We’ve been dreaming and scheming and now plans are underway to build and support our growing Stitch People community! We’re taking DIY to DIT (do-it-together) by hosting our first ever Stitch People Gathering – an event just for you to craft, create, and cross-stitch with the thousands of others who love it as much as you do!
We hope you can join us on February 1st in Pleasant Grove, Utah for our first every in-person event! If you’re on the fence, below is everything you need to know, what to expect, and more! Or, if you’re ready to purchase your ticket, click here!
Stitch People Gathering: Schedule of Events
Classes & Presenters
Inspiration & Improv with Lizzy and Spencer – 9.30am
Inspiration is the key to unlocking creativity. This class will help inspire you to become a creative, unique, stitcher with a style that only YOU can offer.
Who is Lizzy:
Lizzy is the founder, owner, and principal designer at Stitch People. She operates Stitch People from her home, along with her husband, Spencer, and three dogs, while pursuing her dream of being a full-time actor. As a jack of all trades, in her spare time she enjoys tackling home and RV renovation projects, weight lifting, exploring spirituality, and volunteering at the local Humane Society.
Who is Spencer:
Spencer has always been drawn to entrepreneurship, taking after his dad, and has always dreamed of owning and running a small business. After several failed attempts at other business ideas, he and Lizzy finally found a good product/market fit with Stitch People. Spencer enjoys reading, exercising, spending time with Lizzy and the dogs, and traveling.
Tips & Tricks with Betsy, Melissa and Jenny – 10.30am
During this class you’ll be given tips and tricks that will help you master the techniques you need to create, compose and complete the perfect design. Learn how to make fluffy Shih-Tzus, hair you can braid or beards Grizzly Adams would be proud of by mastering the turkey stitch with Betsy. Learn how to design a fabulous portrait and choose those little details that will make it perfect with Melissa. Celebrate your entire family by creating a Stitch People family tree with Jenny!
Who is Betsy Wynegar?
Betsy has been cross stitching since childhood, when she picked up a scrap of her mother’s aida cloth and thread and stitched “Merry Christmas” into a makeshift ornament that still hangs on her mother’s tree. She spent her free time in college cross stitching from kits before enrolling in cosmetology school and working as a color and texture specialist before becoming a SAHM. Betsy was introduced to Stitch People by Pinterest in early 2015 and has been stitching portraits nonstop since as Little Thistles Cross Stitch. She lives in Southwest Washington with her husband and two young sons.
Who is Melissa Vono?
Melissa Vono started cross stitching in 2017 as an outlet for her creativity and to keep centered during a stressful time in her life, after she saw Lauren Conrad’s Stitch People portrait on Instagram. She is a full-time speech-language pathologist working with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (yes, she knows American Sign Language!) and so only has time to stitch at night, hence her company name, Stitch At Nite. Melissa recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she lives with her husband and small cat.
Who is Jenny Johnson?
Jenny Johnson is the owner and creator or Kayrazy Stitches, where she is best known for her family tree Stitch People portraits. She’s been cross stitching since she was a young girl, taught by her loving grandmother. She also enjoys embroidery and hardanger which is a type of embroidery traditional to Norway which her mother-in-law taught her. Jenny works in the public health communications field by day and spends most of her free time shuttling kids to and from various activities and serving the youth in her church congregation. When she’s not creating stitch portraits, Jenny enjoys spending time at her family’s property near Bear Lake, Utah. Jenny lives in Farmington, Utah with her husband, two children, and chocolate lab.
Turning A Hobby Into A Business with Sarah, Marilee and Lizzy – 11.35am
Hobbies bring us joy, rejuvenate our souls, and calm our minds after long days. But turning a hobby into a successful business takes more than just passion – building and sustaining a business takes planning, commitment, and a business mindset. This class will give you the tools you need to take your hobby to the next step.
Who is Sarah Jane Wright?
Sarah Jane is a children’s book author and illustrator as well as a textiles and product designer for children. She began her illustration career in 2008 with a small ETSY shop that soon took off and launched into a full time e-commerce business and freelance licensing career. She and her husband recently created the best selling picture book series Lola Dutch, with the third book coming out this month. Her clients include Ralph Lauren, Harper Collins, Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuester, Land of Nod and Michael Miller Fabrics. You can find Sarah at @sarahjanestudios where she shares more about her career as a designer (courses on building your own biz coming soon!) and at @raisingwonder where she and her husband inspire parents to create more wonder in childhood.
Who is Marilee Killpack?
Along with her best friend, Jessica, Marilee runs the successful Utah based company Gathre. Gathre make modern leather goods that make everyday prettier and easier. Their intention is to provide tools for women seeking to live with more intention.
Stitch People Gathering & The Johnson Files
We are delighted to announce that we will be partnering with comedy improv group The Johnson Files for the entertainment portion of the Stitch People Gathering!
Shaun and Nicole Johnson are based in Utah. Their platform to bring laughter to this sometimes hard world is something that really resonates with us, and think it will with you too!
Exclusive Access To Our Brand NEW Book
We’re excited to be releasing a BRAND NEW Stitch People book at the event! It’ll be available for purchase at the event itself, so if you’re there in person you’ll be able to walk away with your copy! For everyone else, we’ll start shipping that new book on March 1, 2020, so getting your book at the event means you’ll have it a whole month before anyone else!
After Party
And if all that isn’t enough for you, after the event we’ll be getting together for an informal wind-down at the Hyatt Hotel from 5pm to 7pm where we’ll provide pizza, drinks and a place to gather, chat about the day’s events and swap contact details so we can stay in touch with all of our new friends. Entry to the after party $5 at the door to cover food and drinks.
Where To Stay
We’ve negotiated discounted rates with two hotels nearby: Holiday Inn Express and Suites, and Hyatt House. To get the discounts at Holiday Inn, give their main desk a call and tell them you’d like to book for the Stitch People Event and they’ll be able to help you out. For the Hyatt House discount, send us an email (info@stitchpeople.com) and we’ll connect you with the sales manager at the Hyatt who has been helping us out.
The Hyatt will be a little more expensive, but comes with the added benefit of being right across the street from the event center, within walking distance! If you’re staying at the Holiday Inn, you’ll probably want to find a way to get to the event center (rental car, Uber/Lyft, etc).
Can’t Make It To Utah?
Our Livestream ticket is a great option for those of you who can’t make it to Utah. The ticket will get you access to a new Facebook group we’ve created for the Livestream, where we’ll be going LIVE on the morning of the event! Once you purchase your ticket, you can request to join the group (keep your order number handy so we can quickly verify your ticket) and we’ll approve you! Click here to purchase a livestream ticket!
We do plan to host more events in the future in different locations! Click here to give us your info so we can keep you in the loop!
More Questions?
We’ve put together a list of FAQs that cover things like what to do in the area (if you’re staying an extra day or two, or have a spouse who doesn’t want to attend the event), what to bring to the event, and more!
