Back in the day
Do you remember the days when the only way to source needlepoint and cross stitch supplies was to visit a shop or store?
It was great to have the chance to take in all the goodies before your very eyes and get the opportunity to touch and feel the products, and giving you the opportunity to change colours, fabrics, and floss or just to go with the charted version, but this allowed us to see the true colours of all the called for materials and decide if it was right for you?
And now
First of all, here in the UK physical needlework shops have become far and few between because the stores are just not making enough money and with another recent closure Sew and So (one of our big suppliers) it’s as if the shops are going extinct like the dinosaurs.
There goes another one!
As a result, we are learning to make do with all the online stores that supply us with a one-stop-shop covering all the products we need from charts to fabric and threads; not forgetting the very tools needed to create our lovely finished project.
So what is the answer
Consequently, sourcing of materials is now so much harder for our projects in the UK and now it seems like we have very limited places that we can head to and physically see all the materials and charts which makes the choosing of threads and fabrics a mind field.
As a result, our options are limited and chances are, you are relying heavily on ordering from places like the USA, Canada and, Australia, which all come with huge shipping fees and customs charges. Let’s not even get started on if you receive an incorrect order or something is damaged and you need to return it.
I, for one, find that sourcing online is not always what you see is what you get!
Experience has taught me that what you see in an image on a website or an online store, can be vastly different in colour and appearance when it arrives; which in turn means the purchased goods are no good for the project in mind as well as a waste of your money.
There’s nothing worse than that disappointed feeling of being back to the drawing board and so your searching yet more online stores to spend yet more money and hope that your next choice is more preferable for your project!
A useful guide for the supplier search
Therefore on my latest Flosstube video, I did a call to action and reached out to our wonderful community, asking who they use within the UK, Europe, and neighboring countries so we could share the information and have a few more options to choose from.
You can view the video here
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD LIST OF SUPPLIERS!
