Stitch Please

Sponsored by Accuquilt! Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreLisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Bisa ButlerBisa Butler is an award winning African American textile artist known for her vibrantly stunning larger than life sized quilted portraits that captivate viewers around the world. Formally trained, Butler graduated Cum Laude from Howard University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art degree and it was during this time that she began to experiment with fabric as a medium and became interested in collage techniques. She then went on to earn a Master’s in Art from Montclair State University in 2005. While in the process of obtaining her Master’s degree, Butler took a Fiber Arts class where she had an artistic epiphany and she finally realized how to express her art.  “As a child, I was always watching my mother and grandmother sew, and they taught me. After that class, I made a portrait quilt for my grandmother on her deathbed, and I have been making art quilts ever since.”After working as a high school art teacher for thirteen years, Butler was awarded a Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship in 2002 and exhibited in Switzerland during Art Basel with the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery. Many institutions and museums have acquired Butler’s work including the Art Institute of Chicago for a solo exhibition, The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Insights from this episode:Why it’s important to uplift and encourage each other, starting with the children in our livesHow Bisa uses her art to affirm the dignity of historical figuresThe process of researching historical figures and time periods to accurately portray them through artHow different colors play into the meaning expressed in her artHow Bisa infuses her quilts with the music she’s listening to as she createsWhat happens when you stop starting with ‘white’ as a defaultInsights into the difference between studying art education (teaching people how to make art) vs. learning how to make art yourselfQuotes from the show:“I’m always seeking for truth and to find those essential truth elements about Black people.” – Bisa Butler, Stitch Please, Episode #200“I have had people ask me, people who don’t necessarily look like us so they don’t have a full understanding, ‘I notice that you make all of your subjects look regal. Why, or what’s the process of that?’ I would say I’m just looking at them and this is the way they appear to me. I’m not trying to make them look regal; if anything maybe it’s just that you’re looking at them more carefully. The dignity or that inner regality, I can’t give it to them; they have it already.” – Bisa Butler, Stitch Please, Episode #200“My interest in colorism is why the features look very African American. I don’t want to dilute that in any way. I’m loving our full lips, broad noses, or whatever the case may be.” – Bisa Butler, Stitch Please, Episode #200“I love that word ‘talisman’ because it acknowledges that spiritual resonance and also having a mantra. We’ve always been very spiritual people and we’ve always been people who have to think hopefully and we have to think about the world beyond us or even after us. A lot of times we have to pray for our living relatives who we may not be able to protect in the way that we want to.” – Bisa Butler, Stitch Please, Episode #200“Music is such a strong form of communication; it’s such a strong form of art because you don’t need words, you just need to hear the sound to understand somebody’s emotional output. The composer, musician, they can make you feel sad, they can make you feel happy, they can make your heartbeat go faster, they can make you go to sleep. That’s a control of power that can be passed down through the ages. The music, as long as it’s in a form that you can hear, you can hear how somebody felt hundreds of years before you.” – Bisa Butler, Stitch Please, Episode #200“The music to me is more than an aid; it’s the explanation.” – Bis

Start of the show. 0:09Welcome to stitch please, official podcast of black women's stitch.Black women at quilt con.Finding a safe place from her heart to land.Quilting as a way to escape mathematics.What does “I miss hope” bring to me? 3:33The scale of I miss hope.The frustration and tension of following the news.The intersection of quilting and activism.The process of creating a statement quilt.Defining risks as risks. 8:38Risks in her work and how she defines them.Being featured by scholastic.Being a Scholastic Book Fair girl.Black girl math magic. 12:56The Black girl math magic subscription box.The Renwick museum acquisition process.All makers except hetero white males.The call from the Renwick curator.America owns my quilt. 18:05America owns her quilt.The poker metaphor, bet on yourself and win.Bipac quilters are being relegated to a separate category.The binary of beautiful quilts and statement quilts.How she thinks about balance in her work. 22:22The 10th anniversary of quilt con.How quilting has changed over the last decade.A scene from Amadeus.Balance between texture and the overall aesthetic of the piece.How to leave space without leaving space? 25:57How to quilt with an out-of-focus line.How Instagram is controlling quilting.Small pieces of art on a wall.Creating a quilt for instagram.The words “I can't breathe” 29:38Chawne makes the words to express his thoughts.The title of the episode, patchwork to power.Black women's liberatory stitching traditions.Power, liberation and process of stitching quilts.The power of the needle and needle. 34:12The power of the needle and needle.Words of wisdom for the interviewee.Take care of yourself and your health.Support Black Women Stitch on Patreon.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

This episode of the Stitch Please podcast features Naomi Johnson as host interviewing guest Rashida Coleman Hale and Lisa, live at the Modern Quilt Guild's 10th anniversary QuiltCon event in Atlanta. Lisa explains her motivation for attending QuiltCon for the first time and shares her excitement over the increased representation of Black women and Black-owned businesses at the event. Rashida discusses debuting her new fabric line and the emotional experience of seeing Black women wearing and excited about her fabrics. The hosts share their "fangirl" moments meeting renowned Black quilters like Latifah Saafir in person. They also discuss Lisa's intentionality about who she chooses to collaborate with for Black Women Stitch projects, and her realization that suffering through unpaid work would not dismantle capitalism or white supremacy - but taking resources to support Black women's crafts could. The hosts and Rashida share advice on self-care and "getting your stitch together" during difficult times. The episode celebrates community, ancestral crafts, collaboration, and joyful spaces for Black women quilters.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Introduction to this episode. 0:09Welcome to the official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group, where Black Lives matter.Thanks to underwriters Spoonflower, Moda, and BerninaThis is a “very special episode” because this episode is Sew Black at Quiltcon.Watch word of the day. 3:21Sarah has been collaborating with dead women from her family for the last 30 years, and now she gets to collaborate with an actual live bond thanks to her collaboration with her cousin, e bondBringing the two different ways of thinking about conversation visually and not always in terms of sound to the Word of Mouth quilt.Working with Lavinia. 7:25Lavinia was her great-great-grandmother Three quilts from Lavinia are on display.Lavinia was born enslaved in 1858 and lived a difficult life. She was making this to express something that she needed to express.The audacity of a woman born to slavery.Black Aliveness. 10:39In an antiBlack world, Blackness is demanded of Black people. In a Black world, being is all that is required.Lavinia Unbound quilt.What do you see in this piece? 12:33Sarah is now part of the collections. She will always pick a quilt that is from either Anna or Lavinia that they then remake in the fabric as part of inspiration. She gets to name it.In e bond’s first collection, Glyphs, the fabric designed to represent the genius scifi author Octavia Butler, reflects the balance between data and barbed wire.Jane was born in 1828. 15:19This quilt was made by Jane, who was born in 1828, and is a white glove situation to prevent oils from hands from touching the quilt.Jane had two sons by Preston.The moment when it suddenly occurred to me. 17:26She was there for 18 years before he took advantage of her. She had other children that she was not able to keep.She made quilts together with her sister.How did the quilt get its name? 21:30The quilt is a basket quilt in red, blue and white, in red and blue, and white. It is in the 1870s and was popular at that time.It was a popular quilt pattern that was popular in that time, and some of the reds and blues faded out.Thank you to our sponsors and audience. 24:52The podcast is a live show at Quiltcon. They are grateful to their sponsors, their audience, and to e bond and Sarah Bond for bringing an inexplicably powerful reminder of who and what Black women are capable of.If you'd like to support the Stitch Please podcast financially, you can do that by supporting them on Patreon.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

​​Celebrate the 200th episode of the Stitch Please podcast by contributing to the next 200 episodes.Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon community  to get videos of the podcast, BTS, and other bonus content. Donate via Act Blue (tax deductible)  to support our Capacity Building campaign in September and October. Donations earn bonus entries for the giveway. Stitching FOR THE CULTURE, Produced by Latrice Sampson RichardsSara Trail, Social Justice Sewing Academy     @sjsacademy   www.sjsacademy.orgBianca Springer, Thanks I Made Them  @thanksImadethem www.thanksImadethem.comNikki Griffin @sewingmystyle www.sewingmystyle.comHighlights:0:09 - Dive into a world where stitching, culture, and Black lives interweave. Welcome to our official Sew Black at quiltcon podcast episode!4:42 - Bianca, the creative genius behind "Represent! Embroidery” book, opens up about her journey. Discover how a period of recovery birthed an Black-centered embroidery book with vibrant designs, and how the essence of it evolves.10:30 - The panel sheds light on the importance of culture. They tackle the misrepresentations in white spaces and stress the significance of nurturing self-agency and autonomy in children.12:01 - Meet Nikki Griffin, an Atlanta native with an unstoppable sewing spirit. From bras to jeans, her contributions to the Atlanta sewing style are nothing short of inspiring.17:27 - Sewing transcends craft. Learn about its power for social justice, its global movement, and its deep resonance within the Black women community of Atlanta.20:42 - Support stitches community. Applause for the amazing Social Justice Sewing Academy team for their continuous dedication and passion. Together, they're revolutionizing the art through fabric and giving a fresh, unique experience for kids.25:13 - Rules, boundaries, and quilting? Sarah delves into how traditional quilting norms can sometimes confine and control, urging listeners to 'get their stitch together.'26:49 - Expand your horizons.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store QueenQueen is a Bronx native with a Harlem heart, did college in Queens, currently resides in Brooklyn, and like most New Yorkers forgets Staten Island exists. Creating safe, nourishing spaces for Black femmes and folks impacted by misogynoir through digital media and live events is her style of activism. She is one half of The Tea with Queen and J. podcast and centers dismantling white supremacist patriarchal capitalism, because why the fuck not! Always encouraging healthy community building, her podcast’s annual Black podcast meetup, #PodinLiveNYC, has grown into the largest Black podcaster meetup in the world! Ms.Vixen, her online magazine, has been running 7 years strong, and with the addition of live events and workshops through the Ms.Vixen IRL series, plus Ms. Vixen The Podcast, she continues to deliver incisive, witty, lit womanist perspectives on pop culture, media, and politics. Queen’s work has also been featured at Afropunk.com, AMny, and you can catch her as a panelist on the youtube series, The Grapevine. Always someone with something to say, her goal is media domination, to always have huge hair, and to always stay fly. J.J. is a cultural critic, podcast producer, and a womanist race nerd from the Bronx focused on dismantling white supremacist patriarchal capitalism while laughing, drinking tea, and indulging in various forms of Black joy. For over five years she's created audio content centering Black women and Black femme-identifying individuals, exploring America's caste system, allowing herself to learn and be challenged publicly, and sharing her journey through mental health. As a podcast geek with a commitment to increasing visibility and access for people of color, she co-founded #PodinLiveNYC, the largest annual Black podcast meetup in the world. In addition to freedom and liberation, Janicia loves cosplay, believes there's a special place in her heart (and hell) for body paint, and lovingly asks that you do not call her a "lady". Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Making spaces like music festivals feel more welcoming to queer folksCreating intergenerational events that appeal to everyone and avoid ageismThe effect of marginalized people thinking from a scarcity mindsetWho gets their work published and whyWhy it’s important to remember that there is always room for your voice and your storyThe role of capitalism in holding us back from pursuing our interests Quotes from the show:“The community activated to provide a kind of care, and I think that is something that you really can’t harness or you can’t force.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #195“I think as a marginalized person you’re always thinking about the deficit; you’re always thinking about the scarcity. On purpose you’re made to think there’s not enough for everyone, so you don’t ask for more. If there’s not enough, you won’t ask for more. If there’s not enough, you won’t require more. If there’s not enough, you won’t expect more. That’s just what is stuck down your throat as a marginalized person. So it is really important for us to remind everyone that the market can never be saturated. That language in itself is exclusionary to make you not want to do this, to make you think it’s not possible for you to be in a space.” – Queen, Stitch Please, Episode #195“People don’t think of all the players in capitalism and how invested corporations are in keeping independent creators, entrepreneurs, out of this space… They want to control the market, so they will tell you the market is flooded until they’re ready to play. There’s a lot at work to keep individuals from playing whatever the game is.” – J., Stitch Please, Episode #195“There’s a lot of that trying to maintain the status quo, and that is a symptom and a function of maintaining the capitalisty, and all of these little things work to the benefit of those on top of the financial hierarchy that we have, and that is power.” – J., Stitch Ple

