The Art of Holiday Needlepoint with Red Thread Atelier

There’s something especially fitting about needlepoint during the holidays— a classic craft made for slowing down, gathering together, and creating pieces meant to be kept for years to come. But today’s needlepoint is anything but old-fashioned. With fresh colors, playful sayings, and unexpected designs, a new generation is putting its own spin on the tradition.

This holiday season, we partnered with Red Thread Atelier, whose irreverent, design-forward approach perfectly captures this new era of needlepoint. We sat down with Vaughn Dorrian, the brand’s founder, to talk about giving a traditional craft a modern point of view, the inspiration behind Red Thread, and, of course, a few of her favorite holiday traditions.

Q&A with Vaughn Dorrian

Kassatex: How did Red Thread Atelier begin, and when did you realize it could become more than a creative hobby?
Vaughn Dorrian: Red Thread Atelier really began because I fell in love with needlepoint but saw an opportunity to present it in a way that felt a little different. I was at a point in my life, becoming an empty nester, where I had the opportunity to try something outside the box and build something of my own. At the time, the online needlepoint space wasn’t nearly as robust as it is today, and there weren’t any local needlepoint shops that reflected my point of view. I saw a space for something that felt fresh, design-forward and a little irreverent—and decided to go for it.

I always joke that Red Thread is Cool Aunt Needlepoint. She’s stylish, a little irreverent, probably has a great bag and an even better cocktail order, and she’s going to convince you to try something you might not normally pick for yourself. I wanted the shop to feel more like you were in my living room than a traditional white box craft store, a place where you wanted to hang out, discover something new and be part of a community.

We opened in Locust Valley in 2023, and I realized pretty quickly that people weren’t just responding to the products. They were responding to the point of view and the community around it. That’s when I knew Red Thread could become something much bigger.

Kassatex: Needlepoint has such a rich, traditional history, but Red Thread Atelier feels fresh and modern. How do you balance those two worlds?
VD: I love the tradition of needlepoint, and I have no interest in losing that. But traditional doesn’t have to mean predictable. There are people doing “Grandma Needlepoint” beautifully. There are people doing “Coastal Granddaughter Needlepoint” beautifully. We thrive in the Cool Aunt category.

Cool Aunt Needlepoint knows the rules but doesn’t necessarily follow all of them. She appreciates a beautiful heirloom piece, but she’ll stitch something cheeky right next to it. She loves beautiful fibers and craftsmanship, but she also cares about fashion, interiors, travel, pop culture and what’s happening right now.

That’s really the Red Thread balance: respecting the craft without taking ourselves too seriously.

Kassatex: Where do you find inspiration for the designs you carry?
VD: Everywhere. Fashion, interiors, travel, hotels, restaurants, vintage pieces, old matchbooks, packaging, things my kids say—I’m constantly looking and finding inspiration. I only carry designs I would stitch myself, which basically means my store is the largest WIP pile around.

I don’t want everything in the shop to look like what you traditionally expect to find in a needlepoint store. Some of my favorite pieces are the ones that make someone stop, laugh and say, “Wait…that’s needlepoint?” Why do you think needlepoint is having such a moment right now, particularly with a younger generation?

I think the younger generation is craving something tactile and personal in a very digital world. I see it with my daughters, who are in their 20s, and their friends—they’re putting down social media and looking for something else to pick up. Needlepoint gives them a way to slow down, quiet the noise, do something with their hands and connect with the people around them.

COVID also brought a wave of great new designers with fresh perspectives on a traditional craft—new colors, patterns, humor and pop culture references. Needlepoint no longer has to fit one aesthetic. You can love the pieces your grandmother stitched and also stitch something fashionable, funny, slightly inappropriate or completely personal.

That’s where Red Thread fits. We’re not trying to replace Grandma Needlepoint—we love Grandma. We’re just inviting her cooler sister to the party.

Kassatex: Is there a particular Red Thread Atelier design or collection that felt like a turning point for the brand?
VD: Our exclusives and original pieces were definitely a turning point because they helped establish that Red Thread wasn’t simply a place to buy needlepoint. We have our own point of view.

