A year before her 2017 wedding, Rebecca Zikakis began cross stitching all 16 of her table numbers for her first major fiber arts project. During the craziness of bridal planning, creating the numbers on each canvassed hoop forced her to sit down and relax.
That project inspired her to take up needlepointing, listening to audiobooks or podcasts while making French knots and basketweave stitches, and eventually to quit her sales job at LinkedIn and launch her own needlepoint store. Opening this summer, Velvet Stitch House on Central Street in Evanston will welcome anyone who wants to create, relax and come together, regardless of any previous experience in fiber arts.
Zikakis has already launched the Velvet Stitch House website, where people can buy canvases and needlepoint supplies and view informational videos. She has also been hosting local pop-ups to introduce people to the world of fiber arts.
Despite only getting into the craft right before her wedding, Zikakis had a creative childhood. Her older sister, Laurel Malhotra, 52, said their late mother supported her children painting their dressers or making unique bedspreads—and encouraged them to explore whatever it was that made them happy.
In October, Zikakis hosted one of her first pop-ups at Mack’s Bike & Goods in Evanston, where she taught a needlepoint workshop with pumpkin and witch hat patterns. The owner, Kelly Mack, who had no familiarity with fiber arts prior, found herself enjoying the routine of it and now uses it as a time to relax and step away from screens. “I really do enjoy that time,” Mack said. “And Becca’s the reason. Otherwise, I would have never discovered it.”
One night, Zikakis and her friends spent two to three hours taping off the borders of each of her 100 to 200 needlepoint canvases in preparation for sale, said Lauren Irwin, a friend who lives in Evanston. Zikakis said the Evanston small business community is full of people willing to help, support and uplift one another. She said while she may be the sole owner, she has never felt truly on her own during the process—community members have been asking to help her in so many ways, from painting the building to designing a building plan.
And, with her love for the city, Zikakis said one of the things she is most excited about is for her kids to feel rooted in the Evanston community. Zikakis has three children, ages 2, 5 and 7—and two cats and one dog. She said starting a business with kids is “absolute chaos in the best way,” but they see all of the hard work she is putting in, and it is fun to go through it together as a family.
“Some days are filled with joy and laughter, and then later in that day, it’s filled with crying and anger and disappointment,” said Alex Zikakis, Zikakis’ husband. “And that’s just a roller coaster of this.”
Despite the “chaos” of it all, the two had many conversations about whether starting a business would be the right thing for their family at the moment. Rationally speaking, Alex Zikakis, senior manager of learning and development at Zillow, said they decided the market was in a good position, with lots of interest in needlepoint and not an overly saturated market. But emotionally and creatively speaking, he said he has full confidence that Zikakis has the drive, desire and the ability to make the business work.
“She stitched this recently, and the core is something to the effect of, ‘Of course, I will succeed because I’m insane,’” Alex Zikakis said. “Which is both like a funny quote, but also, she’s driven enough where even bumps in the road won’t stop her from doing this.”
One of the hardest parts so far has just been trusting herself and knowing that everything will come together and benefit the community, Zikakis said. She wants her space to be a “bright light” for people.
Jen Herrmann, marketing consultant and a friend of Zikakis, said the word “House” in the name symbolizes people coming together. She said Zikakis is a connector at her core and she is always cheering others on, she said. When mutual friend Rachel Carlin opened her Evanston restaurant, Burl, Zikakis volunteered to work the hostess stand one weekend.
“It does come naturally to her to connect other people, and she’s constantly making friends and, you know, tying people together,” Herrmann said. “Bringing it into a business within a community where she already lives, I think it’s just gonna flourish.”
While Zikakis has yet to figure out the details, she thinks people shouldn’t be required to purchase to go into her store, create and enjoy the company of others, she said. The intent is for anyone to come in, stay, relax and work on their pieces, or maybe even host book clubs or birthday parties.
“It all comes around as it needs to, and if you just want to come and, like, chat or not chat, have your coffee here,” Zikakis said, “I am happy to welcome you into the store.”
