroidery.embPattern_addThread(pattern, thread)
-
-    return libembroidery.embThreadList_count(pattern.threadList) - 1
-
 def get_command(stitch):
     if stitch.jump:
         return pyembroidery.JUMP
diff --git a/lib/threads/color.py b/lib/threads/color.py
index d94f88257..cc6c0c48f 100644
--- a/lib/threads/color.py
+++ b/lib/threads/color.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import simplestyle
 import re
 import colorsys
-
+from pyembroidery.EmbThread import EmbThread
 
 class ThreadColor(object):
     hex_str_re = re.compile('#([0-9a-z]{3}|[0-9a-z]{6})', re.I)
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ class ThreadColor(object):
     def __init__(self, color, name=None, number=None, manufacturer=None):
         if color is None:
             self.rgb = (0, 0, 0)
+        elif isinstance(color, EmbThread):
+            self.name = color.description
+            self.number = color.catalog_number
+            self.manufacturer = color.brand
+            self.rgb = (color.get_red(), color.get_green(), color.get_blue())
+            return
         elif isinstance(color, (list, tuple)):
             self.rgb = tuple(color)
         elif self.hex_str_re.match(color):