owner, A Little Bit of Local
“I have always wanted to one day own my own store where I would be able to sell my handcrafted items. Growing up, my parents owned a small antique shop at our house and I would frequently help out on the weekends. It really brought our family together and I was able to see how a small local business impacted the community, as well as the family that ran it.
Last November I did a pop up event in The Downtown Allentown Market with my own items with Stitched Simply Sweet and really enjoyed it. I had done some research over the next few months about different options, costs, and started coming with the idea of being able to easily shop for a variety of handcrafted local items all in one place year round. I knew I wanted it to be more of a boutique gift shop style without individual vendor booths so that it really had that gift shop feel.
I have also seen how transportation can be a challenge in some of the communities throughout Allentown for those that don’t drive and have to walk to take the bus. It can certainly make getting to places that offer various workshops like I have or the handcrafted goods hard to access. I also know that for those working it can be difficult to get to stores that offer local items while they are open as they often have limited hours, even more so now. The Downtown Allentown area along the ArtsWalk where my store is located is close to other businesses that are involved in the arts and all within walking distance.
Several of the vendors that have products in my store are also from Allentown, so I’m hoping to be able to contribute to the support of the small businesses as well. I’m also hoping to be able to collaborate with other established businesses to provide some unique experiences in regard to our workshops and help support each other to bring more people into the community to shop, dine, etc. As I become more established, I want to be able to offer at least one free workshop per month (sponsored by our vendors) to children in the Allentown communities so they can experience different arts and crafting workshops.”
Interview by Noel Rios ’25
