We encourage you to support your local shop. If you are not fortunate enough to have one or prefer to shop by mail, we're happy to help you find the supplies you need. We accept online, phone, snail mail or e-mail orders, whether you live close by or far away. International orders are accepted as well. At the time you place your order, please let us know of any deadlines you have. We do our best to ship in a timely fashion but it's critical for us to know of your specific deadlines when you place your order.

We normally do not charge for orders until we ship them. If you are requesting an item we don't normally carry we will let you know if there is a deposit required. If you order online the system will capture your payment information but we don't use it until we ship the order. We will request that information if you order over the phone and again, we don't use it until we ship the order. You can also tell us whether to hold the order until is complete or do a partial shipment. And you can change that at any time by letting us know.

Payment methods accepted are cash, check, American Express, Discover, Mastercard and VISA and PayPal. For mail order requests if you are paying by credit card we also need CCV code printed on your card. This is the 3 digit number printed in the signature area after the last four digits of your card number, or if you have an AmEx card, the 4 digits printed on the front above the last 4 digits.

If you request PayPal we will send you an e-mail with your total when your order is ready to ship, so you can pay it that time. Your PayPal account will not be charged when you place the order.

On-Line Shopping

We have shopping cart on our web site which is available through our Online Catalog page. You can check out using a credit card or even just tell us to use information you have already provided us. While our entire inventory isn't likely to show up in the on-line catalog it will make the most common things available this way. It is not a real-time inventory system so if you need to know if we have an item in stock, please call or e-mail us.

Prices in the online catalog are subject to change and we reserve the right to charge the new price so your order total may be different from the online receipt. We try to keep the site as up-to-date as we can but that's not always possible. Often when we re-order items prices have gone up and we don't know that in advance. If that is not acceptable to you, please note that in the Special Instructions or give us a call to confirm a specific price.

To use the shopping cart you'll usually find either an button next to the item or if it's a long list after the list (see the screen shot below) so you can place items in your cart. Most things they are displayed together and you can either add them one at a time (each item will have its own Add button) or it may allow you to select several items and add them all at once (there will be one Add button for an entire list).

Our fabric, threads and embellishments are searchable databases so you can make a selection vs. having to look at the entire list. Click on the downward facing triangle to be shown the list and then click on the one you want. Click on Perform Search when you are done. You can be as specific or as general as you need to be.

Your search results will return something like the following and then you can select what you need. In the case the search was for Aida type fabrics (AidaWeave) in 11 count with White as part of the color.

For lists with just a Quantity pull-down list (see the above screen shot) you must select a size BEFORE you click on the Add button. If you click Add without selecting a size/quantity you'll get an error message telling you to select a quantity. For fabrics you can tell us if you want your fabric serged (clean finished) or your canvas taped by placing a check mark in that box.

Many of the lists (mostly threads) have items in a list with one or more columns and an area to enter the quantity for a given size. You can enter a quantity in any of the columns so that if you want the same item in more than one size you can do so by entering a quantity in both columns (see the first item in the example below). Most threads also have a check box you can check if you want your thread in a single dyelot. Since dyelots do vary we recommend you check this box if you need a consistent color.

When you're ready to put this in your cart, press the button at the bottom of the list.

The shopping cart is set up so that you don't see the items in the cart every time you add something. I personally find this really annoying if I'm adding a number of items such as threads. You can view your cart at any time by selecting the button, usually at the bottom of a page. After you've added an item you'll see a brief message telling you the item was added then you'll go back to the page you were just on. If there isn't a Clear Form button at the bottom of a list you'll have to REFRESH the page in your browser to clear everything in that list.

Nothing is charged until your order is ready to be shipped so the actual shipping cost will be added at that time - the cart will give you an estimate based on your shipping address and the method you chose. We currently have to estimate the weight of individual items for the shopping cart so it's not 100% accurate. Again, your card won't be charged until the order is ready and all of that is done by us at the shop vs. on-line. So if you want to add to an order you've placed and it's not gone out yet, you can make a note of that in the Comments field on the checkout form.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments with our online ordering please contact us. If you run into problems you're more than welcome to call us to place your order.

Return & Cancellation Policy

We give no cash refunds, only store credit. There are no returns or exchanges on printed material, copyrighted items, canvases, fabric, opened/used items, special orders, lamps, stands and sale items. Most other items may be exchanged or returned for store credit within 14 days (3 months for currently inventoried thread as a rule). Some items may be subject to a 15% restocking fee. Please check with us before placing an order to confirm how the policy relates to your specific request.

All items must be in sale-able condition and things we current sell (so if you stocked up on a thread we discontinued carrying you will not be able to exchange it later). We will not exchange thread that was not purchased from us (yes, sometimes people do ask us to do this). We are unable to accept returns on lamps and stands unless there is a manufacturing defect, so choose wisely.