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Jennifer OldhamJennifer Oldham is a thread artist who creates beautiful embroidery hoop designs through which we can see our sisters and ourselves. Jennifer shares her designs through @herhoopdreams and a collection of her work was recently displayed at the Nashville Hermitage Library. While her mom has sewn throughout her entire life and she wore handmade clothes regularly including to her prom and her wedding, Jennifer never took to sewing like her mom did but used the skill when she first got married and couldn’t afford to buy curtains and placemats, making them herself. Still, she understood the beauty, skill, and time it takes to make things by hand and eventually found her joy in embroidering. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:How Jennifer discovered an art form that spoke to herExpressing facial features in a realistic way through embroidery and getting the details rightHow learning and unlearning play an important role in both the creating process and in lifeWhere Jennifer gets her inspiration fromThe importance of seeing ourselves and people who look like us expressed through artThe therapeutic power of creative art forms Quotes from the show:“You are creating things from your needle and thread that are a reflection of so much Black beauty, so much patience, so much intricate detail.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #194“Even now I still take things to my mother’s house for her to sew them!” – Jennifer Oldham, Stitch Please, Episode #194“A part of the journey that I’m on is one of unlearning things that don’t fit who I am now and recreating myself–or creating myself and being intentional about that.” – Jennifer Oldham, Stitch Please, Episode #194“This is my year, this is my time, this is my phase of life. Finding me, rediscovering me, taking the pieces that still work and basically stitching them together.” – Jennifer Oldham, Stitch Please, Episode #194“Learning and unlearning, all of these are such vital elements of what it means to just exist in this world, and you have given us a model for putting that not on stage or Instagram where that feels sometimes so forced, but making something really permanent and beautiful and taking the time to do so. That’s something I really appreciate, the care and detail about your work.”  – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #194“Sometimes people have asked me how do you decide what to make, and it’s just whatever I’m interested in at the moment; there is no rhyme or reason. I’m just like ‘I want to make that!’, so I make it. Which is very freeing! There aren’t a lot of spaces in our daily lives where we can just do what we want. Sometimes there might be pockets of that, but it feels like with this particular medium I can just do what I want, and it feels very freeing, it feels very calming. It’s a good way to sometimes feel a little bit more control when things feel out of control.” – Jennifer Oldham, Stitch Please, Episode #194“I think one of the things that matter most in sewing and in life is to have boundaries. To exercise your boundaries to stay within the lines that you create yourself, not necessarily what other people have created for you. To take time to play. For me, play is just as vital as breathing. Make boundaries for yourself, honor other people’s boundaries, and just enjoy yourself!” – Jennifer Oldham, Stitch Please, Episode #194 Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Jennifer OldhamInstagram: @herhoopdreams Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreS

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon Store Uzoma Samuel AnyanwuUzoma Samuel Anyanwu was born in 1981 and is a painter and photographer whose passion for photography compliments his studio painting practice. His inimitable approach to fabric collage paintings and the transformation of recycled materials into art distinguishes him as a strong emerging artist. He currently lives and works in Lagos State, Nigeria.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:What goes into his creative processHow to fight discriminationSamuel’s creative backgroundWorking with diverse fabricWhat fabric teaches us about living harmoniouslyShowcasing his work at QuiltconLessons he learned working with people and preparing for Quiltcon Quotes from the show:“No one’s first quilt ends up at a juried quilt show, it’s not something that often happens, but it did happen in this case” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“First, I do photography and then it compliments my painting and collage and fabric work. Most of my work comes from the compositions from my camera” —Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please”“Anything racism and tribal discrimination is taught somehow (…) it’s something that parents should try their best to let their children be free of this kind of discrimination” —Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please”“My coming into fabric art is a kind of genetic endowment from my mother. I can always say that because she has been a fashion designer all her life” —Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please”“Having experience from photography, and drawing and painting, then coming into fabric is not a new medium to me. It’s just an extension of what I do with my camera” —Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please”“I really work with large varieties of fabric, and this is important because I have been able to define globalization with my work, in terms of all these fabric coming from different places” —Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please”“We can live in a world whereby whatever you practice, be in peace with everyone. This is what fabric has been able to do”—Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please”“Fabric is that common item that connects all humans” —Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Uzoma Samuel AnyanwuWebsite: Samuel Uzoma - Biography | IMPART (impartfair.com)Facebook: Uzoma Samuel Anyanwu Instagram: uzo creative artz (@uzomasamuel_)  This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Ella ClausenWhen Ella Clausen fell in love with sewing, she fell HARD. She started a few months before the pandemic began and has been riding a wild frenzied wave ever since, savoring every seam, learning all that she can about this skill from patternmaking to couture tailoring and everything in between. Ella lives in Oakland, California where she works for a nonprofit foundation that’s a part of Levi Strauss & Co. She is a first-generation American, a Black-Filipinx maker raised by a single mother, and a believer in the power of strong women. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:How cherishing pieces that have been passed through generations and the practice of sewing itself can connect us with our heritageTurning STEM into STEAM and valuing the physics and engineering skills involved in designing and sewing our own clothesHow Ella decided to make her own wedding dress and the skills that she developed in doing soThe process of designing patterns for Mimi G’s Know Me line for Simplicity, developed solely by makers in the sewing community Quotes from the show:“If there is something in your vision that you know is not at the store and you can create it from nothing or from the raw material of your imagination? That’s joy. That’s power. That’s freedom.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #52“It’s beautiful, the connectedness and the longevity, to think that the things I might create, this jacket I’m wearing, could have so much meaning to someone 2 or 3 generations down the line if it’s repaired and held together and treasured.” – Ella Clausen, Stitch Please, Episode #52“Sewing doesn’t save you money unless you have expensive taste.” – Ella Clausen, Stitch Please, Episode #52“Do not be the force that holds yourself back. Go for it. Try it. Don't listen to that voice that’s telling you that you can’t do something.” – Ella Clausen, Stitch Please, Episode #52 Resources Mentioned:Ella’s 6-part Project Wedding Dress blog seriesStitch Please episode: Parallel Universe Mystery Quilt with Ebony Love, Latifah Saafir, Gyleen FitzgeraldTipStitched blogTechno-Vernacular Creativity & Innovation by Nettrice R. GaskinsElla’s Know Me by Mimi G pattern Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Ella ClausenWebsite: Handmade MillennialInstagram: Handmade MillennialPinterest: Handmade MillennialTikTok: Handmade MillennialYouTube: Handmade Millennial Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

LONDON REIGN discount code: STITCHPLEASE35 for 35% off the London Reign dress pattern. Not compatible with any other offer. Valid until October 1, 2023. One purchase per customer.Find Miss J Sews at her wonderful website!Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Janet HensellJanet Hensell is a blogger who shares her handmade wardrobe and encourages others to sew and design their own style. She is best known as Miss J Sews, offering tips for setting trends and relying less on fast fashion. Her mom taught her to sew and they started off on dolly, but when she realized that she could make clothes that actually fit instead of always having to rely on shops, that was amazing. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Extending the life of a garment to last beyond the trendsPattern cutting: what it is, and making something fit well from the inside outHow Janet’s fashion came to be the talk of her fellow jury membersThe inspiration behind the London Reign pattern, from the design to the nameThe importance of crafting as self-care Quotes from the show:“I’m kind of bootylicious in my figure, and they don’t cater for that in the shops. But I can cater to myself if I sew, and that became the key thing. The feeling of making a thing that fits is unmatched.” – Janet Hensell, Stitch Please, Episode #191“It really is this vicious circle of consumption and discarding. Buy it, wear it, throw it away. And this is another thing that sewing can reduce. It is a form of sustainability because the pieces that you end up making, you tend to hold onto them longer.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #191“Crafting is self-care. Whether you’re a carpenter, a seamstress, a dancer, whatever you do for your mental health and fun, it is self-care. For me that was sewing.” – Janet Hensell, Stitch Please, Episode #191“Know what fits your lifestyle and fits your body. And when I say fit, know to fit your garments to fit you. Even if the garment is made from a cheaper fabric, once it fits you, people won’t even notice.” – Janet Hensell, Stitch Please, Episode #191 Resources Mentioned:Stitch Please Podcast episode: Pattern Cutting Deconstructed with Monisola OmotosoLondon Reign pattern and discount code: STITCHPLEASE35 valid on the London Reign dress pattern for 35% off. Not compatible with any other offer. Valid till October 1, 2023. One purchase per customer. Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Janet HensellWebsite: Miss J SewsInstagram: Miss J SewsFacebook: Miss J SewsTwitter: Miss J SewsPinterest: Miss J SewsTikTok: Miss J SewsJoin the Miss J Sews Community Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Robyn BurgessRobyn Burgess has been 6’2” since she was 13 years old and has always loved making every hallway and sidewalk her runway, but finding fashions that fit all of her proportions is a struggle. After recording her cooking journey on her food blog Runaway Apricot for over 7 years, Robyn decided to expand her love of learning by taking on the art of sewing. She began her fashion design and sewing journey in 2015 to build a wardrobe of quality garments that fit her inseam and show off her bold style, and in 2019 started Styles InSeams to record her sewing journey and share information with others in the #sewingtall struggle. Robyn is an organizer of NYC Frocktails, a cocktail party for sewists, has created a 5-class learning path on sewing skills for Skillshare, and is currently preparing to launch her new clothing line for tall women in summer 2023, Robyn Bandele. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:How Robyn organized her learning path to improve her sewing skills on a shorter timelineFeeling comfortable in your body when it’s hard to find clothes that fit you, and learning what adjustments work for youSewing for events and getting inspiration from photos of her grandparents’ wedding and the latest season of BridgertonDeveloping a new clothing line specifically for tall women named after her aunt, Robyn Bandele Quotes from the show:“It allows for your sewing to be more sustainable in the long run when you don’t find yourself having to re-do things.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #49“People assume that fashion is for tall women because models are tall… I want to be able to make the clothes that we want to wear, which is not much different than what smaller or ‘normal-sized’ people wear.”  – Robyn Burgess, Stitch Please, Episode #49“There’s been so much amazing conversation about the plus-size market and inclusivity for plus-size women, which absolutely is necessary, but tall women are left out of that conversation, I think, in part because height is seen as a privilege, and there isn’t much privilege to being an outsider. Regardless of where you sit on that outsiderly spectrum, being an outsider is not a privilege.”  – Robyn Burgess, Stitch Please, Episode #49“Your vision of success may not look like what your family holds as successful, what your colleagues hold as successful, what your classmates hold as successful, and you don’t need to compare your success to anyone else. Come up with your own unique vision, and then chase that.” – Robyn Burgess, Stitch Please, Episode #49 Resources Mentioned:Robyn’s course on SkillshareMetro Textiles Fabric NYCNYC FrocktailsChristopher Sartorial’s YouTube drafting tutorials Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Robyn BurgessWebsite: Styles InSeamsInstagram: Styles InSeamsFacebook: Styles InSeamsPinterest: Styles InSeamsYouTube: Styles InSeams Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Sasha BlackSasha Black is a home sewist and content creator who is known for her amazingly hilarious sewing videos as Sasha Sews. She started sewing in 2015 as an amateur and began sharing her mishaps on Instagram, learning how to improve her craft from the sewing community along the way. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:What led to the switch from sewing for fun without much care for instructions or technique to making something that would lastFinding humor in the process of sewing, making mistakes, and learningDefining your summer styleThe story behind Sasha’s TikTok apology to her CoverstitchNavigating a change when your brand name no longer represents you Quotes from the show:“People are so willing to help, and that is why I have gotten to where I am and am still going–because of the fact that people are so willing to share information.” – Sasha Black, Stitch Please“I enjoy creating. It’s a form of art for me, the same way sewing is. I want my page to be a space where people can feel like they can be creative. Like they can be themselves. Like they can make whatever it is they want, even if other people may not like it. So what? Do you like it?” – Sasha Black, Stitch Please“I believe that Black women, girls, and femmes, we use our sewing as an extension of our freedom–as an expression of our freedom.” Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please“Don’t let anybody force you to turn your hobby into a business. If you don’t want to make your hobby a business, then let it stay a hobby! A lot of times people will be like, ‘Oh, you could do this! You can make money off it.’ Maybe I want to! Maybe I just want to do it because I love it!” – Sasha Black, Stitch Please“Be yourself with what you’re making. Don’t make anything because it’s popular or trendy. Find out who you are as a person and what fits you, what your style is, because I promise you, people are going to gravitate towards those who are authentic in their style.” – Sasha Black, Stitch Please Resources Mentioned:YouTube sewing tutorials by Annika Victoria“Freedom is not a secret. It’s a practice.” – Alexis Pauline GumbsMimi G’s Simplicity patternsDose of Fabric (Black-owned Ankara fabric company)Kila Tank, Allie Olson Patterns Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Sasha BlackInstagram: SashaSews  Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Julian CollinsJulian Collins works in public health, but loves to bring joy to the world through his colorful menswear creations by night as Julian Creates. His work has been featured in multiple publications including Sewn Magazine and Sew News. He is a BERNINA and Laurastar Ambassador and a current Fabricmart Fabricista. When he is not sewing, he loves connecting with people throughout the sewing community, especially in his Facebook group Sew “Manly”. Carmen GreenCarmen Green is a stylist, an influencer, a community builder, an absolute fashionista, and a role model entrepreneur who always aims to learn not only about fashion and sewing but marketing as well. She is the founder of the Black Sewing Network on TikTok. She believes in building creative communities on social media not only by shifting the culture of Instagram to be more fun, relaxed and authentic but also by trying new platforms such as TikTok to to create a really inclusive and safe space like the Black Sewing Network where women from various countries not only learn to sew but are seen and supported in order to thrive. Terrance WilliamsTerrance Williams is a small business owner, self-taught sewer, makeup, and skincare enthusiast, brand ambassador, and content creator. He designs, creates, and sews dresses, scarves, handbags, totes, and other accessories, and Terrance Williams Designs has been featured everywhere from NBC News to Buzzfeed. Terrance believes that it’s important to not just create beautiful, expressive, and quality pieces that are gender and size-inclusive, but crafted in a way and with materials that support a sustainable lifestyle. All of his items are made with ethically sourced and sustainably produced materials to make, create, and inspire a better tomorrow. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:How they designed and created costume patterns in the spirit of Beyonce’s Renaissance tourThe power of music to connect generations even if we don’t have the same tastesTips for sewing with Renaissance tour-themed fabrics like glitter, sheer lace, and stretch mesh to play it up for BeyonceHow to upcycle and create a Beyonce-worthy costume if you’re not ready to start from scratch Quotes from the show:“We can all appreciate Black artistry at its finest in all different platforms, and basically in sewing that’s what we’re doing. We’re practicing our all-Black artistry.” – Julian Collins, Stitch Please, Episode #188On why they took the time to put on some sequins and design costumes for Beyonce’s tour: “Renaissance is everything LGBTQ+, really celebrating us–specifically the Black people and people of color within that culture–so it’s really important for us to show up because this whole Renaissance is for us. It’s our songs, it’s our music, it’s our dances. It’s the voguing, it’s the fans, it’s the handclaps. It’s everything.” – Terrance Williams, Stitch Please, Episode #188“The LGBTQIA+ community has such a huge influence on my style personally, and I thought I was going to show up to a ball. I wanted that experience for myself, so I’m like, ‘No, you gotta show up and show out!’” – Carmen Green, Stitch Please, Episode #188“I love this idea that ballroom culture is something that is specific to Black queer, Black trans folks, and that as Black cis-identified folks [like Carmen and I] we are being invited to respect that space, and you do that by being courteous and mindful. The way that we tend to do that is to honor the looks that are so spectacular and so generative. This is an occasion, so you will dress for the occasion.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #188“Don’t be afraid to be yourself! Step out of your comfort zone, do something a little out of the ordinary!” – Terrance Williams, Stitch Please, Episode #188“If no other time but now, you have been given the permission to be extra, so be extra! Have fun! Concentrate yourself down to an essence and show up. We are in the summer of acce

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreDubsado helps me organize the podcast. Try it for 20% off. Nikki BrooksBeaute’ J’adore is the love child of Nikki Brooks-Revis: who is a wife, a mom to an awesome toddler,  proud pet parent to Callie, Nelson, and Curious, sunglass lover, fashion admirer, foodie, DIY fanatic, closet Martha Stewart skincare enthusiast who also happens to be the style blogger for Mood Fabrics and a licensed pattern designer for McCall’s Patterns. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Nikki’s sewing storyHer transition from the corporate world to sewingThe beauty of trusting in yourselfHer journey of altering patterns and piecesHow she can turn complex ideas into simple tasksInsights into summer sewingCreating for all body types Quotes from the show:On her sewing journey: “I was like I wanna make some clothes, and I ended up getting some more fabric, and I just started sewing, and I was like I’m kinda good at it and started making patterns” —Nikki Brooks in “Stitch Please”“This is such a beautiful testimony to what it means to take a step of faith, to step and just see and trust yourself and the vision that you have to see yourself and your life differently” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“It’s not about the time it takes, it’s about the time you give” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“The reason we are sewing is because we wanna create something that will be unique to us” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“When I think what I can make, I think about not just myself, because you do have to be true to yourself with these patterns, but I also think about how will other bodies look and feel in these patterns” —Nikki Brooks in “Stitch Please”“Take a chance, make the risk and go out there and actually do it. People plan so much that they plan themselves out of actually going in and jumping in and doing it. Stop all the planning and do it!” —Nikki Brooks in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Nikki BrooksWebsite: Beaute' J'adore - The Art Of DIYLinkedIn: Nikki Brooks Instagram: Nikki BrooksFacebook: Nikki Brooks This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreQueenora IrvinQueenora Irvin is a fabric designer and owner of Queenora Renee Fabrics, offering small batch custom inclusive fabric to home sewists and small businesses that center Black people, our community, and our culture.Janine LecourJanine Lecour is an Atlanta-based digital pattern designer who loves to design vibrantly colored, exuberant patterns. Mixing bold pattern motifs with eye-catching color palettes, she strives to create a whimsical art experience. Something that gives the viewer a sense of joy and optimism.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:The origin story of Black Magic Leopard fabric and all of the considerations and details that went into the designTips for reaching out to artists for commissions, sharing your vision while still giving the artist room to breathe life into the designThe response from the Black creative community to the gift of Black Magic LeopardGaining the courage to reach out, ask questions, and collaborateQuotes from the show:“Creativity is in steps… You can just wake up one day and be great, but that’s not the norm. You have to work at it.” – Queenora Irvin, Stitch Please“When the idea came across [for Black Magic Leopard], I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that makes total sense.’... I don’t always get them very quickly, but I saw this one pretty quickly and it just became a matter of how do I take the standard shapes, me understanding different hairstyles and textured hair, and how do I use particular ones to translate this overall look. I feel like it came together very fast.” – Janine Lecour, Stitch Please“It really does feel like I’m looking at a community; I’m looking at a group of people who have affinity and relation with one another. The diversity… their skin colors are different, their hairstyles are different, some of the textures seem a little different from the other… the detail really pays off.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please“When it comes to creativity and artistry and putting it out there, you really are putting a piece of yourself out there.” – Queenora Irvin, Stitch Please,“I think that there has long been a need for some equity around who gets represented on fabric, just like who gets represented anywhere.” – Lisa Woolfork“Enjoy the process. Enjoy where you are now... I think sometimes we look to where we want to be with such anticipation… just enjoy where you are, and it will make the journey so much more fulfilling.” – Queenora Irvin, Stitch PleaseStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please PodcastLisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkQueenora Irvin Website: Queenora Renee FabricsInstagram: Queenora ReneeFacebook: Queenora Renee FabricsYouTube: Queenora Renee FabricsPinterest: Queenora ReneeJanine LecourWebsite: Janine LecourInstagram: Janine Lecour Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreThis episode was recorded live at the Sew Black Affinity Space hosted by Black Women Stitch at the MQG Quiltcon in Atlanta, Georgia in February 2023. Click here to see warm memories of a wonderful time. Guest: Janine Lecour is an Atlanta-based digital pattern designer who loves to design vibrantly colored, exuberant patterns. Mixing bold pattern motifs with eye-catching color palettes, she strives to create a whimsical art experience. Something that gives the viewer a sense of joy and optimism.Host: Lisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Produced by Latrice Sampson Richards. Insights from this episode:How Janine got into fashion design. 4:37Growing up in a family of artists.Going to Savannah college of art and design.Taking on a job for a company in Italy.Saying "yes" before you know for sure. 9:00Saying yes before knowing for sure.Finding a space where she fits into design.Janine's favorite approach to design: Is design a verb or a noun?Design as a category of expression.A room with 110 yards of Janine Lecour fabric. 15:05The jumbo jumbo and small jumbo pieces.What the studio audience sees in the jumbo shape.How to get out of the creative block. 17:18How she started designing the design.How she got started on spoonflower.The power of hearing what others think.How to overcome creative block.The freedom of not having to design for others' taste. 21:11Designing for someone else's taste vs her own.Conversational printmaking and pattern design.Taking a contract from a company or organization.The pressure to create every day.How to create a modern design. 25:57One of her favorite pieces, a modern print.A calming color palette.The power of affirmations in daily life.How to center yourself.The slogan of the stitch please podcast. 