If
the name Witchery Stitchery sounds a bit weird for what one industry
insider classifies as a "traditional needlework shop,"
consider this: it is located next to the Mount Horeb Mustard
Museum, billed by its curator as, America's Favorite Condiment
Museum. Across the street stands a favorite neighborhood institution,
Schuberts, a family-style restaurant replete with all the trappings
of an old- time soda fountain. Sitting on a stool at the counter,
one feels like part of a scene right out of Frank Capra's celebrated
film, It's a Wonderful Life. Aside from these attractions
are a myriad of antique stores, a Scandinavian import shop and
a Christmas shop, which lure visitors from far and wide. Moreover,
this hamlet is densely populated with trolls...yes, trolls -
those gnome-like creatures that appear throughout northern European
folklore, beloved in particular by Norwegians. Once you enter
the village proper, you encounter them just about everywhere.
Now, how "traditional" can a needlework shop in such
a town be - I ask you?
Fortunately, Witchery Stitchery's owner, Mary Ellen Tennis and
its manager, Delma Larson are real life people and also real
life daughter and mother, respectively. The store has been located
in downtown Mt. Horeb, 20 miles west of Madison, WI. for almost
25 years. Its founder, Marion Vilberg, stocked it with imported
Scandinavian fibers and designs. The eccentric name was derived
from Marion's pastime of handcrafting Norwegian kitchen witches,
traditional symbols of good fortune for the home. When choosing
a name, Marion and several co-workers brain stormed and in the
ensuing maelstrom of ideas, the function of the business, "stitchery,"
was paired with an allusion to Marion's witch craft as "witchery."
The following day it was the one contender everyone remembered.
The staying power of the name has been borne out over time -
surviving through 3 owners, a move and endless other changes.
Marion
ran the shop until selling to Pat Ellestad. Pat moved the store
to its present location on Main Street, locally referred to as
The Trollway. W/S occupies the main level of the town's original
bank building. The storefront offers a wonderful expanse of windows
splashing
natural light throughout the interior. Pat expanded the inventory
to include needlepoint, knitting yarns, fabric and a fuller selection
of needlework techniques. Over time, the knitting and fabric
aspects were phased out and W/S evolved into a specialized full-service
needlework shop. Pat owned the shop for 16 years before selling
to Mary Ellen Tennis two years ago. The take-over was practically
made-to-order; Mary Ellen had long been a regular customer and
her mother, Delma had been Pat's indispensable right hand for
about 14 years. Until the prospect of owning the shop materialized,
Mary Ellen had been working for 25 years in insurance. Just about
the time Pat was planning to sell, a part time position opened
at the company Mary Ellen worked for, allowing her to pursue
the acquisition. As Mary Ellen puts it, " It was as if it
was meant to be."
Daughter and mother work exceedingly well as a team, sharing
similar personalities and tastes. Because Delma can be at the
shop full time, Mary Ellen can be more flexible with her job
and the time she spends with her family. Her husband is by profession
a computer programmer who moonlights as a caricature artist at
parties and art fairs. Mary Ellen and Bernie have two daughters,
Allegra, 10 and Mikaela, 8, who also pitch in at the shop. They
are not the only other family members who have a hand in keeping
things running smoothly; Mary Ellen's dad, Owen "Ole"
Larson, is the on site jack-of- all-trades. Bernie also jumps
right in whenever he isn't fulfilling one of his numerous art
fair commitments.
As
proprietor, Mary Ellen has kept her sights on maintaining the
business as a full service needlework shop, specializing in needlepoint,
cross stitch and Hardanger. W/S inventories a wide assortment
of fibers: silks, wool, cotton, floss, overdyes, metallics and
others. There is an extraordinarily diverse selection of hand-painted
canvases, needlepoint counted charts, mono canvas, congress cloth
and silk gauze. Also stocked are a wide variety of fabrics in
varying counts. Counted cross stitch charts run the gamut from
elegant to funky. Along with patterns incorporating pulled thread
and speciality stitches, you'll find Hardanger charts and some
Scandinavian kits, which cater to the local Norwegian community.
