NOBLESVILLE — A lot of central Indiana businesses are struggling to make ends meet as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact their bottom line. Other businesses, however, can’t keep up with supply and demand.
At Always in Stitches in Noblesville and at stitching stores across the country, business has been booming as people started making masks and getting back to their crafting roots.
“We had to become very adaptable,” said Capi Saxton, store manager at Always in Stitches. “Dinosaurs didn't adapt, and they aren't here anymore."
The store was able to stay open when the shutdown went into place due to its status as an essential business.
“Stitchers out there needed supplies," Saxton said. "They needed materials and we started out providing fabric for masks. We did that with one of the local nursing home companies."
She said they provided enough fabric to make more than 6,000 masks.
“It’s been overwhelming for us. It's been overwhelming for the industry," Saxton said. "What happened was all the supplies, you know, supply and demand, you have all this fabric and all this stuff going out and then now there's nothing left to sell, so we're having a little supply and demand issue. Almost like the toilet paper thing,” said Saxton.
She said besides mask-making, a lot of folks returned to sewing and crafting during the pandemic because of the peacefulness and tranquility it brings.
“You know, you stab something 1,000 times, you feel a lot better,” Saxton said.
Not only will stabbing something make you feel better, Saxton said crafting is a good brain exercise.
“You use both parts of your brain. You use the creative part. You have to use the design part, and so when you're making a quilt or when you're doing cross-stitch or you're knitting something that that uses the entire brain, in a way that makes it very healthy for you,” she said.
