Why I Sew – Details, episodes & analysis

Let's celebrate the beauty and artistry of stitching, one thread at a time. This episode features Kate Johnson, a blogger and creative genius behind YOU TOO MORE, a delightful space where she shares her love for all things cross-stitch and quirky. Join us as we unravel the threads of Kate's stitching journey, explore her creative process, and dive into the joyous cross-stitch world.

Kate is an extraordinary individual who has found her true calling in the art of stitching. With a needle in hand and a thread full of creativity, she has immersed herself in the enchanting world of cross-stitch. But how did she stumble upon this captivating craft? After years of exploring various artistic pursuits, Kate unexpectedly tripped and face-planted into the cross-stitch world. And from that moment on, she was hooked!

Prepare to be inspired, entertained, and perhaps even motivated to pick up a needle and thread yourself!

Check out our cross-stitch resources and grab some products that will have you stitching successfully from the start: https://sulky.com/makers-lounge-handwork/

Website: linktr.ee/youtoomore

Instagram: instagram.com/youtoomore/?hl=en

"Everybody has a different technique, a different style, a different way of finishing things, or how they store things like threads, how they manage their color, just a whole bunch of different things. Everybody has a different method to their madness. And I love that I like seeing that I'm constantly inspired. I'm constantly rearranging my stash of supplies to find out what works best for me."

We have the pleasure of sitting with the incredibly talented and multi-passionate artist Debbie Hodge. Debbie is the founder of Stitched Stories, a creative business that combines her love for embroidery, writing, and storytelling.

Join us as we uncover the secrets behind Debbie's unique approach to combining crafts and storytelling and how she continues to inspire and engage with her audience through Stitched Stories. Whether you're a seasoned artist or someone looking to explore new creative frontiers, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiring anecdotes!

[01:17] Crafting Chronicles: A Journey Through Passion and Stitching

[12:34] Artistic Adventures: Exploring Mixed Media and Embroidery Puzzles

[17:32] Embroidery Adventures: Debbie’s Tools, Techniques, and Inspirations

[24:49] Creative Explorations: From Teaching to Designing, Finding The Path in Sewing"

[28:43] From Stitches to Stories: The Intersection of Sewing, Scrapbooking, and Writing

[32:51] Crafting a Creative Renaissance: The Rise of Handmade and the Human Touch

Connect with Debbie:

1. website: https://shop.stitchedstories.com 
2. instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchedstories.embroidery/ 
3. facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchedstories.embroidery 
4. youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCypBxI-zbioAFULI2bxoelQ 
5. pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stitchedstories/ 

Amy Barickman is the founder of Indygo Junction, a pattern company, featuring designs for home and fashion. She's the author of the best-seller, Vintage Notions and loves to discover vintage textile and needle arts treasures. 

Amy grew up immersed in the sewing and crafting business, spending hours at her mother's creative arts retail store working and watching the business evolve along with the trends. The seeds of entrepreneurship took root in Amy, and she started her business designing and marketing collectible teddy bears while still in high school.

 After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in art and design, Amy founded Indygo Junction in 1990 to publish and market sewing books and patterns and to showcase the work of leading designers. Amy’s knack for anticipating popular trends has led her to discover more than 45 innovative artists and designers.

Over her years in our industry, Amy has:

• published over 1200 pattern titles
• sold nearly three million book and pattern titles.
• licensed craft kits and fabric lines
• published over 80 books that have sold at stores throughout the U.S. and internationally. 

Amy, an avid collector, has one of the largest archives of vintage fashion and sewing books, images, and ephemera in the United States. This vintage collection is inspiration for many of Amy's modern patterns. Amy’s research into sewing history led her to discover her muse, Mary Brooks Picken, the founder of The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Science who was a fashion and sewing authority in the early 20th century. Amy realized she was compelled to share Picken’s timeless work with modern audiences.

That dream was brought to fruition when Amy published Amy Barickman's Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun. Vintage Notions is a treasury of the best lessons and domestic arts wisdom from Mary and The Woman’s Institute.

Amy recently had the opportunity to sell Indygo Junction to Prym Consumer USA, makers of Dritz® and Omnigrid® products. This change offered Amy the ability to focus on her passion for vintage made modern style creating content and products featured on AmyBarickman.com. She recently produced a series of online courses, showcasing the history of handmade which are focused on specific vintage textiles and notions. Themes range from Redwork Embroidery to Pearl Buttons, visit VintageModernMakers.com to see her Primer Courses.

Amy has also jumped back into the pattern business, with a new format that includes access to online Bonus Video Content and Look Books to inspire the maker. 2023 has offered Amy another brand to build. ABCreative is her new joint venture with Colonial Patterns makers of Aunt Martha’s Hot Iron Transfers. Her initial product launch is Treasured Threadz™, a series of fabric panels based on her collection of vintage art and textiles created specifically for upcycling with patchwork appliqué and small projects.

Amy encourages the use of thrifted fabrics and embellishing favorites from your closet. Her signature technique for Fusible Patch Applique includes ideas for adding hand quilting and embroidery accents to her Treasured Threadz™ panels.

Be sure to visit her blog to see her latest creative adventures! 

Find Amy:

• Website: amybarickman.com
• Vintage Made Modern Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/amybarickmansvintagemademodern/
• Instagram: @amybarickman_studio
• YouTube: @amybarickman

Check out Amy's Sulky Thread collections: Amy Barickman Designer Boutiqué -  https://sulky.com/amy-barickman/

Learn all about Barbara Emodi, an incredible sewist who has made her own clothes since she was twelve.

