Past Highlights
December 2025 the Sign of the Arrow was a collection site for hat, gloves and scarves to be donated.
November 2025 - Hot beverage cozies made by local refugee women from donated materials are available in the shop. Purchase one and help support a home-grown business working to support new immigrants.
2025 Our Fifth Annual Halloween Kit is here!
Debonaire Mellow Mac has arrived at the party, anxious to show off his newest monster mash moves. The kit includes a hand-painted canvas, all threads, a flower sequin with beads, needles, and a professional stitch guide. Measuring 3.5" x 5.5", Mac finishes nicely into an ornament or stand-up. Mellow Mac's smooth-surfaced, glow-in-the-dark needle minder has Neodymium magnets to keep your needles and scissors handy. The minder is sold separately or bundled to save.
Did you miss any of our previous Halloween ghouls? Find the characters and remaining needle minders HERE.
2025 Limited Edition Kit
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Introducing our Newest Exclusive Canvas In collaboration with Lauren Bloch |
2024
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each time a volunteer at Sign of the Arrow wears denim for her shift, she makes a $5 donation.
- Sign of the Arrow participated in Cardinal Glennon Card days to benefit the children’s hospital, October 18-27, 2024.
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Summer 2024 - Sign of the Arrow was recognized for its philanthropy, as a needlepoint and gift shop, and its community presence in the Summer Arrow 2024. Read the full article on the link below.
Threads of Community Connection
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Sign of the Arrow was featured in the 2024 September-October issue of Needlepoint Now magazine.
- 9814 Clayton Road Expansion, August 2024
Sign of the Arrow (SOA), the premiere nonprofit retail destination for needlepoint and specialty gifts, is excited to announce the expansion of our current retail space with the addition of 9810 Clayton Road. The Grand Opening Celebration will be on Wednesday, August 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The expansion of our retail space, located next to Glen Alspaugh on Clayton Rd, sits in the bustling heart of the Ladue Marketplace shopping district. This expansion will allow Sign of the Arrow to offer a larger sales floor, more appealing displays, and a greater number of in-person classes for those interested in learning needlepoint or mastering specialty stitches. The shop will be able to provide additional products and product lines, giving greater variety to our already expansive needlepoint and gift selections.
“SOA is very excited about expanding! It’s a natural evolution into the vacant space next door”, states Tracy Holtzman, Chairman of the Sign of the Arrow. “A larger shop will allow improved access to all SOA has to offer including more classes and new retreats. The mission of SOA, to provide philanthropic support to non-profit community agencies and educational programs, continues.”
“It has been a real pleasure working with SOA over the years. I remember ten years ago when they moved to 9814 Clayton Road. This was a major move for them. And now, we are even more excited to see them expand [into the space next door]. Seeing all of their knowledgeable volunteers, management, and board working tirelessly together has been a key to their success – not to mention their philanthropic support to charities. We wish them all the best,” states Tom Bourgeois, Managing Partner of Glen Alspaugh Co. & G.A. Properties.
Sign of the Arrow was established in 1966 by the St. Louis Alumnae Club of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity as a means to provide philanthropic support to community endeavors. Today, the shop is staffed by over 80 community volunteers who give over 14,500 hours annually to help run SOA. This past year was monumental as SOA surpassed $4 million dollars in grants to over 200 local charities since 1966.
“We are so grateful to the community for their continued support. Our volunteers and customers are truly the best. I love that our growth has given us the ability to offer more to our customers, which in turn allows us to give more to the community,” notes Julie Filean, General Manager.
Sign of the Arrow is widely known for its extensive selection of designer needlepoint, including hand-painted canvases, custom designs, custom finishing, trunk shows, and classes. Knowledgeable staff and volunteers assist both novice and experienced needlepointers. The shop also offers a variety of unique gifts, including decorative home accessories, holiday decorations, baby gifts, stationery, and more!
