Now that most folks are trying to stay at home more, I realized the way I cope with ordering needlepoint items remotely is pertinent to a lot more folks who don't live the isolated existence I do as a matter of course. More and more shops are closing to walk in traffic but will do mail order. The first thing you need to know is what your regular shop is doing. Most are sending out emails to regular customers, updating their Facebook page (if they have one) or their website. Remember, it's expensive and hard to change websites so get on your favorite shop's email list if you can and watch their Facebook page for updates if they have one.
Once you know how your favorite shop is handling social isolation to keep everyone safe, then you can start to plan. Many shops are having sales. Browse their website and see if you want to order something. If you do, ask your shop to kit it for you. If you are a counted canvas person, now's a great time to look at back issues of Needlepoint Now magazine and Needle Pointers to find a project you like. There will be a list of supplies you need, making it easy to place an order.
Then your shop can either mail items or if you are close, perhaps you can drive by and have them deliver purchases to your car.
If you have a canvas put away you want to stitch, see if your favorite shop will allow you to mail it to them for threads and stitch ideas. If not, rummage in your stash for supplies. Get creative. You can always use other colors (just don't substitute a dark color for a light area in the canvas; use light on light, medium on medium shades and dark on dark).
If you need to order threads, pull out your DMC color card so you can tell your shop that you need Pepper Pot silk (for example) in DMC colors X, Y and Z. Most shops have a color card of their own and can easily find what you want or suggest substitutions if they don't have a Pepper Pot (for example) in DMC xyz.
Use this time to organize your stash. If you've always meant to do this but never taken the time, being stuck at home is the perfect time to make good use of enforced idleness.
If you don't have a local shop, ask your stitching buddies online for stitch and thread ideas. Run out of a thread? Ask around. Many of us have big stashes and likely we can figure out how to mail supplies to each other.
Together we'll get through this. Staying home as much as possible is a good thing for us as a country, so we will all do our part to keep ourselves and everyone else safe. And I bet we get a lot of stress-releasing stitching done, too!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 16, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
