Hidden Gems: Meet Psychic Stitch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Psychic Stitch.

Psychic Stitch was founded by Meredith Allen and Beatrice Kalmar in April 2019. With mutual artistic practices at the intersection of fashion and art, Meredith and Beatrice bonded over a love of the abstract and the unique as well as a passion for sustainability. Each founder has individual strengths in the realm of art and design — from pattern making to graphic design, costume design to fine art. These foundational skills plus a passion for embroidery form a complementary and dynamic partnership that is the creative studio of Psychic Stitch. Psychic Stitch seeks to make clothing precious again by connecting it with a story and purpose through embroidery. As a creative design studio, their mission is to marry the past with the future of clothing. Their use of vintage embroidery machines and pre-loved garments is an homage to the past, while their artwork has a unique and modern aesthetic.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Growing a small artisan business always comes with immense obstacles and hurdles to overcome. Yet, we are grateful for all of those challenges because they have made us a stronger business that now operates successfully. One of our great challenges is being a business run exclusively by ourselves — two women without employees or investors. As such, we have dealt with financial struggles, learning how to handle bulk orders, knowing when to accept or decline potential work, and managing our workload. Nevertheless, being small and independent allows us complete control and freedom when running our business and making our voice as artists heard.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Psychic Stitch, we lead with our ethics. As an environmentally conscious company, we are committed to sustainable practices and working towards a smaller footprint. Customizing vintage and used garments is an opportunity for creativity that reduces potential waste. This honors both the people who made these clothes and the people who own them now. With conscience and art, clothes become imbued with love. Whether in our studio, online or at events, we help our customers connect to their individuality, creativity and ultimately wear their passions on their sleeves. Psychic Stitch is a Chainstitch Embroidery company. Chainstitch is a type of embroidery that comes to life using hand-operated vintage machines. There is no digital component, which means each stitch is placed by the movement of the operator’s hand. Think painting with thread! Chainstitch lends itself well to customization, in that the artist has the ability to realize the detail in any design. It is a durable, long-lasting, and retro way to embellish fabrics. Since it is all done by hand, it is a labor-intensive art form but we love every second!

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We feel unbelievably lucky to be part of a community of artists and patrons that have allowed our business to flourish even in times of extreme hardships like these. 2020 has been universally challenging for small business and we couldn’t be happier to have had the support of our clients and community that have been essential to keeping Psychic Stitch alive.

Contact Info:

• Email: stitchplease@psychicstitch.com
• Website: PsychicStitch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychic.stitch/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psychic.stitch/
• Other: https://g.page/Psychic-Stitch/review?rc

Image Credits
Nikko Peach