Meet Elyssa Gerber | Stitch Witch

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elyssa Gerber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elyssa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve been making things my whole life and had always wanted to sell my creations, but had some bad luck when I tried before, so when I had the idea to try again at the end of last year, I envisioned The Stitching Hour as the most relaxed side hustle possible. I wanted to cross-stitch all the time, and for the things I created to make their way out into the world and be loved by other people, and that would have been enough for me. Then I was laid off from my job at the end of January, and all of a sudden I had this opportunity to make it into something real. I thought that if I didn’t commit to it then, I never would. That same day I called a friend who started her own business the year before, and it just took off from there.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My focus is on the magical and morbid, drawing inspiration from a lifelong obsession with all things spooky and my experience living as a sporadically practicing pagan in the Sonoran desert. My pieces are a fairly novel approach to the craft, since most cross-stitch tends to be much larger. Many of my pieces are less than an inch across, and even the biggest of them is only about 2 inches long. Achieving the level of detail necessary to convey complex images at that scale is a real challenge, and I am so proud of how my pattern-making skills have progressed since I began last year. The value of my art comes from the amount of time that goes into each piece- some patterns take between three and six hours before I’m satisfied, and that’s before I’ve even picked up a needle to begin stitching.

I am very much at the beginning of my time as a professional artist, and for me the biggest challenge is not getting discouraged when things don’t go like I hope they will, whether it’s an ambitious pattern or a slow market. Everything is a learning experience for me, and I’ve learned so much in just a few short months from our incredible community of artists and makers. I just keep reminding myself that everyone was a beginner once, and no one gets anywhere they want to be by letting fear steer the ship. Nothing about running a small business is easy, but it’s so worth it to see my art out in the world making people happy. I feel most myself in the act of creation, and I want that joy to be something I can share with others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A running joke is that people come to Tucson to eat, (and they’re not wrong) but there is so much to do here! The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a great place to start desert newbies and animal lovers, but I’d also suggest a hike in Sabino Canyon and a sunset drive through Saguaro National Monument East to enjoy the scenery. I’d also take them on a mural tour to enjoy some of the hundreds of pieces of public art that make this such a beautiful city, and earmark an afternoon to explore a couple of the Bookman’s for treasures. The Tucson Museum of Art has reliably excellent rotating exhibits and a stunning permanent collection, and is close to some of the best thrifting and antiquing in the city. Other fun museums and places to visit are the Arizona History Museum, &gallery, San Xavier Del Bac Mission, DeGrazia Gallery, Tucson Botanical Gardens, and Tohono Chul.

But on to the food! Brunches at Baja Cafe and Bobo’s are a must, and midday coffee and snack stops include Coffee Times, Coffee Cricket, and Cartel. Some of my lunch and dinner faves are Ba-Dar, La Indita, Opa’s Grill, Ha Long Bay, Zayna’s Mediterranean, Guillermo’s, and Street Taco. For night life I suggest stepping out in dancing shoes to IBT’s, Club Congress, or Playground, or if the vibe is more sit-and-sip, snagging some tropical drinks at Kon Tiki or the Hut. Some less easily categorized Tucson gems are The Scented Leaf, Monsoon Chocolate, Houlden’s Rise Above, and the Mercado San Agustin, and of course you have to keep an eye out for pop up markets!

No trip to Tucson is complete without driving up Mt. Lemmon to visit Summerhaven and take a totally different kind of hike, a trip that I like to stretch into the evening to enjoy the city lights on the drive back down. Bisbee, Tombstone, and Lake Patagonia are also excellent destinations for a day trip. This is only about half of the things I came up with, Tucson is super diverse and has an incredible array of options to enjoy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My bestie Senovia Quihuis-Garcia (of Novia’s Bakery!) has been there for me absolutely every step of the way. She came running the day I got laid off with cookies and business advice, and has been so incredibly encouraging and helpful. I couldn’t have done it without her, and I know I wouldn’t even have tried. Thanks are also in order to my wonderful husband Rich, my sister Jayn, my parents Tina and Mike, and my grandma Shari, who have been the best support system an artist could ask for.

Website: https://thestitchinghour.myshopify.com/

Instagram: @stitchinghourneedlecrafts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090153908865

Image Credits
Main photo is taken by Jayn Adams