Sew & So...

Carson Converse is not a minimalist by nature, although she does value simplicity. She also loves doing intricate detail. She describes her process as reductive art because she often starts by throwing a lot of fabric and inspirational images on the wall and then expanding and contracting until the piece feels quiet and still. In her own words, “I want to give the viewer kind of a moment of stillness, maybe an opportunity to catch their breath.”

In her work, she likes to shine a light on the women creators who’ve gone before her. and she has studied their work for a long time, especially those who’ve created Amish quilts. She tries to shine a light on the amazing work that’s come before; work that was art even though it wasn’t considered such at the time. Seeing the Gee’s Bend quilts exhibited at the Whitney Museum shifted her perspective on quilts. She’d always been told that quilts could not be art, but the exhibit turned that belief on its head. (4:41- 11:09)

Carson graduated from the fine arts program at Boston University in 2000.  While she had many wonderful professors and valued her time there, she also learned that there was a biased hierarchy in how art was viewed: oil is for serious painters, acrylic for hobbyists; watercolors are for old ladies, and anything functional isn’t art. She sensed this was wrong, and the show at Gee’s Bend in 2002 confirmed it. She also shares how, over the years, her attendance at QuiltCon helped her grow and expand and become part of a vital community.

As she continues to share her personal journey, we learn how her perspective on quilting has changed over the years. We also learn about the influence Mark Rothko and nature have on her work; how shifts in color push and pull you through a piece. Ultimately, Carson wants people to feel her work. According to her, one of the best comments she’s had regarding her work is when a woman told her that when she saw her work, she stopped and took a deep breath. (12:00-22:39)  

She shares that her goal of working with Hermes goes back to her early career when she was working in New York and had transitioned from interior design to quilting. “Out of the blue, I get an email saying, “Are you interested in collaborating with Hermes on a quilt?”  

To date, Carson has worked on two collections with Hermes. Both are based on designs and artwork by Gianpaolo Pagni. The first one is a series of three whole-cloth quilts, with gold stitching on creamy white cashmere.  The most recent one is a more colorful pieced quilt. 

Her evolution as a fabric artist is fascinating and inspirational, from her early interest in decorative arts and architecture to the world’s most influential design fair in Milan. Whatever she’s creating, Carson focuses on sustainability and works towards a zero-waste practice. (22:39 – 30:40)

You’ll love her story and her  work.  If you’d like to reach out to Carson, you can reach her via email, at [email protected]. You’ll find her amazing work at CarsonConverse.com and on Instagram at CarsonConverse.

If you know someone who has an outstanding story that should be shared on this podcast, drop Meg a note to [email protected] or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

In this special episode, you’re going to meet seven special organizations…charities that use sewing or quilting to care for people who are struggling because of where they live, the health burdens they carry, or injuries they sustained in service to our country. Come with us as we meet the extraordinary who care for the exceptional.

:37 Our first visit is with Carla Triemar of Quilts Beyond Borders who has handed out more than 30,000 quilts worldwide in the last 15 years. www.Quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com

5:42 Diane Canny tells us the story of the genesis of The Covid-19 Hope Project, founded to honor Frontline Workers and to memorialize those lost to the pandemic, and shares stories of their work. www.hopequilt.org

11:49 Learn how Wrap Ukraine in Quilts became an “accidental success” in their efforts to make and provide quilts for people affected by this war. Gina Halladay and Beth Hawkins share this inspiring story.  www.wrapukrainewithquilts.com

18:47 Coordinated by the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Ovarian Cancer Quilt Project seeks to build awareness about ovarian cancer through the artistry of quilting. Lisa Smith takes us on a journey through the evolution of this group and the critical work they do. www.ovarianquilts.com

26:01 Enlisting volunteers in more than 120 chapters to make bright pillowcases for children in more than 330 hospitals. Houston Chapter Coordinator Sheila Kristynik tells us about Ryan’s Case for Smiles and how families who have a child going through cancer treatment can find more general information on how to cope. www.ryanscaseforsmiles.com

