* Supplies: Beautiful fabrics and all the sewing essentials. I've purchased supplies here for my…read moreclasses. * Staff: Friendly, enthusiastic, and interested in you and your projects. * Classes: I took Adult Sewing 101 with owner Erica, who was personable and attentive. Small classes allow for individual guidance--perfect for beginners. I brought my own machine, and she helped me learn how to use it. * Value: Pricier than other sewing classes, but the detailed instruction and personal attention make it worthwhile. I've already booked more! * Booking: Reserve about a month ahead, as classes sell out. * Parking: Street parking and a lot behind the store, with a three-hour limit. * Overall: Highly recommend Needles Studio for supplies and classes. I'll continue supporting this business!

Had an AMAZING intro to sewing class w/ Erica. I had sewed before but it had been a while and I…read moretruly didn't understand all the quirks of a sewing machine. She took us through step by step and helped us to learn each of the parts to being our sewing journey. The class is 3 hours but it seriously flies by. I am looking forward to booking another class!

I've been coming to Uncommon Threads for years and years. A…read morefollow up review for this AMAZING store. Friendly staff that knows their stuff, lovely yarns and in the "new" location very inviting. They have "Crafternoon" Sunday 3-5 and it is a very inclusive welcoming group of men, women and teens. Stephanie has built a very supportive community. I love the window displays they now have.

I made a special trip to Uncommon Threads last Saturday from San Jose to check out their selection…read moreof yarn. Hadn't been there in well over 10 years. I was surprised to see they had moved. The new location is still in cute downtown Los Altos, but seemed smaller than I remember. Rent must be so high for shops downtown. It seemed like their inventory was reduced, too, but it could be that the new shop was arranged differently. Or I may be misremembering. The staff person greeted me immediately and came over to see if she could help me find anything. The store was busy while I was there, which was nice to see. The selection of yarn was good with many brands I'd never heard of before. They had some beautiful silk yarn I was tempted to buy but didn't because I wasn't sure what project I would use it on. They also had beautiful knit and crochet samples throughout the shop.

This is a lovely little yarn shop in downtown Santa Cruz. Lots of cute accessories and top notch…read moreyarn like Noro and Malabrigo. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I was so impressed I bought four skeins of cotton yarn, a quilted pouch, measuring tape, and a row counter. I'll definitely go back next time I'm in Santa Cruz.

I'm a noob at knitting. I've tried multiple times to get into it and this time, I like to think I…read morewill stick with it! I was going down to Santa Cruz for a day trip, and bookmarked Yarn Shop Santa Cruz. We drove down and went straight to Yarn Shop SC. Street parking was easy to find. We walked in and immediately saw the sale section. Hallejulah! I didn't know yarn shops had sales. I took home some nice sale yarns as well as some full-priced ones, a sock knitting book, and circular needles. They have a nice selection and service was very helpful. They were busy but friendly and kind and knowledgeable.

Great selection. I loved walking inside (after all, I went in with my partner spontaneously and had…read moreno plans to buy anything.) I haven't knitted in years but was recently traveling in Copenhagen with a friend and she made a point to visit so many yarn stores, I think it rubbed off on me. Anyways, no one greeted us. There were a few customers in the store while some women were crocheting or knitting at a table in the back. We walked by them (I even scooted a chair in) to look at yarns and they didn't stand up or say anything. Finally, dad and his daughter walked over saying they wanted to buy something so I went over to get in line behind them with some yarns. Bad service, nice selection of yarn as well as books and patterns and accessories. Not cheap but organized nicely and easy-to-find items (which is important when there's no one there to help you.)

I stopped by Fengari Fiber Arts over the weekend and was impressed by their warm and friendly…read morecustomer service, well-merchandised displays, and excellent selection of Jody Long yarns. They even said Jody Long had visited the shop in person- wow! They had plenty of wool, alpaca, silk, and more-- a good, high-end selection overall. The two women who were working were very nice and provided me with a lot of feedback (when asked) on yarns for various projects. I loved their cute Pride display and left with some beautiful Juniper Moon Cumulus yarn. If they'd had more in the colorway I'd chosen, I would have bought more. I don't visit Half Moon Bay frequently, but if I find myself in the area again, I will definitely stop by.

