If you are looking for the unusual in magnetic needle minders, you can’t do better than ones from South Beach Buttons. In the past few years, this wholesale button company has expanded into the needle minder market with what they call “magnet buttons.” We think of them as needle minders. but as they point out these can also be used as brooches, shawl pins, or buttons.
The minders are sold mainly through trunk shows at needlepoint shops. A selection of minders is sent to the shop. They let customers know through newsletters, email, or websites what is available. You order from the selection. The minders are an ever-changing collection and do not appear on the company’s website. As consumers, we can only know what is currently available by seeing what is available in shows or shops. I wish this wasn’t the case, but with constantly changing stock there are not many options.
I ordered three needle minders this way, the cat and fish pictured below and a millefiori glass heart that is not pictured. Two came right away. I am assuming that the third had to be made by South Beach because it had already sold. My minder came in about two weeks.
The cat is made from cut acrylic about 1/6″ thick. it’s over 2″ tall.It’s a generous size that will keep you from losing your needle on larger pieces. My one complaint it that the magnets seem too small for the expanse of the design. I know that increasing the size of the magnet can make them too strong.
The fish is enamel with a rhinestone eye. As you can see from the picture at the top of the page, it’s just over 1″ square. I much prefer this size.
The magnets are strong and the quality of the product is good. They are among the best made magnets I own. For me the eclectic selection outweighs the difficulty of finding them and the smaller magnets on bigger fronts. I hope to see them more widely distributed soon.
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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