28:48 Reacquaint yourself with Shelancia Daniel of The Creativity Shell, who we met in August of 2021 on this podcast, as she brings us up to speed on what she and The Creativity Shell have been up to since our first meeting. www.creativityshell.org

34:34 Finally, we meet Suzanne DiCarlo of Quilts of Valor…a non-profit that awards quilts to service members and veterans who have been touched by war. www.qovf.org

Once again, the community of sewists has come together to serve the greater good. Our thanks to all who took the time to share the stories of their organizations. If you want to learn more about any of these, you can go to our website for their contact information.

If you know a non-profit organization you think has an outstanding story – a story that should be shared on this podcast, please drop a note to meg@sew&sewpodcast.com  or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Experience the Houston Quilt Festival through this episode chock full of personal and informative conversations. 

We meet BERNINA educators from the exhibit hall stage – Connie Fanders, Amanda Murphy, and Sylvain Bergeron.

Show prize winners Angela Petrocelli (grand prize winner), Debbie Corbett, Sue Sherman and Kestral Michaud describe in detail their award-winning quilts.

Listen to class instructors Gail Yellen and Pam Mahshie as they talk about the classes they conducted.

Then, Bob Ruggiero, VP of Communications for Quilts, Inc. takes you behind the scenes for an intimate and revealing description of just what it takes to make Quilt Festival happen.

And finally, we catch-up with some old friends who have been guests on this podcast. Kaffe Fassett/Brandon Mably (July 2022), Margaret Jankowski/The Sewing Machine Project (April 2021), Shelancia Daniel (Creativity Shell) (August 2021), Bill Schroeder III/Paducah Quilt Week (June 2022), Joe Vecchiarelli/Dancing With the Stars (March 2022).

Christy Burcham Director of Training and Education at BERNINA checks in with us as well to sum up the overall experience.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience Quilt Festival for yourself

If you know someone you think has an outstanding story – a story that should be shared on this podcast, please drop a note to meg@sew&sewpodcast.com  or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our guests. 

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Linnca Stevens is the co-founder of The Sewing Labs – a non-profit in Kansas City, MO whose mission is to create a community and teach sewing toward employment, entrepreneurship, and enrichment.

Hear Linnca’s biographical journey toward where she is today and why she started the Sewing Labs.

Her grandmother Margaret, a Swedish immigrant taught her to sew and as a young child, Linnca was eager to learn! Enjoying making several types of garments, she works with mixed fabrics and recently created a jacket out of KC Chiefs t-shirts and even a Dolly Parton quilt.

Linnca believes that sewing is a universal language and that it’s a great equalizer. Her explain this belief. Sewing is also a survival skill for her, she describes how the flow through her hands settles her. 

She founded the Sewing Labs with two others who she knew for many years when they all saw how sewing can rise people up. She explains that their classes are open to all, and their workforce development program teaches sewing, industrial sewing machine operators and they partner with businesses in the community to place people into jobs. She then shares stories of a few people who have turned their lives around through the Sewing Labs’ program. In total…they have 200+ people per year complete their program.

Linnca talks about the overall impact that sewing has on our overall economy – basically the majority of the items we touch and use every day. She adds that sewing doesn’t get the respect that other skills/professions get and that it should be raised up to that level if one is an amazing sewist. Hear her passion for working on the respect and recognition that sewing deserves. 

Linnca then reaches out to the clothing and fashion houses and challenges them to become more intimately involved with sewists and not take them for granted.

During the pandemic, sewing grew. Linnca addresses this benefit and tells her ideas for keeping this momentum going. Volunteer KC is a current recipient of this redoubled efforts. She Talks about the “Sewcials” they host locally to perpetuate this effort.

When asked about her dream – she replies that she’s currently living it. Hear more! She also gives props to her sister and her team for their work and emphasizes community to raise each other up!

You can call Linnca for more information at 816-888-3051 or email her at [email protected]. She and the Sewing Labs can also be found in Instagram and Facebook. Tell her you heard her story on Sew & So!

