Embroidery, according to Stitcher’s Corner owner Janet Palen, has not fared as well of late.  For mysterious reasons, activity at her shop has declined ever since the attacks of 9/11.  Though Stitcher’s Corner remains locally popular, and Palen provides the finest threads for clients all over the country, thread-work has unquestionably lost a step to knitting.  For now. 

The world of embroidery, which includes both counted-thread forms like cross-stitch and needlepoint, and free forms like crewel embroidery, is just as susceptible to trends and patterns as the knitting world.  The embroidery industry bears at least one important social distinction, however; it can be as stratified and exclusive as the fashion industry.  The most exciting and innovative patterns come from elite designers who then sell their ideas for reproduction to wholesalers, who in turn may sell them to retailers, who in turn sell them to enthusiasts. 

Stitcher’s Corner fits snugly in the middle of the picture, housing an impressive inventory of threads for fourteen years in what, from the outside, looks like a quaint operation.  Ms. Palen was kind enough to share with us the brief history of her antique cash register and the secret of her success in an industry that has weathered its fair share of storms.

I probably passed this place three or four times, it’s kind of hard to find.

We usually direct people to the 218 intersection.  You can see a sign for Stitcher’s Corner.  That might be good to include in the article (laughs)!

So when did you get started in Maine?

We’ve been in the business for over 40 years, starting in 1967 in New Jersey.  We’ve been here in Maine for 14 years, though.

And it began just as a knitting shop?

Yes, and from there we got into the needlepoint and the cross-stitching and the crewel embroidery.  We carry a huge inventory of threads, books, cross-stitch fabrics, we do classes, and we help whoever we can.

What made you decided to move to Maine?

My husband and I vacationed up here for many years with our children, and when it came time to retire, we decided to move up here.

Which part of Maine would you spend time in?

Popham Beach.

Have you found the clientele to be different here in Maine than all those years in New Jersey?

Clientele isn’t much different, but there’s a lot more of it. 

You’ve mentioned that business has slowed since 9/11.  Why do you think that is?

I’m not sure.  No one knows, really, but even the large retailers have felt a decline.

Is your business at all helped by this time of year?

Somewhat.  Most people have purchased ahead of time and are doing a project that, by now, they should be finished with.  But hand-made items obviously make great gifts this time of year, so that does help.

Who supplies your inventory?

I have a group of different wholesalers.  We carrythe complete line of Rainbow Gallery, Silk & Ivory, Needlepoint Silk, to name a few.

In your experience, what kinds of people are attracted to embroidery?  Why do cross-stitching as opposed to sowing or knitting?

People from all different walks of life do it, there’s no specific group that it appeals to.  In fact, I have several men doing it.

Really?

Yeah, really beautiful work.

Have you found that embroidery is valued as a social activity here in Maine, or is it more of an introverted activity?

It’s both.  We have a group that comes over on Wednesdays to stitch.  It started with just one person, but it’s grown since then.  We can fit six around the table, and then I have to start putting chairs elsewhere for the additional people that come (laughs). 

Let’s talk about your cash register.  It’s quite the artifact.

I bought that cash register from a man in a gift shop in 1967.  He sold it to me for fifty dollars because he wanted everything to be computerized.  That cash register has since gone up in value, and I imagine he has gone through several in that time span (laughs). 

A good move on your part.

And it still works!  I’ve had a little trouble with the drawer lately, my son is going to take the back off, some WD-40 should take care of it. 

But you guys are up to speed with credit cards and debit cards?

Yes, much to my dismay.  Linda [who helps run the operation] uses the computer, I don’t.  We use it for seeing what’s new, what’s going on.

In the embroidery world?

Yeah, there are always new kits and new fabrics and new materials.  It’s a fascinating business, it’s fun, and it’s very addictive.

What are some of the trends that you’re seeing in the embroidery world right now?

There are always new designs and new designers.  I have people from all over come for these threads because they can be hard to find.  You can get things online, but that doesn’t compare to seeing the threads in person and feeling them.  It’s very hard to find shops that stock these things.  I’m lucky, I don’t pay rent because I live here, but these landlords want so much for rent every month that, if business isn’t great, where does that leave you? 

So there’s not much competition for you?

Not really.  When I first went into business, I had a very limited sum of money, but I did well enough with my knitting shop.  Now, I don’t think you could go into this business without $150,000.  I really don’t.  If you don’t have that kind of money to start, and if you don’t manage it well, you’re not going to make it.

What’s been the secret of your success?

I love the business.  And I’ve been able to ride out forty years worth of slow times (laughs).  Now we’ve got gorgeous threads and a lot more you can do with patterns and so forth. 

Have there been any advancements in the materials embroiderers are working with in recent years, or has it all remained pretty constant throughout the years?

There are new materials all the time.  We started out with something called aida cloth.  Now we have all kinds of material for cross-stitch.

Was it a matter of people not realizing they could use materials like linen to cross-stitch?

Well, the old samplers were always done on linen, dating back to the 1700s.  But there are just more choices now.  Not everyone has the best eye-sight, for example, and they can’t work with finer fabrics, so we try to accomodate them so they can do more things.

It’s easy to forget just how old this tradition is.

In Europe it started around 1600 , but it does go back to the Egyptian era.  Doing a reproduction of an old sampler has become extremely popular.  The designer has to get the museum rights to go and copy the original pattern.  The Victorian Albert Museum in London has a collection of samplers that’s unbelievable.  Hundreds of them.  They’ve got them in drawers to protect them from light, and you can pull them out and take a look.  I spent hours in there.  It’s really fascinating.  More and more designers are doing this.  It’s a long process, but most of them just work out of their homes or small offices and wholesale their work.  

Embroidery is certainly a popular form of domestic decoration, but are there public venues where people can display their work?

Some designers will have shows to display their work, and you have to get permission to use their designs.  I have people who just buy those patterns and hang them on their walls with no intention of ever using them (laughs). 

So it’s kind of like the fashion world in the sense that these designers are coming up with ideas, displaying them, and then people adapt them to their own situation?

Yes.  This needlepoint [rug on her wall] is Elizabeth Bradley from England, and I have her kits.  Not many shops have those.

Stitcher’s Corner is located at 7 Washington St. in Wiscasset, which runs parallel to Route 1 upon entering the village.  Visit the website at www.stitcherscornermaine.com.