Couple opens cross-stitch store on Grand Strand to satisfy craft’s rise in popularity
Like many indoor stay-at-home activities during the coronavirus pandemic over the past 18 months, cross-stitch has gained in popularity.
Prior to July 30, cross-stitchers on the Grand Strand didn’t have a local store dedicated specifically to their materials. But they do now.
Amy and Memory Baker have opened Barefoot Needleart, a cross-stitch supply store in Surfside Beach.
“It’s an old craft and it kind of died in popularity, but now with COVID last year we’re seeing a big spike,” Memory said. “I think a lot of people are looking for things to do and they were stuck at home, so I think it’s really starting to come back. And then of course social media, like everything else, supports the growth.”
The store sells patterns, charts, floss, fabric, bags and accessories such as needles, hoops and frames.
Memory learned how to stitch as a child from her grandmother and Amy, who has a background in graphic design, began stitching in recent years. For the past three years the couple created and sold cross-stitch patterns and charts through their company named Barefoot, which was born out of Memory’s desire for a small cross-stitch to go in her kitchen, which Amy decided to create.
“It just kind of grew from one little tiny owl to this,” Memory said.
The couple was looking to move from Charlotte, N.C., to the coast to open a store, and their research discovered there was a dearth of cross-stitch stores on the Strand and throughout Georgia. They moved to the Myrtle Beach area in May 2020 and opened the store in Lorraine Plaza off a frontage road at 700 Highway 17 Business South.
“We looked at some locations in coastal Georgia but they just didn’t have the feel we wanted, and being from Charlotte we were familiar with this area and it kind of made the most sense for us,” Memory said. “We wanted something that was convenient for tourists and for locals to come with good parking. We just landed upon this space and it seemed to be the right fit for a start.”
There was previously an art supply and cross-stitch store in Pawleys Island called The Counting House, but it has been closed for many years.
“We moved here last year and decided there was nothing here so we’d see what we could offer,” Memory said.
Barefoot Needleart will have a grand opening celebration on Sept. 18. By then, the Bakers hope to have the store fully stocked. It’s not as full as they want it to be because much of their merchandise is imported from Europe and the supply chain has been impacted by the coronavirus and related government trade policies.
Amy and Memory take turns running the shop as they both have additional full-time jobs. Memory works with Solving Autism, which provides support and services for autistic children, and Amy is a dispatcher for the Landstar trucking company.
Store hours are currently 10 am. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 10:00 AM.