30:06 Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon Store Ava & Michael GardnerMichael Gardner is a proud Father, self-taught sewist, lifelong crafter, and DIY enthusiast. Also Known As "Ava's Dad." He can be found exercising his creative abilities. He began his sewing journey in 2014. He wanted a way to bond with his daughter while looking for a new creative challenge, and he created Daddy Dressed Me by Michael Gardner. His mission is to help Ava build her self-esteem and establish confidence in herself and her abilities. He sews the clothes, and Ava models. He started sewing by thrifting women's clothing and refashioning the clothes for Ava. He learned through trial and error, watched tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest, and just started creating.  Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:The story of Daddy Dressed MeWhat it means to Ava wearing her dad’s piecesThe transition from self-taught to following a patternMemories they have made together and documenting them through her dressesInsights into fatherhood, fashion, and funHow Michael navigates fatherhoodDetails on Michael’s patchwork dressStories behind Michael’s creative workMichael’s creative process Quotes from the show:I just wanted to deliver a beautiful dress for her, so she walked into her school confident to say her recital. So, we’re basically growing together, and that has been our journey for the nine years” —Michael Gardner in “Stitch Please”What it means to wear dad’s creation: “To feel beautiful, but also happy that my daddy has taken the time to make me something to build up my confidence and my self-confidence. It was also really fun to wear because I literally set the room off” —Ava Gardner in “Stitch Please”“When I started this journey, I had to figure out how to be a father because my father didn’t raise me. So, the thing that made more sense to me was to fuse my creativity into my fatherhood experience because that just felt very natural to me” —Michael Gardner in “Stitch Please”“I’m often inspired by women’s fashion, but I have to keep in mind that I’m putting it on a child, so I have to make sure it feels appropriate for her” —Michael Gardner  in “Stitch Please”“My advice would be just to create what you wanna create. There’s a lot of noise sometimes when it comes to social media and keeping up with other people; a lot of times I just have to block all that out and focus on what I want to do” —Michael Gardner in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Michael GardnerWebsite: Daddy Dressed Me by Michael GardnerInstagram: Daddy Dressed Me by Michael GardnerFacebook: Daddy Dressed Me by Michael GardnerYoutube: Daddy Dressed Me by Michael Gardner This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Registration info: KINDRED SPIRITS: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTERS CONVERGENCE, June 15-17, 2023, Durham, NC Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon Store Porfiria GomezPorfiria Gomez is a sewing enthusiast, a designer, and a blogger. Her love of sewing began as a child and is a native New Yorker. In 2014, she began sharing her passion with others - with her Sewing 101 classes. Today, she continues to train and learn as much as she can about the beautiful world of sewing, cooking blogging, and living her best life as a maker. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Porfiria’s sewing storyDetails into her early days of bloggingJuggling between being a mom and quiltingHow she came up with the name ‘Eat. Quilt. Joy’Details about her upcoming bookDetails about her quilt projectsRedefining the misconceptions of quilting Quotes from the show:“When I got pregnant with my first son, I just remember wanting to create something with my hands and I think I identify that with family” —Porfiria Gomez in “Stitch Please”“I really like how it seems as though three different modes of creation were coming together for you at one time: you were growing a child, a life in your body and you are learning about quilting” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“Family brings so much joy to my life and I think we take life for granted and we don’t enjoy the joyous things” —Porfiria Gomez in “Stitch Please”“Eat Quilt Joy essentially sums up who I am (…) if I am not quilting, I’m cooking, if I’m not cooking, I’m quilting” —Porfiria Gomez in “Stitch Please”“I was trying to do it all. I wanted to create some sort of community for me as I was going on this journey to being a mom” —Porfiria Gomez in “Stitch Please”“For me, I wanted to be the change that I wanted to see (…) I couldn’t understand for the life of me why the boxes didn’t look like me: why in modern quilting, I didn’t find people who looked like me” —Porfiria Gomez in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Porfiria GomezWebsite: Porfiria GomezInstagram: Eat.Quilt.Joy (@mrsporfiria)  This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Registration info: KINDRED SPIRITS: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTERS CONVERGENCE, June 15-17, 2023, Durham, NC Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreMartha McIntoshAlso known as GariChild, Martha McIntosh is a powerful creative. An engineer by trade, she also makes stunning works of apparel that are guaranteed to impress while also sending her self regard into the stratosphere. You can find Martha being fabulous on Instgram, Facebook, and her website. She also has work indexed at the ever-helpful Curvy Sewing Collective.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insight from this episode:Why plus-size clothing can be more expensive and why we shouldn’t accept itDressing for occasions to honor other cultures with intention without making it into a costumeWhy making your own clothes can help you feel excited about what you’re wearing and give you a boost of confidenceHow Martha prepares for trips, from deciding on patterns to packing her suitcaseHow to decide what fabrics to use when traveling to warm climates Quotes from the show:“I’m not paying this extra $300 just because of the extra 2 yards supposedly for my body. I’m just going to buy me a sewing machine and figure out how to make it myself!” - Martha McIntosh, Stitch Please, Episode #48“I am now walking in space, in my me-made outfit, and you’ve gotta talk to me nicely. I even walk with a little something… it activates a whole entire character. New character has now loaded, Martha has arrived! Martha in her me-made is here for a good time!” - Martha McIntosh, Stitch Please, Episode #48“Something new, something blue, something borrowed, something Black. And when I say ‘something Black’, it’s a Black designer, Black-inspired fabric… it has to speak to that. There’s always that element.” - Martha McIntosh, Stitch Please, Episode #48“One thing I never want to do on vacation is iron. Never ever. Love to press, hate to iron. That is the fact of my sewing life.” - Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #48“When we see another sister, another kin… and they’re like, ‘Where did you get that? They make that in our size?’ I sure do. I sure do. …It gives me the chills.” - Martha McIntosh, Stitch Please, Episode #48“If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” - Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #48 Resources Mentioned:Stitch Please’s Stitching Holiday Traditions series with Martha McIntosh (December 21, 2022) Episode Sponsor:Kindred Spirits: A Convergence of African American Quilters, June 15-17, 2023, Durham, NC Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast Lisa Woolfork:Instagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Martha McIntosh:Instagram: @garichildFacebook: Martha McIntoshCurvy Sewing CollectiveSubscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Registration info: KINDRED SPIRITS: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTERS CONVERGENCE, June 15-17, 2023, Durham, NC Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon Store  Tasha HenryTasha is a widely talented creative with specialties in sewing and dance.  She likes to make videos about travel, sewing, hair, lifestyle, and whatever else catches her interests. She describes herself as a multifaceted person who is proud of her Panamanian and Jamaican heritage. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Tasha’s sewing storyTasha’s creative endeavorsHow her dance career boosts her creativityPreserving traditionsDetails about Tasha’s trip to PanamaDetails about the dress she made for New York FrocktailsTasha’s sewing spaceInsights into her creative processGetting inspiration and motivation from her sewing space Quotes from the show:After losing weight: “I was not rich, and I can’t go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, so I just had it in my mind that I was gonna go and find a sewing machine and was gonna fix all my clothes to fit me or change them” —Telltale Tasha in “Stitch Please”On Tasha’s first piece: “You got a lot of good love out of it. It’s clear, when I wear this, I feel good. I love how I look in this garment, and that is the kind of love that we can generate through the love we have for making the things we wear” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“When you have a multi-generational attachment to something, that’s excellent because it keeps the thing moving forward, you can sustain the traditions, but you can also practice them in a way and make sure they are preserved and pushed forward” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”On Tasha’s creative process: “When you walk into your space, you step into the fullness of a creative power” — Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”On Tasha’s sewing space: “It really does pull my creativity even when I don’t want to sew. Sometimes I just come in here and play with the fabric and see it happen” — Telltale Tasha in “Stitch Please”“The advice I would have to help people get their stitch together would be to not create out of a process of desperation, or stress, but to create from a place of love and excitement (…) so that you can continue to enjoy what you are creating” — Telltale Tasha in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork The Telltale TashaWebsite: The Telltale TashaYoutube: The Telltale Tasha Instagram: Tasha (@thetelltaletasha)  This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Registration info: KINDRED SPIRITS: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTERS CONVERGENCE, June 15-17, 2023, Durham, NC Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StorePREORDER YOUR AFRICAN STRETCH FABRICS BY TUESDAY, MAY 23! Danielle PierceIn addition to her work as a designer, Danielle Pierce is the proprietor of African Stretch Fabrics, a small business that delivers big impact designs and fabrics. For the first time ever, Danielle is offering COTTON LYCRA (which just sew happens to be Lisa's favorite apparel knit fabric). This is a TEST run to see how sell the fabric sells.  So get it while you can! Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.From the episodeDanielle's parents' love story began at her grandfather's tailor shop when her mother applied for a seamstress job and met her father, adding a touch of romance to the family's sewing legacy.A black-and-white picture from 1968 captures a protest outside Danielle's grandfather's tailor shop on Main Street in Memphis, symbolizing the shop's significance as a gathering place for black people and their fight for justice.The resilience and determination passed down through generations, as Danielle's family overcame challenges and established themselves in the world of sewing, leaving a lasting legacy.The connection between sewing, creativity, and personal expression, highlighting the transformative potential of this craft in shaping individuals' identities and narratives. Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkDanielle PierceWebsiteInstagram  Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreDubsado helps me organize the podcast. Try it for 20% off.  Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:How did Celeste know she was in the design worldHow her family influenced her artistic processesWhat type of things did Celeste study at Parsons that helped her nowadaysCeleste’s thesis and how it has become truly personal for herWhat is Rat VirginityCeleste’s first collection “American Dream”The paradox of the United States' democracyGucci Changemakers AwardWhat’s next for Celeste’s lifeCeleste’s advice for keeping your stitch together Quotes from the show: “I think American Dream for me is about telling the story of being un-American and anti-American while being also all American because these experiences that I’ve had in childhood, being part of an amazing beautiful Black family, but then also having like these really common American things like my nuclear family breaking apart at a young age” —Celeste Nicole in “Stitch Please”“We are the bed on which the American dream was slept. We are the sediment that allowed this country to be a country. There are few things more American than Black Americans” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“[About the Gucci scholarship] We got like this amazing opportunity to sit on different guest speakers, who would give us insight into the industry and sort of open our minds to the possibilities of where we can fit in within the industry because is not just all about making the clothes, there’s so much that happens from production and distribution” —Celeste Nicole in “Stitch Please”“What has taken me most of all on this journey is just being very connected to my child self that was not afraid to dream big and see big things for me” —Celeste Nicole in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Celeste NicoleLinkedIn: Celeste NicoleInstagram: Celeste NicoleFacebook: Celeste Nicole This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch here Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonAmazon StoreDubsado helps me organize the podcast. Try it for 20% off. Amina ColemanAmina Coleman was born and raised in the East End of Richmond, Virginia, and found her interest in the arts by observing the creative talents of her family. Her family is full of musicians, singers, and dancers, so she was heavily encouraged to continue pursuing her dreams in fine art from a young age.Their support, combined with her dedication and tenacity, allowed her to graduate from Henrico High School’s Center for the Arts Visual Arts Program in 2019 with massive artistic accolades, including a national medal from Scholastic’s Art & Writing Program, a wonderful experience at Radford University’s Governor's School for the Visual and Performing Arts,  and multiple exhibitions.She is en route to finishing her BFA in Painting and Printmaking with a Minor in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University in December of 2022. She will continue to thrive and receive more acknowledgment of my dedication and success through multiple awards, including The Black History In the Making Award and ongoing Dean’s List recognition. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Amina’s sewing backgroundAmina’s big chopFinding herself through her artHow attending an arts high school prepared her for art collegeInsights into artsAmina’s project (weave(ings))What was her inspiration for her new projectThe inspiration behind her artwork Quotes from the show:“I watched, and she kinda tried teaching me, but I got frustrated. And I more or less picked up on the technique on my own, just sitting and reading and trying out” —Amina Coleman in “Stitch Please”“Black women’s hair has become politically loaded because of the ways in which it can so adversely impact our lives” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“I didn’t realize I was holding myself back from successful ideas or cool, weird ideas by just not allowing myself to repeat something. There are artists whose whole practice is doing one thing for their whole life” —Amina Coleman in “Stitch Please”“Sometimes art is never “done.” Art is not a product, it is a practice” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“It seems too that art is all about opening. Opening people up to new ideas, opening itself up to challenge and revision and re-writing” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“I feel my art is always been like a reaction to a lot of outside things and me trying to make something else for myself, something oppositional” —Amina Coleman in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Amina ColemanWebsite: Amina ColemanInstagram: Amina ColemanFacebook: Amina Coleman This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon Store Shorti J.Shorti J is an artist who expresses herself through photography and fashion. She recently went viral on TikTok and Instagram. A multifacedted creative, Short J challenges and inspires with her creative vision. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Shorti J’s sewing storyHow the alteration process of her clothes led her back to wholenessHow her healing is connected to her creativityInsights into her writing and poetryInsights into her creative visionBeing a muse in her photographyHow she incorporates fashion and photographyShorti J’s thrifting process Quotes from the show:“I lost a significant amount of weight, and since I can’t replace all my clothes, I’m gonna learn how to fix them until I gain the weight back, and it just went from there” —Shorti J. in “Stitch Please”“It’s such a beautiful story the way that you talk about your healing being attached to your creativity” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“Art has always been one of my outlets, like I used to write poetry heavily” —Shorti J. in “Stitch Please”“There are so many times in our lives where it seems as though we really do have to remind ourselves that we have the potential to create and make the things that we need” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“I’ve always been the main subject within my photography mainly because I’ve always wanted to model” —Shorti J. in “Stitch Please”“Fashion and photography go hand-in-hand” —Shorti J. in “Stitch Please”“It’s one thing to have art speak to you, it’s another thing to listen and to know how to respond” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”On her thrifting process: “I only buy things that I am drawn to” —Shorti J. in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Shorti J.Twitter: Shorti JInstagram: Shorti J This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletter!   Check out our  merch too! Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode. Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon Store Jaimie BlackJaimie Black is a wife and mother that has fallen in love with DIY sewing, shoemaking, and the occasional bagmaking a few years ago. She has always had a passion for shoes and always believed that a beautiful shoe can always make an outfit. Her brand “Black Linings” has been a few years in the making. She produces specially crafted, limited-quantity designs and hopes to grow into more designs with time. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. learnedHow growing up in Africa shaped Jaimie’s creative visionJaimie’s sewing storyThe relation between the art and utility of clothesLessons Jaimie learned sewing by hand, then transitioning to machineJaimie’s motivation to start sewingDetails about home shoe-makingInsights into Jaimie making her own clothesLessons she has learned since launchingInsights into Creations by Jaimie Quotes from the show:“Even sewing is an art because everything artistic starts in the mind. What you decide to wear is an art” —Jaimie Black in “Stitch Please”“If you are dressed to the 9’s based on the options created by someone else, there’s always a bit of a limitation and always a big chance that what you like will be there” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“One of the things I have seen, is that all these movements ‘new movements for sustainability’ about visible mending, about let’s repair things, it’s the western world rediscovering practices that people in regions that are more committed to sustainability have been doing all along” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”​​“Shoe-making became one of my big loves. I started shoe-making a few years ago, I was always an absolute lover of shoes (…) so the only way I could solve that was by making my own shoes, so that I could make as many as I wanted” —Jaimie Black in “Stitch Please”“I truly wanted to keep the art of shoe-making alive (…) as a first launch I might be a bit more open to changing a few things now as I grow slowly” —Jaimie Black in “Stitch Please”On lessons learned since launching her business: “One of the biggest things is that factories will never be on time” —Jaimie Black in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Jaimie BlackWebsite: Black Linings, Luxury Shoes & AccessoriesInstagram: Creations by Jaimie (@sewcreatebyjaimie)  This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch QUARTERLY newsletter. Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon Black Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarLisa is connecting with Julian Collins for Menswear Sunday, April 16th, at 3 pm on the Black Sewing Network on TikTok. They will sew the boxer brief pattern the Gable by Made for Mermaids. Lisa enjoys the Gable pattern because of its simplicity (3 seams, 2 hems, 1 waistband) and the size inclusivity. The kid size goes from toddler to teen; the adult size fits waist sizes 28" to 63". Not bad for $9. Get the Made for Mermaids Gable boxer briefs BWS affiliate linkCheck out the BWS Amazon store for pinned supply listLisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkSign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Sign up for the Black Women Stitch QUARTERLY newsletter. Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon Black Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarLisa is connecting with Julian Collins for Menswear Sunday, April 16th, at 3 pm on the Black Sewing Network on TikTok. They will sew the boxer brief pattern the Gable by Made for Mermaids. Lisa enjoys the Gable pattern because of its simplicity (3 seams, 2 hems, 1 waistband) and the size inclusivity. The kid size goes from toddler to teen; the adult size fits waist sizes 28" to 63". Not bad for $9. Get the Made for Mermaids Gable boxer briefs BWS affiliate linkCheck out the BWS Amazon store for pinned supply listLisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSEW MUCH SOULRegister for the conference hereOrder the supply kit!About SEW CREATIVE LOUNGE Cecily Habimana and Tisha Thorne met by chance in the hallway of a new building they both moved into back in 2006. They soon realized that they both had a passion for sewing. The pair noticed that there really weren’t many places where people could take sewing classes, even though there was clearly a demand for it. So, they decided to fill that void and launch Sip and Sew DC, a three-hour workshop that teaches participants how to sew and complete a project such as a clutch, pants or skirt. The response was overwhelming with many of the classes selling out from 2014-2016. Hosting pop-up classes was a lot of work and Cecily and Tisha’s husbands eventually urged the pair to find their own space. It was from their recommendation that pushed them to open Sew Creative Lounge in Mt. Rainier, MD. Today Sew Creative Lounge teaches children and adult sewing classes and hosts summer camp at their home studio and satellite studio in Chicago. They also partner with various elementary schools throughout the DC metropolitan area including Yu Ying Public Charter School, Creative Minds Public Charter School, Center City Public Charter School and the Burke School. In response to the pandemic, Cecily and Tisha opened up an online store and began designing their own collection of fabrics. They excited about their work and are always eager to work with their students.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Latrice Sampson Richards ​ LPC-S, CLC is a Mental and Emotional Wellness Creative, Podcast Host & Producer, and CEO of STS Productions. Learn more about Latrice and her work here. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Latrice's strategy for engaging contentWhy Latrice enjoys working with the sewing and quilting communityLatrice's favorite Sew Black interviewLatrice's reactions to her first QuiltConStay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoSimone Elizabeth SaundersSimone Elizabeth Saunders (b. 1983, Calgary, Canada) is a textile artist who focuses primarily on punch-needle and tufting tapestries to create allegorical narratives of Blackness and Womanhood using polychrome and textural portraits. Based in Mohkinstsis, Canada, she holds a B.F.A. with Distinction from the Alberta University of Arts in 2020 and a background in the theater arts, with a previous B.F.A. from the University of Alberta’s Acting Conservatory. Saunders’ practice is anchored in a process that starts with collages or sketches that are then transferred to large-scale frames. From there, they are tufted using a myriad of yarn colors. Saunders’ artistic process represents a performative negotiation of weaving and coloring at the same time. This results in detailed portraits that capture nuanced individuality. Recent international exhibitions include the Textile Museum of Canada, Contemporary Calgary, Minneapolis Art Institute (Minnesota), the Mint Museum (North Carolina), and Arts Westchester (NY), among other international museums and prominent collectors.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Details on Unearthing UnicornsHow Simone finds a reflection on Black women in the pastWhat it means to create a tapestryHow Simone honors those who came before herThe process of Simone’s artShowcasing her work at the Claire Oliver GalleryHow is crafting work in a groupQuotes from the show:“The Unicorn to me represents everything dazzling and magical, and all dreams come true and really the purity of what it is to be human and shine your light” —Simone Elizabeth Saunders in “Stitch Please”“It is very interesting for me, when I’m in the process, I allow for a huge sense of spirituality and honoring those who came before me” —Simone Elizabeth Saunders in “Stitch Please”“The coming together and the nesting of threads to me is also such a spiritual connotation of our history and of me reaching out to this sisterhood” —Simone Elizabeth Saunders in “Stitch Please”“I think that one of the reasons that your work has exploded in these last few years with the BLM movement is because people have started to realize that BLM is more than a call for equity and justice with policing (...) it’s also a call to existing in the fullness of ourselves” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“It’s all about the sisterhood: honoring our ancestors, those who came before us, those who are her now, those who are yet to come, it’s that connectivity” —Simone Elizabeth Saunders in “Stitch Please”“I do think of all my works as extensions of and extensions of yours to be shared” —Simone Elizabeth Saunders in “Stitch Please”“Be inspired by what inspires you, not what you think that you should be putting out in the world, because everyone's voice is unique and you deserve to be heard” ​​—Simone Elizabeth Saunders in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkSimone Elizabeth SaundersWebsite: Contemporary CalgaryInstagram: Simone Elizabeth SaundersThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoJanda Lipker & Rebecca Christian-LipkerThis is a mother-daughter duo who creates quilts. They run their family-owned hair and beauty company, James Lauren LLC, out of Maple Heights. The name honors Lipker’s children, Rebecca, whose middle name is Lauren, and her son, James.