The Woolen Needle

June 14, 2013
Hand-dyed wool and yarn and reproduction fabric encourage quilters and rug hookers to pursue their love of fibers.
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Transported Back in Time

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.

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Meet the Staff

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.

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Cozy Surroundings

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

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Wooly Wall Hanging

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

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Hand Dying

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.

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Bountiful Harvest

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

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Hand-Stitching Details

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

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Bountiful Harvest Color Option

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.

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