Ladybug Shoppe Flies North to Catalpa Drive

The has a new location on Catalpa Drive.

After 28 years in downtown Royal Oak—16 years on South Washington and 12 years on Sixth Street—needleworker Laura Harrison has decided to spread her wings and fly north on Feb. 1 to the former Huber Rug Cleaning building.

Harrison's new location at 123 Catalpa Drive, just west of Main Street, is a bit cozier at 1,500 square feet, but there is still plenty of room to house just about everything one can imagine is needed for needlework, which is Harrison’s passion. And the storefront, built in the 1920s, has free parking.

“We’re a destination shop, so the free parking is nice,” Harrison said.

Harrison says she’s been crafty her whole life. Her grandmother taught her how to embroider as a girl. In the 1970s she was a demonstrator for Frank’s Nursery & Crafts on Woodward in Birmingham. She left Frank’s to manage a wholesale craft warehouse for a few years, and then opened Ladybug in 1983.

“I always dreamed of owing my own store,” she said.

In addition to stitching supplies, Ladybug also carries Royal Oak and Michigan products, such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, coasters, and the ever-popular oven mitt that bears a striking resemblance to the Great Lakes state. Harrison also does picture framing and teaches classes.

A fixture in city politics, Harrison has lived in Royal Oak since 1973.  She was a city commissioner for eight years in the 1990s and currently sits on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Her husband, Bill Harrison, is a member of the Downtown Development Authority.

For more information visit the Ladybug Shoppe on Facebook.