Now, I have almost 1,000 square feet of shop, filled with my favorite designers, fabrics, fibers, embellishments and tools. My customer base has grown to around 1,500 stitchers world-wide, and finally the stitchers in Fargo can see first-hand what I've got to offer. Some have said they've never seen anything like the selection I have.
There have definitely been ups and downs. Nights I spent packing orders until after midnight. I've answered the telephone during dinner, or as the sun came up, or well after the sun went down. I struggled, sometimes, juggling raising a family and raising a business, folding laundry while charts were scanning. There have been frustrations with suppliers and backorders. But I've always been blessed with a wonderful customer base, and have had fun getting to know a lot of you over the past five years. Sometimes I've stood and looked at "my" flosses, Sampler Threads, Weeks Dye Works and wondered what wonderful things my customers were going to do with them. I send them out to every state in the U.S., and places like Ireland, Australia, Israel, South Africa, Chile, Japan.
Five years ago, stitchers were gobbling up reproduction sampler charts and big projects. Then, for several years, everyone wanted quick and easy projects with fun fibers and embellishments. And now I see a trend going back to more substantial projects again. Stitchers want new ideas, new themes, new color combinations. People are pickier when selecting charts nowadays. They want something more than what's already been done 100 times before. Some of the designers are starting to sense this, and are doing some really interesting designing now. I think you'll see more of a move to the unusual, and back to larger projects again.
I also think stitchers have become comfortable with the fact that they are never going to be able to stitch everything in their stashes, and that's OK. It's a perfectly normal hobby to want to collect things you like, and why shouldn't charts and needlework supplies count? I hear less, "Like I need any of this. I'll never stitch what I've already got," and more, "I can't wait to get this chart. I love it."
It's sad that shops are continuing to go out of business. Really, I think the industry will be OK. There are more designers and products now than ever. But I think local needlework shops, to survive (and I am one of them) need to serve their customers by being friendly, by being willing to accommodate special orders, and by keeping up with what is popular and of good quality. On-line purchasing has become a necessity for many people now, since there are fewer shops now than there were five years ago. I'm always happy to ship you what you need, but do visit your local shop, if you still have one. We're all in it together.
Thank you for making my dream come true. I always wanted to have my own little shop. I pictured it in an old house with a big porch. I ended up downtown in an historic building across from the old train depot where I had my senior pictures taken. I've always loved downtown, and now I can also see where my life had been leading me. Thank you for your continued business and for referring friends to my web site. And thank you for your kind words and ongoing friendship.
© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com