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Janda's sewing storyJanda’s life growing upHow Rebecca picked up sewingMaking masks during Covid-19Details about the Henry Box Brown quiltUsing color as a form of languageThe dynamics of working together as mom and daughterDetails on the trapunto quiltProjects they have coming upQuotes from the show:“I started sewing my first dress in third grade. So, I’ve been sewing, literally my own clothing, since third grade” —Janda Lipker in “Stitch Please”“I think with age came patience, in knowing like, it’s not all gonna come together, you’re not gonna be great at it initially, but there’s time” —Rebecca Christian-Lipker in “Stitch Please”“The big theme of us, is I may not know all the answers right now, but imma figure it out and it’s gonna be right!” —Rebecca Christian-Lipker in “Stitch Please”“This is what I love. I love that joy is always our option. Joy is our birthright as well! We can talk about our powerful history and you can stitch that history in about half a million stitches” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“Because social media is so raggedly individualist, there are a lot of people that don’t want to help anybody else” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“There is a lot of history that goes into every piece we make” —Janda Lipker in “Stitch Please”“Stich in any way that makes you happy, no matter what anyone says. Do what makes you happy: whatever that craft is, whether it’s stitching or not” —Janda Lipker in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkJanda LipkerLinkedIn: Janda Lipker Rebecca Christian-LipkerInstagram: Rebeca Christian-LipkerJames Lauren BeautyWebsite: https://jlbeautyllc.com/Instagram: James Lauren BeautyTwitter: James Lauren BeautyFacebook: James Lauren BeautyThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoValerie GoodwinValerie S. Goodwin is a mixed-media fiber artist and architect whose works of fine art are included in museum and private collections. Most of her work is inspired by a love of aerial views of landscapes and cities. Many of her quilts are based on maps.Goodwin’s art has moved through various stages, from traditional quilting to an interest in abstract expressionism, and, currently, it is inspired by real and imaginary landscapes and cities. In some cases, her work shows an architectural sense of space with an archaeological perspective. In others, the network of the city and its built form is more prominent. These compositions work on several levels, from close up and far away as if one was looking at it from above.She received degrees in architecture from Washington University and Yale University. Her award-winning work has been widely published and exhibited. She also lectures and gives workshops nationally and internationally. For over 26 years, she taught architectural design at Florida A & M University.Her book, Art Quilt Maps: Capture a Sense of Place with Fiber Collage-A Visual Guide is widely available.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Valerie’s sewing journeyThe connection between architecture and sewingHow Valerie is able to combine modern and analog techniques in quiltingHow she settled on mapping as a form of visual expressionValerie’s teaching methodologiesThe importance of perseveranceLearning from our mistakesDetails about her retrospective exhibitionWhat Valerie is working onQuotes from the show:“I’d like to think that the DNA of both my maternal and cousin Hardy, is what has become part of my creative life” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I sewed up until I got to high school, and then peer pressure set in, and it wasn’t cool to do that anymore, so I stopped sewing altogether. I didn’t pick up sewing again until I was teaching architecture” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I taught myself how to cut fabric, I tested over 30 kinds of fabric: there are three settings (speed, frequency, and power), and so you need figure out all those settings” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“Critique is a skill, that’s just my opinion. If you have to say things, say them in a nurturing way, although sometimes you have to be direct and challenging depending on who the student is” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I wish for myself that there were others around me that so that I can get that critic and I have to check myself a lot of times” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“A lot of things that have happened to me in my life that have led me to what I am doing has kind of been happy circumstances, you know, coincidences” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I think perseverance is really important, and you have to be willing to make mistakes faster. Making mistakes is just as important as succeeding: you learn from your mistakes” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkValerie GoodwinWebsite: https://valeriegoodwinart.comLinkedIn: Valerie GoodwinInstagram: @valeriegoodwinartFacebook: Valerie Goodwin Art This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

The SEW BLACK GIVEAWAY is on! Enter to for your chance to win a Bernette 33.Sew Black InfoWant Behind the Scenes video of QuiltCon? Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon at the $15 level or higher.Black Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreThanks to our Sew Black underwriters: Spoonflower (SEWBLACKQC for 20%off) and Moda. Additional support: BerninaMaterial support provided by Accuquilt, Aurifil, Crimson Tate (SEWBLACKQC for 10% off), My Notions, Ruby Star Society, SpoonflowerRoad to QuiltCon: Trains, Planes, and Automobiles is sponsored by Bernina in partnership with Amtrak and material support from SewEzi.Geraldine WilkinsGeraldine lectures and teaches at international quilt shows, like Quilt Con, and at quilt shops, regional retreats, and guilds. As a former Westalee Design Accredited Teacher and Juki America Educator, she crisscrossed the United States, teaching at guilds and large quilt shows.Her quilts have been exhibited in local and regional quilt shows, national touring events and shows with Hoffman Fabrics, American Quilt Society Quilt Week at Paducah, Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, curated exhibits at the Virginia Quilt Museum and juried Sacred Threads 2019 exhibit.Geraldine was featured in “Designer Spotlight, “an article published in the July/August 2019 issue of Quiltmaker magazine. She is a regular contributing quilt designer in Fons & Porter's Quick + Easy Quilts and Quiltmaker magazines. She contributes to the following quilt books: 1000 Quilt Inspirations 2015, The Quilter’s Planner 2017, 2020/1, and Free Motion Framework.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Geraldine's days as a photojournalistHer transition from photography to quiltingHow she learned how to maintain machinesLessons she has carried from her photography classesRuler classes with GeraldineHer quilting project (Beautiful Sister Quilt Lock)Her teaching processWhat a successful quilt con means to GeraldineBuilding a quilting studioQuotes from the show:“I love that the skills that I developed as a photojournalist play well into my overall purpose with sewing and quilting” —Geraldine Wilkins in “Stitch Please”“I knew that it was critical to building confidence just not only in myself but to teach others how to do it (dissembling sewing machines) so that they can have the confidence as well” —Geraldine Wilkins in “Stitch Please”“That’s what I share in my class: education through thread and needles and the machine. If you learn those three, your confidence will increase” —Geraldine Wilkins in “Stitch Please”“I’ve learned over the years that if you make it too complicated, ladies shut down. And I wanted to simplify it” —Geraldine Wilkins in “Stitch Please”“I think we all have these in our lives that are important to helping us develop and mature in different areas of our lives (…) we have women who we call sisters because they are that close to us” —Geraldine Wilkins in “Stitch Please”“My photography career has helped me accelerate my ability to create this studio. I’m always refining it. But I know I have a bit of an advantage, but I wanna share those tips so people do not have to spend weeks and months trying to figure it out” —Geraldine Wilkins in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkGeraldine WilkinsWebsite: Geraldine WilkinsInstagram: @livingwaterquilterThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreIndigo: In Search of the Color that Seduced the WorldSew Black InfoThanks to our Sew Black underwriters: Spoonflower (enter SEWBLACKQC for 20%off) and Moda. Additional support: BerninaMaterial support provided by Accuquilt, , Aurifil, Crimson Tate (enter SEWBLACKQC for 10% off), My Notions, Ruby Star Society, SpoonflowerRoad to QuiltCon: Trains, Planes, and Automobiles is sponsored by Bernina in partnership with Amtrak and material support by SewEzi,Sandra Lee ChandlerSandra Lee Chandler specializes in making denim quilts and teaching the Sashiko and Boro methods of stitching. She travels domestically and internationally to provide virtual or live lectures and workshops for your guild. She believes every crafter can be creative. She finds joy in empowering her students to bring out their creative side. She loves teaching and speaking to groups about her creative process. She believes there is creativity in every one of us, and it’s her job to help you find it.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Sandra’s sewing journeySandra falling in love with fabricStudying sewing as an undergrad at Arizona State UniversityLessons she learned at Arizona State UniversityDetails about the lectures she offersWorking as an influencerUnderstanding the value of our (Black women) craftThe importance of showing upCelebrating Black History month through sewingQuotes from the show:“I was the person that walked in the room, and if she (her teacher) said, jump, I said how high?” —Sandra Lee Chandler in “Stitch Please”“For me, quilting and sewing are synonymous. Like sewing garments and quilt sewings go hand in hand, so I learned both at the same time in 7th grade home economics” —Sandra Lee Chandler in “Stitch Please”“Understanding the why before the rules are what I feel sets me apart from, or sets me in a whole lane of my own” —Sandra Lee Chandler in “Stitch Please”“The past is precedent, and the past is evidence, and that we are walking in footsteps that have been traveled by our ancestors” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“We, as Black women. have to understand our value. I work at my craft. You work at your craft” —Sandra Lee Chandler in “Stitch Please”“When I go to conferences, if there’s a Black person that’s vending, I always buy something, even if I don’t need it” —Sandra Lee Chandler in “Stitch Please”“Good enough is good enough. If you are able to get through whatever you are doing, just get it done." --Sandra Lee Chandler in "Stitch Please""Don’t major in the minors, live in the moment, get it done!” —Sandra Lee Chandler in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkSandra Lee ChandlerWebsite: https://sandrajohnsondesigns.comInstagram: Sandra Lee ChandlerFacebook: Sandra Lee ChandlerThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoThanks to our Sew Black underwriters: Spoonflower (SEWBLACKQC for 20%off) and Moda. Additional support: BerninaMaterial support provided by Accuquilt, , Aurifil, Crimson Tate (SEWBLACKQC for 10% off), My Notions, Ruby Star Society, SpoonflowerRoad to QuiltCon: Trains, Planes, and Automobiles is sponsored by Bernina with material support from Amtrak and SewEzi, Carole Lyles ShawCarole’s passion is to inspire quilters to explore the fun and creative freedom of making modern quilts. She taught herself to quilt when she decided to make quilts for her wonderful nieces and nephews. Then, she found her first quilting home with the African American Quilters of Baltimore, who gently taught her the best techniques to express her quilt vision. She is excited about modern quilting because it brings individualism and free expression to the quilts we are making today.She teaches workshops to help quilters confidently and joyfully dive into modern quilting. Her students say that her workshops inspire them to let their creative voices shine.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:What makes a modern quiltInsights into quiltingEmerging trends in quiltingHow modern quilt borrows from traditionsRelationship between quilting and musicThe importance of respecting traditionsWhat Carol is looking forward to in 2023Details about QuiltConQuotes from the show:“People used to phrase community over competition all the time, but sometimes, people be lying” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“Modern quilting: First of all, it does have one foot in the traditional quilting world; it’s not that we hate traditional quilts, far from it. We honor that tradition, we learn from it, and then we expand it and build on it” —Carole Lyles Shaw in “Stitch Please”“Modern quilting is an emerging genre. It’s always changing and being re-invented” —Carole Lyles Shaw in “Stitch Please”“Improvisational design and actual quilting is only one design principle. Not all modern quilts are improvised; some of them are very much pattern-based and block-based” —Carole Lyles Shaw in “Stitch Please”“It (modern quilting) really is about invention, re-invention and combining and re-combining and borrowing from artistic, as well as folk art tradition from literally all around the world” —Carole Lyles Shaw in “Stitch Please”“If you are gonna learn from and borrow from a tradition, understand that tradition first, before you explore it further” —Carole Lyles Shaw in “Stitch Please”“The best teachers are not trying to create acolytes in their own image; the best teachers want to bring out the best students can do” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“Pay close attention to the parts of quilt making that bring you joy and energy (...) go where your joy takes you” —Carole Lyles Shaw in “Stitch Please”Resources Mentioned:Modern Quilt GuildQuiltConStay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkCarole Lyles ShawWebsite: Carole Lyles ShawFacebook: Carole Lyles Shaw QuiltsThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoSew Black underwriters: Spoonflower (SEWBLACKQC for 20%off) and Moda. Sponsor: BerninaMaterial support provided by Accuquilt, Amtrak, Aurifil, Crimson Tate, My Notions, Ruby Star Society, SpoonflowerStacey WatsonStacey Watson is the Director of Equitable Partnerships at The National Quilt Museum. She has been an educator for nearly 17 years and specializes in African American history and culture. Watson has a Museum Studies certification from the University of West Georgia and a graduate degree in History from Fort Valley State University. One of Watson's objectives is to uphold the museum's mission of "bringing the work of today's quilters to audiences" by creating opportunities and experiences that will display all voices of the community. Her overall goal is to collaborate and build partnerships within the community locally and regionally. In addition to engaging the community, Watson lends her expertise as a history professor to the museum by researching the past and helping audiences connect history to art. Watson is a member of the Association of African American Museums and Southeastern Museum Conference.