Annual Perfectly Imperfect Samples and Seconds SALE
It’s time. All year long we set aside samples, test cuts, and frames with wood blemishes, dings, dents, or other (sometimes practically invisible!) flaws. Then we clear it all out with 50% off!
When? Friday 8/1/25 at 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern. SALE is OPEN!
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Here's a quick Q&A to explain how our annual event works:
Q: “What’s in the SALE? I don’t want damaged merch.”
A: This is our Perfectly Imperfect Samples and Seconds Sale. It's a once-a-year clear out of all the frames that are set aside for one reason or another. Sold at 50% off. The items in the sale include samples (even some painted samples from our Seasonal Colors), prototypes, and seconds. The seconds may include “footballs” or other minor flaws in the wood, odd sizes, or test stain colors. They are all functional with some DIY attention.
Q: “What is a football?”
A: When Birch plywood is made, IF there's a knot in the wood on the top veneer layer, the manufacturer patches it with a football shaped plug. Those patches are fine when you're making furniture or cabinetry, but NOT on the face of an embroidery hoop frame. Luckily, we’ve been working with our wood supplier and get far fewer “footballs” these days.
Q: “What other flaws make something a ‘second’?”
A: There are a variety of things that might make me put something in the Seconds pile. We’re a small 4-women factory (did you know that?) and we design, cut, sand, finish, and ship everything right here in Northampton County, Virginia. Here are some things that cause a frame to be still-perfectly-functional-but-not-quite-ready-for-primetime:
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Too many “voids” in the plywood. A manufacturing issue that causes small gaps on the side of the frame. A few are OK, but too many are not. Easy to fill with wood putty or wall spackle.
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Blemishes in the wood. Dark streaks are part of the character of the wood. Frames with lots of “character” are usually stained with the darker finishes, but sometimes we miss one and it gets a white or natural finish. Oops!
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Sanding mistakes. Occasionally, we’ll see scratches or chips that were caused from sanding and not fully fixed. Rather than send them back for a re-do, they go in the Seconds pile.
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Someone ‘drops’ a frame during shipping… yep. That’s me. Dings and scratches from being in and around the shipping department may result in a "second".
Q: “How do you fix these things?”
A: Some of the flaws I’ve described are so minor that you’d probably never notice them! (I’m my own worst critic!) All are still higher quality than the typical product on the shelves at Michael’s. The easiest ‘makeover’ will be painting your frame– so pick your favorite color of interior wall paint or even acrylic craft paint and make it your own.
Q: “Can I pick which color frame I get?”
A: NOPE. For the sale, we group everything by HOOP SIZE only. The frames are a mix of all of our standard finishes, test finishes, and unfinished. We just fill each order with the best frame in the stack of the requested size.
Q: “What if I can’t find a hoop that fits the frame?”
A: If you get a frame and can’t seem to find a hoop that fits it, please email me and I’ll see if I have any recommendations. Plan B (which I’ve done a few times recently) is to make a circle out of foam core board and ‘lace’ the stitching to it. This is how needlework is framed in traditional frames.
Q: “This sounds like a lot of work…”
A: Maybe? You might get a frame that’s just what you want right out of the box. You might get one that needs a little sand paper or a coat of paint. If some DIY-time isn’t your cup of tea, we’d love to point you to the regular product pages. ;)
