Since it’s still early in January, and since we’re heading into the weekend when you can take some time to do some browsing, today strikes me as an Excellent Day to introduce you to a very special set of needlework businesses.
Truly, taken as a whole, this group of embroidery-related businesses can supply your every needlework need, wish, want, desire!
Each business listed here offers something unique to the embroidery and needlework enthusiast. If you visit Needle ‘n Thread regularly, you’re bound to see their ads. These are my advertisers and they are, in a sense, hand selected. I only advertise for needlework businesses that are a good fit for Needle ‘n Thread, and whose goods and services I have experienced myself.
I know that they are quality businesses, and I hope that you will get to know them and find them as wonderful as I do!
So, without further ado, here’s my line-up of needlework advertisers on Needle ‘n Thread for 2014!
Nordic Needle
First up – new this year – is Nordic Needle. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, Nordic Needle has been around for a Long Time. It is the go-to resource in the United States (and even for customers world-wide) for Hardanger needlework supplies, books, patterns, and kits – but they carry oh-so-much-more!
I visited Nordic Needle once, and you know, I could have moved in. A cot in the corner, and I’d have been happy for years!
The shop has so much to offer for needlework enthusiasts – from fabric and threads, to books, DVDs, kits, tools, accessories…
For us out in cyberland, two things: 1. Sign up for their email newsletters! They come out once a week or so, and they’re always of interest. They either share stitching stories, or they look closely at specific needlework techniques, tools, and the like, and they keep you abreast of the latest sales and specials.
2. Sign up to receive their print catalog! It comes out this time of year, so it will be hitting mailboxes soon. There are very few needlework shops that still send out thorough print catalogs. Nordic Needle is one of them, and their catalog is nice to have on hand. It’s also great for stitching friends who are not internet inclined. I love browsing their catalog and circling items. There’s just something about circling items in catalogs…
Something of interest, if you’re thinking of learning new techniques this year – you might check out Nordic Needle’s stitching clubs.
Above is a needlepoint panel by Laura Perin that’s a Stitching Club feature this year. It’s called the Nordic Panel stitching club. Love the design! Love the colors! Over the course of the year, you complete the panel using the instructions that come each month. By the end of the year, you’ve covered all the stitches and you have a beautiful, colorful panel at the end.
They also have a club devoted to Huck Embroidery, for those who want to get into Swedish Weaving. Fun!
Australian Needle Arts
Australian Needle Arts, located in Australia, is the shop run by the folks behind Koala Conventions, grand needlework workshops (more like extended parties or vacations!) that take place in Australia and New Zealand every year.
Australian Needle Arts carries a huge variety of embroidery kits from Australian and world-wide designers, many of whom participate in their workshops.
If you’re looking for specific kits designed by Australian needle artists, you’ll find them here.
You’ll find kits in all kinds of needlework categories. If you’ve ever browsed the Koala Conventions classes and wished you could go, but couldn’t, you’ll even find kits from previous classes available here.
They also carry kits from world-wide designers. You’ll find Trish Burr and Hazel Blomkamp kits available here, too, for example.
In addition to kits, Australian Needle Arts carries quality tools and accessories. If you’re looking for sit-on embroidery stands for hoops, for example, they carry them, and right now, they’re on sale!
The French Needle
The French Needle, located in the US, is the embroidery shop for the Francophile!
The French Needle specializes in a variety of embroidery and cross stitch books, kits, and materials imported from Europe. The photo above illustrates a whole collection of surface embroidery kits from Canevas Folies, one of which I’m working on right now, and I’ll be showing you up close next week.
If you’re keen to work some reproduction panels from the Bayeux Tapestry, The French Needle is the only shop in the US that carries these approved reproduction kits.
If you’re an avid scissor collector, you’ll find an incredible collection of hand-crafted French scissors here, too. They’re for the true collector – and they are gorgeous!
Thistle Threads
Thistle Threads, located in Massachusetts, is a new advertiser on Needle ‘n Thread this year.
