One of my favorite things about this hobby is how much of it is still powered by small businesses. Behind almost every skein of hand-dyed floss or bolt of gorgeous Aida is a real person who started out stitching for fun and then decided to share what they love with the rest of us.
I wanted to put together a list of independent shops that consistently earn glowing reviews from stitchers, whether you’re after everyday basics like DMC floss or something a little more special like hand-dyed fabric you won’t find anywhere else. None of these sell patterns that compete with what I offer here, so think of this as a supply-run guide rather than a shopping detour.
1. 123Stitch
If you’ve been cross stitching for more than five minutes, you’ve probably already heard of 123Stitch. It’s become something of a go-to for the community thanks to genuinely great prices on DMC floss and an enormous catalog that covers pretty much everything: fabric, needles, hoops, kits, and hard-to-find notions. Shipping is fast and customer service has a great reputation, which is exactly what you want when you’re restocking mid-project and don’t want to wait around.
2. Sandra’s Stitch Stash
Run by Sandra, a stitcher of over 25 years operating out of Tiffin, Ohio, this shop has built an enormous, loyal following. It’s carved out a reputation for going the extra mile to track down hard-to-find or discontinued patterns, along with a solid range of fabric, floss, and kits. If you’ve ever spent months hunting for an out-of-print chart, this is a great place to check.
3. The Starlight Stitchery
Run by two stitchers, Amanda and Pamela, Starlight Stitchery has a personal, community feel that comes through in everything from their pattern selection to their hand-dyed fabric line. They carry new and out-of-print charts, notions, hoops, and needle minders, and they’ve built a reputation for being warm and genuinely helpful if you ever need a hand finding something specific.
4. Garibaldi’s Needle Works
This one’s for anyone who wants their next project to look a little different from everyone else’s. Garibaldi’s specializes in hand-dyed embroidery and cross stitch fabric, dyed in small batches across a huge range of colorways, and the reviews consistently mention how vibrant and colorfast the results are. It’s a lovely option if a plain white Aida just isn’t going to cut it for your next piece.
5. Silkweaver Fabrics / Hand Dyes by Jim
Another specialist in hand-dyed fabric, Silkweaver offers an enormous range of linens, evenweaves, and Aida in colors from soft and subtle to bold and dramatic, including some gorgeous opalescent options with a bit of shimmer woven through. Because everything is dyed to order, it’s worth planning ahead if you have a deadline, but stitchers consistently say the wait is worth it for fabric this unique.
A few of these specialize in hand-dyed fabric, which is a wonderful way to make a familiar pattern feel completely new. If you’ve never stitched on anything other than plain white or cream Aida, even switching to a soft mottled colorway can completely change the mood of a finished piece.
Have a favorite independent shop I missed? I’d love to hear about it.