The Woolen Needle

Hand-dyed wool and reproduction cottons at The Woolen Needle in historic Williamsburg, Iowa, remind crafters of a simpler era. The shop has supplies for quilting, rug hooking, penny rugs, and punch-needle projects.

Front row, from left: Sandy Marine, Julie Zuber, and Mary Blythe (owner); second row: Erick Wolfmeyer, Carol Zuber, Annette Boland, Carla Brinkman, and Robin Blythe.

The Woolen Needle is located in a brick building on the town square that has been restored to look like a general store.

The Penny Garden wall hanging by in-house designers is just one of the 90 samples on display at The Woolen Needle.

Owner Mary Blythe dyes about 12 to 15 yards of wool a day. The Woolen Needle houses more than 1,100 yards of fabric and has an additional 3,000 yards stashed upstairs.

Mary Blythe, owner of The Woolen Needles, designed Bountiful Harvest for Quilt Sampler Fall/Winter 2010 magazine.

A combination of stitches—including blanket, stem, satin, star, and French knots—add texture to Bountiful Harvest.

Add personality with pattern instead of texture. Quilt tester Laura Boehnke used reproduction prints from Silk Road collection by Benartex. For a quicker finish—and a super sleek look—Laura machine-appliquéd each shaping using color-coordinated thread. To keep things minimal, she did not add vines to the corners.

Contact The Woolen Needle to purchase a copy of Fall/Winter 2010 issue of Quilt Sampler magazine. Issues are also available at your local quilt shop, on newsstands, and online.