Make and Decorate with Stephanie: Sew, Quilt, Knit & Home Decor

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Katrina Walker, an industry sewing educator,  author, and designer, shares her journey into the home sewing industry. Katrina has worked with various brands, including Pfaff and Sulky, and has been featured in magazines and TV shows. She is known for her expertise in silk and wool sewing, as well as her innovative techniques. She also raises sheep that produce wool for her yarn brand, Spoiled Sheep.

Guest Segment Chapters: Note time stamps start at guest segment
00:00 Introduction and Meeting at the Sewing Booth
01:48 Growing Up on a Wheat Farm and Discovering Sewing
06:24 Transitioning from Investment Banking to Sewing
13:42 Winning the National Make It With Wool Contest
20:11 Becoming an Educator for Faf and Other Brands
39:53 Fostering Relationships and Being Genuine in Business
43:05 Finding the Right Sewing Machine for Individual Preferences
44:56 Don't Be Afraid to Use Sergers
01:10:35 Embracing Mistakes and the Learning Process in Sewing
01:14:25 The Joy and Satisfaction of Sewing for Oneself
01:19:53 The Meaningful Connection Between the Maker and the Materials
01:25:46 The Value of Quality Fabrics in Sewing

CHIT CHAT:
Stephanie chats about the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild retreat she went to recently. Creative weekend retreats are a perfect way to schedule sewing (or knitting) time for yourself and to enjoy the experience with like minded makers. 

Chit Chat LInks:

Elizabeth Hartman - Fancy Forest Pattern

Minky Kim - Pumpkins patern

Chicago Modern Quilt Guild

KraeO Yarn: Big Brother in Autumnal

Provisional Cast on

Picot edge hat pattern  at Purl Soho

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On this episode, my guest is Carina Gardner, a successful designer and entrepreneur, shares her journey and insights on how to make money as a designer. She emphasizes the importance of being a multifaceted designer and knowing when to pivot into different industries. Karina discusses her Design Suite program, which teaches designers how to make their design businesses profitable by offering a range of courses in various design areas. Carina highlights the misconceptions around building a brand and the importance of understanding distribution channels. Carina just launched her online University of Arts & Design. Online Courses for budding designers and artists that are flexible, fulfilling, and transformative.

Links: 

Carinagarnder.com

Carina Gardiner Shop

Design Bootcamp :  Intro to Design Suite

Design Suite

University of Arts & Design

Stephanie's Guest appearance on Carina's Make and Design Podcast

Chit Chat:

• Finishing an improv quilt project with my niece
• I bought the Addi FlexiFiips DPN w/cables from Amazon (note link is my affiliate Amazon link)
• I also bought the Addi Rocket2 Squared Circular Knitting Needles - 16 inch, US 7 (4.5mm) (note link is my affiliate Amazon link)
• My Patreon group patreon.com/makeanddecorate - I will unlock a paid level bonus episode for a limited time. Check it out!

Special Halloween Outro Music:  Trick or Treat  Written by Dean Palya, performed and produced by PALA

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Guest Segment: Chris English Quilts
My guest is Chris English, a quilter and fabric/textile designer in the UK.  Chris is known for utilizing recycled fabrics in his one of a kind quilts.  The past several years his quilts have been shown at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK. 

We chat about Chris's creative background in textile design leading up to his love for finding previously loved and repurposed  fabrics to make gorgeous and unique quilts.  Chris often mixes florals, plaids, textures with touches of bold color in his quilts.  Find out what he finds and how he sources these unique fabrics and puts them together in a harmonious quilt. 

Chris also shares the story of his #teambearpaw24 initiative group quilt.

If you are interested in the subscription box project that Chris is working on, visit his website Chris English Quilts to be added to the waiting list. 

Below are more links to what we talked about:
IG: @afullenglish
Chris visits Kate at The Last Homely House - YouTube video
Festival of Quilts 2023 - The Last Homely House, Kate chats with Chris

Chit Chat Segment:

• Arne & Carlos: Mystery knit along - more info on 10/13 their yt channel. Plus 2024 Christmas Balls patterns are avail. in their website shop.
• Alice Caroline - the UK based Liberty fabric shop is hosting another online Sewing festival called the Alice Caroline Christmas Sew-Along. 
• Learn Sashiko online or in-person course with Atsushi Futatsuya at Upcycle Stiches and Domestica Introduction to Sashiko Stitching
• My review of the true cut quilting ruler and rotary cutter.  by Grace Company.  
• My review of a wool polyamide blend embroidery/mending thread Laine Saint-Pierre .  Ordered from Brooklyn Haberdashery. 

