Hi, I’m Liz, owner of The Gathering Stitch and a lifelong lover of all things crafty.

I earned degrees from UGA (Go Dawgs!) and Georgia Southern before spending many years working with children and families.

I discovered needlepoint during a tough time in my life. My mom passed away and my father remarried soon after. When my dad and his wife, Brent, decorated for their first Christmas together, I fell in love with her collection of needlepoint ornaments. I knew I had to start a collection for myself! On Christmas night, my daughter Laurabeth painted a canvas for each of us. We realized we didn't even have a needle to stitch with so Dad delivered two needles to our house in his pajamas!

Needlepointing quickly became a bond that connected our new family with my darling nine year old niece stitching along with us. A few months later, we hosted our first stitch weekend with Laurabeth’s college friends, and our love for stitching and community continued to grow.

The word "gather" became an important word to me. I quickly saw how needle and thread brought together so many people in my life. I formed a weekly stitch group, hosted needlepoint weekends, and even coordinated a needlepoint road trip!

Our weekly stitch group eventually claimed a name, The Gathering Stitch, and has now grown into both an online shop and an appointment-only boutique where stitchers can learn, shop, and create together.