Thistle Threads is the online home of Tricia Nguyen and her Cabinet of Curiosities online class, which is open for registration right now, for the class beginning this spring.
The Cabinet of Curiosities class is for serious needleworkers who dream of creating their own personal version of the 17th century embroidered casket.
Exploring the history of embroidered caskets, and using the best materials on the market – many of which are authentic re-creations of 17th century materials – the students create a unique, personal, contemporary version of these delightful cabinets that have captured the imagination of embroiderers for centuries.
In addition to the Cabinet class, Tricia offers a variety of other online courses as well. Her Tudor Rose class, which has a few spaces left, concentrates on 17th century goldwork stitches that pass through fabric. The metal threads are further embellished with silk. The class includes a CD of animated stitch instructions, too – perfect for learning those complex stitches!
In addition to offering classes, Thistle Threads has a shop that carries unique and various embroidery sundries! Here, you’ll find hard-to-find needlework items, like fruit forms for stumpwork.
You’ll also find the silk gimp! Remember the green family of silk gimp I reviewed a while back? You’ll find the whole green collection on sale at Thistle Threads right now!
The Crewel Work Company
The Crewel Work Company, located in the UK, is the home of needlework designer and historian, Phillipa Turnbull.
Known in particular for crewel work, The Crewel Work company offers a wide variety of crewel embroidery kits.
Phillipa’s crewel kits come complete with linen twill, wool threads, and thorough instructions – for the beginner through the advanced embroiderer.
In addition to crewel embroidery, Phillipa also offers historically accurate needlepoint kits that are authentic reproductions of tapestry slips found in historical homes in Britain.
The Crewel Work Company also hosts Lady Anne’s Needlework Retreat, which explores different types of needlework while visiting castles and great homes in the UK. There are only a couple spaces left for this year’s needlework retreat, so if you’re seeking that once-in-a-lifetime needlework experience, check it out before all the spots are gone! You can read a little more about Lady Anne’s Needlework Retreat in my write-up on the retreat from a couple months ago.
Inspirations Magazine
Inspirations Magazine, located in Australia, is a needlework shop, a needlework publisher, and a coordinator of needlework workshops.
The magazine has been going strong for 20 years now. Each issue of Inspirations is more like a needlework project book than a magazine, because easy issue is comprised of a collection of embroidery and needlework projects with full patterns, instructions, and materials lists. Additionally, the magazine sports human interest articles focusing on needlework, and reviews of products and so forth. If you only subscribe to one needlework magazine, let this be it! Every issue is a delight!
If you prefer digital to print, you can subscribe to the digital version of Inspirations. It’s significantly less expensive than the print version, the content is the same, and the pattern pages download from the digital version as printable PDFs.
Hedgehog Handworks
Last, but in no way least, is Hedgehog Handworks, located in Southern California.
2017 Update: In 2017, Joady, the owner of Hedgehog Handworks, retired, and unfortunately, the shop is no longer with us!
Thank You!
I know it’s a long list, but I hope it provides you with some good browsing this weekend!
People often ask me how they can “contribute” to Needle ‘n Thread, since so much embroidery information is given away here for free. Pretty much, this is my response:
There are two ways to support my work on Needle ‘n Thread: 1. if they interest you, you’re most welcome to buy my e-books; 2. but above that, please, please support my advertisers! They are quality needlework businesses that offer quality products through reliable good service.
Thanks so much for supporting my advertisers!
When I saw those scissors, I almost gasped. Like really out loud gasped. But I did not, because my brother is in the room, too, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself. But oh they are pretty.
I hope that it’s not too cold where you live.
It’s been COLD here.
Happy Stitching!
Sarah
Hi, Sarah! They’re pretty, aren’t they? A bit beyond my budget – but I love looking at ’em! It’s not too cold here. We’re finally above freezing and it’s raining, so all the snow is disappearing fast! ~MC
Mary–Thanks for highlighting all the great embroidery resources. So much of the needlework stuff I see in blogs and other sources is counted cross stitch or needlepoint–which is fine, I do those too–but embroidery sources can be difficult to find. I’m glad to know these resources are out there when I need my embroidery fix.
