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When a little girl from Darien walked into the House of Needlepoint looking to take up a new craft, co-owner Kim Kernan grabbed the best kit that would help her learn, and then sat her down and taught her how to start with needlepoint. That's the kind of atmosphere Kernan and her business partner Beth Crump encourage in the store.
"We have formal classes, but we're always willing to sit down and show people how to do it," Kernan said. "We also have a regular group that comes in on Tuesdays and will sit and stitch while they talk and gossip."
House of Needlepoint had been a fixture in Darien for more than 20 years when Kernan and Crump bought it in 2007. Kernan had worked there part time for a few years when the previous owner, Annie Sullivan, approached her about buying the store. She and Crump had been avid stitchers for years.
"I've always loved to needlepoint, ever since I was a kid," Kernan said. She said customers particularly enjoy making special items such as pillows, stockings, ornaments and life belts that depict important moments in their lives.
"I like to make things that are keepsakes, things that are special to me and my family," she said. For example, when her kids went off to college in Colorado, she made them special picture frames depicting Western scenes.
"For a lot of customers, it's something relaxing to do. You can do it at night while watching TV, and you don't feel bad because you're doing something productive."
Kernan and Crump pride themselves on their customer service, she said, and the relationships they form with repeat customers.
"It's kind of like the show 'Cheers' where everybody knows your name. We really like having that kind of mentality," she said.
Have you ever stopped by and learned how to stitch at House of Needlepoint? What stores in town do you feel a special relationship with? Let us know in the comments.
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