The Online Needle Show for retail buyers is now open – and you’ll find quite a large collection of shops and designers listed, waiting for you to come browsing through. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to make it through a whole long list like this, especially if we hit a few links at random and don’t find anything we like. I thought I’d point out a few things that caught my eye, in case you’re interested in direct links.
First off, there’s the Mad Samplar Book Company and Needlework Shop. The owner, Paige, has recently expanded her site, which has focused on specialty needlework books, into a shop that now carries kits and charts, and hopefully will expand further to carry some specialty supplies (well, this is my hope, anyway!). What I want to specifically point out is that she is now carrying Luzine Happel’s books, Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework and Fancy Hems! They’re the first two books listed on her show page, so if you’re interested in them, go look!
Another favorite at the Needle Show is Chickadee Hollow Designs. For the surface embroiderer, Chickadee Hollow offers some primitive designs, as well as some fun crazy-quilt-looking items, such as her Christmas stockings. These aren’t precisely “crazy quilting” – rather, they are printed designs that give you the fun of seam embellishments and surface embroidery, without the piecework.
Another favorite of mine featured at the show is the French Needle. Featuring mostly cross stitch designs, you’ll find some really pretty European ones there. You’ll also find some nice French books on alphabets, and, if you visit her shop directly, you’ll also find some surface embroidery kits from Europe, including reproduction kits of the Bayeux tapestry. (I’ve got one of these – some day, I’ll find time to stitch it!)
Thistle Needleworks features Gumnut Yarns from Australia. I like these threads – they’re expensive, but they’re really beautiful. If you’re looking for some specialty threads for a fine project, you might want to check them out.
Mani di Donna carries some neat biscornu patterns. Threads of Gold carries some beautiful reproduction samplers. And Shakespeare’s Peddler (where I get my Dovo scissors) has some interesting thread packs and a very pretty Ackworth Box available.
Those are the vendors that caught my eye at the show. Granted, I haven’t had a chance to browse through Every Single Link! How about you? Have you browsed through the shops yet and found anything in particular that struck your fancy?? Do tell!
Clicking a few links at random and then giving up is exactly what I did when visiting the Online Needle Show. It's overwhelming and time-consuming to work your way through a long list of links when most of them aren't what you're interested in. So THANK YOU for cutting to the chase and pointing out the Mad Samplar website. Wow! What a great selection of books.
Thanks for posting that link! I spent a fantastic evening browsing through all of those "vendor booths". There's a small store near me that carries great linen but not so many patterns or notions or threads! It was going to a trade show without the long drive there and then home. Thanks again!