Shopping in Needlework, Cross Stitch Shops

**Kevin WS** · #1 08-09-2016, 11:36 AM

Went off the other day to a proper Haberdashery Shop - I was looking for scissors actually.

I often find interesting and useful things in the Haberdashery shops - at a good price!

It's also worth looking in needlework and cross stitch shops - though these type of shops are dwindling now with the increasing internet sales.

So, I wandered off to the cross stitch section and found a whole lot of interesting stuff (which I bought!).

As most of the sewing stuff comes from the States, I am sure it is also probably cheaper that side!

Picture 1 - Patchwork Ruler. I bought the smallest one - 12 X 6.5 inches exactly (31 X 17 cm). I think it is ideal to use as a base when building 1/400, 1/250 ships. $9.00.

There was a great selection of these with lots of different and larger sizes. See Picture 6.

Pictures 2 and 3. Steel Rulers. These are thinner then the Engineer Rulers (they are used for quilting), but they are still steel and fine for paper modelling. I use obviously them for cutting, but also as clamps etc when building, so a few come in handy. And at the price.........

6"/15cm rulers - $ 0.40 each!

12"/30cm rulers - $ 0.90 each!

20"/50cm rulers - $ 1.50 each!

Picture 4. Bought two Olfa Art Knife (AK-1). $8.00 each. Expensive here I know, but these are also hard to find here. They each come with 25 blades and a "sharps" box as well. Incredibly sharp. Unfortunately they did not have the AK-4 version.

Picture 5. This shows the end of the knives, with the collet off. The slit is right through, so I think these will easily (and safely) take a scalpel blade. Bonus. Will order some blades to check this.

So there was my loot for the weekend. Check these shops out when you next go past one!

**airdave** · #2 08-09-2016, 12:08 PM

Metal rules...especially at that price...you can never have enough of them!

Plastic rules and guides...not my thing. Not designed to work with Knives.

Olfa Yellow Knifes...the one and only kind I used in High School in the seventies.
Used to buy them from Curry's Art Store...downtown Toronto.
Probably still got some of those handles around somewhere.
$8 each?...including 25 blades?...that is a very good price for a good Hobby Knife today.

**Kevin WS** · #3 08-09-2016, 12:15 PM

Dave - I thought the knives may be cheaper in the States? I bought two because of the blades - with that quantity is was a good deal for me.

The plastic Patchwork Ruler I only bought as a base for ship hulls - no cutting on it! I will fix the hull on it to keep everything straight and level. I do not like using glass for this because of snapping issues and the fact we also have cats that upset things!

**airdave** · #4 08-09-2016, 01:05 PM

see...theres your problem.

(cats)

**Kevin WS** · #5 08-09-2016, 01:19 PM

But I know secretly you love cats........

**MacSongLi** · #6 08-09-2016, 01:20 PM

Great finds Kevin! It's almost like Christmas.

Thanks for the tip.

Gary

**Kevin WS** · #7 08-09-2016, 01:25 PM

Thanks Gary. By the way - don't forget VERY fine (small) crochet hooks - good for applying glue and sticking into models to push out dents (if you don't have dental probes).