Breaking News: Dale Lenci Is Retiring in June

Dale Lenci, owner of Luv 2 Stitch in San Mateo, CA and the designer behind DJ Designs, is going to retire the end of June, 2022!

https://luv2stitch.com

https://designsdj.com

His fun shop newsletters and his elegant designs will be much missed, but we hope he has a wonderful retirement.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 24, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

BLG Visits Luv 2 Stitch UPDATE

BLG has been visiting Luv 2 Stitch in San Mateo, California and has posted a great review of the shop.
https://blog.njneedleartists.org/2018/09/05/my-home-away-from-home/

If you want to visit yourself, check the shop website for directions.  And if you are too far away, just browse the website.  "Showcase" is a great place to start.
https://luv2stitch.com

UPDATE:  The shop has updated their website with information about the owner and store manager. Fun!
https://luv2stitch.com/about-our-needlepoint-store/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 5, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

An Award Winner

Luv2Stitch just posted a photograph of a piece stitched by a customer that won two ribbons at the San Mateo, California fair!
https://luv2stitch.com/helene-hollander-wins-2-awards/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 28, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Showcasing the Four Seasons

Luv 2 Stitch shows off a customer's four designs from Shorebird Studio, stitched with guidance from Susan Portra and framing from Dark Horse Framing.  The canvases are beautifully done by all involved.
https://luv2stitch.com/the-four-seasons-by-penny-chu/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 8, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Luv2Stitch Profiles Rhonda

Luv 2 Stitch has been working on their shop website and I noticed they added a profile of their shop manager, Rhonda Pellegrini.  It's a nice way to meet the faces behind the counter.
https://luv2stitch.com/about-our-needlepoint-store/

Have fun exploring their website, particularly if you aren't close enough to San Mateo, California to visit.  I'm enjoying their gallery of finished pieces right now.
https://luv2stitch.com/needlepoint-showcase/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 4, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Elegance for Easter

In honor of Easter, I thought you'd like to see the Easter Egg a customer at Luv 2 Stitch needlepointed.  A blessed Easter to all those who celebrate!
https://luv2stitch.com/easter-egg-by-rhonda/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 31, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

"She Looks Like an Angel"

Painted Pony Designs is known for their distinctive series of angels, available in two sizes and often kitted out with a charm embellishment.  (If you aren't familiar with their angels, you can explore them here.)
http://paintedponyneedlepoint.com/designs.htm

I enjoyed seeing the newest ones on Debbie's blog, and to hear about a new way of finishing them.
https://debbieppd.wordpress.com/2017/01/28/she-looks-like-an-angel/

Luv 2 Stitch is a California shop.  I'm sure if you need something finished in a similar way, the shop will be happy to arrange similar finishing for you.
http://luv2stitch.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 28, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Wendy and Daughters Head to Luv 2 Stitch

Recently my friend Wendy and her two daughters visited two shops in their area that are a little out of the way for them to visit. They don't usually go visit them, but they had a great time and will go back when they can.  Wendy very kindly reported back to me on Luv 2 Stitch and City Needleworks.  Her descriptions of the two shops were so interesting that I asked her permission to reprint her mini reviews here.  Thanks, Wendy!
**********************************************

Here's my description of Luv2Stitch. Sorry I don't have photos too, but I don't have a smart phone and rarely take my camera with me, though I really should improve my photography skills. The Luv2Stitch and Yelp sites have photos.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/luv2stitch-san-mateo

Luv2Stitch is in a non-descript strip mall in a residential neighborhood in San Mateo. Unlike City Needlework, which can rely on foot traffic, being on a popular downtown street, Luv2Stitch isn't a walk-to destination. It shares the mall with a bakery/cafe, a martial arts studio, a mani-pedi-hair salon type shop, I believe a real estate office? We didn't go into the other shops.
http://luv2stitch.com

The strip mall building is ok, nothing fancy, which is why I was delighted when I entered Luv2Stitch. One enters through a dark painted double Dutch door, with bright gold shiny hardware, an auspicious start with such attention to detail. The shop is very big, it takes up three storefronts. We'll start with the middle room, where one enters.

To the right of the door is a nicely carved console table that hold needlework magnets and some small items. To the left is another table holding canvases. In the middle of the room is another table that hold needlework books and magazines, with some stitched samples. Many of the samples are Halloween. There are double width doorways on both side walls leading to the thread room on the right and the work room on the left. We'll go in there later.

Mounted on the walls all the way to the ceiling was the current trunk show of Shelly Tribbey Halloween canvases, 25% off during the show. Against the walls on both sides further into the room pass the doorways are glass curio cabinets that hold small stitched samples and canvases. There is also an antique dressmaker's mannequin that holds more needlework magnets. Against the back wall, straight across from the front door is the register counter. Behind that are more stitched samples and large Shelly Tribbey canvases.

Into the thread room to the right. There's a table in the middle of the room for clients to place their canvases and choose threads. The threads line all the walls, some hanging on pegs and some on spinners. Canvases hang at the top of the wall. A good selection of Asian-inspired canvases, but not as many as City Needleworks. In addition to threads, there are accessories (scissors, needles, etc.) and beads.

Out of the thread room and across the middle room into the work room, which has three large tables. A stitching session was in progress, with a teacher, I forgot her name, who was helping the ladies with their individual canvases. It looks like the shop provides Needlework System 4 floor stands for students to use, as everyone seemed to be using one and there were a couple of extras "littering" the floor. One lady was stitching an Egyptian-inspired canvas. It looked like a bird with the wings outspread or an Egyptian lady with her arms out, wearing a feathered cape? Anyway, it was gorgeous. Another woman was stitching a collage that included an Oregon license plate. All around the room were canvases pinned to the walls.

These first three rooms were large and very bright. In the work and thread rooms, bright lights were hanging from the ceiling.

Walking out of the work room towards the back of the shop, one enters a darker room that holds a bookcase with catalogs from design companies, more glass fronted cabinets holding stitched samples, and a table in the middle. The room isn't as well lighted, but this room is used for staff to kit canvases and threads for customers, and to peruse the catalogs. In the back of the room, the light is even dimmer, but is outfitted with a couch, comfy chairs and lamps and is a cozy spot to stitch alone or with a couple of other people. There's a bar cart to hold coffee, tea or other refreshments.

In the back to the right of the cash register counter are the bathrooms, but we didn't go back there.

This shop is really classy, from the front door to the layout to the shop fixtures to the lighting to that cozy stitching nook in the back. The one lady working there was very friendly. She only started needlepoint a few years ago, having done other types of stitching before. She now exclusively needlepoints because she loves it so much. She loved that the three of us needlepoint and offered to arrange a teacher to go to Sarah's school if Sarah wanted to organize a needlepoint/stitching group.

The bags are even classy--heavy weight with a bit of shine. We were fighting over it to hold out needlework projects....I won. 

Luv2Stitch reminds me of Aristeia in Santa Monica, both giving off a very elegant feeling. And both occupying a lot of square footage. There's a lot of oohing and ahhing when one walks into either place.

Sigh.  We all wish we'd gone with you and the girls, Wendy. Thanks for the tours!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.