In spite of the challenging economy, Frankfort's historic business district has continued to grow over the past year with a half dozen business expansions or openings. New to Ash Street this fall is Maddie Maks, a counted cross stitch supply shop owned by Frankfort resident Roxanne Zdanek.

"The shop is named for my granddaughters," Zdanek shared. The address is 28 Ash Street, which she said is a combination of her granddaughter Brenna's birthdate and her granddaughter Ashley's nickname, Ash.
"Then Maddie is the nickname for my other granddaughter Madeline, and Maks is the shortened version of my fourth granddaughter McKenna. That's how it came about. It all just went together," Zdanek said.

Zdanek, herself a cross stitcher, hopes to be the "go to" store for the area south of I-80 and east into Indiana. Her shop features DMC floss, Weeks Dye Works floss and hundreds of patterns, along with half yard packages of 30# linen, Aida cloth, pins, needles, decorative buttons from Just Another Button Company and complete cross stitch kits from Pine Mountain Designs.

Before opening Fall Fest weekend, Zdanek remodeled the former insurance office into her current bright and airy space, adding wood laminate floors and lace curtains over the big, sunny picture window.

"I love being down here. I've wanted to open a store down here for years. There's the yarn shop down the street (Yarns to Dye For and More) and the miniatures store (All Small Miniatures) and the quilting shop (on Elwood). Plus, you've got the walkers who come by. I love when they look in," Zdanek shared.

Over the past two months, Zdanek has continued to bring in new products to fill the store and meet customer requests. Visitors to the store have also asked about classes, which Zdanek plans to offer, along with stitch days where fellow cross stitchers could gather to work on projects and share helpful tips. The Maddie Maks website features the products of Hoffman Distributing Company, America's leading supplier of cross stitch and needlework supplies, which is a huge plus for her customers, Zdanek noted.

Now through November 8, Maddie Maks is featuring the work and patterns of Frankfort designer Kathleen Littleton. Along with displaying Littleton's work, Zdanek carries a variety of finished products like pillows, ornaments, towels, wall hangings and framed pieces.

Maddie Maks is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 815-469-0411 or visit www.maddiemaks.com.