From Studio Dreams to Pop-Up Success: Inside the Creative Worlds of Penny Linn and Morgan Julia Designs
In the latest episode of the Penny Linn Podcast, host Krista LeRay opens up about the behind-the-scenes life of running a modern needlepoint brand and welcomes her good friend Morgan Julia, founder of Morgan Julia Designs, to chat!
A Million-Dollar Milestone and Growing Pains
Krista kicks off with major news: her Connecticut Flagship store, Penny Linn, just hit $1 million in sales. The win comes with plenty of lessons, from managing retail growth and customer service to keeping e-commerce orders on track. She’s juggling warehouse expansion, scouting a second retail location, and navigating supply chain headaches (FedEx woes included) while staying true to her playful “kind but firm” business mindset.
What’s on Krista’s Desk
Krista teases upcoming product drops like her Dudley Stephens collab, new holiday canvases, and a custom Penny Linn print inspired by hydrangeas, scissors, and seaside motifs. She also shares Advent Box challenges, where last-minute issues forced creative pivots, a reminder that even the best-laid product plans need flexibility.
Meet Morgan Julia: From Bar Cart Club to NYC Pop-Ups
Then it’s over to Morgan Julia, the artist and entrepreneur behind Morgan Julia Designs. Navigating a move from Florida to Jersey City, getting engaged, and opening a brand-new studio, Morgan shares how she’s turned her passion for needlepoint into a thriving business.
Morgan's Bar Cart Club subscription, a quarterly needlepoint experience with themed canvases, threads, and accessories, now accounts for 30% of her revenue. The Needle Minder Club, a lower-price monthly subscription, adds another creative twist and makes her designs more accessible to new stitchers.
Morgan opens up about:
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Managing subscriptions and logistics through platforms like Recharge
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Coping with tariffs, thread shortages, and tight profit margins
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The surprising retention rate (only 5–10% drop-off)
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And how a successful NYC pop-up drew 1,500 visitors and made up 10% of her yearly sales in just three days
Building the Future — Their Way
Both women are carving out unique paths in the needlepoint industry. Krista is expanding Penny Linn into a collective retail experience that features multiple designers under one brand. Morgan, on the other hand, is doubling down on her solo design identity, creating a studio-only retail concept in Jersey City focused exclusively on Morgan Julia Designs.
Their friendship highlights two different but equally inspiring approaches to creative entrepreneurship, one rooted in collaboration, the other in artistic focus, both built on community, growth, and the joy of bringing needlepoint to people’s lives.