We may require a deposit for special order items, custom items or large quantities of a single item. We will inform you if a deposit is required before we order it.

If you cancel an order for special order items or large quantities of thread or fabric after we have received the items to ship, those items are subject to a 15% cancellation fee. If you find that you have over ordered, or need to change an order, you need to inform us right away.

We're always happy to answers questions on any items before you make a purchase to ensure you order the correct item and quantity.

Shipping, Insurance & Costs

The shopping cart will give you a rough estimate on the shipping - however, the actual cost will be calculated by us at the shop when the order is ready to go out. If not otherwise specific, we ship items via the U.S. Postal Service, either as First Class Mail® or Priority Mail®.  You may select other shipping methods - which can be changed before final checkout. We do recommend UPS for large packages and those that require closer tracking.

All shipping methods include insurance.

• Full amount for all US Domestic packages - the first $100 is included in the First Class Mail® Parcel rates in the catalog. Priority Mail includes $50 and Express Mail includes $100 insurance with the USPS. We will add extra insurance if the parcel's value is over that amount.
  
• First $100 for all International US Postal Service packages. If you wish a different amount please note it in the Special Instructions.
• We insure most USPS packages, except those above, with a 3rd party.
  

Please note that all US Postal Service International packages must carry a customs form regardless of weight or value and the insured value is listed on the customs form.

UPS has insurance included of $100 by default and insurance over that amount will be added if needed.

None of the companies will cover packages that are marked as Delivered but you cannot find. If you are concerned about package loss or theft in your area, please request that we have the package sent with Signature Confirmation so someone has to sign for it. It is available for USPS Priority Mail, UPS and FedEx at an additional charge.

When we ship the order you will receive an e-mail notification if you have given us a valid e-mail address.

US Postal Service Tracking & Time Estimates

PRE COVID-19

Typical delivery times for USPS is 2-3 days for Priority Mail and 3-7 days for First Class. International orders can take anywhere from 7-21 days depending on country since it all depends on your country's postal service as well as ours.

Please note that for international packages, only Priority Mail International (including Express) is trackable once it leaves the US. First Class Package International is only trackable within the US.

COVID-19

The times above no longer apply during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Within the US double to quadruple the time for packages in transit. And the USPS is not scanning packages at all of the points it used to so you might see it scanned when it's pickup from us (see below) and then not again until it's delivered. If you have porch pirates this is an issue as shipping insurance does not cover stolen packages, only lost or damaged ones. Consider having us ship Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation, UPS or to an address where someone is around to receive the package.

For International packages delivery times is now on the order of 4-12 weeks if not longer. There are fewer planes flying to put the cargo on. So if you order is time sensitive, plan for a 3 month lead time.

You can receive text or e-mail status updates on your package once you have tracked it through the USPS website. If you are a residential US customer, you can also sign up for their Informed Delivery service.

If for some reason your US bound package is delayed (e.g. you have tracked it and it appears to be stuck somewhere), call the USPS directly (1-800-275-8777), contact your local Post Office or use their online tools for Missing Packages and ask them to put a Tracer on it.That usually shakes it loose within a couple of days.

If you feel you need to file an insurance claim, please contact us. We use a 3rd party insurance company for most postal insurance, not the post office.

If your package tracking shows "Your shipment was received" it means they picked it up from us (they are supposed to scan them when they pick up, but even that's not always happening). "Acceptance" happens when it's scanned at the distribution center, but we are finding that a percentage of our packages are not getting scanned along the route. So putting a Tracer on it after 4-5 days for Priority Mail and 7 days for First Class is the best option. During COVID-19 double that time.

If the USPS says that "shipment received" but not having "acceptance" means we didn't give it to them, don't believe them. We use a master SCAN form for our shipments and when it is scanned by our postal carrier, it tags all of them as "shipment received". Since they don't always scan them after that, we have had the USPS claim it means we didn't give them the package. But it's them misunderstanding their own tools. Contact us to confirm when we handed it to the USPS if you need to.

If your package shows as delivered but you cannot find it first check with neighbors in case they mis-delivered it to another address or with other members of our household. You would be surprised the number of times we get a report of package like this where a family member put it away and forgot to tell the recipient. If you still cannot find it contact either your postal carrier or your local post office to ask them what they did with it.  Unfortunately insurance does not cover stolen packages. If you have concerns about that you can select to send the package Priority Mail and make a note to have us add Signature Confirmation, which is an additional charge, but means someone has to sign for it.

Deadlines

If you need your order by a specific date, please let us know that at the time you place the order so that we can determine the best shipping method and let you know if we can meet the deadline. If your order is Urgent, please call us at the shop. With the delays in almost everything during COVID-19, we are hard pressed to meet many deadline these days.

Catalog Requests

We do not produce a printed catalog and have no plans to do so. If you would like more specific information on a particular item or to see if we can obtain something, please contact us.