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Apologies for the extra music drowning out almost 4 minutes of our chat!  I forgot to remove that song from the music track last season!  

The old version of the episode is now taken down and a new and revised version of episode 116 is now up!

Thank you - Stephanie xxoo

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WEBSITE: https://stephaniesochadesign.com/podcast-make-and-decorate

EMAIL: [email protected]

YOUTUBE: Stephanie Socha Design

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S7 Ep 116:

Welcome Back!  Season 7 of the Make and Decorate with Stephanie podcast is here!! 

If you are new to this podcast, you will hear any and everything about making, aka sewing, quilting crafting, knitting and interior decorating.  This first half of the season, I have a fabulous guest on almost every episode. 

There will be a Chit Chat segment on this episode after the guest segment.  For more episodes available only on my Patreon site, visit Patreon.com/makeanddecorate

My guest today is Kristin Oldach, owner of KraeO in Chicago.   Kristin is an indie hand dyer of yarn which is for sale on her website as well as local yarn shops.  We talk about her yarn, what fibers she chose to be in her yarn products. Mulberry silk and merino wool blends are a staple in her line of yarn as well as other fiber blends like wool and alpaca and more.  Kristin's yarn is so gorgeous and what I like to describe as very "painterly".  

We also chat about the different weights of yarn and how to use them in your projects, including using up those mini skeins you have been collecting and don't know what to make with them.

Links to what we talked about: 

Skacel - Addi FlexiFlips

FlexiFlips Amazon Link

FlexiFlips Amazon link

Yarn Guide for knit/crochet (ring)

• Nina Chicago
• Indie Untangled for Rhinebeck - Oct 18th

Bandana knit pattern

You can also listen to this episode on: https://makeanddecoratepodcast.buzzsprout.com

Support the show

INSTAGRAM: @stephanie.socha.design

WEBSITE: https://stephaniesochadesign.com/podcast-make-and-decorate

EMAIL: [email protected]

YOUTUBE: Stephanie Socha Design

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S7 Ep 116:

Welcome Back!  Season 7 of the Make and Decorate with Stephanie podcast is here!! 

If you are new to this podcast, you will hear any and everything about making, aka sewing, quilting crafting, knitting and interior decorating.  This first half of the season, I have a fabulous guest on almost every episode. 

There will be a Chit Chat segment on this episode after the guest segment.  For more episodes available only on my Patreon site, visit Patreon.com/makeanddecorate

My guest today is Kristin Oldach, owner of KraeO in Chicago.   Kristin is an indie hand dyer of yarn which is for sale on her website as well as local yarn shops.  We talk about her yarn, what fibers she chose to be in her yarn products. Mulberry silk and merino wool blends are a staple in her line of yarn as well as other fiber blends like wool and alpaca and more.  Kristin's yarn is so gorgeous and what I like to describe as very "painterly".  

We also chat about the different weights of yarn and how to use them in your projects, including using up those mini skeins you have been collecting and don't know what to make with them.

Links to what we talked about: 

Skacel - Addi FlexiFlips

FlexiFlips Amazon Link

FlexiFlips Amazon link

Yarn Guide for knit/crochet (ring)

• Nina Chicago
• Indie Untangled for Rhinebeck - Oct 18th

Bandana knit pattern

You can also listen to this episode on: https://makeanddecoratepodcast.buzzsprout.com

Support the show

INSTAGRAM: @stephanie.socha.design

WEBSITE: https://stephaniesochadesign.com/podcast-make-and-decorate

EMAIL: [email protected]

YOUTUBE: Stephanie Socha Design

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Hello and welcome everyone!  If you are new, I am Stephanie and this podcast is a long conversational format with alternating solo and guest episodes.  There is a chit chat segment that is after the guest segment where I chit and chat about everything and nothing in my world of being a maker and interior designer.  This episode will probably be the last one for season 6, however, I may pop back in with an episode or two over the summer, so keep your notifications on for the Make and Decorate with Stephanie podcast.

Guest Segment:
Jenni Grover is a wellness coach for makers, an author and quilter. She cares deeply about the intersection of craft and health, coaching clients’ physical, mental, social, creative and spiritual concerns. 