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this EpisodeStacey's academic background and her commitment to historyThe importance behind knowing your history as a Black personLisa's thoughts on Black people making historyWhat Stacey's students are able to get when they visit the quilts museumStacey's role at The National Quilt MuseumHow does Stacey get the inspiration for the exhibitions at the museumStacey's example of looking at a quilt that is teaching something different or in a more powerful wayHow Stacey's students apply the detective technique in order to understand quiltsStacey's advice to get our stitch togetherQuotes from the Show: "We associate history with events and people from the past but we forget about the foundation of this history and they get lost and I think it's important that we remember those who have been lost on history whether it was intentional or not" - Stacey Watson in “Stitch Please”"[About the Watson Method] What was the motive for some of these events that happened, who were involved and not justo who are the victims and who are the suspects...What were the organizations, What they were doing, how they were supportive, so I want my students to think beyond what's being presented" - Stacey Watson in “Stitch Please”"[About getting the local Black community on good terms with the museum] Community conversations was a program that I created to allow the community to come in to meet the Quilt Museum and for the Quilt Museum to meet the local community " - Stacey Watson in “Stitch Please”"There's no such thing as being too ambitious. You need to get your stitch together and know that everything can be done. Nothing is impossible. You don't need a whole entire team for your one vision" - Stacey Watson in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkStacey WatsonLinkedIn: Stacey WatsonThe National Quilt Museum: https://quiltmuseum.org/requeststacey/This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoCarol Crocker WareCarol Crocker Ware is a fabric whisperer who runs a Facebook group, Carol’s Sewing Corner.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Carol’s sewing storySewing for his sonHow she got her son involved in her sewing journeyHow her Facebook group came aboutManaging a Facebook groupHow Carol keeps her enthusiasm aliveDifferences between Instagram and TikTok for sewing communitiesCarol’s relationship with JanomeCarol’s publications in Better Home and Gardens MagazineQuotes from the show:“It's important to pay attention to details, and there are some sewists that really prioritize that, and you want the inside of your garment to look as good as the outside” —Carol Crocker Ware in “Stitch Please”“I heard this very interesting phrase, and it said amateurs practice until they stop getting it wrong (...), whereas professionals are practicing until they can't do anything but get it right, the practice is to get it right” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“I love that you have created a child who is make worthy, someone who values what you do, is proud of the things that you do in your skills” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“[About sewing] it's my therapy and second of all, I am a lover of outfits and clothes” —Carol Crocker Ware in “Stitch Please”“I think that it really does take a special person to create a learning environment where people can ask questions and something where it's okay not to know something” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“So my thing is if you want to be an ambassador for a sewing machine company, don't just do it to get a sewing machine, you need to know what you're getting into” —Carol Crocker Ware in “Stitch Please”“My fellow sewists, please slow down, enjoy the process, perfect your techniques and you'll always have a wonderful outcome” —Carol Crocker Ware in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkCarol Crocker WareFacebook: Carol Crocker Ware Instagram: Carol Crocker WareThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoCarmen GreenCarmen Green is a stylist, an influencer, a community builder, an absolute fashionista, and a role model entrepreneur who always aims to learn not only about fashion and sewing but marketing as well. She is the founder of the Black Sewing Network on TikTok. She believes in building creative communities on social media not only by shifting the culture of Instagram to be more fun, relaxed and authentic but also by trying new platforms such as TikTok to create a really inclusive and safe space like the Black Sewing Network where women from various countries not only learn to sew but are seen and supported in order to thrive.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this EpisodeHow did Carmen start sewingCarmen’s perceptions of the differences between TikTok and Instagram as a sewing communityWhy TikTok is a great place to create a sewing communityHow did Carmen achieve 5000 followers on TikTok in 30 daysCarmen’s thoughts on the aggregate value of her sewing contentDifferences between going live on TikTok and InstagramExplanations on why social media reproduce the white supremacy standard via algorithmsWhy the Black Sewing Network is much more than a sewing spaceCarmen’s opinion on the stereotype that black women don’t support each otherHow does Carmen manage to organize her social media scheduleCarmen’s advice to help us get our stitch togetherQuotes from the Show: "I think in the way that Instagram first was curating still images, you were meant to look at a picture and get all the information you needed and it was really about putting forward something that was already finished, it was like the end result, not about the process at all and what I think TikTok has done is that it has opened the door to real true learning-" - Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”"I think people think Black Sewing Network is exclusionary, it's not! We welcome everybody but the goal is…to amplify and celebrate black voices in the sewing community" - Carmen Green in “Stitch Please”"There is not enough forward facing social media programming that right off the bat says hey Black women, hey Black folks, I see you and I want you to see me and we’re gonna do this thing together and support each other" - Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”"There’s a huge misconception that Black women don’t like each other and don’t support each other when it's just like no…Black women have been the ones that had elevated me, pushed me forward, supported me, bought my sh*t, it's always been Black women first" - Carmen Green in “Stitch Please”"[About Black Sewing Network] I’m using my personality to push others forward, that is ultimately essentially my goal" - Carmen Green in “Stitch Please”"Don’t be afraid to fail, everybody makes mistakes regardless of how long you’ve doing something, I’ve been sewing for ten years and I’m not afraid to make mistakes publicly, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable in a safe space, Black Sewing Network is that space for a lot of people of various backgrounds…we’re not afraid to fail" - Carmen Green in “Stitch Please”Shout out to Julian Collins of Julian Creates for the name Black Sewing NetworkSee Safiya Noble's Algorithms of Oppression to learn more about why social media seems/is whitewashedStay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkCarmen GreenTikTok: Carmen GreenInstagram: Carmen GreenAmazon Store: Carmen GreenFacebook: Carmen GreenBlack Sewing Community: https://linktr.ee/blacksewingnetworkThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoLisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Lemarie PaschallLenmarie Paschall is Trinidadian. Her business, Rest by Len started out of a desire to promote restful habits. It became a 'thing' after making these gigantic pillows for youth in my church and community.Insights from this episode:Lenmarie’s sewing storyLenmarie’s earlier days of sewingLenmarie’s career as a financial analystLetting your creativity shineWhy it is important to take a breakLaunching Rest by LenWhat to expect at a Rest by Len eventLenmarie’s next phaseHow pillows by Len are an invitation to restProviding a lounging experience using pillowsQuotes from the show:“I think there’s something that happens when tap into our creative nature and the ability to create vs just the ability to be consumers” —Lenmarie Paschall in “Stitch Please”“I have a really strong creative gene in me that I understood and I think that’s what gave me life” —Lenmarie Paschall in “Stitch Please”“Take a break to celebrate, to take a load off, to laugh, to play games. I believe that people, they didn’t know they needed it, but once they got it, they really embraced it” —Lenmarie Paschall in “Stitch Please”“People think that taking a break, resting, I've heard like it's lazy, it's not productive. It's an easy thing to do. But I think one of the hardest things to do is to say no” —Lenmarie Paschall in “Stitch Please”“It just brings us (her partnership events) both joy because people come there and they don’t think of anything else, but just laughter, having a good time resting” —Lenmarie Paschall in “Stitch Please”“I think what is extremely helpful is knowing what fills you, knowing what brings you joy knowing the things that regenerate you and energize you” —Lenmarie Paschall in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkLenmarie PaschallWebsite: Rest by LenInstagram: Rest by Len (@restbylen) This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon.Check out the Black Women Stitch Amazon store for products mentioned in the podcast and on socials.Buy a Black Women Stitch Wall CalendarSign up for SEW BLACK AT QUILTCON infoLisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Kamali ObiaguHer first craft was crocheting, which she began in 2014. A few years later she decided she wanted to learn how to sew. Once she learned about PDF patterns and all the things she could make with a sewing machine, she knew she had found her passion. That was late 2018 and since then she has been sewing nonstop and has improved her sewing skills and taken over most of her wardrobe with her makes. Insights from this episode:How does Kamali incorporate her crafts into the gift-giving and decorating aspect of the holidaysThe significance of celebrating KwanzaaImportant lessons that Kamali gives to her childrenKamali’s desire to design pajamas based on African prints this yearKamali’s plans for her crafts during the Kwanzaa seasonWhat is the message behind KwanzaaThe importance of hand-made things for KamaliThe joy that brings to Kamali doing handmade gifts  Quotes from the show: “As for decorations, our family has a different flayer on this Kwanzaa season…we still have a tree, a holiday tree but we call it the black tree, the pan African tree so its a black tree with red and green decorations to mimic the pan African colors” —Kamali Obiagu in “Stitch Please”“Kwanzaa is our time to remind ourselves how powerful we are as black people, the potential we already have and what we have for the future and to remind ourselves that we are the greatest as we are” —Kamali Obiagu in “Stitch Please”“The principles in Kwanzaa remind us what we need to do to be better within ourselves and within our community” —Kamali Obiagu in “Stitch Please”“ [About handmade gifts] I take pride in knowing that I contributed to something other than spending a whole bunch of money on a gift, it seems the roundest time it's the most expensive time of the year, and knowing that I can make something that comes from my hands…it's amazing” —Kamali Obiagu in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Kamali ObiaguInstagram: Kamali ObiaguTwitter: Kamali ObiaguTikTok: Kamali ObiaguBlog: Kamali Obiagu This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Florence TaylorFlorence Taylor is a firm believer that “clothes to fit the body, not the body to fit the clothes". Insights from this episode:What Christmas meant for Florence’s parentsFamily traditions at Florence’s houseThings that fill up Florence’s familyWhat Christmas means for Florence and her family Quotes from the show:“Christmas for them (Florence’s parents) was not about what we wanted or what we needed, such as heavy and beautiful winter clothes, boots, snow pants, mittens, socks, and such. To adolescent children and teens, this was not exciting at all” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“I wanted my children to understand that they have a responsibility to our local community, to have the opportunity to provide amazing imprints of who they were as individual character” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“So Christmas for them (her kids), is about those little that one big thing that speaks to who they are as individuals” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“Christmas for us, whether it’s the food that we partake in, the gifts that we share, are about filling our children and the people that we love, their souls, their spirits and their bodies” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“We want our house to be filled with warmth and creativity. We want the spirit of Christmas to be about being altruistic (…) it is about community, it is about building, it is about sustaining family and traditions” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“In my family, Christmas is about sights, sounds and smells. The sounds of laughter and music, the sight of color and imagination, and the smells of how I show my love to them in terms of baking and how I wanna nourish them” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Florence TaylorFlorence’s Blog: Carissa Knit Corset Crop, Top, Mini, Dress, Midi & Maxi Instagram: Florence Taylor This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Martha McIntoshMartha is a proud Garifuna-American from the Bronx, NY, with strong roots in Livingston, Guatemala. She is a sewing enthusiast learning to sew for her curvy, plus-size body and others as well.  