The Silver Needle, Fine Needlework Materials, everything for cross stitch


Here is the chronicle of our shop move. Our new space is double the size of the old, (4000 sq ft!) and is located at 6068 S Sheridan in Tulsa -- we're south of our previous location, still in the same shopping center. Below you'll see the progress as we built out our new space. We've reversed the order, so you're seeing the newest entries first.

Wednesday, July 3
Hi Everyone!
We've survived our second "first day!!!" I remember my first "first day" over 19 years ago... it was special to me, but this one was much busier, and full of many more friends and cheerful faces! My first "first day" was scary... I didn't know anybody. Today was like a wedding... it was fun and special all day long! It flew by, and while I was there the whole time... I missed so many cool people and things happening all over the shop!

A couple of highlights I didn't miss, however... Esther and I arrived about 8:30 am... we were discussing things, and were interrupted by an 'intruder' in the new customer bathroom! A ceiling tile had collapsed in there, because the plumbers had hooked up the wrong water heater! "They" came, "they" fixed! A frozen air-conditioner on the roof leaked through the ceiling in the shop today... "They" came, "they" fixed it, too! All these city "inspectors" today... all walking around 'inspecting'... goodness knows what! I have no idea just what parts of us got inspected... but I guess we passed, 'cause we didn't hear otherwise! (None of them seemed interested in the new stuff that we were unpacking... so who knows how on-the-ball they really were -- they definitely weren't stitchers!)

Our store sign didn't get moved on schedule... so we're outwardly address-less, and name-less till Monday!!! The window cleaners had cleaned off the old address numbers on the doors... so the new UPS man today couldn't find 6068 S. Sheridan to make his delivery! And, we discovered today that the telephones really had been messed up -- STILL -- from last week, when they were ringing in the hair salon next door, instead of us! We realized that little problem within the first 10 minutes we were open today! This time, "they" fixed by remote!

But you know, ... we're really having a wonderful time around here!!! Everything is so clean, new, spacious, and just exciting! Mary took lots of pictures today... some look great; in others, you'll see ladders, baskets and junk all over the floor, and gals dressed to work in a back-room rather than the way they usually come to work. The upper walls are still bare in lots of these shots, because we still have literally hundreds of stitched models to hang back onto them! We still have four more wooden hutches coming that Kristine is painting -- in her whimsical style -- for us. Another fabric shelf is scheduled for Friday delivery... and we just keep re-arranging!

If you've placed an order in the last few days, rest assured that we've received it! We've given special attention to keeping track of them... and will fill them these next couple of days! The Lorri Birmingham replacement fabric has arrived for the Nantucket baskets, as well as the new Mill Hill Sensational Stitches and Heartful Charms. Auto shipments on those scheduled for Monday! The Heartstrings "My Favorite Things" Santa kits are here... and as soon as we can get them out of the box, we'll ship them, too! Heartstrings has started a new series of tall, skinny, seasonal designs, and the first two came today... check the JA page Friday for those!

Craig and I are spending part of tomorrow -- the 4th -- in the old space, taking down mini-blinds, moving fixtures, and hauling trash (because we really left more than 'reasonable wear and tear' in there! I thought I'd cry non-stop, and maybe I still will... when I finally turn the key in that wonderful, old door for the last time... but I'm thinking that we've moved to the place we really need to be! It already feels like *home!*





Tuesday, July 2
Well, we were busy today!
We fluffed and fluffed hours and hours... feeling pretty good by 10 this morning... and then pretty bad by 2... when we realized that we had days and days of work still to go, to hang all the models! The displays all look pretty good; our additional fabric shelves didn't arrive on schedule, however... so that's been a little disappointment! We ran out of slat wall hooks early in the day ... that required two trips to the fixture store today, but it was a pleasant diversion for the gals who ran the errands!

I imagine we'll be changing displays and moving things for quite some time, but I did have to stand back and notice how fresh and fun everything looks now!

Boy, are we accumulating for the big "Estate Sale!" I kept adding and adding things today... we'll have a super-rediculusly-huge obnoxious "thing" in September... our pile is literally growing by the hour!