Accessories include all sorts of tools and gadgets stitchers
just can't resist. Beads
and other embellishments abound, along with assorted gift items.
An exclusive line includes hand knit amulet bag necklaces stitched
by Mary Ellen's sister, Carol. An original Witcery Stitchery
design which has enjyed long and continuing popularity, is a
clergy stole kit which includes everything needed for stitching
and finishing. W/S is also one of the few shops in the vicinity
to carry Shelly Tribbey canvases. Shelly is a native of the area
and has just been featured in Stitcher's World magazine. Located
as the shop is on the Trollway, especially during tourist season,
troll designs are in steady demand. Though they stock as many
as Mary Ellen can find, she hopes to design some originals of
their own. Bernie will surely be enlisted to make the sketches
of the fanciful town mascots which Mary Ellen will then chart
to offer as shop exclusives.
Neither Mary Ellen, nor Delma, are ones to toot their own horns,
but each exerts a major impact on the the business, each in her
own distinct way. Though the shop already enjoyed a good reputation
previously, Mary Ellen has reinvigorated the business with her
own enthusiasm and fresh ideas, adding some new product lines
along the way. Whenever a specialty item is custom ordered, she
considers its merits, adding to inventory those that make the
grade. Delma manages the shop and has been a wonderful mentor, helping
to bridge the transition of ownership. She brings a wealth of
experience and has formed long lasting bonds with prior clientele.
Even occasional customers remark at how gratifying it is to be
greeted by name each time they come. Delma's favorite activity
never wanes - she loves helping customers choose fibers and colors
and create diverse, customized projects for them. Delma has an
affinity for retail having worked as a manager for the local
department store for 35 years until it closed. Thereafter, she
began working for Pat, bringing her specialized know-how in merchandising
to the business. Initially she had plenty of personal sewing
and embroidering experience, but knew little else about fibers
and other forms of needlework. Customers now consistently rely
on Delma for her wealth of information and expertise.
Delma
learned embroidery from her grandmother and mother, Della Diem.
All the grandchildren have cedar chests well stocked with pillowcases
and dresser scarves made by Della. Mary Ellen learned to sew,
knit and embroider from her mother and, in turn, is passing these
skills on to her own daughters. She also teaches Allegra's Girl
Scout troop; to achieve their textile badge, each scout must
learn at least 8 different embroidery stitches. Mary Ellen's
cedar chest still holds the stitching projects from her own Girl
Scout badge along with her grandmother's stitched heirlooms.
Regular customers come from a large area, including other parts
of the state and portions of Iowa and Illinois. Many others are
repeat mail-order clientele who have been through on vacation
or heard of the shop by word of mouth. Since their business is
in a destination location, Mary Ellen realizes how vital it is
to have a good selection of goods on hand. Helping novice and
experienced stitchers alike is an ongoing priority. Though no
formal classes are scheduled, this lack is more than made up
for by the personal attention and instruction they lavish on
each stitcher individually. They
have even been instrumental in helping some aspiring local designers,
Donna Olson of Satin Stitches and Cathie Anderson and Karen Idstrom
of Friends Indeed, to get their own lines started, by advising
them on pattern layout, giving professional feedback on design
ideas, preparing them to exhibit for the first time at market
and being the first store to carry their designs.
By now, it should be eminently clear that, though its setting
and name are far from ordinary, Witchery Stitchery is, after
all, a "very traditional needlework shop" in the best
sense of the term: established, time-honored, familial and classic.
For devoted stitchers, it would be well worth the trip to Mt.
Horeb, even without the trolls!
Witchery Stitchery
105 E. Main Street
Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
phone: (608) 437-8635
e mail: wistitch@chorus.net