Carol S.
Dear Mary
Because of your previous blogs of the above businesses I’ve had the opportunity of ordering needlework supplies from most of the suppliers above as well as Inspiration magazine and I agree with you that they are all quality businesses and I love browsing The French Needle scissors they are exquisite but out of my budget range. Thanks for sharing your views on these most important needlework resources very informative and useful. Have a great weekend How’s the Mission Rose coming on?
Regards Anita Simmance
Hi, Anita! Ohhhhh – the Mission Rose! It’s… it’s… it’s… not finished yet!! I’m just finishing the corners today. I worked on it the other day for about four hours, but it was tedious and I just couldn’t get to the corners. So, today! Yippeeeeee!! I’ll show it to you early next week. I am having a little difficulty with the corners – what I planned to do didn’t look so great, so I’m making some adjustments. And adjustments always take more time. Keep your fingers crossed for me! ~MC
Hi
Thanks for your reply look forward to next week I showed my sister the photos of it today she thought it was exquisite.
Regards Anita Simmance
Thank you For this list, I’ always looking For good suppliers. Nordic Needle has been my usual go to supplier!
Mary – Thanks so much for the kind words about Hedgehog Handworks! Just to let you and your readers know, there are 15 new Fine d’Aubusson colors available – Lavenders, greys, and a few other colors. I’m working to get them onto the site ASAP.
Joady I received my Tambour book Wednesday-thanks so much for hanging onto it for me while I got my card issue straightened out. Hedgehog Handiworks has been one of the best online sources for me.
Many regards,
I’m so glad you mentioned Nordic Needle. I attended one of their legendary stitching retreats last year and it was amazing. (I wanted to go so badly I drove two straight days from Ohio!) There’s so much inspiration to be had in the shop and the staff clearly love what they do.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I tend to focus on content and completely filter out anything else. I am an advertiser’s worst nightmare!!! So I have to say – I do greatly appreciate this post because I really really NEED to “meet” most of these lovely shops. AND I will be sharing a link to this post on my own blog this spring just to spread the word a little further. 🙂
G’day Mary,
I have all your special stores in my online Favourites and get the newsletters of any that supply them. I’ve used Nordic Needle most for international (for me) purchases and they haven’t missed a beat with purchases in every aspect of a transaction.
Country Bumpkin is too far from me to visit the shop front but I’m a regular online customer. Subscribers to Inspirations have the benefit of 10% off all full price items too.
I’d like to point out to anyone who may be looking to start or add to their collection of Inspirations that Country Bumpkin still have 20 different back issues on sale for only AUS $5 each!
Thanks for the update and reminders on all these stores Mary. Very valuable.
Cheers, Kath.
Well, what do ya know! Rain here, too!
Mary, I’ve bought many supplies from your advertisers, but am utterly besotted with the French scissors and long for a pair. Would you know of any uk or French suppliers, or does a girl have to go to Nogent herself lols? Sooner or later I’ll break and buy some.
I love “the Hog”! On your advice, I ordered a lovely hardwood hoop. Now I have 3 and a variety of threads to play with as well!
Thanks to your frequent references on your site I have used just about all of these vendors, and they are superb people to deal with.
This is fantastic Mary – I love each of these on-line stores/sites and have been especially interested in Crewel work lately as I have been working on a little Woodland In Wool project. Thank you!
I have one well-thumbed issue of the Nordic Needle catalogue and drool quite regularly over their products (as I have the ones from Hedgehog online. If only the shipping costs weren’t so high to Canada!!
I have not gone to all the sites you reference in your post, but I have visited Hedgehog Works and Thistle Threads, entered embroidery floss drops (and organization) and it came back with “no results”. These organizers look like just the thing for floss. Could you please let me know who I can get these from on-line. I live in a small town and prefer shopping on the net. Thank you for your wonderful posts and all the instructions and patterns you have given us. Mary Moreland