Photograph by The Sintoses
It’s 4:00 on a Thursday afternoon in June at The Nimble Needle in Sandy Springs. The needlepoint shop usually closes at 3:30, but not today. On Thursdays, it stays open until 7 p.m. for what has been dubbed “late-night stitching.”
Thursday nights at The Nimble Needle might as well be ladies’ nights at the local bar. The place is humming with 20- and 30-something women (and the occasional husband or boyfriend), each with a needlepoint canvas in their hand. Some crowd around tables. Some sit in overflow folding chairs in the middle of the store. Some are on the floor, leaning against walls filled with colorful, cheeky canvases. All are working on individual pieces, directing a needle and thread in and out while catching up with friends.
Caroline Baer-Novajosky and Renee Brown cochair Stitch Club Atlanta. Once per month, at one of the city’s two needlepoint stores or a bar or restaurant, the duo hosts an open stitching invitation for all. Baer-Novajosky took up the craft in 2020 when, like many, she found herself seeking a new hobby. However, needlepoint has experienced an even stronger surge recently due to TikTok.
Photograph by The Sintoses
Baer-Novajosky noticed an uptick in interest after seeing a proliferation of TikTok videos about the hobby in late 2023. “Now, my TikTok account is also dedicated to needlepoint [content], and I have seen so many people drawn to the hobby through social media. It’s poignant to me that a social media app is driving people to a hobby that helps get them off the app, as well as connect with other people with the same interests.”
Baer-Novajosky isn’t alone in witnessing this social media–driven transformation. Mark Young, a co-owner with JP Sligh of Labors of Love, a needlepoint shop in Midtown’s Amsterdam Walk, agrees. “If we ask a brand-new stitcher how they found out about needlepoint, eight out of 10 people will say TikTok.”
Like his peers at The Nimble Needle, Young hosts “late-night” stitching on Wednesdays at his store to accommodate this blossoming crowd of young professionals. The evenings feature wine, signature cocktails, and such themes as “Taylor Swift.” They usually attract 15 to 20 stitchers each week. “They started bringing their friends and mothers because they’re finding that in addition to socializing, they’re also learning a lot about the hobby from the people that are in the room,” he says.
This new guard of stitchers is breezing through projects, making them eager shoppers. Unlike traditional canvas work, such as pillows and stockings, Young says this crop is gravitating toward small pop culture–related canvases, generally about the size of a holiday ornament. Because of the clear shifts, Young has had to reframe his wholesale approach. “I took five young people with me to the last market, and they helped me do a lot of the buying,” he says. “They knew what their peer group wanted, so we were able to stock items that appeal to the younger group that’s coming in.” The strategy worked; canvases emblazoned with “hot mess” or depicting cameo-style pet portraits were the first to fly off the shelves.
Photograph by The Sintoses
Marci Slotin, an instructor at The Nimble Needle, says she’s even noticed some couples shopping together. “I had the cutest couple [in the shop] last weekend,” Slotin says. “She was overwhelmed, but he was so into it, picking out colors with me. I said, ‘You’re going to take this up, aren’t you?’ He goes, ‘Maybe.’ So she’ll golf with him and he’ll stitch with her.”
The hobby was once a beloved choice for women of previous generations. It fell off in popularity before seeing a resurgence, partly thanks to the rise of neo-traditionalist decor. Local shops are rising to the occasion, and there is room for anyone curious to give it a try. “I wish people knew that it is not intimidating,” says Baer-Novajosky. “The best way to come to Stitch Club is truly by yourself to make new friends. It’s also okay to come and ask questions! We have had people come who have been stitching for one day, as well as people who have been stitching for 50 years. That is the beauty of our community.”
“Sometimes people are fickle with hobbies, but it seems like once you get into
needlepoint, you stick with it,” says the owner of The Nimble Needle, Jan Rogers. “It is not [just] an old-lady sport anymore. There are so many fun stitches and canvases to do, and there’s always something to learn. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I’m still learning. That’s the fun part for me.”
Walk into either of Atlanta’s needlepoint shops on an evening when the doors stay open late, and you’ll understand why this hobby isn’t a fad. The laughter, the focused creativity, the mix of seasoned stitchers and newcomers discovering their first canvas—it all points to a craft that’s found its moment. As this community continues to grow, Atlanta is proving that some of the most enduring trends happen not with a bang, but with quiet rhythm, like that of a needle meeting thread.
This article appears in our October 2025 issue.