Did I ever mention that we have beautiful new shelves in our new customer rest room that will display discontinued shop models for sale??? Not only can you 'rest' at The Silver Needle, but you can go home with a 'finished project' as well!!! Pretty good use of your limited time!!! Kristine and Dianna have freshly re-done your facility... complete with faux painted walls, and beaded lamp shades above the sink!!!

We're coming along... the front of the shop looks pretty good... that's because we hauled everything to the back room 30 minutes before our workday was scheduled to end! When you come, make SURE to tell us how good the front looks, and IGNORE any of the stuff in the back that you can see!!! We'll be back to answering the phones and filling the orders on Wednesday! Thanks for having patience with us these past few days! It's been a whirlwind around here!!!





Monday, July 1
Hi Everyone!
Wow, it may not look like it, but we really got a lot done today! We arrived first thing this morning to find the mess we'd left on Saturday -- you know, the kind when you're so tired you stick stuff anywhere???! By 10 am, we'd placed almost all the tables, thread cabinets and racks, book racks, and organized all the models into one huge, overwhelming pile -- on our beautiful new stitching table!

The gals in the back room organized all the inventory, general 'junk' and the mail order boxes. We are accumulating quite the pile for our upcoming sidewalk sale in a few weeks! We decided today that it wasn't just a ' sidewalk sale'... it's good enough to be an "Estate Sale!!!" Not that we've died, or anything... we just have years and years of "Treasures" that need to change hands! So now that we know things will be going to good homes, it's easier to part with them!!!

The computer area is coming along nicely, too! Mary has been transferring stuff here and there... we're about to computerize the UPS shipping... so in a few weeks, you'll get an automated shipping notice with a tracking number, and the date your order shipped! We've wired the shop with speakers for music, just all sorts of cool stuff! I can't wait for the bill from the computer-wiring guys!!!

We're still closed tomorrow -- Tuesday, July 2nd -- to finish "Fluffing!" The web site is busy collecting your e-mails and orders just fine... we'll start answering the telephone, your emails, and filling orders first thing Wednesday morning at 10! It's such a fun, exciting time for us! Hope you've enjoyed seeing all the updates and pictures! It's been a blast for me to do them!

new old old old




June 30
Hi Everyone!
We've finished the first leg of our shop move! There were 22 of us on Saturday... and we emptied and moved the entire shop in 8 hours! Holy cow! My husband supervised a crew of movers; my daughter, Natalie, helped Kristine and Dianna paint all the book racks and table bases... we were all busy! We'd taken some pictures of the original shop on Friday morning... and I think Mary got some of the same angles again on Saturday in the midst of the move. Then we had a good laugh watching the new space fill, and fill, and fill... till it's bursting with a big mess!!! We have a few pathways in the new shop... and every other square inch of anything has something on top of it!

We're spending Monday and Tuesday "fluffing" everything back the way we want it. I look around and it seems an impossible task... but I know we'll have lots of fun the next two days anyway. I think I counted 5 different piles that each had a Shepherd's Bush stocking model in them -- all scattered in five different places!

Our telephones have come through just fine! We weren't so sure last week, when the phone company had them ringing in the beauty shop next door to the new space! The fax is working fine... less than 2 hours after plugging it back in, we'd gotten our first 'junk' fax! It's OK to send e-mails and orders these next couple of days. The systems are all working great... I just don't know if we're going to be able to sit down tomorrow and answer some of the inquiries... we can actually get to the computers... but the shop really needs attention before we re-open!

Anyhow, just wanted to keep you updated! Lots of pics below, in no particular order! Till tomorrow...

L

new old old old old and that's the way we left it!




June 28

I'm sitting in Mary's office tonight... we're ready for our big move first thing in the morning... it seems that I've only told you ONCE where we're actually moving!!! It's only two buildings away (to the south) in our same shopping center... our new front windows will let us see over the parking lot to Pepper's and Goldie's Restaurants. Our new address will be 6068 S Sheridan instead of 6022!

I just got done sniffling a little, because we've been in that little space almost 20 years! It's been really good to us... and although I KNOW we needed more room, and that everything will turn out fine... it's just a hard thing to clean off all our walls, close that single little door, and move our precious 'stash' someplace else! The new space is twice our old size... and twice as wonderful! We're closing Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday... to move, and move in! When we open for business on Wednesday morning... we may not be dust-free(!), but we will have a beautiful new customer bathroom(!), lots more room for our things, sore muscles, but really excited and happy feelings in our hearts! Come see us as soon as you can!

