Embroidery links – great sources!

Looking for some good sources for information on embroidery? Find them on my links page. I’ll be updating it regularly – for now, some of my favorites, which will help the beginner and inspire the pro…

Here are some great embroidery links – find fabric, patterns, threads, accessories, and more.

Find Needlework (& Related) Supplies Online

Lacis – this is probably the most thorough supply house for any kind of needlework. Lacis is located in California. They have a great online catalog. Their shipping rates are reasonable, but expect to wait a bit if you order with standard shipping, especially if you live in the Midwest or on the East Coast. But don’t let this deter you! Some stuff, you won’t find anywhere else – and you certainly won’t find such an array of embroidery goodies in one spot! Have fun browsing – but for a handy reference, pay the mere $5 for their paper catalog.

Needle In A Haystack – Located in Alameda, California, this store has a great online catalog with a wonderful selection of everything, especially threads. Anything I’ve ordered from them, they’ve either had, or acquired very quickly. The service is friendly and knowledgeable, the prices are good, and their selection is great! Check out especially their large selection of Au Ver a Soie. They have a photo catalog of all the Soie d’Alger online, which is nice when you’re selecting colors. If you’re looking for flesh tones in silk, this is the place to order it, as they have them marked clearly, and the ordering process is really easy!

Berlin Embroidery Designs – Here you’ll find embroidery designs, kits, instructions, and supplies all put together by Tanja Berlin. When I first got into goldwork, this is where I started. Her beginning goldwork kits (the goldwork sampler) are fun to work and really beautiful. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. If you like needle painting, check out her designs. They’re exquisite! She’s in Canada, so whatever we in the US might save on the exchange rate, we pay in shipping. But it’s worth it!

Create in Stitch formerly Country Bumpkin – The editors of the A-Z series books and Inspirations Magazine. They have gorgeous stuff! Enjoy browsing their site. If you’re looking for back issues of Inspirations, you can find them here – but beware, overseas shipping can be expensive!

Nordic Needle – another thorough supply source, Nordic Needle has been around since the ’70’s. Here, you can find heaps of stuff on hardanger, counted cross stitch, ribbon embroidery, and many other embroidery techniques. They have a great “free pattern” page (mostly hardanger), and they offer a great selection of embroidery kits

Mary Brown Designs – Goldwork Supplies in Australia – Mary Brown is an Australian, so if you order from her, you’re ordering from overseas, but the postage is very reasonable, and so are her prices on the metal threads and supplies. Her kits are really beautiful! Check out her website and browse her gallery and her selection of kits. You’ll be impressed! And don’t forget to convert currency when looking at her prices.

Alison Cole Embroidery – Alison Cole is another Australian embroiderer. She specializes in goldwork and stumpwork. Her site includes full kits that you can order (for US customers, remember to convert currency, and don’t forget postage rates!). Her kits are gorgeous! She also has an impressive gallery that’s fun to scroll through. Check out her Or Nue work.

Wooly Thread – If you’re looking for Appleton wool for crewel work, or wool fabrics for blankets, this is the place to look. They have the full range of Appleton wools, at $1.10 per skein, or you can join their Appleton Crewel Club, and receive a selection monthly, until you’ve collected all the colors. This way, they average only 85¢ per skein. Check out their site, and if you’re a wool enthusiast, sign up for their newsletter, which gives advanced notice of specials. Their wool felt, by the way, is Really Nice – thick, firm, and easy for embroidering “in hand” (without a hoop).

Japanese Embroidery Center – This is a great resource for flat silk and for goldwork supplies (imitation and real Japanese thread for couching and embroidery). The website is interesting – lots of photos of
magnificent work of embroidery in the finest of Japanese needlework traditions. For folks who live in the Atlanta, Georgia area, classes in Japanese embroidery are offered throughout the year. The JEC is a non-profit educational organization. Their shipping is reasonable and pretty quick, and the people are really nice and accommodating.

Jane Nicholas: Stumpwork Embroidery – Besides being a stunning website to stroll through (it’s like going for a walk in a beautiful garden on an ideal day), this site is packed with supplies for the stumpwork enthusiast. If you haven’t tried stumpwork and are interested in doing so, this might be the very place you’ve been looking for! Jane has 5 beautiful stumpwork books published, all available on the site, but best of all, she offers kits for the projects in the books. Check out this site! Even if you aren’t into stumpwork, you’ll enjoy the beautiful stuff! US Shoppers: this is an Australian site, so you’re looking at a lot on shipping. Also, you can find better prices on silk threads here in the States, even with the currency exchange.

Embroidery Informational Websites

Pin Tangle – A great place for browsing through marvelous examples of embroidery and reading interesting embroidery stuff. Check this site out! It’s so much fun. Sharon Boggan’s crazy quilts are works of art, and her embroidery samples are fantastic. The stitch dictionary on her site should be on every embroidery-enthusiast’s list of favorites.

The Embroiderer’s Guild of America – Yep, I’m a member. If you don’t have a local chapter nearby, you can become a “member at large” and still take advantage of their workshops and correspondence courses. Their Needle Arts magazine is worth the yearly fees. There’s always something fun in it.

Embroidery Patterns – this link will take you to the embroidery patterns page here on Needle ‘n Thread! I’ve got quite a few patterns available on my site, but also a good list of online pattern sites that are worth browsing.

Much more to come, but have fun with these!