my nearest craft store is an hours drive away in another town, not a huge stitchy range though,
Is sad when shops change/close down- I love browsing & looking at all the goodies!
I tend to buy online- mainly from sew&so- even with converting GPS to AUD & including postage it is cheaper than ordering from online shops in Aus.
Am off to Perth next month to a stitchy show with Yvon & aim to stock up on adia! Sun we are off to a stitchy shop.

Aaaaw Jeanette, you'l just have to take up quilting too then you might be able to persuade to keep a corner for stitchy goods

Pity about your shop.

I've had 3 of the ones I normally go to in the Netherlands close as well. So now I have to travel to small other areas and smaller villages to find shops.

I also usually stock up when I go to the US to visit family but almost all the big craft stores (and even Walmart) are not carrying cross stitch and needlework anymore or they've decreased their kits to a very small selection. I was so upset in November during my last visit. They've all moved to scrapbooking items.

i was quite lucky untill recently, i had a wyevales which had a good stock of threads and bits like dmc scissiors and accessories but that all dwindled as card making took over, their threads now 50p each so 5p cheaper than the hobbycraft that moved in at the other end of town, i also had a small stitchy shop just stitchy stuff that was there for years it was pricey tho but you could get anything, they had loads of fabby in different counts all sorts that moved in to the main shop when new owners took over then 6 months later closed down, they sold off all their dmc and anchor 3 for a quid so i bought the majority of threads i needed to make up the whole collection, even got linen threads whole set for next to nothing, i was looking at an afghan they had on a roll was going to offer a fiver for it they didnt seam to even know what they were selling or how much it should go for, but i planned to go back on the monday but over the weekend the lot went and they closed it, so now just left with hobbycraft which is ok but dont ask the staff for anything as most have no clue what they are selling and you have to fight your way through bored hubbys and out of control sprogs rolling around the floor. I tend to buy alot online too especailly frames and bits like that.
I supported my local stitchy shop but times are hard and when big stores like hobbycraft move in its just a matter of time.

We had an amazing stitch shop in the next village up until 2 years ago, which stocked a MASSIVE range of kits, Anchor and DMC threads, plus had a mad back room with games, model stuff, cardy things - AND it took in framing. I never managed to take anything in for framing without buying a new kit as well. Their landlady put them out so she could open her own shop in there and I expect it was a huge loss to the village as it attracted people from all over the place. The people who worked in there were all crafty as well, and were great with advice and assistance. I see them at the shows now and it's all I can do not to go down on my knees and *beg* them to reopen.

We now have a little shop in Epping that seems to try and do too much in too little a space, and although it stocks DMC & Anchor threads (and is a framing agent), it's just not the same though it is great for basic knitting wools. There's a very expensive shop in Harlow with a limited range, and the nearest Hobbycraft is Romford and it's too pricey for me.

I dream of giving up my job to open a stitch shop here - my friend and I have it all planned out. Watch this space if I win the lottery!

the craft store that we had closed down last year as well but the dollar store took the dmc threads amd materials what they had And my walmart jsut reopened there stitching depart got anchor threads back now and some matierial. but i'm not not lookign forward now to gettign back and not beign able to find a stitching shop near me

Have top try and convince david to set up a shop1

Happy thats a shame, is there not another in Glasgow as it is a large city.

The stitching shops here in sweden are so expensive so it's cheaper to order from england even if you include p & p.

Yes, it is way too expensive here in Norway too, and most of the kits they sell here is not really nice.. :-( I buy rather from internet or when I am visiting hubby in Scotland... My fave shop is in Dunblane although it is less stitching material there now... I knows the lady who owns the shop and always buy something either stitching, jewellery or cardmaking things to support her...

When I fist started cross stitching there was a lovely shop called the Needle Woman but that closed down.There was another shop but thats gone.Beaties had a good department but know that gone down because they where taken over by House of Frazer and they only have anchor.We have a House of Frazer in Birmingham but they don`t have much stock.There is a shop not far from Solihull but it not easy to get to.Luckly Hobbycraft is not to far away.

It's such a shame when that happens. I don't think the bigger stores such as hobbycraft etc are as friendly as the smaller shops.

Further to all of this....if you're in the East End of the Central Line area, the Art Shop in Loughton is under new ownership and one of the partners is a stitcher.

She is expanding the cross stitch range and will be making more of it, as well as being a framing agent - might be worth a visit!

Hi everyone, i'm new!

Just reading this post with interest, and wanted to say that I work in a shop that selling knitting and sewing goods, and cross stitch etc too and i've recently put it on the world wide web, well, its a long process but im getting there!! Unfortunately, as we are a shop, we sell on the internet at our shop prices so we arent as cheap as other internet site, but you know that the quality of the goods will be the best.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, I promise I wont selfishly promote myself in any of my future postings!!

Thanks

Toni

quote:

Originally posted by Mika:
The stitching shops here in sweden are so expensive so it's cheaper to order from england even if you include p & p.

When I was babymooning in Tallinn, Estonia, I bought dmc floss for 1/4 of the cost in Sweden...

Happy at least you can go to Hobbycraft, lucky you, but it is bad when your local sitchy shop change what they sell.

i'm thinking of opening a craft shop as well. but i'm terrified

Hi I'm new to this forum and I was looking for information about craft shops in London.
It is incredible, as you say in London you can find almost everything and I have found that is very strange that there is almost no shop were you can walk in and find anything you can need for needlecraft. I leave in Italy and here there is plenty of shops, people are not so used to make their purchases in Internet, most people are scared about giving away their credit cards details.
I have bought in Interned some English cross stitching books but as you can immagine with the shipping freight they are expensier. So I'm looking for some indication of shops in the London area were I can see and eventually buy books and also kits. From you post I guess that it is very hard.

My 'local' craft store is a 30 min bus ride away or a 25 min walk and 7 min train ride.

quote:

Originally posted by Barbstitching

I wanted some framecraft porcelain trinket boxes and went in and they are so expensive. I came home, looked on framecraft website, did a currency conversion from pounds to AUS $ and the shop is making a huge profit...over 50%. I was not impressed. I ended up finding a UK website that ships to Australia and it's about 40% cheaper than in my local shop including postage. I haven't ordered yet though, I have just bought a heap of doilys, kitchen and bath towels, pillowcases off ebay. I am merrily stitching away and when I have done them, I have my christmas decorations to make and then I am going to consider ordering a few framecraft items, I drool over that website.

what site is that Barbsititching?
I find it cheaper to buy stitchy stuff from the UK- even with the currancy rate & postage. EBay is great as well.

quote:

Originally posted by tubbsy:
My 'local' craft store is a 30 min bus ride away or a 25 min walk and 7 min train ride.

my "local" craft store (spotlight) is over 65km away & a 45 min drive. they have very little in the way of stitchy stuff as well