Sarasota native brings modern needlepoint back home with The Red Thread Atelier

For Sarasota native Vaughn Dorrian, opening The Red Thread Atelier in Sarasota’s Southside Village is a return home and an exciting new chapter in her needlepoint and entrepreneurship journey. Expanding the concept from its original New York location, Dorrian has leased a 1,420-square-foot retail space at 1817 S. Osprey Avenue to open her second location of The Red Thread Atelier later this month.

Lauren Dixon and Cameron Wilson, CCIM, of Ian Black Real Estate represented The Red Thread Atelier in the transaction. Tim Mapp of Mapp Realty represented the landlord, KF Partners, LLC.

Dorrian opened the first location of The Red Thread Atelier in Locust Valley, N.Y., in 2023. After taking up stitching in 2022, she quickly realized there was a gap in the market. Most needlepoint stores didn’t carry the modern designs she and other stitchers craved. When the perfect space in her small town of Locust Valley came up for lease, she took that as her sign to create the store she desired.

“My vision for The Read Thread Atelier was two-fold - to curate a modern collection of canvases, threads and accessories, and create a community hub where stitchers could come together,” said Dorrian. “We’ve been able to achieve this in New York, and now I’m excited to bring that same concept to my hometown of Sarasota.”

Part of her motivation in opening a second location was to have more space for community events.

“Locust Valley is a hidden enclave, so we can’t have retreats or events,” said Dorrian. “The Sarasota location will allow us to do that. It’s also such a great, vibrant town that I’m excited to show off to people who visit us for events.”

Vaughn and her family have a home in Sarasota, and she plans to travel back and forth between stores. Her parents – part of the Babcock family – also live in the area. When choosing a space for the store, she said location was an important consideration.

“I wanted to be close enough where locals didn’t have to cross a bridge during season or fight parking downtown,” she added.

Working with the Ian Black Real Estate team, she was able to find the perfect space.

“The Hillview shopping area, also known as Southside Village, is in Sarasota's historic, walkable district behind Sarasota Memorial Hospital,” said Dixon, sales associate at Ian Black Real Estate. “It features trendy boutiques, fine dining and specialty markets – making it a fantastic fit for The Red Thread Atelier.”

While The Red Thread Atelier will not be Sarasota’s first needlepoint store, Dorrian says it will bring the modern, chic aesthetic of the younger generation to the area. Her goal is to inspire stitchers of all skill levels and create a welcoming community where creativity, connection and a love for the craft can flourish.

“This store is like coming home for me,” said Dorrian. “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.”

The Red Thread Atelier will open on September 12 and will be open Tuesday to Saturday. The Sarasota Mahjong Club will also host weekly open play sessions and beginner classes at the store once a week. For more information on The Red Thread Atelier, visit theredthreadatelier.com.

About Ian Black Real Estate

Ian Black Real Estate (IBRE) is a boutique commercial real estate brokerage firm located in Sarasota, Fla. The firm is one of the largest commercial brokerage firms in Southwest Florida and boasts a deep knowledge of the commercial real estate market in Sarasota and Manatee counties and the surrounding area. For more information, visit ian-black.com.