BagSmith is the North American distributor of Sajou products.

BagSmith®  is very pleased to present: MAISON SAJOU
A message from Frédérique Crestin-Billet, owner of Maison Sajou

For 50 years, Jacques-Simon SAJOU devoted his time and inventiveness to fancy needle work. During the 1830s he started la Maison Sajou and was honored many times over the years. He received many first class medals during the Universal Exhibitions, including a silver medal at the 1889 exhibition. Their purpose was to sell supplies for all types of work – embroidery, tapestry, guipure, bobbin lace, crochet, weaving, and other needle arts.

It was of course, perfectly logical that alongside this activity, Mr. SAJOU set up numerous pattern albums which, according to fashions and topics, came in many different colors and forms. These albums have now become highly sought-after collectors’ items, their content and presentation being very seductive.

As for me, I fell under the charm over twenty years ago when I became interested in embroidery and haberdashery objects. My hobby was put on hold for a while after the arrival of my children, my job, and other financial priorities, but these objects continued to be a source of inspiration for my numerous embroidery projects.

After a while I managed to earn a decent living with my other great passion for books, managing to combine work and pleasure by publishing books on cross stitch, satin stitch, and also on thimbles and scissors.

While preparing for a new project, I threw myself back into my ever-increasing collection of SAJOU albums. Having read very little about this company, I decided to investigate further and quickly discovered that the wonderful name of SAJOU had not been used since 1954.  In France, once a business is retired, the company name is protected from use for fifty years.  My discovery meant I would be able to reintroduce SAJOU as the trade name for wonderful needle arts products in the SAJOU tradition of quality and artistry.

From then on everything moved very quickly and the first SAJOU products received a very warm welcome.

My aim is to present the vintage albums as they were, without edits. Relying on the excellent reputation of the name SAJOU, I hope also to propose products that will honor them, using modern production methods and contemporary marketing techniques to make them known and appreciated. Everything evolves from a world that reminds us of the haberdashers of yesteryear – a world of quality and ingenuity. I hope that you will appreciate this approach, born of a passion for needlework and an intense admiration for the works of the 19th century. Welcome to SAJOU.