Tatting Suppliers in Alabama

[RandaGray]

Have heard there are several of you from Alabama on this site, & was wondering if any of you might have knowledge of stores selling tatting supplies in the Northeast part. I'm about an hour south of Huntsville, & the closest actual store to me that sells tatting supplies is Hobby Lobby, & it's a 40 minute drive for a *very* limited selection of thread & they only sell Boye metal & the little Clover shuttles. Fortunately, I usually use Boye metal shuttles, but I'd like to find somewhere with a little better selection. Thought some of you might know of something I haven't found yet! Thanks!:heart:

[Fannie]

I live in the Southeast part, but even if Hobby Lobby and Hancock Fabrics are in a walking distance (literally), the best recently for tatting supplies is Jo Ann online (the DMC tatting thread is on sale and they have clover shuttles on sale too in the moment). It seems to me that recently I am using the online stores for most of my tatting related shopping.

[gahorsley]

oooh thanks for that info Fannie! i'VE never done on-line with JO Ann but may find myself doing so. Welcome Randa Gray. I live in the Tuscaloosa area, and my best bet is Hobby Lobby.

[RandaGray]

Thank you Fannie; I've been doing most of my shopping online as well, I was just hoping there was somewhere I could get my hands on things without the shipping wait! :) BTW did you mean JoAnn's crafts? or an etsy or ebay seller?
gahorsley- does your hobby lobby have a better selection than one or two balls of thread & one or two packs of clover shuttles & maybe on a good day a boye or two?

[MercyPres]

Well every Hobby Lobby I have been into ONLY carries 1 or 2 balls of same color and they don't carry that many colors at one time. We have found some in the 2 JoAnn's we have been into. Viv and I do most of our shopping online with Handy Hands. They get things to us fairly fast. Viv lives up middle and on GA border and I live in SE ALabama.

[Fannie]

Yes, it's JoAnn's crafts store - I like doing it online, as they always have almost the full spectrum of colors. The real store carries only 3-5 colors, and it just is not fair.
Same with Hobby Lobby, but they always have some colors of Lizbeth on sale - on the clearance racks.
For some specialty threads - I like tatting with the hand quilting Sulky 15 wt - it's really strong, smooth and has good colors - I use Red Rock Threads (again online). And of course Handy Hands.

[gahorsley]

hi again Randa...well my Hobby Lobby is the best I have, as I said, but usually only has about a dozen colors of thread to choose from, 2-3 packs of clover, one of the Aero type shuttles (Susan bates I think) and a couple of Boye's and Bates metal shuttles. They carry lots of the DMC and usually have some hankies. I long for a thread store to go into that has everything. Not gonna happen I'm afraid. Handy Hands and Lacis are two good on line suppliers. Hey RandaGray, where exactly are you, up between Athens and Cullman somewhere?

[RandaGray]

gahorsely, I'm not sure how to tell you where I am without just telling you lol I'm just outside Boaz, kind of in between there & Attalla. I live out in the middle of nowhere, but Boaz is the closest to me, about a 10 minute drive. Cullman is about another hour from me, but kind of southwest, if that makes any sense. Gadsden is my closest hobby lobby, which is about 40 minutes. Does that make sense?
I love Handy Hands; that's where most of my stuff comes from anymore; when I started out, I was buying everything from Be-Stitched, & still go there first.... But Handy Hands is where I go for Lizbeth thread, & I go to ebay for Altin Basak thread. I'm looking for a new shuttle though; something a little more unique than the Tatsy's or Boye's & can't find it. Of course, it helps when you know exactly what you're looking for to start with!! :)

[RandaGray]

Thanks Fannie :) I tried & for some reason I couldn't get the site for JoAnn's to come up on my possessed computer lol but I'll try again later one & I've written down the others!

[carolivy]

Here is a link for Joann's: http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp I shop there LOTS! lol

[gahorsley]

ok I know about where you are then Randa....look at shuttles on Lacis. also yesterday I was looking at some postings on here about different links for shuttles if you could go back and find that they had a lot of links to shuttles makers and suppliers.

[gahorsley]

found where it was Randa...go to "Forum" then "tatting talk" then about 4 down "where to buy a shuttle" Drool over some of those sites!!

[RandaGray]

Thanks CarolIvey; I think it's my computer today though... It's being really slow & I've had to restart twice! :(
Gahorsley: I've been drooling over shuttles & patterns since I signed up for this site! lol It would help if i could make up my mind as to what I wanted, but I just can't seem to find the "right" thing.... I can't just get one of each, DH has been crackin down on the "tat money" lol He seems to think the whole rolling cart (one of those rubbermade ones) is plenty of junk lol So I have to pick & choose then wait a little while before I get something new. *sigh* LOL

[Sandra]

I'd recommend Handy hands in a big way - www.hhtatting.com. Tons of shuttles, lots of thread.

[RandaGray]

Thanks Sandra :)

[JaneReese]

I just found this conversation! I live in the Southeast corner of Alabama, and I also have to drive at least 35 minutes to reach any sort of business that carries tatting supplies, and it's slim pickings. Michael's is one, the other is a needlework shop that carries perle cotton. I do visit a goofy little shop that is out in the sticks that sells fabric by the pound, bolt ends, etc. I have found Coats and Clark tatting threads there, by the boxful, as well as spools of C&C perle cotton. The now defunct AC Moore in Montgomery carried a number of different colors of thread. If there is one in the Huntsville area, you might have some luck. Patches and Stitches in Huntsville has perle cotton in #8 and #12. http://www.patchesandstitches.biz/ I'd check in any knitting/needlework shops you have "locally" - you just never know!

[RandaGray]

I'm about an hour south of Huntsville, & honestly I have to admit that I've only been there one time in my entire life... Sad I know lol But for some reason reading your post just made the lightbulb come on about the quilting store I drive by every other day or so on my way to my Daddy's house & the fabric store on the main highway through town here...Maybe my fuses are a little worn? lol But thank you ;)

[JaneReese]

Not your fuses, maybe just too many hot days this summer! My husband and I get up to Madison/Huntsville occasionally, and love to go to "Unclaimed Baggage" in Scottsboro. Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to meet and shop together. Do try your quilt shop - our "local"...35 minutes from here...carries a small amount of #8 perle cotton - maybe you'll have success!

[mcoperryl@gmail.com]

Maybe what we need is someone who travels from area to area with a van loaded with tatting/crochet supplies and books. Just travel around like the tool man does.

[RandaGray]

YYYEEESSSS!!! That would be great... I've always said I wish I had a travelling salesman to bring me all sorts of cool crafty stuff

[dianeposton]

I live in Dallas, anyone know of good places for thread besides Hobby Lobby? They only carry Lisabeth and I'd like to try someothers????????????????

[RandaGray]

In such a big city, you probably have JoAnn's or Michael's... Maybe even some of the small stores I love so much lol

[carolivy]

I just got back from my trip to NY and visited several JoAnn's, Michael's and AC Moore's and was supremely disappointed that none of them had tatting shuttles or any other thread besides what I can already get here at home at WalMart.

[RandaGray]

I've actually kind of gotten used to ordering online.... I'd like to be able to to to town & get it, but we've only had Hobby Lobby around here for about 3 years, so I'm used to ordering it. I do wish you could get a color sample ring, like they do with carpet lol I promise I wouldn't mind paying a little for it....