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About Needles & Bolts
Needles & Bolts is a destination for modern makers in the charming Mt. Airy Neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 2022, we cater to quilters and stitchers of all kinds - from machine piecing & quilting to hand stitching, our desire is to build community through inspiration & education. What would you like to stitch?Needles & Bolts was born from the idea that stitching should be accessible to anyone who wants to experience it. Our shop is designed as a creative space for sewists of all types to congregate and collaborate, and we encourage everyone to bring their authentic selves through the doors. Originally conceived as a mobile stitchery in early 2022, Needles and Bolts set out to become Philadelphia's first mobile quilt shop. As luck would have it, the perfect shop space became available as plans were being made. We pressed pause on the mobile idea, opened the storefront, and voila, Needles & Bolts was born!
At Needles & Bolts, we specialize in offering a curated collection of quilting fabric, linen, select garment fabric & quilting supplies, along with cross stitch, hand embroidery, sashiko, and other stitchery tools.
About the Owner
Stella learned to crochet in college and in 2002 took a knitting class at The Tangled Web in Chestnut Hill, eventually working at the shop part-time and teaching knitting and crochet classes. In 2006, Stella took an intro to quilting class at Fabrics on the Hill, also in Chestnut Hill. Once she learned the magic of creating quilts, her immersion into the quilting world was imminent.
After moving to Phoenix, she joined the PHX MQG and quickly enhanced her skillset learning foundation paper piecing, English paper piecing, applique, and any other skills she could put in her toolbox. Not long after, Stella moved to North Jersey and immediately joined the NJMQG becoming the Vice President of the Guild for a year and then the Programs Director for a year. She loved the camaraderie the guild brought with stitchers of all skill levels coming together to share their fiber love.
Our Values
We know that where you choose to spend your money is important, and we sincerely appreciate when you choose to support Needles & Bolts. Our vision is to inspire people to reach their crafting potential through modern and sustainable supplies and quality instruction. We believe that stitching should be accessible to anyone who wants to experience it.Our primary objective is to be a leader in the world of independent craft retailers, to kindly and enthusiastically encourage crafters of all levels and backgrounds, to support local and quality craft-supply makers, to provide a wealth of knowledge to customers, and to host a sustainable, rewarding, and fun work environment. Our goal is to support the local and regional economy whenever possible and build community in Philadelphia.
Social Policies
We welcome all regardless of race, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, size, or age.We commit to hosting low-cost, accessible, monthly community stitch nights that are open to all (check the classes+events page to see when the next one is scheduled & register to join us!)
We plan to work with local charities to give back to the community through shop proceeds, donated time, or hand-made items. Contact us if you would like to assist with this!
Anti-Racism Action Plan
We believe Black Lives Matter. We believe we have a role to play to dismantle white supremacy and the systems that perpetuate it in order to help create the equitable world we want to live in. We are committed to the following actions and principles:- to employ a racially diverse staff
- to highlight makers of color on our social media and in our newsletter
- to donate 3% of our inaugural profitable year to non-profits that empower the Black community and increase this amount to 5% in the following years
- to actively seek out and stock products from BIPOC-owned businesses and designers
- to create a work environment that encourages diversity and is inclusive
- to ensure the values of the companies we carry align with ours
- to educate ourselves and support our staff in anti-racism education and action
- to hold our customers to these same standards
We will not tolerate any racist comments/remarks/actions when in our store or online in comments.
Covid-19 Updates
(as of March 1, 2023)The city of Philadelphia no longer requires the use of masks indoors, however, masks are recommended in indoor public settings to help reduce transmission and keep Philadelphia at a low-risk level.
Currently, there is no vaccine or testing requirement to shop in store. Our online store is also available if you choose not to shop in person.
Please sanitize your hands upon entry, we have sanitizer available for use at the door.
We have a limit of 15 customers in the store at a time and 25 customers in our Maker Space at one time.
When possible, practice social distancing and keep 6 feet between yourself and other customers.
As of April 1, 2023 our hours are:
M + T: Closed | W: 11a - 9p | T + F + S: 11a - 5p | Sun: 12p - 5p
Come by and say hello - we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome you to the shop!
Classes
Due to the size of the classroom space and for the safety of our community and staff:
- Currently, there is no vaccine or testing required to take a workshop
- Please sanitize your hands upon entry. Hand sanitizer is available at the door.
- Classes are limited to 8 people, including the instructor, and might be smaller due to class type.
- Any shared tools will be sanitized between sessions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please send us a message or give us a call at the shop for clarity.
Thank you so much for supporting your local community of makers!
Open Sew Policy
General Guidelines
- There will be a $5 registration fee for the day and evening open sews. You will receive a $5 credit towards any purchase you make in the shop during the Open Sew for which you registered. The $5 fee cannot be transferred or saved.
- We understand that life happens. However, if you need to cancel your seat, please let us know *48 hours in advance by emailing (hello@needlesandbolts.com) or calling the shop (215-316-5696) so we can open your seat. If you do not let us know within this time frame or do not attend, your $5 registration fee will not be refunded but will go toward stocking the Little Free Stitchery Library.
