Last year, Caroline Cantrelle and Taylor Steilman wandered into The Elegant Needle as amateur needlepointers looking for advice and new canvases. They soon became shop regulars, spending Saturday afternoons stitching at one of the tables and absorbing lessons from owner Catherine Pletsch. But it would be about a year before the two would meet.

After Pletsch came across a TikTok Cantrelle shared showcasing the shop and calling for fellow Baton Rouge needlepointers to join her, she immediately thought of Steilman, who had only a few days prior mentioned her interest in making more needlepoint friends or even starting a club. “She was our friendship matchmaker,” Steilman laughs. “And we’ve talked or texted every day since.”

Soon after the two connected, Stitch Social was born, and in January, more than 40 guests arrived for the club’s first meetup at The Elegant Needle. “At first, we didn’t think it would get much traction, but we were shocked at how much interest there is,” Steilman says.

New and longtime needlepointers filled the shop for the first two meetings, both of which were open-house style. As the club begins to take shape, the meetings held on the last Monday of every month will be sit-and-stitch events with occasional open houses, trunk shows by special guests and advanced lessons, Steilman explains. With such an overwhelming response from the community, the club will likely begin hosting two monthly events to accommodate all members.

Stitch Social is open to all and offers an opportunity for beginners, along with longtime needlepointers, to socialize while working on projects. Pletsch encourages new needlepointers to visit the shop weekly for classes and lessons. “TikTok is beautiful in that it has brought many people to the hobby, but a TikTok can’t tell you you’re doing it wrong,” she says with a laugh.

Like many hobbies, needlepoint is only made better with company. “It’s relaxing, and you don’t need a lot of brain power unless you’re doing some crazy stitch, but with a basic stitch, it’s easy to unwind and hang out with friends,” Steilman says. “It’s not dinner and drinks. It’s something that’s a little bit more creative and offers a different way to bond. It’s been nice to help build our community, see how strong it really is, and build up fellow creatives.”

To learn more about Stitch Social and join the GroupMe for club updates, follow @stitchsocialbr on Instagram.