"My first needlepoint project was in college. I moved from the Chicago suburbs to the University of Kentucky for college and remember feeling struck by how preppy everything was. Everyone had these needlepoint belts that they would wear. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture, so I decided to try needlepoint. A local needlepoint store showed me how to do the basic continental stitch, and that was that."
"But I couldn't find the things I wanted to stitch in stores. It all felt older to me, so when the pandemic hit in 2020, and I had extra time on my hands, I started painting my own canvases. Since then, I've grown Penny Linn Designs to over 10 million in sales. I didn't set out to start a needlepoint business I worked for Major League Baseball after graduating from college in 2013, but also ran a successful blog on the side."
Krista LeRay learned needlepoint in college after moving to the University of Kentucky and later reconnected with the craft while making a ringbearer pillow for her 2019 wedding. Frustrated by conservative retail offerings, she began painting her own canvases during the 2020 pandemic and shared a green Ralph's Coffee cup design with her blog followers, who requested canvases. Prior experience running a profitable blog and leaving a corporate job at Major League Baseball helped transition to full-time creative entrepreneurship. Penny Linn Designs expanded rapidly, surpassing $10 million in sales. LeRay emphasizes leaning on others and not dwelling on criticism for more than 24 hours.
Read at Business Insider
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