Keeping Northern Virginia 'In Stitches'

The needles are clicking at , the Mount Vernon area's full-service needlework shop in the area. 

"It seems that in this area, people who have the money to stitch continue to have money to stitch. They might not go out to the movies or eat out as much, but for them stitching isn't a hobby — it's a passion," said owner Ellen Meyer, who recently spoke with Patch.

Life on the Farm

Meyer was born and raised on a 180-acre farm in Clarkson, Neb. (population 600). As the second of three children, she was put to work early growing soybeans and corn and raising hogs and chickens. Her one-room elementary school had 11 other children.

"It gave me a strong work ethic. If there's a job to be done, you do it until it's done. That can be a virtue and a fault because there are days when I don't get out of here until 8 p.m.," she said.

Meyer was introduced to needlework in her local 4-H Club. "The boys took care of the livestock and we did home economics-type stuff like sewing and cooking," she said. 

Meyer's study of textiles and business at the University of Minnesota proved prophetic. After graduating with a degree in Home Economics, she became a home economist for Minnesota Fabrics. In 1981, Meyer's husband, Dan, got a job on the Hill with then-U.S. Sen. Rudy Boshwitz (I-Minn) and the couple moved to Northern Virginia. 

"I thought we'd only be here for two years," said Meyer. "I never imagined I would be an entrepreneur."

In Stitches

Meyer worked as a home economist until the birth of her first child in 1988. She began working part-time at the new needlepoint shop "In Stitches" in 1990, and bought the shop with a partner five years later. Meyer bought out her partner in 2005.

"I was really not looking to do this, but it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. It just seemed like the right time and place," Meyer said. "It was a good choice. There's not a day that goes by that I don't want to come in to work." 

The business employs 14 part-time staff. "Retail doesn't pay very well. Everyone who works here is passionate about needlework and loves people."

Meyer does her own books and seems to amaze employees with her memory. "We order from 100 different companies," she said. "I don't have a bookkeeper. We're a real small business and I will special order anything." 

Susan Simpson has been creating needlepoint canvases for her family the last 25 years. "I do it to relax. I do it on airplanes, in meetings, in hotel rooms," she said. "I used to buy my materials at another store, but they were not customer service-friendly, which is what sets this place apart." 

Kathleen Oller of Leesburg has been coming to In Stitches since 1990. "It's a friendly atmosphere. The customer service is great and so are the products and they just build a relationship with you," she said. "They just do an impeccable job of filling a niche for those of us who are passionate about the needle arts."

The shop, which also hosts needlework courses and seminars, provides: 

• Handpainted and pre-worked needlepoint canvasses design kits
• Hand-dyed linens 
• Fibers 
• Yarn and knitting accessories
• Custom framing