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SHORT HISTORY OF A SMALL
STITCH
Chapter 5: Pawleys Island and the "10 Second
Course"
The needlework department at
the Hammock Shop in Pawleys Island was a long enclosed sun
porch with a brick floor. The length was about forty feet,
the width about ten feet. Low cabinets and a counter ran
down the window side and various tables lined the opposite
side forming a narrow aisle in between. At first the
embroidery shared space with kitchenware and toys, but
gradually counted cross stitch filled the length of the sun
porch and threatened to overflow around the corner into
other departments. It was a small space to enclose so much
excitment.
And it was exciting. At
first, I was alone on my porch, then I acquired an
assistant. Eventually, there were ten clerks as summer help
and on busy Saturdays or rainy summer days, clerks and
customers were packed in our area as closely as pins in a
box.
In the earliest days everything
needed explanation. The common response from someone seeing
their first counted cross stitch was, "What is it? I could
never do it!" The Ten Second Course was invented for these
new customers, the free pattern given. Children over eight
were quickly taught to the astonishment of their parents.
Nevertheless, for about seven years we never rang up a sale
without first verifying that the customer realized that
"nothing is stamped on the fabric; the design is worked from
a chart."
Fellow workers in other
departments said my face was a study when I made my first
sale. It was even more of a study the day sales totaled one
hundred dollars. Then came the day it looked as if we might
reach one thousand dollars. With every sale, the clerk
ringing up the money would sub-total the day's receipts and
the whisper would go around "only so much more to go before
we reach one thousand." Then, a few minutes before closing
time, my husband Ken appeared and was pressured to buy $35
worth of future gifts so we could have our first thousand
dollar day. Later, we sometimes had individual sales for
that much from a shopper from out of state who lacked a
source of supply; but in the early days it would have been
impossible for an individual to spend that much because our
inventory was so limited. There were Danish kits, a few
books, a little fabric in a few colors and sizes, thread,
needles and hardly any accessories.
Nevertheless, the pace
quickened. Jesselyn Riggsbee came as my assistant. A loving
person, she was a patient, sweet influence on our porch.
Very often she arrived in the morning with an idea for a new
look for our long, skinny quarters. Later, Joy King came as
permanent help and her forte was poring over hardware
catalogs, researching drug and variety stores and other
nonembroidery sources for possible needlework accessories.
On a California trip when our first grandson was born, I
found and brought back Fiskar scissors and a metal board
with strip magnets touted as a knitting aid. When Sudberry
trays became available we sold mountains of them.
National magazine editors
called and that was thrilling. They claimed nothing ever
started in the south! and asked for our local kits to
photograph. Rita Weiss of Dover Publications asked for a
booklet (Favorite Illustrations from Childrens' Classics)
and it became a Dover bestseller. Emil Wuorio, US head of
DMC, visited. Free lance writers came by for interviews,
Leisure Arts founder Jean Leinhauser came for a visit to
discuss a leaflet (Teach Yourself Counted Cross Stitch),
newspapers in our nearest big cities ran features and
morning television shows wanted programs. Every day was a
new adventure.
At first the kits were all
Danish designs and so lovely that they intimidated
beginners. Ken encouraged me to make some simple local
designs and kit them, and these became popular. Other than
kits we had DMC Cross Stitch and Marking Stitch books, an
OOE book, and the very first Carolina Cross Stitch Christmas
designs. Designs by Gloria and Pat began designing and we
sold their popular creations. Adalee Winter was an early
designer, probably the first for this period and we offered
her lovely charts. Every day counted cross stitch bloomed a
little more.
Whan I recall those early days,
one particular day stands out in my mind that seems typical
to me. A customer, later designer, Eda Laughlin, came in
with a problem. She wanted to do a sampler of Bless This
House but could not remember all the words. One after
another the shoppers softly hummed or sang the song in an
effort to help and finally one clear soprano voice floated
out above all others and Eda wrote down the words. That
memory somehow captures the essence of the needlework porch
as a special, blessed, fun place.
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