Canvas – Penny Linn Designs

Canadian Online Resources//

Toronto Guild of Sitchery. This website maintains a list of stores in the GTA and other resources.

Stores in Canada//

I’m not including Michaels, not because I don’t shop at Michaels, but because we all know about Michaels. I also live about 4 hours from my nearest Michaels and their shipping is expensive, so unless I’m there in person I prefer to shop at small businesses.

La Cigalle Brodeuse. Anjou, Quebec. This is primarily a cross-stitch store, but they do have a good selection of tools and threads and stock Zwiegart canvas if you would like to make your own designs. They also have a special order form if you would like to order something they don’t stock. (Website is in French). I have not been here in person nor shopped it (yet).

Gitta’s Charted Petit Point. Mississauga, Ontario. This was the first ever shop I went to when I started stitching, the staff were super helpful. But also they left me alone to pick my threads for well over an hour. They have an incredible selection of threads. They don’t have much in the way of needlepoint canvases, but they have a great selection of threads and cool finished petit point and cross-stitch items for inspiration. On a less glowing portion of the review, they are terrible at responding to emails, including email orders. Expect a slow turnaround.

Cindy’s Needle Art. Richmond Hill, Ontario. I have not been to this store, nor shopped it, but it is Rachel Rosenthal of Rachel Barri Design’s recommended Toronto-area store. She does finishing and seems to have a great selection of threads.

Magic Hour Needlecrafts. St. Catharines, Ontario. This one might be cheating, I can’t 100% tell. The website says it ships from either Niagara Falls, New York OR St. Catharines, Ontario – and I’m not sure if they are physically located in New York or Ontario, or just taking advantage of their geography. Either way, they have printed canvases AND they sell blank Mono interlocking canvas if you want to make your own designs. They also have some free charts online.

Needlepoint Place. Winnipeg, Manitoba. I haven’t actually been to this store, but I have talked on the phone to the owner. She was very helpful on the phone and said that she would order me the threads I was looking for, and then I never heard from her again. Soooooo, I don’t really know what to think. The canvases they sell aren’t really to my taste either, but my taste is not everyone’s taste!

Lizzy B’s Needle Art Supplies. Winnipeg, Manitoba. This is the Winnipeg store that I have been to. It is tiny, but so good. The staff is young (which is rare) and fun and it is full of threads, frames, and basically all of the supplies that you need. There’s not much in the way of canvases, but there are all the supplies that you need to stitch any canvases that you order online.

Traditional Stitches. Calgary, Alberta. This seems to be a cross-stitch store rather than a needlepoint store, but it has a lot of the gear and equipment that you may want including Lowery and System4 stands, which I’ve learned are a hard find and very expensive to import. I have not been to this store in person, I’ve never been outside the airport in Calgary, so I can’t speak to it. The website seems to lack pictures, which is questionable. But they’ve celebrated their 20th anniversary as a store and regularly post updates to their hours etc. so they seem to be active!

The Stitcher’s Muse. Nanaimo, British Columbia. This seems to be basically every kind of needlework except needlepoint, but they have a great selection of threads and tools according to their website. Their website is easy to navigate and nice to use. I have not been here in person, I’ve never been to B.C., but I would stop there if I was there on a trip!

Buttoned Up!. Victoria, British Columbia. This website actually had a needlepoint section, linked to from the main page! It only has kits in that section, no solo canvases, and they aren’t to my taste, definitely on the traditional side. (Thanks, Linda, for the correction here!)

Canadian Designers//

I’m going to be honest, the vast majority of Canadian designers are not my taste. They are so old-fashioned, which is not for me even though I have otherwise very traditional tastes.

Rachel Barri Designs. She makes adorable canvases and wonderful self-finishing products. Her prices are in USD (although the website does auto-covert), but if you are in the GTA and you DM her she will meet up with you instead of shipping you your order, which is super nice!

American Designers that Ship to Canada//

Morgan Julia Designs

Morgan Julia I think has the best and most efficient shipping to Canada and I’ve never had to pay duties on a single one of my orders from her. Her designs are so fun and really easy to stitch.

I also love her kits, she kits with Pepper Pot Silk, which is my favorite fiber. It has a subtle sheen and stitches very well.

Current favorites: Christmas Tree Delivery, Way Out West Postcard, Espresso Martini (she sometimes has these as a kit with three little coffee bean beads).

Pip and Roo Needleworks

Pip and Roo is classic needlepoint without being like your Grandma’s needlepoint. They make gorgeous, preppy designs. I don’t find them the easiest to stitch, I’m not sure they are stitch painted, but they do look really nice when they are stitched.

There are a lot of canvases I love from Pip and Roo: Polo Player, Veuve bottle, Dapple Grey Houndstooth, Toucan with Guinness, When Life Gets Bumpy Start Posting, Merry Christmas Gate, Que Sera Sera, and Tally Ho.

Eva Howard Designs

These are some of the easiest to stitch canvases I have ever stitched. She doesn’t produce a constant line of new designs, but what she does she does really well. And again, never paid duties with my orders from her. I’m currently stitching her “Tequila Helps” canvas.

Penny Linn Designs

I really like Krista and Co.’s designs, they are really easy to stitch and she sells some really great project bags, and finishing items (I’m eyeing up the acrylic trays for my current stitch). I have had to pay duties for my order from here. Krista is one of the designers really taking needlepoint to the next level.

That’s all I have for now, I’ll try and remember to update this/write update posts as I learn more. If you know of any that I’ve missed please leave them in the comments!

Laura