Shoppers can visit signofthearrow.com to shop online or contact the shop directly to place an order. Sign of the Arrow provides a widespread mail-order business to individuals and needlepoint shops nationally. Services include finishing, stitching, fabric and fiber selection for canvases, blocking, and custom painting.
- Melissa Gail Aptman Scholarship awarded.
For 2024 Nellani Sullivan of MS Beta (Ole Miss) was awarded the Melissa Gail Aptman Scholarship of $10,000. The scholarship was endowed by the St. Louis Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi and The Sign of the Arrow in 1999. Melissa Gail Aptman was a Washington University undergraduate and Pi Beta Phi two weeks away from graduation in 1995 when she was tragically killed. Since she was an avid community volunteer, the demonstration of past and current, and plans for future community service is a major criterion for selection.
2019
- 2019 Sign of the Arrow Philanthropy highlighted in Ladue News - Read Here!
2016
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In October of 2016, Sign of the Arrow celebrated its 50th Anniversary!
Join us for our 50th Anniversary Open House at Sign of the Arrow on Wednesday, September 7th, beginning at 11:00 a.m. We'll celebrate with special in-store promotions, discounts, drawings, and refreshments!
2014
- Grand Re- Opening
Read about our August 20, 2014, Grand Re-Opening, prizes, and promos in St. Louis Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com.
- Everybody's Talking!
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We're Moving!
After more than 40 years at the same location, Sign of the Arrow is excited to announce that we are relocating! Our new, expanded space will be just stitches away at 9814 Clayton Road - one block west of our current storefront. Thanks to you, our customers and volunteers who have supported us throughout the years, we are able to spread our wings. We are thrilled to be able to offer a larger sales floor, more appealing display space, and more convenient stockroom/storage areas. You will find expanded product lines, as well as some wonderful surprises in our new space!
We will remain open at the old location through July 31, 2014, but will close on August 1st. Sign of the Arrow will be up and running at the new storefront beginning August 11, 2014. We will not be accepting or returning any finishing at the shop during our move. If you are mailing finishing, rest assured that we will receive your package. Please expect a slight delay in return time.
Read more about our move in St. Louis Business Journal and Town & Style Saint Louis.
Subscribe to Our Email List and "Like" Us on Facebook to keep abreast of our progress and upcoming sales!
- Read an inspiring story from Mary Gordon, one of our longtime volunteers on page 38. For information on becoming a Sign of the Arrow volunteer, contact us.
2013
- "Kick Back and Relax Party"
On Saturday evening, August 24th, 2013, we were delighted to host a party for 40+ vendors who attended The National Needlearts Association (TNNA) Fall Needlecraft Market in St. Charles, MO. We love our needlepoint artists and suppliers, who provide us with fantastic merchandise for our customers. Thank you to our volunteers who staffed the party and made our vendors feel at home!
Represented were Jean Smith Designs, Kathy Schenkel Designs, Painted Pony, Strictly Christmas, The Point of It All, Leigh Designs, Danji Designs, Rebecca Wood Designs, Colonial Needle Co./Lee’s Needle Arts, Cooper Oaks Designs, Fleur de Paris, Custom House of Needle Arts, The Artists Collection, Patti Mann Designs, Barbara Russell Designs, Rainbow Gallery, Maddie Co./Ewe and Eye, Labors of Love, and Eat, Sleep, Stitch.
1997 & 1999
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Melissa Gail Aptman Scholarship
The St. Louis Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi and The Sign of the Arrow endow a scholarship in the name of Melissa Gail Aptman. Melissa Gail Aptman was a Washington University undergraduate and Pi Beta Phi two weeks away from graduation in 1995 when she was tragically killed. Melissa was an avid community volunteer. A critical component of the scholarship criteria is the demonstration of past and current, and plans for future community service. Read about the scholarship at the links below.
Arrow Spring 1997 - page 13.
Arrow Fall 1999 - page 30.
1967
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Sign of the Arrow sets up shop – Read about the establishment of “The 1867 Foundation” known as the “Sign of the Arrow” in the Spring 1967 Arrow, the Pi Beta Phi magazine on page 19 of the link below.