Thread Stash: An Origin Story
Professionally, I am a software product manager and I love all aspects of that world, but there is nothing tangible that I create — I spend most of my workdays in meetings, having conversations with developers or business stakeholders, managing projects and backlogs. In the summer of 2019, I found myself needing an outlet - I was stressed out and needed something to help me de-stress from the day — and my husband was begging for me to find a hobby because my stress was eking out to him as well.
So I found my way back to cross-stitching. It was the perfect hobby: it is inexpensive (compared to other hobbies), meditative (for me, it’s due to the repetitive and simple nature of stitching) and it allowed me to see tangible progress after every session.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nikkithestitchqueen
Fast forward to January 2020
I was abruptly laid off from a job I loved. It was a heartbreaking blow, not only because I loved my coworkers and the work I did, but because I was also 35 weeks pregnant and finding a new job before our baby was born seemed nearly impossible (though I tried). After grieving that particular loss, I found myself a needing full-time outlet — there was only so much housework and cross-stitching I could do in a day.
After spending months of diving deeply into cross-stitching, there were many things that I simply wished were digital: knowing what threads I already have and what I needed to buy. I have a background in software development and even though it had been years since writing code, I decided to learn how to make a mobile app. There were a couple other apps on the Play Store, but I was confident that I could create one that was beautiful and easy to learn and navigate. So less than one week before giving birth to my baby boy, I started writing code once again: Thread Stash was in-the-works!
The first version of the app is still underway. I’m not sure when it will be ready (life with a new baby is unpredictable to say the least), but I am definitely excited for it to become a reality.
UPDATE: Thread Stash is now LIVE on the Google Play Store!
UPDATE: October 2, 2021
It has been almost 18 months since I launched Thread Stash to the Google Play Store and almost 1 year since I launched the browser/mobile-friendly version: www.thread-stash.app
Between my job, being a wife, and #ToddlerMomLife, the time to work on Thread Stash seems so small now, but I am so grateful for the community that has sprung up around it. I don’t post about it very often, but I have found that people are STILL finding it and trying it out and it’s because of YOU. If you’re reading this, THANK YOU!
This app has blossomed into more than I could’ve even imagined back in February 2020. I’ve added more features and tools because of other stitchers who believe in this app and who use it and want to also see it become even better!
