A Sarasota native opened a new craft shop in Southside Village on Saturday, aiming to bring Southwest Florida’s crafting community together one stitch at a time.
The Red Thread Atelier, founded by Vaughn Dorrian, is a needlepoint shop featuring craft canvases, tools and accessories. Located at 1817 S. Osprey Ave. in the walkable Hillview Corridor, the store opened on Sept. 12 and weaves together a traditional hobby with modern canvases and patterns.
Dorrian told the Herald-Tribune that she hopes to transform the 1,420-square-foot retail shop to a community third space to host events, artistic workshops, local creatives and more. She said that the area where the shop is opening – where she searched for a space for more than two years — will contribute
to her vision for the store.
“Southside Village is a unique shopping district that has really blossomed and turned into a great little area. It adds to the charm of the community that I’m trying to build,” she said. “My vision for The Red Thread Atelier was twofold — to curate a modern collection of canvases, threads and accessories, and create a community hub where stitchers could come together.”
Dorrian, a fourth-generation Floridian who grew up in Sarasota, opened her first needlepoint concept in Locust Valley, New York, in 2023. The Sarasota location is more than three times the size as the original shop, with her first shop space measuring only 400 square feet.
Dorrian said the larger space will help her integrate a more community-focused aspect through art classes, ranging from seashell decoration to watercolor, to hosting weekly stitching nights.
While The Red Threat Atelier will not be Sarasota’s first needlepoint store, Dorrian said that she hopes it will appeal to the younger generation in the area, bringing a more modern aesthetic to the classic craft. “There was a hole in the marketplace for a community-centered store like ours,” she said.
The expansion of the local business to Sarasota reflects broader trends of the crafting industry. The Craft Industry Alliance reports that the needlepoint industry is experiencing a “modern-day renaissance.” Dorrian said that she has noticed the hobby’s rapid growth, especially in the past 18 months.
Dorrian said she hopes that the store’s presence in the area will help everyone get set up on “their own craft journey” and potentially find a passion for new projects.
Sarasota family ties
In addition to the colorful threads and vibrant handmade canvases that line the walls of the shop, The Red Thread Atelier also features decorative pieces that reflect the unique culture of Sarasota, like red cabana stripes that nod to the area's circus history.
One of the most meaningful pieces to Dorrian is a vintage family photograph hanging in the heart of the store. The old picture, from the 1980s, depicts an aerial view of the original land that made up Babcock Ranch in Charlotte and Lee counties near Fort Myers.
Dorrian, a member of the Babcock family, said she spent a lot of time there. Edward Vose Babcock, a Pittsburgh lumber magnate and politician, purchased the 91,000-acre property in 1914. The land, near Fort Myers, later became the Babcock Ranch planned community and neighboring Babcock Ranch Preserve.
She said that, because of her family ties, Florida is a substantial part of who she is, and the decision to expand her business concept to the area was a natural decision. She added that bringing the second location of her shop to Sarasota “is like coming home,” especially since it incorporates her passion.
“It’s really a full-circle moment to bring this concept that I love to my hometown and work with people that I’ve known for decades to do it,” Dorrian said. “Southwest Florida has always been a really special place. It’s been great to see it recognized and revitalized.”
The Hillview corridor
Lauren Dixon, sales associate with Ian Black Real Estate, the firm that helped Dorrian secure the lease, said that the area will be “a fantastic fit for The Red Thread Atelier.”
“The Hillview shopping area, also known as Southside Village, is in Sarasota's historic, walkable district behind Sarasota Memorial Hospital. It features trendy boutiques, fine dining and specialty markets,” Dixon said in a news release announcing the opening.
KF Partners LLC. owns the building that the local shop is moving into, along with much of the retail space along that corridor, which touts low vacancy rates and high demand. For the leasing transaction, the landlord entity was represented by Tim Mapp of Mapp Realty.
Cameron Wilson, director of corporate services at Ian Black Real Estate, said that the retail sector in the Southside Village area is flourishing. He told the Herald-Tribune that property trends and retail movement show that the business type is “robust” and constantly sees positive community engagement.
“It’s a great little pocket of retail, even though the buildings are a little older. There’s very little vacancy in that area,” Wilson said. “It strikes a good balance between daytime traffic and evening activity from the surrounding area.”
The Southside Village area has also welcomed several dining additions, including Alma de España, which opened at 1830 S. Osprey Ave. in 2025 and serves Spanish tapas and grilled dishes. Mimi’s Brasserie & Speakeasy, a sister business of Lucky 8, also opened on Hillview Street last year.
Earlier this year, New Orleans-inspired Lucky 8 received a prestigious Bib Gourmand designation from the Michelin Guide, a first for the Sarasota dining scene.
Kendal Asbury is the real estate and development reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Have an idea, tip or question about development? Send her an email at kasbury@usatodayco.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram @wordsbykendal, and support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota native opens modern craft shop in Southside Village
