In July 2018, Sisters-in-Law, Kerry Truluck and Samantha Butler, opened the doors to Southern Stitches of Chapin. Both coming from elementary school teaching background, neither would have told you then that this was the direction their lives were taking.

At the time, Samantha had spent 10 years teaching elementary school in the Richland 2 and Lexington-Richland 5 districts. While she was teaching, she began a small embroidery business from her garage at home! Business began to grow to the point that she could no longer do both and a choice had to be made!

Meanwhile, Kerry, in her 8th year of teaching, was pursuing a master’s degree in Montessori Education while simultaneously teaching in her Montessori classroom in Newberry County. Samantha, having decided that she wanted to quit teaching and do embroidery full time pitched her with the idea that they would both quit their teaching jobs and open their own personalization and gift shop! Kerry’s response …. “you have completely lost your mind! I am in the middle of my master’s degree!!” Samantha agreed to let her sleep on it for a while, and about 2 months later, Kerry called Samantha and said “let’s do it!”

In January 2018, and this dynamic duo began crafting a business plan, securing a rental space, and stocking up on merchandise, all while continuing to teach and finishing their degrees. They hustled hard, and by July 2018, just six months later, Southern Stitches swung open its doors.

Fast forward to 2023, and both Kerry & Samantha have retired from teaching, and built an amazing community of women both in their team and customers. Today when you enter the shop you can find an amazing selection of clothing, accessories, and monograms. All while surrounded by fun, fresh, farmhouse vibes. We at Southern Stitches hope that you can enjoy the same vibes from our website and can’t wait to continue being a part of your favorite shopping experiences for many years to come.