How to Purchase a Box
First, thank you so much for your interest in my work — I sincerely appreciate it!
Everything I make is listed for sale on the shop page once it’s finished and ready to ship. Between releases the page often sits empty, and when that happens, please know I’m out in the workshop building the next batch. The schedule at the bottom of this page will give you a general idea of when that batch will be finished, and if you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll receive an email the day before new work is listed, announcing the exact date and time.
Items purchased during a release ship within three business days, and shipping is always free. Please note that I only ship within the United States at this time.
Although I no longer take pre-orders, I do welcome your input on a size, finish, or lining you’d like to see, and I take on a couple of larger orders each year for needlework groups and guilds. Both are described further down this page.
That covers the essentials. If you’re curious about how it all works behind the scenes, please read on.
One batch at a time
In the shop I like to work in batches, building a whole group of pieces together rather than one at a time. How long a batch takes depends a good deal on what’s in it.
I work this way because it makes the workshop far more efficient. Getting set up to bend the bands, for example, takes nearly as long for a whole batch as it does for one or two pieces. Milk paint is another good example: the paint I use comes as a powder that I mix fresh with water, so mixing enough for a single piece would waste a fair amount compared with mixing enough for twenty or thirty of the same color.
It does leave the shop page empty for a stretch, but when a batch is finished it all goes up on the website at once, so there’s a nice selection to choose from rather than a piece or two trickling in here and there.
Once a year I also set aside a month or two to get lumber ready for the season ahead. My logs are milled right here on the property; from there I dry the pine in my own kiln and plane and cut every board to size. It takes time, but good stock makes a real difference in the finished piece.
I work alone, so the shop page will sit empty now and then, and I appreciate your patience when it does. I’d rather send you a piece I’m proud of than one I hurried.
What release day looks like
At the announced time, every piece in the batch appears on the website. Most pieces are photographed individually, so what’s pictured is what you’ll receive. When I’ve made a few that are more or less the same, I list them as one item and set the quantity to what’s available.
One honest tip: items in your cart aren’t reserved until checkout is complete, so if there’s a piece you really want, check out with that one first and go back for any others. My shipping software combines orders going to the same address, so multiple checkouts are no trouble at all.
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If you’re looking for something in particular
I always welcome your input. If there’s a size, finish, or lining you’d like to see, please send me a note. I read every one that comes in, and what folks ask for helps shape what I make next.
Send me a note -
Larger orders for groups
A couple of times a year I take on a larger order for a needlework group or a guild. An order like this takes a good deal of shop time, so I need to schedule it well in advance. If you have something in mind, please write as early as you can and we’ll work out a timeline that suits us both.
Write me about a group order
Workshop Schedule
Updated August 7, 2026. This is a general outline and dates may shift a few days one way or the other. I’ll do my best to update it every couple of weeks.
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A collaborative project
Now – mid-September 2026
I’m working on a collaborative project with the Homespun needlework group that will keep me fairly well booked through the late summer and into early fall. The first batch, size #5 divided carriers made for the group, has been finished and shipped. I’m on to the second batch now, with more to come as the rest of the project takes shape.
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1801 newspaper boxes
Special release · in progress
Alongside the collaborative work I’ve got a special release underway — a small batch of size #6 oval boxes lined with original 1801 newspapers. The boxes have been bent and the papers cut, with the exterior sanding and finish coats left to do. I’m aiming to have them ready late fall.
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The holiday batch
After September 2026
Once the collaborative project wraps up, I’ll turn to building a batch of boxes and carriers to list here. My goal is to have that batch finished around the first of December — in time for the holiday season.
Since 1993 I’ve made these boxes the same way — by hand, in small batches, here in Embden, Maine.