Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Lavrenz – Kudu.
Hi Sophia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started with cross stitch at age 11 when my mom taught me. During the pandemic I opened up Down and Back Stitches to sell hand embroidered wall art and custom cross stitched hockey jerseys. It did okay, I loved what I did but it did not find its true footing until I started needlepointing 3 years ago while visiting family in Southampton NY. I immediately fell in love with it and soon found myself wanting designs that did not exist, so I made them! Amazingly people loved them and wanted my designs too. Down and Back Stitches shifted to hand painted needlepoint and hand sewn accessories that I also make. Now today I teach classes at a local shop and I sell my designs online and to needlepoint shops!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was very rocky, I did not quite find my footing until I fell in love with needlepoint. I adored selling my embroidered work, but at a fair price it was often more than people were willing to spend. Which is okay! I do understand but it was defeating. I did one last market almost 3 years ago now and did not sell a thing. I remember crying to my boyfriend that I was giving up and he convinced me to keep trying. I’m so grateful I listened now!!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now I design and hand paint my needlepoint canvases at home. I often use things I’ve designed in other mediums at inspiration to translate into needlepoint. I have a custom line at a shop in Scottsdale called Bestitched. The owners and I created a desert toile design that I am super proud of and immediately became a customer favorite! I cannot paint fast enough to restock. I also sew quilted bags for people to store their needlepoint projects in. I think because I have failed and had so many setbacks in life and this business I have realized I need to just make what makes ME happy and those that are similar will find me. Thats how I ended up with two new best sellers, my Obama portrait canvases inspired by the famous paintings of Michelle and Barack. I pictured and imagined how I wanted to stitch those if I could and suddenly I knew I had to translate the works into a needlepoint canvas in order to do so!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Truthfully I will sometimes scroll Pinterest mindlessly and see what patterns or colors make me think of other things. Sometimes conversations with friends inspires me or looking at fabric makes me thing of a pattern or a concept and then I have to go make it.
While crafting I love listening to audiobooks to keep my mind working and i usually use my library card to borrow them!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Downandbackstitches.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downandbackstitches?obrf=MXZzMDJxZjNxNjBqZw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@downandbackstitches?_r=1&_t=ZT-9B3mK9ku5jK
