Excellent place for your needle felting needs! Staff is so nice and helpful - whether you are a novice or seasoned felter. So many colors!

Esther's Place is a magical wonderland. That's all you need to know. :) It is here, that I found myself at a table with a group of people from Sweden, eating homemade baked goods and poking needles into brightly dyed wool. We made felted acorns with those needles and wool. An hour prior to my visit, I never imagined that I would be doing that, but there I was, enjoying the company, poking, and learning a Swedish word or two. So glad I had the fortune to end up here. After a couple weeks of living in our RV near Elgin, we 'moved' to a campsite in Big Rock, a mile or so from Esther's place. Big Rock isn't a big (or very exciting) town, so I did a quick online search to see what kind of shops were nearby and this place popped up. Interested in doing a little bit of exploring, I stopped by here expecting to just look at yarn for five minutes. But no, I had a light lunch with a group of people visiting from Sweden, played with needles, and learned so much about the story behind Esther's Place. Well, that's a much better adventure anyway, right? In the two weeks that I stayed at the campsite nearby, I dropped by Esther's several times for whimsical inspiration, drooling over wool, conversation, and a quick afternoon of needle felting with some good friends. Not only can you swing by the charming house (there is a knitted monkey hanging out in a tree!) to sign up for a myriad of classes or farm tours, but you can purchase felting materials & wool, handmade treasures like little felted animals and knitted scarves, handmade soaps/lotions, and have a chance to pick up some farm fresh fruits and veggies in the warmer months. Stay for awhile and you might just be treated to a hospitable plate of pie or a glass of water as you sit and chat with the family. Natasha, the sweet woman behind Esther's place, is so warm & friendly, bubbling with enthusiasm for fiber arts and the community. I am amazed at how she made her dream a reality and has created this fantastic haven for people to come together and create delightful things. Her family also helps with the business (and the farm); it's nice to see a thriving family business in this sweet little town. Definitely visit Esther's Place if you have a spare afternoon and a desire to learn something new! read more

A coworker turned me on to the products from this place for needle felting and I couldn't be happier! Nice selection of wools at a very reasonable price! I can't wait to craft! read more

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Focused primarly on fiber, this is a cute store in an old house. This is a good place to go for roving. They also have yarn, including some custom dyed by the store in a wonderful array of colors. Their claim to fame is their felting kits - I love them. They also have a room for groups - classes, knitting nights etc. - and they have a "kitchen" where dyeing takes place. I did think the prices were slightly more expensive than other stores - but I wasn't doing strict comparison shopping, so could be result of fiber content etc. - so know your prices, if you are sensitive to that. Very service oriented, and many creative ideas. Love it. A little far for me, so this is a once or twice a year distination, but definately should be on felters and spinners lists of places to shop. Would I return? Yes, particularly for felting supplies, or a class. Would I recommend? Yes - for felters and spinners... not as much for knitters (though there are things there for them too) read more

I drove from Chicago so that my daughter could attend one of Natasha's homeschool coop classes and it was well worth the drive! What a magical destination. When you walk in, there are so many fabulous fibers and everything you need to create, as well as already made items. I looked around for a few hours and definitely didn't see everything! My daughter enjoyed the class which was full of various craft projects related to Spring. We are headed back for this months class and looking forward to purchasing some more goodies! Natasha was so warm and my daughter (5) warmed up to her quickly. I wish I lived closer so I could attend her many classes. What a gem! read more

Esther's Place Fiber Arts Studio - Hobby Shops Near Me - Big Rock, Illinois

This place is incredible. It's family owned and run. Wonderful people! Good company : ) Just about what every business should aspire to be. Not only all of that, but their products are also fantastic. Five stars hands down. If I could give this place ten stars, I would. I've been needle felting since college. I went to Concordia in River Forest. My instructor purchased all of her rovings and tools from here. I went on to do an independent study in felting and have done a great deal of work since in this subject matter. I take my work to craft shows and people absolutely LOVE the vibrant colors and feel of my wool needle-felted work. I have a number of different types of work on the table, but customers are always drawn to the needle-felted works the most. Every time, I tell them where I get my rovings and how they can go take a class or take a field trip etc. (I should get their business cards and hand them out at my shows : ) I was ordering online for years, and then finally, my sister and I actually went out there for a day outing. It was most excellent. We were treated with utmost care and hospitality. The shop was more beautiful than I could have imagined, and Natasha's work is simply breath-taking. I've never seen anything like it. If you want to fall down a rabbit hole for a day - just visit Esther's Place. It is truly the most whimsical place I have ever visited. I would go every day, but I don't want to ruin it! : ) --------------- P.S. I read in one of the other posts that they believed the prices to be higher than other places. I don't know if that's true or not. I've never explored elsewhere because I have always been so completely satisfied with my purchases. Now that I've been there and I've seen just how family-centered the business is, I can't imagine them charging anything past what is fair. I also now know more about their morals and what they stand for. I can't say that when I go to somewhere like say, Michaels, I am proud and happy to be supporting specific morals and values. That is why I don't think I ever will look elsewhere for my felting supplies. Even if I spend an extra dollar or two per roving, I would rather be spending that dollar towards people I can actually see and appreciate for what they do and who they are. read more