Insights from this episode:Details about her Garifuna originHer Christmas traditions growing upTransferring those traditions to her childrenChristmas traditions as a GarifunaThe influence of Garifuna tradition on her sewing Quotes from the show:“I already knew what to expect because of how my parents had prepared me, you know, here in the United States. Even though we were not able to go for Christmas every year, my mom and my dad made sure to tell me and share their memories of what it was growing up and what those experiences were that” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“Trying to figure out what my favorite aspect of our tradition is, is kinda hard because I love it all. There is nothing that I don’t love about being Garifuna” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“According to Garifuna traditions, shared generation to generation, taught to me by my grandmother, taught to me by my parents, and as I share those stories with my children, the Wanaragua dance is a reenactment of when we were fighting the British in St. Vincent” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please”“It is truly inspired by the culture (Garifuna). My sewing always takes and leads to the bold, that’s what speaks to me: the bold fabric, the colorful fabric. I truly credit that to a lot of the Garifuna traditional wears that we do” —Florence Taylor in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Martha McIntoshWebsite: https://marthamcintosh.comInstagram: Martha McIntosh This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Vanessa MartinaVanessa Martina lives in The Netherlands with her husband and two boys. She was born and raised in The Netherlands. Insights from this episode:Christmas in the NetherlandsFireworks in the NetherlandsWhat Christmas was like for Vanessa growing upChristmas at Vanessa’s homeDetails about Sinterklaas and why her family doesn’t celebrate it Quotes from the show:“Fireworks are a major topic of discussion every year. Fireworks are forbidden the whole year round in the Netherlands except for New Year’s Eve” —Vanessa Martina in “Stitch Please”“The next big holiday or celebration is Christmas and we have three days of Christmas. We have Christmas eve, we have the first day of Christmas (December 25th) and the second day of Christmas (December 26th)” —Vanessa Martina in “Stitch Please”“As a child, the best Christmases used to be at my grandmother’s house. My grandmother used to demand entertainment from all her grandchildren. We used to have to prepare, a performance was mandatory“ —Vanessa Martina in “Stitch Please”“My kids love Christmas, they really look forward to Christmas. We put Christmas presents under the tree, but we don’t tell them that’s from Santa, it’s from us, the parents” —Vanessa Martina in “Stitch Please”“Sinterklaas is probably the biggest celebration here in the Netherlands. There are books of Sinterklaas, songs that are sung, there are movies of Sinterklaas, toys, all the shops are with Sinterklaas, it’s a huge thing” —Vanessa Martina in “Stitch Please”“So basically, I try to make all the Christmas outfits and New Year’s outfits for me and my children and my husband, and I sew a little bit for things around” —Vanessa Martina in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Vanessa MartinaLinkedIn: Vanessa Martina This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon. Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Lena KingLena King is married, with two daughters, and lives in London. She was born in Ghana, and she loves to craft through sewing. She sews for garments for herself and her family. Insights from this episode:Lena King’s sewing storyLena King’s holiday traditionsSewing during ChristmasTraditions from her childhoodWrapping presents in cuts and scrapsChristmas at Lena King’s Quotes from the show:“I have tried different things but sewing is the thing that really sticks, I think with me as a craft”  —Lena King in “Stitch Please”“Every year, I think to myself, do you know what, I’m going to sew some presents for people. And I plan it in my mind, I think about who I want to sew for and what they gonna get” —Lena King in “Stitch Please”“I tend to have lots of cuts and scraps of fabric every year from my sewing. And last year I wrapped quite a number of presents up in fabric that I had and that made a nice little additional present” —Lena King in “Stitch Please”“One tradition I have brought along with me from my childhood is that of having something new to wear on Christmas day. My mom was a real stickler for that” —Lena King in “Stitch Please”“I found some black fabric which is a bit sparkly and I asked her whether she (her daughter) liked it, and she did, and I made her a very simple neat little top and she loved it” —Lena King in “Stitch Please” Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork Lena KingLena’s Blog: Lena King's Babydoll Dress - Simple Sew BlogInstagram: Lena King This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon.Alexandra EregbuAlexandria Eregbu is a multimedia artist, writer, and educator whose practice draws from ancestral histories, lived experiences, and her own imagination to deepen her connectivity to the natural world. Her work is driven by travel, storytelling, memories (whether lived or dreamt), and surrealist activity across the diaspora— spanning from Nigeria, West Africa, the Caribbean, and her native city in Chicago. Her contributions have been presented at the Center for Afrofuturist Studies at Public Space One in Iowa City, Poets House in New York, the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France, Casa Rosada in Salvador, Brazil, and Contemporary Art Center in New Orleans, among others. Her writing has been published by the University of Chicago Press, Terremoto Magazine, and Green Lantern Press. Alexandria is a current Emerging Artist Fellow with the Driehaus Museum (2020); a recipient of the 3Arts Award (2016); and Newcity Breakout Artist (2015). She teaches as faculty in the department of Fiber & Material Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:What it means to teach sewing at art schoolHow art intertwines with social justiceHow artwork works as a form of empowermentAlexandra empowering young boys and girlsWhat textile means to AlexandraAlexandra landing and working with IndigoWhat the project ‘Finding Ijeoma’ is and what it meant for herExpressing herself through deejayingQuotes from the show:“Justice is definitely something that has become more and more central to my practice. Where that initially started was my work teaching young people between the ages of 14-19 years old” —Alexandra Eregbu in “Stitch Please”“When I first started this program, a lot of them (young boys and girls) assumed I was just like them. It really pit me in a unique position to be a friend and also a mentor” —Alexandra Eregbu in “Stitch Please”“The power of being present, is what these young boys and girls, who often times just need a listening ear, a little affirmation here and it will take them so far” —Alexandra Eregbu in “Stitch Please”“You can have a job that doesn’t require you to clock in and clock out. You can have a job that is not extracting from you. You can have a job where you create beauty (…) I think that it’s important that kids know that” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“I take responsibility and I think it’s a privledge to be able to know where it is you are from. And I take responsibility: that’s something I don’t really take lightly” —Alexandra Eregbu in “Stitch Please”“Some of those girls still check in with me to this today, which is a blessing: you just never know whose life you gonna touch” —Alexandra Eregbu in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkAlexandra EregbuWebsite: Alexandria EregbuLinkedIn: Alexandria Eregbu Instagram: Alexandria EregbuThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Businesses in this episode (in order of appearance)Baby Cakes Bags and RagsSew Hooked On TreasuresCultured ExpressionsAfrican Stretch FabricsDru Christine Fabrics and Design at the DC Creative Suite Thanks, I Made ThemMondes ThreadsGifted Hands by Chrissy, LLCNicole Elise, LLCScraplanta Creative Reuse CenterSeams and Such Boutique, Seams and Such Boutique, LLCBeau Jé DesignsSew Creative LoungeSew Sweet AcademyLiving Water QuilterKena QuiltsGeaux Savvy DesignsKrafting Cuzzins and More, LLCWhat's She Creating EnterprisesTangular Irby, Pearl and her Gee's Bend Quilt Couture Man Sewing Bzy Peach, LLCDovetailed London Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Preorder the beautiful 2023 Black Women Stitch Wall Calendar hereEpisode 138 of Black Women Stitch, Fabric Intake ProcessBlackWomenStitch Instagram, homepage, Patreon Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon.LaTisha PorterLaTisha Porter was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, where she currently resides. She is a mother of two amazing daughters, Maiya Nicole and Makenzie Elise.​LaTisha decided to make garments for women adding later both children and men to her line of custom sewing. The choosing of her company's name, NicoleElise LLC, was developed by her desire to leave a legacy for her daughters using their middle names, Nicole and Elise. Her love for all things fashion has been since she can remember.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:LaTisha’s sewing storyLaTisha’s transition from a reluctant apprentice to where she is nowWhat sparked LaTisha’s interest in sewingPhiladelphia’s sewing sceneLatisha’s experience in a magazine How she overcomes the challenge of fitting another personQuotes from the show:“The feeling that I got when I got into a fabric store was just overwhelming, so it just made me want to make things” –LaTisha Porter in “Stitch Please”“The Philly sewing scene is unscripted if you will, it’s very organic. No one is scared to be themselves and present what they like for themselves. No one sews alike, but everyone is bold in what they do, that’s the major thing” –LaTisha Porter in “Stitch Please”“I try not to conform to what everyone else does. If I like a pattern, and I wanna wear that pattern, and I’m gonna make that pattern about 50 thousand times. I’m not a one and done” –Latisha Porter in “Stitch Please”“One of the things about making 50 dresses in the same style: the difference between you doing that and maybe some fast fashion house is that every single one of yours is different” –Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“A lot of times, people want something that they have seen me in. I mainly sew dresses and skirts for people” –Latisha Porter in “Stitch Please”“There’s no better time than now. If there’s something you wanna do, just do it. We have to turn the volume down on life, and listen to ourselves, and hear our hearts, and follow our path” –Latisha Porter in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkLatisha PorterInstagram: LaTisha PorterWebsite: https://www.nicoleelise.shop/This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast

Join the Black Women Stitch Patreon.Jen HewettJen Hewett is a printmaker, surface designer, and textile artist. Depending on how you look at it, artist is either Jen’s second or fifth career. With a degree in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, she started her working life in education and educational nonprofits. She then briefly ran her own stationery business and took a few detours through business operations, human resources, and consulting before becoming a full-time working artist (again). She partly credits the success of her experience running her own creative business to her non-linear (but always interesting) career path.Jen’s first book, Print, Pattern, Sew: Block Printing Basics + Simple Sewing Projects for an Inspired Wardrobe, was published by Roost Books in May 2018. Her second book, This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection, was published by Roost Books in November 2021. Her clients include Anthropologie, Cost Plus World Market, Moda Fabrics, Unilever, and Yelp. Her work has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Uppercase, and MSNBC.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the convener and founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. #Charlottesville. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Insights from this episode:Who Jen Hewett is and what she doesHow Jen’s book came to beHow Jen got into printmakingJen’s print-making processHow to believe in your work and voiceWhy Jen considers herself a textile artistThe inspiration behind Jen’s bookCreating representative workWhat to expect from Jen HewettQuotes from the show:“I design a lot of things for the sewing industry. So, I design primarily fabric and I have been doing that since 2018. I am on my third or fourth fabric collection at this point” —Jen Hewett in “Stitch Please”“I have done a lot of textile art and didn’t call myself a textile artist. I always say I am a printmaker first and everything flows from that, but I am owning it now, that I am a person who does and likes many things” —Jen Hewett in “Stitch Please”“With printmaking, you do one thing and you do it over and over again, unlike being a painter who does a one-of-a-kind one thing. A printmaker is already set up operationally, it makes sense to do the same thing over and over again” —Jen Hewett in “Stitch Please”“What’s the saying like ‘walk around with the confidence of a white man and you will get what you want’?” –Nicole Angeline in “Stitch Please”“The nice thing about the work that I do is that it is replicable. So it feels in many ways, low stakes. That I am constantly putting things out there, some will stick, some won’t” —Jen Hewett in “Stitch Please”“When I find books like this one, that are good and I like them, and I like to go back to them, because not every book you get that you are gonna go back to, but this one is nice and it's very digestible” —Ada Chen in “Stitch Please”“The overall consensus seems to be celebratory and gratitude, if I can put it in two words. Folks who are celebrating that this book exists and that women of color are having their voices centred and amplified, and talking to a variety of people. And then the gratitude which extends towards you for creating and pulling this together” —Lisa Woolfork in “Stitch Please”“I wanted it to be representative. Not necessarily everybody because that’s impossible, but to include people who are not included” —Jen Hewett in “Stitch Please”“In many ways, writing this book didn’t feel like a race because I had this really strong sense that the community would have my back. But then I had to do everybody’s story’s justice in order for people to have my back” —Jen Hewett in “Stitch Please”Resources MentionedAsian Sewist CollectiveStay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkJen HewettWebsite: Jen HewettInstagram: Jen HewettThis episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry. Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon StoreStay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast