Welcome to The Thread Mercantile!
Welcome in to The Thread Mercantile!
I’m so glad you’ve found my shop & that you're here! The Thread Mercantile is currently an online-only fabric & sewing shop based in WI, USA.
What is The Thread Mercantile?
TL;DR: If you love vintage, color & either already love to sew or have an interest in it, you’re in the right place!
I am VERY inspired by bygone eras. I dream about what shopping in a mercantile from the 1800s would feel like! Imagine shopping at Oleson’s Mercantile from the Little House on the Prairie! Outside of Harriet Oleson’s drama, I think it’d be pretty cozy!
Pair that vibe with being a child of the 80s/90s where Lisa Frank's vibrancy and whimsy colored my life, you understand where all the inspiration around here comes from. I will never forget, I had the coolest Trapper Keeper (remember those?!) but it was a full-zip (which was super important to me so that I would never risk losing ANYTHING). It had these little sealed areas on the front that were filled with liquid & glitter. It was so entertaining to play with during class (when I should have been paying attention)!
Those vibes from my childhood never left – so now the child in me naturally gravitates towards Ruby Star Society fabrics & other vibrant, funky fabrics from unique designers. As well though, I can’t ignore the adult that’s developed in me, who very much loves the earthier, more natural, cozier fabrics. Softer colors, woven fabrics. For when lux is the desire!
Yes, please. To all of it.
I want to do what I can in my lifetime to ensure that the skill of sewing gets passed on to the next generations. I’ve set out to do that by mixing all of the things that personally inspire me – offering it up, to find those who are also inspired by the same aesthetic. Working with our hands and creating the items we want to exist in the world is a form of therapy, a way to be very intentional, a way to slow down and rebuild our ability to focus…improving all of those areas of our wellbeing, learning the entire way (which also feels amazing!) and end up with a kickass item in the end! I want more people to rediscover the skill of sewing, in whatever form appeals to them.
What can you find at The Thread Mercantile?
At The Thread Mercantile, you will find a blend of dry goods (sewing fabrics & supplies) along with handmade, finished goods, ready for you to use!
For dry goods, I work diligently to source the highest-quality modern fabrics, legit vintage fabrics (no reproductions!) and fun & unexpected patterns and notions. I will only offer those fabrics, supplies & patterns that I have used myself, in my own personal projects so I know firsthand that I can attest to their quality.
For the handmade, finished goods – I am a compulsive maker who can’t help herself but to make another bag, another quilt and let’s add some garments to the mix! So know, any finished good you buy from the shop was made by me! (I may have said a swear word once or twice while making it but rest assured, only good vibes went into it! ☺️)
Where can you find The Thread Mercantile?
The Thread Mercantile is an online-only shop at this time. You can find the shop directly at www.threadmercantile.com or I am on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/theThreadMercantile. Both shops are stocked with the exact same items. The perks of shopping directly is a shipping break & SPECIAL sales. The shipping break is: $7 shipping on FABRIC on orders up to $149.99 & then FREE SHIPPING on orders $150+. I will run SPECIAL sales periodically throughout the year but only on the website. (Pro tip: Sign up for the email newsletter to be notified of these sales! Email newsletter sign up is at the bottom of the page, under the heading "Subscribe to stay in the know" 👇).
Non-fabric items don’t have a flat rate because most of the time, they are a lot smaller and weigh less than fabric yardage so typically shipping on those items should be less than $7.
Animal Rescue/Shelter Donations
I absolutely love dogs; I have my entire life! My daily assistant is my girl, Kiki, a 2 year old rescue (shown in photo above!).
I’ve had the absolute joy & honor of being a dog mom to:
Jake, a Yorkie Poo, on the left in the above photo, who lived a full 16.5 years, passing in November 2025
Jagey, a Teddy Bear Shih Tzu, on the right in the above photo, who lived a full 17 years, passing in January 2024
Lucy, a West Highland White Terrier, who lived a joy-filled 14 years, passing in June 2020
Getting to walk life’s journey alongside dogs has been my life’s biggest honor. To honor all that they’ve given to me, 10% of ALL sales each year will be donated to various pet rescues/shelters/causes.
Finally, who runs this shop?
Hiiii, my name is Erika. I have been sewing since I was about 7 – making my first quilt on, believe it or not, a Singer treadle machine that sat in my family’s dining room! Throughout my life, I’ve had periods where sewing had to take a backseat to life but I always have returned to it, time and time again. It is a way of slowing down, getting to be very intentional about the items I make to use in my daily life & simply enjoying the process of playing with color.