If you know someone you think has an outstanding story – a story that should be shared on this podcast, please drop a note to meg@sew&sewpodcast.com  or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website www.sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our guests. 

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Tula Pink grew up in California, graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and worked briefly as an exhibit designer for museums in SoCal. She eventually joined the music industry as an Art Director designing album covers for numerous notable artists. After about 5 years, she left her job… and California…landing in the Midwest.

Tula's main function in life is fabric design which she says she lives for. Her signature designs have been adapted to fabrics, woven ribbons, paper products, needlepoint kits, embroidery patterns, and sewing machines and can be found in independent fabric shops and retailers all over the world. Tula comes from the "more is more" school of design where there is never enough space and always room for that one last thing.

Tula starts out explaining how she taught herself to sew pre-YouTube and that it was a great stroke of luck that she discovered quilting. Her encouraging parents and grandmother’s involvement were paramount in her development. Entering a quilt fabric shop for the first time she was struck by what she saw, and she knew she had found her place.

An illustrator by nature – she was brought to fabric design because she couldn’t find the fabric she wanted. She simply designed her own! Listen to why she’s grateful that she didn’t come to this in the digital and tech age. Also learn why she “lives” for design.

Tula’s dark sense of humor has carried far – hear her explain this and share how and where she hides animals in her designs. Her style has also been described as “moderntional” – learn what this means! Additionally - her quilts look different in color and in black and white. Learn how to see them in two different ways.

She sees her job as serving the community she created. She doesn’t simply follow her own whims…she creates fabric that people use to create their creative potential. The “paint” that people use to create their vision. She in essence, works for them. Tula explains why she feels this way. Her passion for her work and the joy she feels in collaboration with others is notable.

In the course of the conversation, Tula talks about her belief in the commercialization of art and its democratization. She sees the magic in access for all.  And…for her, the work she does is all about the interaction!

A history buff who loves to read all she can about famous women in history – Marie Antionette, Queen Elizabeth, etc. Listen to this fascination and how their stories affect her work. She talks about one of her first fabric collections that pays homage to Queen Elizabeth I. And, as a bonus…hear what she thinks her biography would say about her!

Tula Pink is a family business, and her brother Cameron works with her doing all the online work. Her mom also owns IHeartTulaPink. She explains the family dynamics and what things look like for them day-to-day. She points out that there was great evolution and change moving from California to the Midwest as a family in businessand she’ll share their secret ingredient for success in working together. She points out that an “insane” number of businesses in this industry are family businesses which is super interesting to her. 

Tula tells us what it means to be a BERNINA Ambassador, what it means to her, and how it changed the way she works. How many BERNINA machines has she designed for them and how many does she own?! Listen to find out!

Tula was credited by Kaffe Fassett in a previous Sew & So Podcast, as being the spark that led to his relationship with BERNINA. She tells us how they met, how he inspires and influences her, and the importance of their friendship.

You won’t want to miss her talking about what’s next for her and her ultimate dream…so much to look forward to. What didn’t we ask that she wanted to talk about?! Listen to her closing comments to find out!

What to reach out to Tula? You can do so through social media…Instagram (tulapink) and Facebook (Tula Pink) and be sure to tell her you heard her story on Sew & So!

If you know someone you think has an outstanding story – a story that should be shared on this podcast, please drop a note to meg@sew&sewpodcast.com  or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our guests. 

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Cosplay, the art of combining costume and role play, grew out of the practice of costuming at science fiction conventions. Over the past couple of decades, it has really taken off and become its own subculture. Desi believes cosplay can be inspired by Japanese anime characters, a Western comic book character, a Disney character, whatever inspires you. “It's literally just, I love this character so much that I want to express my love by actually dressing up as them.”

