I'm thrilled that the knitting store, Rib & Stitch, relocated here in Winnetka, nestled on a little…read moreHubbard Woods side street east of Green Bay road. A welcome surprise for me is how comfortable the owner makes me feel whenever I come to the store. A great big work table and a couple couches allow anyone come in, sit down, work, or just lay out the extraordinary materials you might want to try. Besides the fact that the owner acquires the most gorgeous yarns and materials, she is also so generous with her time and creative ideas. There is no pressure to sign up for classes, which I really appreciate. With my insane schedule and random knitting inspirations, I would never be able to keep up with any class. Although I seem to knit when a project pops in my head, plenty of other knitters would find the owner of R&S could steer them to any number of wonderful projects. Although she has placed many of her own inspired creations around the room and in the window, offering an assortment of ideas, she enthusiastically will help you with whatever project you choose to do. Just come look at the gorgeous skeins of wool around the room and you will NOT leave this store either empty-handed or lacking for ideas.

I was so excited they put a new yarn store in Winnetka, and I was not disappointed! The owner is so…read moresweet and willing to help you find anything you need. The store is new so there isn't a lot of yarn there yet, but it's very organized and reminds me of a high end boutique. There was a lot of knitting samples, but no crochet samples which was the only bummer. I will definitely be returning to this store!

Michael at EmroidMe totally saved the day!! We needed a last minute custom designed t-shirt for my…read moredad to wear before a wedding. Michael and his team were able to custom design the t-shirt in a matter of hours. On top of that, we gave them very little direction and they used their artistic ability to create something better than we imagined! The font choices were perfect and the shirt is high quality. Definitely check this place out for custom clothing orders!

I highly recommend working with Michail Grossman @ Fully Promoted. My daughter and son in law…read moreadded to their family. Gratefully a healthy 8lb 13 oz boy. I spontaneously stopped into his shop to see if a custom embroidered infant onesie can be fabricated on short notice. A few hours later I stopped back to pick it up when completed. Amazing customer service... amazing product. Thank you Michael.

My best friend had to move up her wedding 6 months which lead us (as the bridesmaids) to have very…read morelittle time (6 weeks) to piece together some special surprises for her. I had a very last minute, very difficult embroidery project that needed done- low top shoes. Two other stores told me they could not do it. Initial Choice invited me in and told me they would find a way to make my project happen. I went in an immediately felt like these people knew what they were doing and really cared about making sure my friend got what she deserved on her wedding day. They made several suggestions and I basically told them I would leave the project in their clearly capable hands. I went back to pick up the shoes a few short business days later and everything was perfect. I could not have asked for better work and better customer service. On top of everything I found their prices to be extremely reasonable. I cannot wait to go back when I'm not under pressure to have more projects done!

What would we do without The Initial Choice? Lake Forest offers an abundance of choices for gift…read moreshopping, but this is my go to place. The small store packs a lot in without being cluttered. They have an excellent selection of tasteful accessories for ladies, kids, men and home - at reasonable price points. Monogramming is a focus and they do it well! There is practically nothing that can't be monogrammed and the expert staff does a great job advising on style/size/color. The Lake Forest/preppy motif is clearly represented in the merchandise selection. Need a 60045 needlepoint key fob? Look no further!

Called and received two outrageous different price quotes for items not requested, with atrocious…read moreand judgmental customer service from marketing team. Zero stars.

We have tried working with this local company. First call the gal could give no info. Even showed…read moreup at their door to find a sign saying go around back. Where a Forman told us Noone was there in front office. We then went online and requested a quote. Called today to find out that their turn around is in fact 10 business days. Fail.

Gary is absolutely fabulous. He is so patient and provided excellent guidance in the selection of…read morecinch bags for favors. The quality of the stitching was outstanding! I would not go anywhere else now that I have used Stitchmine. I would give it 10 stars!

Gary at Stitchmine went above and beyond to deliver custom bags for us. Everything went smoothly at…read morefirst, and he was so patient in selecting the bags and working on the design. When the bags were suddenly on back order, like so much is these days, Gary found the bags from another vendor and had them overnighted for us. The quality of the final product is perfect, and they were delivered on time and within our budget.

I walked in with a picture and an idea--fairly well-developed. I needed t-shirts in a day's time…read more They looked at my request with an experienced eye, formatted and improved what I wanted, got my approval and delivered! The following day, the t-shirts got compliments galore. Can't get any better than that.