- Open Sew will be limited to no more than 12 sewists. We will have 5 sewing machine stations and 7 hand sewing seats. We will have a separate registration for machine use, so please sign up for the correct seat. If you want to bring your own sewing machine, please sign up for a machine station. Once the machine spots are filled, only hand-stitching stations will be available.
- You are welcome to ask for advice on a project or assistance with how to use a shop machine or tool. However, Open Sew is not the time for private instruction. We simply do not have enough staff to work with each person individually. You should be comfortable threading a machine and winding a bobbin before signing up to use a sewing machine station.
- Open Sew registration will now be one month in advance instead of the entire year uploaded at once. This will allow new sewists who find us throughout the year to have a chance to attend an open sew and reduce the number of last-minute cancellations.
- Open Sew was created to help build a strong creative community. To build this community an environment characterized by mutual respect and civility is expected. Every participant in Open Sew is responsible for ensuring that their behavior promotes these goals. Disruptions will not be tolerated and may lead to unenrollment from future open sews and classes offered in the shop.
Machine/Tools Guidelines:
- Please keep in mind that tools are used by multiple people – including during Open Sew and classes. We strive to keep things in good working order. However, you should always inspect the tool before using it on your project. Please bring any issues to the staff's attention.
- If you break a tool during Open Sew you will be responsible for working with the shop to have the tool replaced or repaired. Please treat our tools as if they are your own.
- Thread will no longer be provided for our shop machines. Please bring your own thread. We will provide bobbins to use, which need to stay with the machines when open sew ends.
By signing up for Open Sew, you agree to abide by these updated guidelines.
The Little Free Stitchery Library
We're delighted to sponsor a Little Free Stitchery Library, located in front of the shop, in a decommissioned newspaper box! Here you can leave any stitchery bits and bobs including thread, fabric, patterns, notions, books, etc., and take anything you need to start or finish a project. We ask that you be respectful of this shared space and not leave any trash or items you, yourself, would not want to use in a project.Items to donate:
- fabric of any size or type
- thread of any color or type
- stitchery books
- notions like buttons, zippers, snaps, needles, pins, etc
- tools such as scissors, seam rippers, rulers, rotary cutters, blade refills
Items to donate elsewhere:
- clothes of any kind
- household goods aside from those listed above
- food
- non stitching related books/magazines
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a haberdashery?
In British English, a haberdashery is a business that sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zippers, and other notions. Fun fact: in the US, Haberdashery refers to menswear so we're adopting the British definition for our purposes.
Why don't you sell yarn?
We know being a small business can be tough and we want to uplift our crafty neighbors. At the moment, we do not carry any yarn or knitting supplies. To find beautiful knitting supplies check out the following local yarn shops: Wild Hand, Hidden River Yarns, Love2Knit & More, and Yarnphoria.
Will you carry garment fabric?
Philadelphia has a robust garment district in Center City that can fulfill many garment fabric needs. Currently, we carry alternate substrates such as cork and linen and a curated offering of garment fabrics such as rayon and poplin. We are always looking for unique items to add to our inventory - let us know if you are looking for something specific and we can work with you to find it.
Can you upholster my chair, sofa, or other pieces of furniture?
We cannot. Unfortunately, our sewing skill set does not include upholstery.
Do you offer longarm services?
At this time we don't have the space to offer in-store longarming services, however, we have cultivated relationships with local longarmers. Reach out to us if you would like recommendations.
Do you sell completed quilts?
At the moment, we do not have any completed quilts to sell. We do anticipate holding sample sales throughout the year as our fabric rotation changes. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of any future sample sales!
I'm new to sewing, will you teach me?
Absolutely we will! In fact, we would love to. Check out our classes and workshops to see what's on the calendar. We hope to see you in class!
Will you sew a quilt for me?
We will not, but we will teach YOU how to sew a quilt! See our classes and workshops to sign up!
Do you offer sewing machine repair/maintenance?
At this time we do not. But we recommend Steve's Sew & Vac in the King of Prussia area or Byrne Sewing in New Britain.
Returns
We will make every effort to make sure you are satisfied with your purchase. If you are unsatisfied with your stitching or notions purchase for any reason, we will accept a return for store credit or exchange within 30 days of the date of original purchase. Kits and thread/notions must be in original condition and not used or opened. We will issue a digital gift card for the return.We cannot accept returns on cut yardage, any books, patterns, sale items or any opened packages.
These are final sale and may not be returned.
Class Cancellations
- All classes need a minimum of 2 students to run (except the "Make Friends" series). If a class has less than 2 students 24 hours prior to class start, we will contact you and discuss moving your seat into the next available workshop or offer you a credit of the class amount paid to put towards a future class.
- We require a 48-hour notice before the start of your class in order to receive a refund or store credit. Please note that we cannot offer a refund OR store credit if you are within the 48-hour time frame. If you need to cancel a class or switch the date and the 48-hour deadline has not passed, please email us at hello@needlesandbolts.com to do so and we are happy to help.
- There are NO refunds or store credit given at any time for classes with out-of-town instructors and special guest instructors. Your seat may be transferred to a friend if you cannot attend.