Needlepoint/embroidery-thread shops in Saratoga, Los Gatos and Santa Clara have all gone out of…read morebusiness. Old World Designs on Santa Cruz Ave.in Menlo Park is a bit of a drive for me, but I feel grateful they are here to offer high-end threads of silk and wool, shiny Krenik and blends. These threads are not available in hobby-type stores or fabric stores. The showcase of designs here is outstanding and artfully displayed. You can expect to see seasonal designs so it is worthwhile to stop in frequently. You can also expect thoughtful and professional advice. Classes are offered and you can join the email list to be informed of upcoming classes and trunk shows. The shop is conveniently located, fronting on Santa Cruz Avenue. There is ample street parking, but i suppose it is best to time your visits.The neighborhood becomes quite busy at lunch time. I am thankful to have found Old World Designs. My experience here was rewarding and the environment is inviting.

I visited this shop yesterday after seeing a canvas listed as "in stock" on their website. I'm…read morenewer to needlepoint and was excited to browse in person, especially since there are only a couple stores in the South Bay/Peninsula. When I asked about a specific canvas, I was told it was not available. I mentioned that the website showed it in stock and had an active add-to-cart option. The response I received was unexpectedly dismissive and in a condescending tone. The woman behind the counter said: "Amazon has trained you to expect things you see online to be in stock," followed by an explanation that their website does not really support online orders, at least not yet. I completely understand that inventory systems and websites don't always match. Had this simply been explained in a straightforward way, I would likely have purchased a different design/kit while I was there. Instead, the interaction felt condescending and uncomfortable enough that I chose not to continue shopping. For a hobby that relies on welcoming and guiding newcomers, tone matters. This was not my first experience with needlepoint, but I can easily see how it could discourage someone just getting started. Because of this experience, I won't be returning. I'd recommend new stitchers seek out another local store where questions are encouraged and customers feel comfortable spending time (and money).

Very cute yarn store in the Castro! Service was great here, we were greeted upon arrival and…read moreemployees seemed very kind. There were some classes going on, which seem really cool. If I lived here, I'd definitely sign up. Great variety of yarn & prices are pretty standard. They have some fun trinket type items too (stickers, pens, etc.)

What an adorable shop! The colors of the yarn on the wall! Gorgeous happy space…read more Fun gifts and silly things to browse too like I loved these purses that were in the shape of foods (fries, hot dog, etc) Friendly staff Amazing art finished pieces at the front windows. Cute!

Great experience first time tufting with my friend group! We chose the 2 hour mini tufting workshop…read more- booking process is online and you send them your desired design beforehand (you can choose your own design as long as it's simple enough!) Very helpful and sweet instructor Julie walked us through the steps and assisted us at the right times, we went a little overtime but she was flexible in letting us finish:) would come and again and highly recommend for a cute bonding activity with friends!

My team came here for an offsite and we had a really great time. We did the mini tufting workshop,…read moreit's $85 per person and ended up lasting around 2.5 hours for our group of 9. Group discounts are available for groups larger than 12. Before the workshop everybody got to pick the design they wanted to do as well as the type of backing/framing (coaster, wall hanging, or mirror) they wanted. The person leading the workshop was amazing, very patient and friendly. The workshop was roughly 20 minutes of tutorial, 1 hour of tufting with the gun (varied widely person to person), and then 1 hour for everyone to glue and trim and clean their rugs. I was surprised at how well our final pieces turned out considering none of us had ever rug tufted before. At the end we also each got a cute free tote bag to hold our creations. This was a really fun unique activity, I would highly recommend!

