Tue-Fri 11am - 5pm

Sat 11am - 4pm

First Sun 12 - 4pm

Sun/Mon - Closed

 

 

October 1

Fall officially starts this week and we're hoping the really hot weather is behind us. Labor Day weekend was quite hot here; it even got to 106 degrees in downtown San Francisco that weekend! While we do get some warm weather in October, we're hoping it won't be anything like that and will be more mild. Here's hoping!

 

While in Dallas last weekend (see below) I spent Friday afternoon with Lamora from Access Commodities planning out our Au ver a Soie Metallics club that we're debuting in 2018. We mapped out more than a year of colors for it. The plan is that club colors will be available in both #4 and #8 braids and each month will feature between 5-6 colors in a shaded family. These won't be colors we're doing as regular inventory, but solely for our club. Once we get things finalized I'll create a sign-up page and send out a notice.

Last weekend I attended the needlepoint market called Destination Dallas and I came back with 2 suitcases full of canvases, threads and accessories. I picked up a whole range of limited edition colors of Silk Road Fibers' Straw Silk ($4.00), a new wool/silk from Gloriana called Pashmina ($8.75) and filled in some gaps of my Planet Earth Pepper Pot variegated colors.

 

I'm a big Day of the Dead fan and Accoutrements had some really fun small Sugar Skull magnets ($8.50/ea). Eventually many of the magnets and the threads will end up in the online catalog, but I don't usually put the canvases there (they come and go too much). If you are looking for something specific you think I might have picked up, just drop us an e-mail. Or better yet, come visit the shop!

 

 

 

 

Jeannette is here this weekend teaching her Common Thread II project and she had some of her new models sent to us for a small trunkshow. We've got her latest release - Halloween Sampler ($21/chart, $52/thread pack), along with some of her box designs (Pumpkin Patch Box $15.50 & Bird Box $17), pincushions and shaker box designs. If you're looking for something specific, just drop us an e-mail if you aren't going to be able to stop by. We'll have the trunk show for a couple of weeks.

 

We're doing a meet 'n greet Friday (9/22) from 5-7pm at the shop. You're welcome to stop by and say hello to Jeannette and we've got a fun little kit she created for us called Needles & Pins. You can sign-up for the event (no cost) or just drop us an e-mail so we know you plan to come as we're providing snacks and beverages. If you one of the Needles & Pins kits ($35) you'll find it our on Classes page (and we can send it to you if you can't make it).

 

See below for Jeanette's class info - we do still have a couple of spots open if you find you can attend this weekend. We are also allowed to send kits to students who can't make it. Pricing is on the classes page (see below).

 

 

 

 

Carriage House Sampling has released their newest Hawk Run Hollow piece - Halloween ($37) and as usual, it's quite whimsical. We got quite a few in and most of them have flown out the door it's been so popular. I'll create an order page for within the next few days so that you can order fabric and threads for it as well. We also received Minerva, Halloween Greetings and Autumn Harvest. If you want one of the charts in the meantime, just drop us an e-mail or give us a call.

 

 

     

 

Part 3 of Brenda's summer series - Summer Schoolhouse - Lessons in Abecedarian arrived last week has a blue house on this pincushion. You'll find the series and supplies on the order page.

 

 

Part 1 of Lizzie*Kate 3 part Christmas Mystery series called Spirit of Christmas, arrived a couple of weeks ago.  It features Picture This Plus linen (28 or 32 count) or aida (14 or 16 count) and we have that as well as the Week's floss and Stitch Dots Needle Nanny. Parts 2, 3 & 4 will be available in September, October and November. You'll find Spirit of Christmas in our online catalog.

 

The Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue has arrived! The Halloween issue is also in the store.

 

 

We have received more colors of Au Ver a Soie metallic braid #4 (3 colors - 002, 003 & 094). You'll find the current colors we have listed in the online catalog. Be sure read Mary Corbett's Needle 'n Thread blog for her review of these threads and for great embroidery information.

 

Another new thread - I picked up some 36 gauge beading wire in gold and silver from Access Commodities while I was there so if you're looking for a fine wire, we've got it now. It's $5.75 for a spool of 24 yards and it is a non-tarnish wire. You can use it for beading or even very fine needlelace & Stumpwork. You'll find it at the bottom of the Goldwork thread page.

 

 

 

I had a fabulous time in Dallas at the show. It's always so much fun to see new things and get to visit with "old" friends. I had a chance to catch up a bit with Ada Haydon, our original shop manager, who has been a needlepoint designer for several years now (Eye Candy Needleart). We even got interviewed by Dena at Kreinik). I roomed with Deb from Stitchville, had dinner with Diane & Puffin & Co and her sister. Visited with lots of other vendors and shop owners, ate great food and wished that I lived closer to the Access Commodities warehouse. Ok, so maybe if the latter were true my sewing room would be much fuller, but it's always a joy to spend time with Lamora and Issa. This is an industry where colleagues become good friends and we value our time together, especially when we only tend to see each other at events like this.

 

My other really fun thing recently was a visit by Kristian & Andrea Fleming, owners of Inspirations magazine in Australia. They have been visiting shops, designers and vendors in the states and as they were in the SF area came and spent a couple of hours at the shop. It was lovely to meet both of them and get a real sense for what good hands the magazine (and everything else) is in with them and their editor Susan. The A to Z books are mostly back in print and they are bringing out more books from their back catalog. The newest, "Inspirations, A Passion for Needlework" is both a great book for inspiring needlework as well as just lovely to look at. As more US stitchers venture back into embroidery or make a first foray into it, it's great to know this magazine will be there to truly inspire us.

 

I'm hoping to get back to more stitching. I did manage to finish part 1 of Summer Schoolhouse (I'm doing mine over-one on 32 count Floba in silks). And I've made a good start on my Lizzie*Kate Spirit of Christmas sampler. I hope that you are safe, dry and enjoying some stitching time.

 

 

 

Happy Stitching!

 

 

 

 

Jeannette Douglas will be this weekend: September 22-24 to teach the companion to Common Thread II which she taught for us in 2010. She has create a lovely San Francisco version for us with the TransAmerica building, painted ladies, poppies and a cute little crab. We are hosting a Friday meet 'n greet with Jeannette and you'll find a way to sign up as well as order the kit she's created for us on the class page. Common Thread II is all day Saturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24th. Jeannette does allow us to send kits to those who can't attend in person and you'll find a way to get the kit on the class page.

 

Kathy Rees will be here October 14 & 15th teaching Harmony, the second in a class series (Serenity was first which she taught for us in 2015). Even if you've not done counted canvas work before, Kathy will guide you through all of the stitches in the project. You'll find alternative colorways on the sign up page for the class so you can let us know which color palette to kit for you. This is a 2-day class and does require your physical attendance (we cannot send kits away).

 

You can sign-up for any of the classes now. You find more detail through our Classes page or you can contact the shop.

 

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We have two parking lots for the office complex. One is off Mariner Square Drive on the courtyard side of the building. The other is behind building #2417, which is next to us. There is no dedicated handicapped parking in either lot and the best place to park for a really flat surface is in the back lot and come in the Mariner Square Loop door. Yes, we are at the corner of Mariner Square Loop, Marina Village Parkway and Mariner Square Drive (go figure!). We keep both doors unlocked during store hours. There is no metered parking here to worry about - it's the two lots and plenty of street parking on Mariner Square Drive. Our complex sits directly on top of the Webster Tube so if you have trouble with your GPS finding us we're 1 block from the Target store (and not in the shopping center).