Alexandria Hollis and Emily Seaman have a few things in common. Both of them were craftsmen, having learned their craft from their grandmother, and as it turned out, both had contemplated the idea of opening a craft shop.
“One day I got an email from Alexandria saying, ‘What do you think about opening a craft store in West Overton?'” Seaman said. “And I said, ‘I’ve been thinking about that for years.’
Hollis said her visit to Fort Ligonier led her to “consider the idea of having some kind of community space” in West Overton. So the two joined forces to create Katharine’s Craft Room, a combination craft store/maker-space/community room at 416 Frick Avenue in Scottsdale, just down the street from the main building in West Overton. has opened.
“This building was originally the village general store,” Hollis said.
The store was named after Katherine Overholt, the wife of Christian Overholt, who owned the general store.
Hollis said she started crafting in her early teens.
“My grandmother taught me embroidery when I was 13,” she said. “I started needle tatting probably around 2011 or 2012. I like to do things with my hands when I’m just relaxing.”
Seaman said she learned “all kinds of crafts” from her grandmother.
“Cross stitch, crochet, how to use a sewing machine,” she said. “I come from a family of craftsmen. My mother is a quilter and her father also does a lot of sewing and crafts. I learned tatting from Alexandria.”
Seaman said her mother-in-law also crochets. “That’s why I married into a family of craftsmen.”
Seaman said Kathryn’s Craft Room is not only a business and a passion project, but anyone can come and craft, learn to craft, purchase crafted items, and purchase various types of yarn. He said that it is a space where you can even exchange craft materials such as.
“We have an idea of what we want it to be: a crafty makerspace,” she said. “It’s not about showing off what we can do, it’s about sharing knowledge and tools to make the craft more accessible.”
Hollis said one of their goals is to open the craft room to groups of crafters who want to come together to create and learn.
“Let’s all play together,” she said.
After a soft opening on Sunday during the West Overton Wedding & Event Showcase, Catherine’s Craft Room will officially open on Saturday, May 11th during the Makers Market.