Barbara has had a fascinating double life. While working as a journalist, public relations professional, political communicator, and radio commentator in her public life, she has also pursued her passion for sewing and teaching sewing classes in Canada, the US, and Australia in her private life.

As an experienced sewist, Barbara is particularly interested in solving construction puzzles and writing about the process. She has a long-running sewing blog and has published books about sewing, sharing her knowledge and expertise with others. Join us as we delve into Barbara's unique journey and learn more about the art and science of sewing.

[00:39] Introduction - Barbara recounts her upbringing, how she learned to sew, and how it has become an integral part of her life.

[08:00] From Zero to Sew - Advice for first-time garment makers

[09:31] Tools and Techniques – We discuss common problems experienced sewers may encounter while making garments and how these can be solved with tools and notions. Also, Barbara shares her preferred weights of thread for topstitching garments.

[12:43] Writing About Sewing - Barbara's transition from sewing as a hobby to writing instructional content about sewing, including the target audience for her instructional writings, the source of her sewing techniques, and tips.

[23:02] Barbara's Book – We cover Barbara's motivations for writing her book, Crafting for Murder: A Gasper's Cove Cozy Mystery.

[27:08] Passion and Inspiration - Barbara shares what draws her to sewing and the people who significantly impacted her journey.

1. Website: babsemodi.com
2. Blog: babsemodi.com/blog-posts
3. YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC8rmt-3GymbgOUNHGHcSlmw/videos?view=0

1. Crafting for Murder: A Gasper's Cove Cozy Mystery (Volume 1):  https://amzn.to/3MR58Wj
2. SEW ... The Garment-Making Book of Knowledge: Real-Life Lessons from a Serial Sewist: https://amzn.to/3mKbxb9
3. Stress-free Sewing Solutions: A NO-FAIL guide to Garments for the Modern Sewist: https://amzn.to/40avrd6

The above links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links Sulky may receive a commission.

Rae Cumbie is Creative Director at Fit for Art Patterns whose four core patterns yield one great wardrobe! Her coaching, blog posts, online classes, retreats, Threads articles and Sew News fitting column encourages stitchers to sew successfully: adding fun, comfortable, fabulously fitting, artful and creative additions to their wardrobe.

Learn why SHE sews and get inspired to create a fabulous garment that fits and flatters your body type. Find Rae: Blog: Sew! Let’s Get Dressed at fitforartpatterns.com

Eileen Roche is the founder and creative visionary behind Designs in Machine Embroidery, focused on inspiring and educating readers on all aspects of machine embroidery. Eileen’s talent, creativity and enthusiasm distinguish her from others in the industry and are the driving force behind the company’s success. Many have been clamoring for more, more, and more inspiration and information on machine embroidery. That’s how Eileen’s Machine Embroidery Blog began. 

Find Eileen & Designs in Machine Embroidery:

• Blog: https://blog.dzgns.com/
• Website https://www.shop.dzgns.com/

Born into a very artsy home, Elizabeth found the quilting world around age 28. She continued to quilt and learn and in 2009, opened her own cottage business.

Elizabeth thought she'd focus "mostly" on making T-shirt quilts. But Elizabeth Beck Quilts quickly grew into much more than that. 

She met a refugee in 2017 who had been creating and constructing wedding dresses in Damascus, Syria. They began working together, which led her to more and more refugee women who had such amazing sewing skills and wild survival stories.

Soon after, she decided to pivot her business and change the mission. Tandem Quilting Co. grew as a place where people worked "together" like a tandem bike. They are a humble, apartment-based company where each woman is able to work out of her home, therefore eliminating the need for childcare or a car. Elizabeth travels to them, they drink tea while discussing the next project, communicating with google translate if needed. The women are such a joy and work very hard. They now employ 8 women who are originally from Burma, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

Tandem Quilting Co strives to employ, empower and encourage local women with global roots.

They have two main hashtags:  #bettertogether and #everystorymatters

Instagram:  tandemquiltingco

Facebook:  Tandem Quilting Co.

Website:  www.tandemquiltingco.com

Elizabeth's Favorite Notions:  seam ripper ( of course!), knit picker (to hide knots on quilts),

Fabric sheets for InkJet Printers and always Sulky Thread!

Jennifer Tryon spent 20 years as a television news reporter, covering some of the most important moments in recent history. But nothing felt as good as making. So her two worlds merged. She regularly appears as the DIY expert on Global TV’s The Morning Show, create during Craft & Sewing events on TSC in Canada and HSN in the US. Learn why she loves to sew and what keeps her going.

Find Jennifer:

• Website: https://homemade.ca/
• Blog: https://homemade.ca/blog/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_tryon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.tryon.56

Embroidery Expert Zandra Shaw, of the Embroider Shoppe, focuses on a variety of techniques that include organza, appliqué, lace, patches, and 3D flower embroidery. Her philosophy: “Don’t hoop yourself in! There is life beyond the small hoop.”

Find Zandra:

• Website: embroidershoppe.com
• Sulky Webcast: Hexis in the Hoop
• Social:
  • Facebook: @Embroidershoppe
  • Instagram: @embroidershoppe1
  • YouTube: @embroidershoppe

Abby Glassenberg co-founded Craft Industry Alliance and now serves as its president. She’s a sewing pattern designer, teacher and journalist. She has created an outstanding trade association for the crafts industry. Abby lives with her family in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Find Abby

• Website: Craft Industry Alliance
• Social: @craftindustryalliance