Today is Local Yarn Store day across the country, a day that encourages knitters to support…read moreindependent yarn stores, so I made it a point to visit Fillory Yarn, which is in my neighborhood. I used to knit a lot, but lost interest a couple years ago, and recently decided to try and get back in to it. When I arrived at Fillory I was immediately greeted and asked if I needed help with anything. I asked for a simple pattern to help ease me back into knitting. The staff member (maybe the owner?) guided me to a table covered in free patterns they were giving away for LYS day and said I should pick one and then they would help me find the right yarn for the pattern. I picked what I hope is an easy shawl pattern and then another staff member led me to the appropriate yarn section. There were so many choices of beautiful yarn I had a hard time deciding. I finally settled on a skein of Malabrigo in variegated shades of blue. I didn't see the needles I needed for the project, but it turned out they had them behind the counter. It was so convenient to be able to buy everything I needed at once. To top it off, they offered to wind my skein right then and there. Usually yarn shops don't offer this service on special days like today when the shop is crowded with customers. Fillory has been around for many years through several owners. They have a large selection of yarn and helpful employees who work hard. There is also a dedicated space for social knitting if you want to drop by to knit with others. They offer a variety of classes, too.

I don't always walk 40 minutes from my hotel when I'm in-town for a conference, but when I do, it's…read morein 85 degree heat and to visit a San Jose knitting store during the Bay Area Yarn Crawl! After my trek, Fillory Yarn was like an oasis. I immediately felt welcomed by the coziness of the store (it's very welcoming and inclusive), as well as the very friendly and helpful employees. Multiple said hi and welcomed me in, asking if they could do anything for me or if I needed any assistance. I've only recently begun to get into knitting and I loved their social knitting table! More stores should have that. I live in SF and I suppose SJ stores have more space for that. There were multiple people sitting and knitting and chatting. I also appreciated their sale section! I didn't buy anything from that section, but considered it. I also got a 5% off discount off my first purchase for joining their loyalty program. Everyone was so very helpful and friendly, quite a few employees and they all asked if I needed help. I loved their examples of items that were made with yarns they sold. They have an extensive collection and variety across types of yarn, materials, yarns for different items, books, accessories, and items across different price points--there is something for everyone and anyone, which makes sense. Fiber arts are political and I've been very impressed at how stores and fiber arts communities are welcoming everyone of all backgrounds into the fold. I'm disappointed but not surprised that some Yelp reviews reflect people who don't appreciate that inclusivity.

I come to Michaels a couple of times a year for projects, gift wrapping, framing, decoration, or…read morecostume needs. If I did more arts and crafts, I would visit more often! I am so glad to have a store that's open on weeknights until 9PM and opens early (9AM or 10AM) on weekends for us working folk! Also appreciate the ample space in the parking lot, and its neighboring Ross, UPS, and sushi joint in case you need to run multiple errands. My recent visit was to pickup an online order, which was fulfilled very quickly. They have a self-checkout and pickup rack to the right as you enter. It's very efficient. The staff were busy restocking and they make great use of their floorspace. The holiday decor is so tempting -- I shall return!!

Drowning. These employees are drowning. I've been coming to this location for years and it's…read morepathetic at this point. There will be customers needing assistants everywhere, broken items in the shelves, and the employees are stuck with a line pilling up. Eva was not only incredible but was doing everything they could. Management is a joke, whoever is suppose to be leading this store is failing. Hire more people, seeing only 3 employees is embarrassing for Michaels as a company. Michael's stores have started receiving more specific supplies that requires employees assistance. And there is none. There should be 5 employees at all times in a craft store that holds so many different unique categories. Disappointing.

What looks like a small venue is absolutely incredibly large! And the amount of wonderfully…read moretalented artists are inspiring and provide education in the art that they specifically created. Everyone needs to go check out Art Bias- you will be amazed at what you see, experience & what is available for purchase. Learn the art world in a deeper fashion with local artists who are bringing magic, creativity and beauty into our community.

Amazing and I feel one of the best venues for art. It's a place with spaces artists can use to…read morecreate, mingle and sell art. Such a cool variety of different styles and personalities. The staff are super friendly and went out of their way to show us around. They have regular and special events which we will definitely check out.