Here are today's pics of everything and the other going on! Granite going in... wires everywhere.., the new shelves to hold our inventory in the shipping area... just everything! The plan is that Mary will bring her camera every day... and we'll see how much changes between now and Wednesday!

We received the new 2002 Limited Edition Heartstrings Santa Kit: My Favorite Things, in today! The forth in her annual series of cool Santas, he comes as a complete kit of all the linen, and embellishments you'll need to stitch him as either a stand-up or picture! We took the model out of the shop today, so we'd be able to find it after the move! I think we'll put up his pic on sunday... literally after a little dust settles for us! Sorry we're making you wait a couple of days to see him!

In the meantime, send us peaceful, cleaning, organizing, thoughts -- with muscles attached! We're almost out of ibuprofen -- and that's a scary thing! We talked today about converting my office into a day-spa! There's room in there for a Jacuzi, massage table, and manicure table! I'm thinking that that's not the most cost effective use of our new space, though!!! But NEVER say never!

AAANNNDDD! Those of you who subscribe to Secret Needle Night here witness a once-in-a-blue-moon event! Secret Needle Night was all packaged and ready to go out when we left to build shelves in our new back room Friday afternoon.

Imagine our surprise to return to find them gone! Our faithful Mail Lady came back and took them for us, and they shipped safe and sound. (We were hoping to get them out early because of the move, but were having trouble obtaining the extra stamps because of the postage change on Monday. Obviously, while we were flying by the seats of our (very dusty) pants, the rest of the gals managed the stamps and got them out!)

Till tomorrow...

L





June 25 and 26

We're almost ready to move!!! I can't believe it! We finally brought workmen to their knees! I think the carpet guys were liking that! They teased me that they were going to start laying the carpet at 6:15 in the morning today. I've not been sleeping too well these nights, figuring something would go wrong somewhere! But I figured that if the wrong carpet arrived and they started laying it this morning... that it'd be just as wrong at 9 am as it would have been at 6 am... so I actually slept in till 7 today! (They showed up at 9 -- carpet looks great, I might add!)

Our cabinet guy (R.L.) has been really good to us! He built all the computer, kitchen and phone shelf areas; he even rounded the wood edges below our granite counter-top eating area... so we wouldn't catch our knees, or clothes! (I thought he was all wet... but he really did, and it's sooooo nice!) I bought cabinet knobs this week... wishing they'd magically attach to the drawers and cabinets just where I wanted them... because they weren't in the contractor's quote... and of course, R.L. did them for me!







June 18th and 19th

Everything's changing by the hour these days! The painters and floor people are in here at the same time, and it's great fun to watch. I think you can see the painted walls one day -- without the wood floor -- and the very next day, see the same area with the new flooring! Notice those painters busily watching the paint dry?!

Here are the tile guy, playing in the mud, and the floor guys playing with their pieces of wood! And there were painters working in the back room, too.

Our new kitchen cabinets... well, Old Mother Hubbard's cupboards are still bare, but the laminate is going on today, as is the tile in the kitchen.

Painters on the 18th




There's more! Want to see the earlier chapters of our construction saga?     
Click here for earlier construction photos!
     




The Silver Needle
6068 S. Sheridan    Tulsa, Ok. 74145
(918) 493-1136    Fax: (918) 493-1933
Toll Free Order Line: (888) 543-7004
Store Hours: 10 - 6 CST,  Monday - Friday
10 - 4 CST,  Saturday
E-Mail

Need help with the website or with logging in?
Contact webmaster@thesilverneedle.com


Need help with products or orders?
Contact lindy@thesilverneedle.com


Web Site Design and Maintenance by

© 2024 Silver Needle Ltd.
You may not reproduce, copy, or redistribute the design or layout of this web site, individual elements of the web site design, or Silver Needle images, designs, adaptations, charts, instructions or logos without the express written permission of Silver Needle, Ltd.
View our company's Privacy, Shipping and Return Policies
Prices are subject to change without notice.