I remember being a kid, and one of my favorite stops was the t-shirt printing shop in the mall to…read moresee the latest transfers hanging all over the walls. I remember getting my most favorite shirt of all, a print of my super big crush as a kid--Shaun Cassidy. I can recall the smell of the heat press, and the excitement of the final product. It was a light blue shirt...see, just like yesterday? Around since 1977, HP Tops is your town t-shirt printing shop that has a space packed with garments and clothing blanks for all your printing needs...whether a Bar/Bat Mitzvah giveaway, a customized gift, or shirt for camp, this is your one stop shop. We needed a special shirt made, a simple black t-shirt with some lettering on it. We walked in, told the owner what we wanted, he arranged the letters perfectly on the heat press, and did the shirt on the spot in less than 15 minutes. All in all the total came to $21. Shirt cost + $.50 per letter. They have an online ordering system, but we were told it's better to come in to make sure it turns out okay. I personally suggest going in, because the customer service is off-the-charts fantastic, and the shop is a fun visit...even if you just want to browse and drum up a conversation. Nice to support local.

Abby helped me make a screen printing from an idea I had! I had a picture of something similar, I…read moreshould mention I'm disabled & don't really drive. We did the whole thing from idea to delivery! She's exceptional, we'd get to a 'snag' and she'd call me or send a picture, we'd figure it out. Abby's dedication to helping her customers is remarkable! She goes above and beyond 'customer service', she truly cares! Oh! The screen printing is perfect, exactly what I wanted. Yes, she's that amazing! THANK YOU! I would recommend to anyone needing screen printing!

I needed a quick turnaround on T shirts and Ultimate exceeded my expectations. Great Job!read more

Cute business alert!…read more This is one of those stories of passing by a shop a million times on my way somewhere, always telling myself I want to go back and check out that shop. And then, it happens again and again, until one day. That special day you make time and go in, and then kick yourself for not going in sooner - LOL! What an adorable shop with the sweetest business owners. A shop full of gifts and accessories made by local artisans. And, I might add, I'm obsessed with the Jade & Renee line as well. Do you see those sweet dish towels in my photos? Here's why you want to stop in. Because it's a shop where you'll find a little something for everyone on your list. They have baby gifts, toys, lotions, candles, super fun cards, socks with funny sayings and images, dishes, fun kitchen towels, and I know I'm forgetting a million things. Did I mention a few fun books and journals? Best of all, and what makes them super unique is the fact they do embroidery and t-shirt printing on site. Talk about a one stop shop! Please don't make the mistake of just passing by like I did for too long.

From the owner: gift shop specializing in handmade items and personalization. read more

Since I love looking @ different types of fabrics, yarn, and needle crafts, decided to visit here…read more So glad I did! This shop is really cool and has a lot to offer. Excellent quality of all their products! Unique fabrics that are gorgeous. The needlework kits, cross stitch and embroidery, were very unique too. Sashiko products are also sold here too, which is what I decided to purchase some of. Some of the items for sale here I had never seen anywhere else. The staff person working was knowledgeable, helpful, and nice. I also thought the prices were good because of the high quality of the items. Will visit here again on my next trip to Evanston.

Love love love love love. That's five loves! A 6th love is deserved for getting my fabric order…read moresent on time to my SIL on time for Christmas. I shopped and shipped everything directly from their website and never had to pick up the phone once! Oh, make that a 7th love for carrying Heather Ross fabrics. I'm obsessed with #HeatherRoss. I love to sew. I am crafty, and I have a huge love (can you tell?) with fabrics! Thanks to Evanston Stitchworks, you'll find really fun and unique designs at their shop (currently available online). This isn't your typical fabric store. They support really cool independent designers and quirky fabrics for quilting and making clothes...well for sewing anything really. They also offer knitting supplies and all the books you might need to learn how to sew or knit. Evanston Stitchworks also offers many crafty classes (currently virtual). A few years ago I took their beginning knitting class. For some reason my brain gets all discombobulated when I try to knit, but the class was really fun. The owner was patient and kind and did everything she could to help me fix my mistakes along the way. Everyone else knocked it out of the park, so it's just not something I'm good at. I'm so glad this small local business exists, and I'll continue to purchase fabric from them. Speaking of fabric, don't you just love the designs I picked out for my two little nieces? They are Heather Ross designs, and my SIL is planning to make dresses for them. Can't wait to see how they turn out!