"Discover a World of Fine Threads, Fibres & Whimsical Patterns that will Ignite Your Creativity"
We are the Canadian Distributor for House of Textile Arts -"Tentakulum Painter's Threads"
What Our Customers are Saying About Us....
"I met Barb Attrill at a wool applique workshop. Subsequently, I decided to undertake a Sue Spargo project called CHIRPS, which required numerous wool fabrics and specialty threads. I contacted Barb and she was very helpful in getting me set up with the correct fabrics and beautiful threads. I am now almost finished my project which has been a true joy to undertake. Barb provided excellent advice and timely service. I highly recommend Barb as a supplier of your stitchery needs. "
Marjorie McEwen – Sudbury, Ontario
Playing with Threads & Ribbons. Love to work intuitively! Testing out Hand Dyed Evenweave, Cotton Ribbon, Pearl Cotton #8 & #5. The Evenweave is gorgeous! Produced by Zweigart this is the Royal Canvas. I found ribbon to be interesting to work with. I love how it can be manipulated and be used as a dimensional effect. Over the ribbon I did a running stitch which I believe was a Perle Cotton #3 or #5. When I zoom in I love to look at all the colours that Baerbel puts into one colourway! I am so intriqued by it! ***All products used are Tentakulum's Painter's Threads!***
This one I tried to mimic Van Gogh. I'm trying to create movement with my threads and using different textures to add interest. This is just a small snippet of the larger piece and is not finished yet as I have many more colours and swirls I would like to add. I couched using cotton floss over Metallic Twist #8. I wish my picture showed off the colours better. DOes not due these threads justice! Anyways I tried pulling the twist alittle to give it more of a wild look. This is fun to work with as well. A very unique embelling fiber. Above the couching you can see a running stitch in a matt cotton thread. This is one of my favorites! This thread is made by DMC. Hand -dyed by Painter's Threads. So darn creamy and luscious. I made french knots from it and it kind of just melts as one if that makes sense. The middle (yellow/orange is silk pearl. Loved this one too! So easy to work with. ***All threads and fibers are Tentakulum's Painter's Threads****
One of my absolute fave stitches is The French & Colonial Knots! I wanted to play around with these stitches using silk ribbons. This one is in the colourways Pomelo and is 4mm. I think it turned out quite nice, don't you? The petals are Pearl Cotton. *** I used only Tentakulum Painter's Threads here"***
A Little About Me:
Hello my fellow artisans! My name is Barb (many know me as Barbie). I am the Gal behind The Needle & Thread Emporium. I am a mixed media artist who also loves to sew (machine & hand). I am a lover of whimsical & modern designs and love using vibrant, bold colours & textures.
I have always had an obsession for sourcing out & selling unique, hard to find products. About 23 years ago I was a successful Ebay seller, selling vintage & antique finds which I then shipped all over the world. From there I opened my retail shop, All Neat Things in Port Colborne, Ontario. My husband (Dan) & I also owned and operated an Automotive Repair Shop for many years. In 2021 my entire family relocated to the Sudbury area. How lucky are we? Our dream was to live in the north, surrounded by nature and we were able to do it!
Fast forward a year...As we were coming out of Covid Dan encouraged me to sign up for a quilt making class (once a week for 8 months). I was extremely lonely & very depressed & needed to make some friends. It was harder then I had anticipated it would be to leave what I knew so well for the last 21 years, friends, art workshops, our home etc and come to a whole new area. It really threw me for a loop. I had never quilted before (only had sewn pajamas, aprons, pillows..etc) so thought this would be a fun to learn. I LOVED it!!! This class (namely my friend Sarah whom I met in the class) lead me to join the Sudbury Quilt & Stitchery Guild, which then lead me to participate a few months later in their year end workshop with Sharon Fisher. Sharon quite literally opened my eyes to a whole new world of art! When I layed eyes on those threads I thought I had seriously missed out on something special for years! The colours, the textures...I could not believe what I was seeing! It had been many many years since I had cross stitched and I had never heard of or for that matter seen or used threads like Gimp, braided cottons, embellishing threads like shimmer floss. I knew this was something I wanted to explore. I have had an artist block for a few years now and I knew this would be my new form of art, painting using threads.
Easier said then done. I soon come to realize these wonderful threads, velvets, wools in funky colours were hard to come by. I searched high and low and unless I wanted to order from several shops (and pay shipping at each) I wasn't going to be able to continue. I also was certain that if I was having this issue, so were many others in small communities, isolated communities within Canada.
Being the Entrepreneur I am I secretly started sourcing out the manufacturers of artisan threads. I couldn't tell Dan what I was up to as we had agreed years ago we were done owning businesses! Well the more I sourced, the more I realized I wanted to do this! I wanted to bring unique threads and their colourways to my local Northerners. I finally discussed with Dan and we agreed to start small, baby steps...So I created my website, added some products with limited colourways (starting small), I knew this was the best way to start. My idea of easy peasy local pick-up at my home quickly morphed though to offer my products across Canada and from there I became the Canadian Distributor of my favorite products, Tentakulum Painters Threads. Sheer craziness!
I personally import all my products from several countries and offer only the highest quality of hand-dyed textiles from several companies, most small, family run. Recently I have decided to offer unique quilt & sewing patterns that are unique to Canada, patterns that are full of life and whimsy, patterns that speak to my heart.
Companies I am currently offering to my fellow artisans:
- Painter's Threads, Germany
- House of Embroidery, South Africa
- Wendy Williams, Australia
- Sue Spargo, U.S.A
- Valdani, Romania
- Au Ver a Soie, France
- Sew Kind of Wonderful, U.S.A
Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube & Pinterest as I keep adding new products lines, companies and new colourways!
Happy Stitching & Crafting,
Barb