Hi there! I’m Cassi — the hands and heart behind The Stitched Storybook.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved embroidery. My mom taught me to sew when I was about six years old, and I was instantly hooked. It was an honor to receive an embroidered set of dish towels from me as a child 🙂

Fast-forward a few decades: I’m now a mom of four and a physical therapist, juggling work, kids, and all the busyness of life. For a while, I found myself scrolling through social media and feeling a little jealous seeing others happily stitching away. Then I realized — I just needed to start again.

Now, I always keep a small embroidery bag packed and ready. I bring it to my kids’ practices, or stitch while waiting in the school pick-up line. I love waking up early to embroider during my quiet time, or winding down with my needle and thread at night. Embroidery has become my peaceful, creative escape.

The Moment That Sparked My Etsy Shop

I’ve always loved shopping on Etsy and seeing the incredible variety of handmade art. One day, I bought a pattern of a dragon perched on a stack of books — it looked challenging and magical, exactly what I wanted!

But when it arrived, I quickly realized something was off. It turned out to be an AI-generated image — just a pretty picture with a generic stitch guide and no real instructions. After a little digging, I found the same “pattern guide” being sold all over, and the stitches it showed weren’t even possible to replicate.

That was my light-bulb moment: I can do this better.

I wanted to create authentic embroidery patterns — designs that were hand-drawn, thoughtfully made, and included real stitch instructions from someone who actually embroiders. And that’s how The Stitched Storybook on Etsy was born.

From Hoop Art to Stick and Stitch Embroidery

My first patterns were “hoop art” designs that came with full color guides and stitch instructions. They didn’t sell much at first (thanks to my mom and sister for being my first customers!), but they helped me learn what other stitchers were looking for.

Then I discovered Stick and Stitch embroidery — and it completely changed the game. It’s such a fun, simple way to start a new project without worrying about tracing or transferring designs. I realized that sometimes the hardest part of embroidery is just getting started!

Now, my shop offers both Stick and Stitch sticker packs and reusable PDF embroidery patterns. I like to include lots of different designs in each set, so instead of writing a detailed guide for each one, I include a basic stitch guide with every order to help you get started.

Why I Started This Blog

I created this blog to share embroidery tutorials, stitch guides, and creative inspiration for all skill levels. Whether you’re brand new to embroidery or have been stitching for years, I hope you’ll find something here that sparks your creativity. I had always intended to provide more instructions with my patterns, so with this blog, I plan to feature the different sticker packs in my Etsy shop and show the different ways they could used.

One of my favorite things is seeing how others bring my patterns to life. The photos and reviews customers share are so inspiring — every interpretation is unique and beautiful in its own way.

Thank you so much for being here and supporting handmade art.
I’m so excited to share this creative journey with you! 💛

— Cassi