I hope everyone had an amazing holidays and is having a great start to 2020. Today, we are kicking off 2020 with an incredible interview with the amazing, Kristen Daniels. Not only is she a performer she runs her own business as well. Her creativity, kindness and hard-work are like no other! I can’t wait for y’all to learn more about her in this interview!
What’s your name? How old are you? Where are you from?
My name is Kristen and I am 24 years old. I’m from Orange County in California.
Tell us a little bit more about 42nd Street Stitches
It’s a business surrounding the blend of both my love for creating physical art (in this case, embroidery) and my love for the art of theater. By combining the two, it is a creative way of displaying the love someone has for a show in a piece of art that they can look at every day on their wall.
What made you start 42nd Street Stitches? What was the process like? How did you come up with the name for your shop?
After learning the embroidery basics, it felt like a natural stepping stone to begin embroidering the thing I love most- musicals! It just seemed to be the next step, so I began learning more technique that would help in these kinds of hoop designs. I came up with the shop name with some help from my parents actually! Haha! I was brainstorming ideas, and knew I wanted something catchy with some alliteration. I threw around putting “broadway” in the title, but wanted to link in embroidery too. My mom came up with the name idea, and I knew it was the one.
What is the design process like for your hoops?
I do research on the show first when I am given a commission or make one for myself. I look up inspirations online and the show’s aesthetic, and then set to work on drafting a design. I usually have some trial and error, and play along with different ideas as I create the hoop. The good thing about working with thread versus paint or other materials is that if you don’t like something, you can always rip it out and start again. 🙂
How do you manage both performing, 42nd Street Stitches, and everyday life?
It’s a little tricky to balance. My performing is my primary job, so it usually takes the forefront at the moment. However, I make as much time as I can to stitch hoops (you can catch me usually in the dressing rooms working on a hoop in my spare time between scenes- haha!). It’s a fun thing for me to do and I know it makes people happy, so I’m happy to make time in my life to do it.
What’s your favorite part of owning 42nd Street Stitches?
I love seeing how happy people are when they receive the hoops. I feel like I am introducing an art form not seen very often since embroidery is not a very mainstream art for young people. I also love interacting with people on Instagram and sharing photos I take of my pieces. It makes me so happy to see that many people enjoy my art.
What has it been like seeing the impact that 42nd Street Stitches is having on people? Any stories you would like to share?
My favorite thing is to hear the stories of my hoops being given as gifts. To give people a gift of my art is something that warms my heart, knowing they now own something I have helped create. One instance that sticks out to me is creating a gender bent version of Dear Evan Hansen that was a birthday present for a girl who’s name was Evelyn. It was requested for me to make it Dear Evelyn Hansen and she loved it! She loves the show and felt a connection to the role of Evan, so having a custom art piece that reflects her specifically is a pretty cool thing to make.
Any advice you have for someone wanting to start a business?
I’d say just go for it! Don’t be afraid to start small. I still remember the day I reached 100 followers on Instagram and being so excited that people were actually interested in what I was making. My advice is if you put in the work, people will notice. Work hard to make your business as good as you can possibly make it and be open to learning from your mistakes. 🙂
What do you see for the future of 42nd Street Stitches?
One thing I just launched was embroidered patches, so creating more product ideas is something I see in the future. I’d love to create more smaller items that expand from just hoops to open up more options people can buy.
Who is a woman that you look up too in the theatre community and why?
I look up to Jen Kahn in the theater community. She is the owner of Scenery Bags, a company that takes recycled backdrops from closed shows and makes them into clutch purses. She is such a hard worker and has created such an amazing business and parts of her earnings go towards helping kids see theater. I love how she runs her business and truly look up to her as a model of what I would want my business to become one day.
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