The Woolen Needle
Hand-dyed wool and yarn and reproduction fabric encourage quilters and rug hookers to pursue their love of fibers.
Transported Back in Time [1]
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.
Meet the Staff [3]
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.
Cozy Surroundings [5]
The Woolen Needle is located in a brick building on the town square that has been restored to look like a general store.
Wooly Wall Hanging [7]
The Penny Garden wall hanging by in-house designers is just one of the 90 samples on display at The Woolen Needle.
Hand Dying [9]
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.
Bountiful Harvest [11]
Mary Blythe, owner of The Woolen Needles, designed Bountiful Harvest for Quilt Sampler Fall/Winter 2010 magazine.
Hand-Stitching Details [13]
A combination of stitches—including blanket, stem, satin, star, and French knots—add texture to Bountiful Harvest.
Bountiful Harvest Color Option [15]
Add personality with pattern instead of texture. Quilt tester Laura Boehnke used reproduction prints from Silk Road collection by Benartex [16]. 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 [17] 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 [18].