Several years ago, I found Oliclips at a local bookshop. I was intrigued by them and tried them out for needlepoint. I liked that they clipped around the canvas edge and easily stayed in place. I also liked that the magnet was strong enough to hold a needle; many magnets made as bookmarks are not. I did not like the small size or the way they were not long enough to get farther away from the canvas edge. I could see that folks who used thicker stretcher bars or Ever-tites would have serious problems with them.
Although shops carry these as a lower-cost option for needle minders, I was not convinced.
Recently I learned that Oli is making larger sizes of the clips. The picture above shows a small and large clip side-by-sie on a canvas. I like that the large clip is longer, 2″ as opposed to 1.5″ for the small clip. This size will work with even the widest stretcher bars. The Oliclip will not work with Q-Snaps because of the way the clips grip. Because 2″ is the standard minimum margin for canvas, even this larger size will not interfere with your stitching. If it does, it’s easy to pull the narrow end away from the canvas edge.6
I also like that the rounded end is larger, and the magnet is stronger. Not only will the larger Oliclip hold needles and threaders, but it will also hold a lightweight pair of scissors securely. I tested this with pairs of 3″ and 4″ titanium scissors. Both held without moving. I bought my Oliclips from Oliblock, an Etsy seller. I also found some on Amazon.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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