Call Us: 610-678-5448
New Address
For the first several years, The Wool Studio operated out of Rebecca and Bill’s house. After outgrowing their house, the Studio moved to the location we have held in West Reading. Now, after 15 years at the West Reading location, the property owner is interested in exploring other options. In March, we began the move to a new, larger location in neighboring Lancaster County, PA. Only the physical address has changed and our telephone, email, and curbside pickup policy all remain the same.
Stash-Builder
New and experienced wool users alike, enjoy having a stash of fabric that gives them variety and options for the ‘just right’ color or texture for a specific area of their project. To assist you in building (or adding to) your stash, we have started a Stash-Builder ordering option.
Learn more about this option on our Stash-Builder page.
2% discount on wool order subtotal for paying by check with Net Terms
Why we are implementing a “pay-by-check” discount: Credit cards are often perceived as convenient but have several downsides for the merchant. Beyond the pain and delays of having to get fresh card info from the customer for each order, cards cost us thousands of dollars every year in processing fees (i.e. merchant service fees). Merchant service fees are a significant business expense for us every year. Many customers assume using a card gets us our money faster, however many don’t think about the cost to us of running their card.
Customers tend to use a card for one or more of the following reasons:
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To get points, miles, cash back, etc., but while card users are enjoying these perks, it is at the expense of the merchant.
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To complete the transaction so they don’t have to remember to send a check.
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To defer their expense until the next card billing cycle.
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To streamline their business or personal expenses.
It is our hope that by offering a discount, we can encourage more customers to move away from cards and send checks instead.
Q: Can I still pay by card?
A: Yes, you may still use a Visa or Mastercard as always, and there will not be any additional fee added. However, if you choose to continue to use a card you will not be eligible for the 2% wool discount extended to Net Terms customers (Net 10 for retail and Net 30 for wholesale customers).
Q: I am an international customer and pay by card. Can I still get the discount?
A: Unfortunately, no. Because of the need to use a card to handle the exchange rate fluctuations, a check discount will not be available to customers who are not able to send a check in US Dollars.
Q: What if I forget to send a check?
A: If we find that you have an outstanding invoice in our accounts receivable report, we will reach out to you, as always, to have it researched or remind you to please send a check.
Q: What if I accept Net Terms, receive the 2% discount, but decide later I need to use a card?
A: Contact us to let us know you may be late but do send us a check. If you must use a card, after you have accepted Net Terms, we will add back the 2% to your wool subtotal PLUS an additional 3% process fee to your grand total when the card is run.
Q: The Wool Studio will not extend me Net Terms and requires me to use a card. Can I still get the discount?
A: Unfortunately, no. We have required you to use a card when ordering because of an inconsistent or late payment history under Net Terms.
Q: What if my mail is slow or the envelope gets lost in the mail?
A: If we find that you have an outstanding invoice in our accounts receivable report, we will reach out to you, as always, to have it researched. First we will ask you to research to see if you show record of the check being written. Second, we will ask if you see record from your bank that the check was cleared (i.e. deposited by our bank). If there is record of it being written but not cleared, we will ask you to please send a new check.
Q: Is the 2% discount on the wool (subtotal) or the entire order, including shipping (grand total)?
A: It is on the wool only. We cannot directly control shipping costs and freight is a pass-through expense for The Wool Studio. When we accept a card as payment, our merchant service fee is based on the grand total (which includes the UPS shipping charge). This is another reason why cards hurt our profits so much.
Q: How much will I save by paying by check vs using a card?
A: It will depend on your price point. If you are paying $26.00/yard, 2% is a savings of $0.52/Yard. This means you are paying $25.48/yard. Following this example, the new $1.00/yard price increase starting in Jan 2024 will be more than cut in half if you pay by check! Said another way, paying by check erases more than half of the price increase!
In-Studio Shopping
After much consideration we have decided that The Wool Studio will no longer open for in-person shopping. Over the past decade the Studio’s business mix has shifted significantly toward wholesale (i.e. business-to-business supporting teachers, shops, and on-line retailers who sell wool fabric off-the-bolt, bundled and/or overdyed). For many years we have worked to accommodate individual retail customers who were interested in browsing, planning projects and purchasing a few pieces cut during their visit. However, these visits are sometimes challenging to schedule for mutually convenient times and often require longer browsing and shopping experiences, visiting and consulting. The pandemic has highlighted for us that curbside pickup of a definitive order can still accommodate local customers while supporting the Studio’s workflow.
If you are looking for an in-store shopping experience, we encourage customers to consider shopping with the regional businesses and teachers who stock a wide variety of wool (often including items we no longer have in stock), have regular hours, and are both knowledgeable and configured to better support retail customers. What’s more, this patronage supports our regional businesses… especially coming out of the pandemic.
The Wool Studio will continue to vend at regional hook-ins, bringing a wide variety of cut, off-the-bolt items. We are also happy to cut orders for curbside pickup at the Studio. For wholesale and retail customers alike, the best resource to see what we have in stock is our eSwatches: if you see it on our website, we are likely to have more than enough to fill your order. For active customers (purchasing two or more yards of wool every 6 months), comparing the eSwatches against your quarterly mailer swatches will help you accurately assess colors.
The Wool Studio will continue to sell to retail and wholesale customers as we have done for the past 24 years. If you would like to place an order just call or email. If you would like to pickup an order, call or email to coordinate a curbside pick-up.
Tighter Weave
Starting with items swatched in July 2019 and forward, customers will notice a tighter weave/density improvement to the pieces in our mailers, which represents a significant investment by The Wool Studio.
Users can cut many of these new, truly 100% wool items down to a 4 and up to an 8.5 or hand torn with confidence and without fraying. If you are a fine hooker, these new items will give you a much broader selection of textures to use in your projects. If you use our wool for appliqué, trees, proddy, shirring, upholstery, etc., you will notice tighter edges on even more intricate patterns. What’s more, you can cut and hook these new items, down to a 4, without washing.
We have had many conversations with customers about washing wool since our July mailer introduced our tighter weave (TW, improved density). While our experience tells us it is not necessary to wash these selections before hooking with them, we highly recommend using your common sense when you decide to wash or not to wash your wool. When you receive your order you may want to rip, cut and hook a piece or two to determine if it works just the way you want it to… if it does, you are ready to hook without further processing. If you prefer tighter or softer, please consider a cool rinse cycle with fabric softener and a cool or warmer dryer if you want it to tighten a bit more. We offer many selections and textures with every mailer and to do so requires various weaves. This process means there may be some wool selections, depending on the weave, that you may prefer to tighten a bit with a warm wash or dryer, or you just know the wool will work perfectly as it is. The decision is yours.
Please note that because of the improved, tighter weave (higher density), you will notice a “crisper” sound when you tear your wool. This is a result of the yarn specification, not a result of synthetic content! If you want to be sure, test it for yourself. See our simple, conclusive bleach test spelled out for you on our FAQ or Tips and Tricks page of our website. This is the only conclusive test we have found. Listening, burning and ironing are subjective and can not identify the wide range of synthetic material that can be used to cheapen costs.