Embroidery whimsy becomes a niche for one Richmond business | Photos by Julianne Tripp

Daniel Crawford, owner of Crewel and Unusual 

Have you ever wondered where you can find a sweatshirt with an embroidered stick of butter design? How about a shirt featuring a cactus sitting in a car without wheels with the words “slow down”? Or a hat with a pizza box patch that opens to reveal a pepperoni pizza inside? Local embroidery business Crewel and Unusual is answering that call. With a penchant for unexpected designs in fun colors, most of the embroidered apparel and decor at the company is derived from owner Daniel Crawford’s imagination.

“I just like to make things,” Crawford says. “I’m naturally creative, and I’m inspired by things in the world or nature …  and then pop culture things. Pizza is very popular.”

Crawford started the business in 2017 but says his journey began in 2012, when he purchased an industrial sewing machine. He began selling embroidered patches and products under the name The New Woodsman. With a background in needlework and a lot of trial and error, Crawford has fashioned a successful business with regular local and national clients, three employees, and five machines.

The studio at 2306 N. Lombardy St. is filled with creative patches, shirts, hats and more. The designs are quirky, yet simple — such as a tarot card image reimagined with bread and butter, numerous eyes grouped together, and multiple mushroom patterns. The business’s name is a pun based on crewel, an embroidery term, and the fact that the designs are often not what you’d expect.

In addition to hats and apparel, Crewel and Unusual crafts embroidered patches and decorative items.

Crawford is launching a line of embroidered vintage clothing later this month, making use of the gently loved pieces he’s been collecting for years. “Just trying to make something old new again,” he says.

A large part of Crawford’s business is custom work where clients come to him with an image they want embroidered on a piece of apparel. He’s done everything from company logos to a golden retriever with a mermaid tail for a family vacation. He even has a step-by-step guide available online to submit a request for custom work.

Crewel and Unusual products can be found on its website; Carytown’s Ashby also has a small selection. Local pickup is available at the studio.

Crawford says people should wear what brings them joy, and if he can assist with that, it’s gratifying. “To be able to be creative, make something, express something and [have] people get excited about it, it’s invaluable,” he says.

1910 Byrd Ave., Suite 100 Richmond, VA 23230 804-355-0111

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