I am visiting from Florida and was out to Esther's Place almost a week ago This place completely ROCKS! Natasha and her mom are the nicest, most generous people around, and these people attract the same. We did a leaf and acorn felting class and despite some minor puncture wounds, and some deeper ones in my wallet, I would go do it again in a heartbeat. I wish I lived closer to become more involved in their classes as my sister and niece are. They offer great classes in felting, weaving, canning, etc.... Loved it and you will too! read more

This place is amazing! It has become a community place in the quaint village of Big Rock. There is so many great things happening here, whether you want to learn to knit, felt, weave or crochet. You can buy handmade Illinois- grown fiber, hand- dyed by Ester's. You can visit a local farm and see the process of how things are made. You can just stop in and grab a cup of tea! You can also make an event of it by staying overnight in the darling rooms in the charming old Victorian house where this unique studio is located. Ester's Place, I applaud you and your vast and friendly efforts on helping people to love the fiber arts, and also to support IL farmers. read more

If you need inspiration you need Esther's!! They have a Great selection of roving, books and yarn craft supplies! You can also find handmade buttons and soaps. They have classes if you want to learn a new craft and you can go on a farm tours to see the sheep. Comfortable no pressure atmosphere perfect shop for all my favorite things! If your a first time buyer of quality yarn, you might have a feeling of sticker shock but all the prices are comparable. Support your local business. read more

I loved this place. It is a charmer my store that focuses on woolen fibers, offering classes in a cozy environment.

What an amazing place. My daughter took summer day camp here a few days ago. They made and preserved summer berry jam. They made bread. They planted an herb garden. Cared for farm animals... etc. I cannot believe she learned so much, had so much fun, and came home with all of these amazing creations for $40 dollars! Every single aspect of Esther's was truly wonderful. We will come again and again. read more

This is a fantastic shop owned by the nicest lady. They have all kinds of fibers, yarns, kits, books, and even some times veggies from their farm! They also teach all kinds of fiber related classes to both adults and children. I would definitely recommend stopping by to meet them! read more

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES Have you ever been to a place of high creativity where the people and all they do just astound you? Well, twice I have been to Esther's Place in Big Rock, IL....here's a link to that page and I must say it's also a great B&B type place which first/foremost offers fiber & textile classes such as knitting, felting coupled with all the amenities for a restful day and overnight stay. A fully stocked shop with wool/yarn, books, crafting kits, hand made gifts such as jewelry, hats, art pieces, etc. Also worth the visit is seeing all the creative clothing made by Natasha which is combined with nature's very own materials--silk, wool and recycled clothing. Deliciously scented lanolin soaps & salves abound made from their own harvested raw materials from their own herd of Cheviot sheep -- an adorable flock which, upon request may also be visited at their farm but a stone's throw away from the shop! Yes, it's a little bit o' country within an hour to 1.5 hours drive from Chicago...the surrounding farm landscapes alone make the drive worth while. It's close to Elburn, Geneva, Batavia ... antique shopping made easy as a result!! The classes are such visual & tactile creative outlets coached (and coaxed) out of you as you try new crafts that could become life long passions..personally, I now enjoy needle felting and I made my first decorative egg (Feb. 2012) & a facsimile of a Welsh breed of sheep (this past week). I bought a book and wools of various colors to also learn how to create more animals. The ideas are endless! Natasha, the Founder of Esther's place is an amazingly talented & award winning young woman who is gifted in many fiber and design skills and whose mom, Donna runs the business with her....and, I must not forget to tell all of you they do this while their family also collectively run a farm nearby raising organic wool harvested from their very own Cheviot sheep....and seasonal gardens of organic vegetables to boot. You may be asking at this point, "what else do they not do?"...Well, if you might consider doing a retreat package I must boast on their behalf that Natasha and her mom are also amazing cooks and most gracious hostesses so do not hesitate to include this package when you enroll in a class or stay at their Fiber Shop home retreat! Where the Lehrer whole family gets their energy is well beyond my ever understanding but they have my complete admiration and, if they'll have me, a lifelong devotional friendship! My sis Koren originally found this place of respite and creativity and it served as a great retreat for the two of us as at that time we were processing the passing of our lovely mother, Utako--the timing could not have been better or more healing. Never has this place left my thoughts, so I ventured back there this week to honor my friend Merrie who hit some lifetime milestones, also has a degree in textiles and just knowing she would love it ... booked an overnight retreat. Of course we had a wonderful time and I just had to tell all of you about this wonderful place, great, kind and passionate artists and all around good folk ... so please link to the site and do seriously think about tapping into this place for a girls' weekend or day visit and/or an overnighter...it's beyond great, it's motivating, stupendous & life enhancing....Thanks Natasha & Donna! read more