Jenni is also a past president and current board member of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, and a passionate craft journalist, having written for Quiltfolk, Craft Industry Alliance, SuzyQuilts.com and Quiltmaker magazine.A lifelong writer, Jenni has more than 34 years of experience in print, broadcast and online media. She has been a professional speaker since 1996.Jenni has lived with multiple chronic illnesses and chronic pain since 1997 and has devoted much of her life to advocating for those like her. Her book ChronicBabe 101: How to Craft an Incredible Life Beyond Illness has helped countless folks feel better.

Follow Jenni online @coachjennigrover or visit her website: coachjennigrover.com

Music 

Music:  Dare to Live 

Written By

Adrian Dominic Walther, Amelia Joyce Kestner

Performed By

Scarlett Solo

Produced By

https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/671

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S6 Ep 114
Guests segment:  Aims, Indy Bindy Fabrics https://www.indybindy.com.au/shop
Aims is the owner of Indy Bindy Fabrics, an independent online fabric shop based in Australia.  She works with independent fabric artists and designers.  A lot of these fabric artists are in Japan and are small businesses and their fabrics are unique and amazing!  

The Indy Bindy Sewciety is a private sewing membership group for garment sewists.  Aims programs guest speakers, monthly live zooms along with group chats with members.  

The VIP waitlist for the Indy Bindy Sewciety (there will be a sneaky waitlist only doors open opportunity soon!): https://indybindy.lpages.co/sewciety-vip-list/

Music: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/8057. Undeniable by Johanna Cranitch

Chit Chat:
I have finished three mini quilts with the epp flower and hand quilting, and have moved onto the new knitting project I talked about a couple episodes ago.  The Sag Harbor Wrap pattern - The wrap is a summer weight wrap make with Tahki osprey yarn, which is a lightweight cotton blend yarn.
Pattern for Sag Harbor Wrap:   https://www.yarn.com/products/tahki-yarns-sag-harbor-wrap-pdf

Osprey yarn by Tahki: https://www.yarn.com/products/tahki-yarns-osprey

MAKE AND DECORATE PATREON GROUP
Join free to sample a couple unlocked bonus episodes that paid members get every month, and to get to know other members in the group.  Paid memberships are also available starting at $5 per month.  patreon.com/makeanddecorate

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The main topic for today’s episode is “Sewing Fashion and Quilting trends of 2024”.  It was fun to research this topic and to present my thoughts on them as well as resources for you to check out to make some trendy fashion including patterns, fabrics notions and more.

Stephanie's recommendations for sewing patterns on trend for 2024:

• https://megannielsen.com/collections/sewing-patterns/products/dawn-curve-jeans-4-in-1-sewing-pattern. Cufffed jeans are a trend right now too - like 4” cuffed.  also wide leg jeans are very in right now.  
• https://megannielsen.com/collections/sewing-patterns/products/sudley-dress-blouse-sewing-pattern
• Harrison Shirt Pattern by Cashmerette. Classic button down - thank chambray, stripes and polka dots
• Holyoke Dress Pattern by Cashmerette   Perfect for the polka dot and dress trend.
• Blackwood Cardigan pattern by Helen’s Closet. Layering piece - has a long length and hip length.
• Oversize Bag:  Sky Harbor Tote and Superbloom Tote Bag

Fabrics:  sheers, metallics, denim.  Light blues and white are dominant for spring summer.

• Metallic fabrics:  Online Fabric Store
• Sheer fabrics: Mood Fabrics
• Denim fabrics: Blackbird Fabrics
• Metallic Cork and bag supplies: Sew Sweetness link to Silver Splatter cork.  Sew Sweetness Notions
• Polka Dot Fabrics:  Polka dot apparel fabrics 
• Unique statement fabrics:  Indy Bindy Fabrics.  Independent made fabrics from Japan

Notion Trends
https://oliso.com/products/m3pro-tula
https://oliso.com/products/mimi-g-auto-lift-smart-iron

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Christa Watson is back to chat with us about none other than machine quilting, her new Dazzle Dots fabrics with Benartex, Sewing table with Arrow,  quilting notions sold in quilt shops and her new book with C&T Publishing.
Links:
https://christaquilts.com/
Christa's Books
Dazzle Dots Fabric Collection
CT Publishing Creative Spark
Christa Cabinet Sewing Table
Christa's 2024 Teaching Events

Make and Decorate Podcast Links to Ep. 25, 32 and 81 with Christa Watson
https://stephaniesochadesign.com/search?q=christa+watson

Music: Frederick Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No. 2  https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/16175 artist Adrian Walther

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