Diversions Needlepoint

Nothing but great needlepoint and help. Definitely do not agree with a previous review that complained about the over-zealous service. I went in trying to find a specific canvas and I don't think I would have found what I wanted without help. While it's pretty well organized, the store has a gazillion canvases and so cannot possibly have the space to display them all. Turns out the one I bought was tucked away in a folder. The staff knew their inventory well, though and pulled it out for me when I described it to them. The staff members are only trying to help, I think, and to shoot them down for being nice makes you wonder if someone got out of the wrong side of the bed that morning :). I've had nothing but great experiences there and would strongly recommend it as the best place in Denver for needlepoint and specialty threads. They know their stuff.…

Wow what a shop!. If you enjoy needlepoint this is the place for you! They have an excellent selection and endless services such as custom painting, finishing, and classes. The staff is extrememly helpful and interested in the projects their customers are working on. They are top notch for sure!…

Excellent selection, dreadful experience. The store has an excellent selection of floss, wool, and threads. However...upon entering, the staff asked if they could help me find anything. I said, “I’ll let you know, thanks.” Two minutes later, one of them followed me to the other side of the store and asked me what, specifically, I was looking for. When I said silk floss, she repeated “silk floss?!” in a tone that suggested I had asked for powdered unicorn horn. She told me about most every kind of silk they carried, which was okay, if a bit more detail than I needed. It was clear from our brief discussion of my planned project, a clergy stole, that she had no idea what I was talking about, but I don’t fault her for that. They do specialize in needlepoint and I just wanted floss for embroidery. Which they have in spades.

As I was looking through the drawers of Au Ver d Soie, which are arranged with two different color skeins front to back (thus necessitating pulling them out to see both colors), another staff person asked me if I was looking for anything in particular, or just looking. I replied that I was just looking, thanks. She told me to let her know if I needed help finding anything. I selected some floss and prepared to look at the rest of the goods. As I headed toward the beads, another staff person told me to let her know if she could help me find anything. Mind you, the store is small, perhaps 1,000 SF, and all conversation within was easily heard by every party in there, so all of them heard everything everyone said. I was admiring the Paternayan wool, just as a visual treat. when staff member #3 asked “Do you have any questions?” I said, “No,” and she said, rather snippily, “Oh, I guess you know everything about all the threads then, huh?” I didn’t say anything, and she followed this up with yet another offer to let her know if she could help me find anything. As I was looking at some of the canvases, staff person #2 offered again to help me find things.

I might have put this all down to a slow day and bored employees desperately wanting something to do, but since I was in the store for perhaps fifteen minutes, and the store is so small, this behavior moved from over-solicitousness to borderline harassment very quickly. I got the distinct impression they didn’t want me actually touching anything, even though my hands were clean, I don’t *think* I look like a criminal, and people generally do touch things in stores. They also apparently could not cope with the fact that I did not really want help. I had, in fact, planned a leisurely browse, but they succeeded in making me feel so uncomfortable and angry that I left as soon as possible. And two other people came in during that same time, and were NOT given the same treatment.

Also, none of the threads are marked with a price. I understand not wanting to mark every skein, but a small sign at the top of the stand would not be out of the question. Notions were hidden in plastic drawers behind the cash desk and clearly you had to ask for whatever it was you needed—these were not rare and precious gems, just ordinary things like thimbles that you could buy at Jo-Ann’s. I often don’t know I want a new notion until I see it.

In short, I spent less than half what I planned to, and do not plan to return. I would rather support local independent businesses, but not ones that make me and my cash feel unwelcome. Next time, I’ll order online.…