The Call Someone Else collection really captured that. Sayings like Call the Driver, Tell the Chef, Call the Caretaker are a wink to the mom who is usually all of those people—the one driving everyone, feeding everyone, organizing everything and taking care of everyone. Sometimes you just want to say, “Call someone else.”

That sense of humor runs through a lot of our designs. One of our newest holiday canvases, Surviving the Sea-son, is a Christmas life jacket—because sometimes getting through the holidays requires a flotation device. That’s very Red Thread: traditional needlepoint with a wink. Beautiful enough to stitch and keep, but never too precious to make you laugh.

Kassatex: What can we expect next from Red Thread Atelier?
VD: More Cool Aunt Needlepoint.

More exclusives, more unexpected collaborations, more emerging designers, more great accessories and more reasons for people to actually come together and stitch.

With Sarasota, I’m also really interested in continuing to blur the line between needlepoint shop, lifestyle boutique and community space. I don’t want Red Thread to be a store where you simply come in, buy a canvas and leave. I want you to discover something you didn’t know you needed, meet someone you didn’t know before, learn something, laugh—and probably leave with more than you intended.

That’s the Cool Aunt way.

Holiday Rapid Fire Q&A:

Kassatex: Earliest holiday memory?
VD: Getting the Barbie McDonald’s Store with the miniature cash register and tiny French fries. I can still remember how much I loved it.

Kassatex: Holiday music: how early is too early?
VD: Not until after Thanksgiving. I need to give Thanksgiving its moment.

Kassatex: Holiday beverage of choice?
VD: We call it a Ruby Slipper: Champagne, pomegranate juice, St-Germain and pomegranate seeds that float around with the bubbles. It’s festive and dangerously easy to drink.

Kassatex: Color scheme: Holiday go-to colors to use?
VD: Duh, RED!

Kassatex: Favorite part of the holiday season?
VD: Seeing friends and family. It really is that simple.

Kassatex: Favorite holiday tradition?
VD: Making Corn Flake Christmas wreath treats. We’ve been making them forever.

Kassatex: Favorite restaurant to celebrate the holidays at?
VD: Amata in NYC for the Salvation Army lunch, and Dorrian’s for holiday drinks with friends. Two very different traditions, and I love them both.

Kassatex: Best holiday movie ever?
VD: The Year Without a Santa Claus and A Miser Brothers’ Christmas. Clearly I have a thing for the Miser Brothers.

Kassatex: How has your holiday home style evolved over the years?
VD: With age comes travel—and collections! I love creating little holiday vignettes with things we’ve picked up in all the places we’ve visited as a family. Our Christmas decorations have become much more personal and collected over the years.

Kassatex: Rainbow or white lights?
VD: I like to switch it up! I refuse to choose.

Kassatex: Favorite holiday floral to use?
VD: Magnolia branches and loads of poinsettias in different colors. More is more at Christmas.

Kassatex: Your holiday wardrobe includes:
VD: Plaid, sparkle, great shoes and a little embellishment.

Kassatex: Velvet or satin?
VD: Velvet.

Kassatex: Loafers or heels?
VD: Kitten heels.

Kassatex: Three words to describe your holiday style:
VD: Plaid. Polished. Sparkly.

During the day, I have a pair of J.Crew Christmas plaid block heels that I wear almost every day after Thanksgiving, usually with a great chunky wool plaid scarf. At night, I actually simplify things. Where I normally love pattern and color, at Christmas I’ll wear black leather pants or a skirt with a fun top that has some sparkle or embellishment.

Kassatex: Real or fake: Your tree must always be:
VD: Fake—and it took me a while to admit it! Our old house gets so warm from the radiators that real trees dry out WAY too quickly. We finally switched to a Martha Stewart tree, and now we LOVE it.

Kassatex: Holiday cards: always a yes or not a priority?
VD: I send Valentine’s Day cards. I cannot get it together in time to send Christmas cards—and I’ve made peace with that.

You can shop the exclusive Red Thread x Kassatex holiday needlepoint collection here.