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QUINCY – From baby blankets to plush toys, beach towels to handbags, hats to socks, there’s little Allyson Yorks can’t customize.
In the front room of her Quincy home, Yorkes has transformed a small space into a bustling embroidery studio, where she turns ordinary objects into bespoke keepsakes with logos, names and monograms.She started Click + Stitch Embroidery on a whim about two years ago and turned it into the go-to store for anyone looking to make a special gift.
“For a while, it was just an expensive hobby,” Yorkes said with a laugh.”But things really took off when the pandemic started.”
Yorkes has no plans to become a craftsman.After graduating from LSU, she started working at Needham’s now-closed Scribbler store, where she used the large embroidery machine now located in the front foyer.When Scribbler closed, she jumped at the chance to buy the machine.
It has 15 stitches that work in sync with each other to stitch any design in any color that Yorks loads through her computer.Available in dozens of colors and thousands of fonts, she can embroider on just about anything.Her most popular items are baby blankets, plush toys, beach towels and hats.
“I’ve always been in a good position because all the big stores want to do 100 of the same things,” she said.”I find it drab and boring. I love talking to people, designing and tailoring it to the season or event.”
For Yorks, who are office managers by day, Click + Stitch is mostly an evening and weekend event.She does 6 to 10 things a night and says if she’s at home, the machine is running.While an item is being embroidered, she can load other plans into the computer or talk to clients and design them.
“It’s fun, and it allows me to be creative. I love interacting with different people and customizing things,” says Yorks.”I’m the kid who will never find her name on those custom license plates. In today’s world, no one has a traditional name, but that doesn’t matter.”
A name on a beach towel can take as many as 20,000 stitches to get it just right, which Yorks says is a trial-and-error process to determine which colors and fonts are the best products.But now, she’s got the hang of it.
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“There are places where I’m sweaty and nervous and don’t know how it will turn out, but for the most part I can do what I know looks good,” she said.
Yorks keeps her own stock of hats, jackets, towels, blankets and more, but also embroiders items brought to her.Towels are $45, baby blankets are $55, and outdoor items start at $12 each.
For more information or to place an order, visit clickandstitchembroidery.com or @clickandstitchembroidery on Instagram.
Uniquely Local is a series of stories by Mary Whitfill about farmers, bakers and makers on the South Shore.Have a story idea?Contact Mary at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.
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