Desi was a huge Sailor Moon fan and was following news on the Sailor Moon website in early 2000 when she discovered the world of cosplay conventions: a place where she connected with like-minded people, and her passion blossomed. She took her love of drawing and character design to the next level and began sewing costumes. She reminisces about ‘covert’ costume making at Jo Anne Fabrics before cosplay was mainstream. Desi also talks about the importance of revisiting those older costumers in your portfolio because sometimes we take for granted the knowledge, we’ve accumulated that could help someone else. 

She shares stories about her own evolution, and how she continually pushes her designs. A couple of examples she shares is taking a character you’ve cosplayed many times and finding  a new way to express how you love the character, or maybe you really love a character but want to give the costume a different aesthetic. Desi’s style leans toward the soft, fanciful, and elaborate. She is currently working on an X-Men costume that will reflect her style. (5:26-14:23)

You can hear the enthusiasm and pride in her voice as she talks about the talented people in the cosplay community. She advises for those who are new to cosplay is to, “start with something you love.”  She also feels that finding people you can socialize and cosplay with is important. Cosplay cons are a great place to build those connections. A typical day at a con is different for everyone. For Desi, it involves getting up early and getting the makeup on, then focusing on  costuming.  Often, checking out the lighting, going to scheduled photo shoots, and possibly meeting up with a cosplay group. Cosplay groups form naturally, whether it’s from a shared passion for Disney princesses, a certain anime, or a new movie that’s coming out.  Today, Desi is purely digital, designing her whimsical creations using Procreate® on an iPad.  (15:01-21:20)

Cosplay and Desi have both come a long way in the past twenty years, and no doubt will continue to evolve over the coming years. Whether you’re new to cosplay or an avid cosplayer, this one-on-one interview with Desi is not to be missed. You can connect with Desi on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at Desi Dessu.

If you know someone who has an outstanding story that should be shared on this podcast, drop Meg a note to [email protected] or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Although Teresa comes from generations of makers, she was the first to pursue quilting as a career when she, as she puts it, “stumbled into the quilting industry.” It began in 2011 when she joined the crew at the Fabric Shop Network and then became editor of Websense magazine. Teresa started out making garments using patterns from The Big Four. From there she discovered Indie pattern makers and vintage patterns, and really started working with non-traditional fabrics like painted canvas and double chiffons, and other weird fabrics and piecing them together to make different types of quilts. After coming on board with Shannon Fabrics, she began specializing in Shannon’s Cuddle® fabrics, a 100% polyester microfiber plush fabric. Today Teresa uses these fabrics to create unique quilts, crafts, home décor, and apparel.  (2:12 – 11:11)

As she continues talking about her journey, she shares how a trip to Vietnam in 2007 with her children changed everything for her. After volunteering at several orphanages there, Teresa continued her outreach work. It’s a fascinating story of bringing caring and hope to young Vietnamese children, and of working with others in the sewing community to provide much-needed goods to Vietnam orphanages. Because of the profound impact it had on her, Teresa hopes to return to Vietnam within the next couple of years. (11:11 – 15:24)

Meanwhile, Teresa is traveling the US with her partner, videographer, and RV driver Hawke who is working with her to bring Shannon Fabrics’ Sew Together Tuesdays to live audiences across America. On the road ten out of the last twelve months, they’ve been to 43 states, where Teresa has taught in all kinds of beautiful and charming quilt shops, met all kinds of interesting people, and experienced countless joyful moments. 

She talks about the range of different shops and fabrics and creative focuses, from heirloom sewing to embroidery, traditional quilting to modern clothes. She also shares the one thing that all of these shop owners have in common, which is their deep love for the industry. According to Teresa, her time on the road never stops being entertaining.

Her connection to the myriad of people she meets on the road continues via her Facebook group, “I Love Cuddle® Fabric.” She loves what she does so much, she plans to continue teaching and hopes to add more pattern-making into her creative endeavors. “I get to teach. I get to learn. And that’s the thing that makes me happy.” (22:07-30:04)

Be sure to listen in on our casual conversation with Teresa for inspiration, insights, and a lot of smiles. If you’d like to connect with Teresa, you can reach her at [email protected] or at her I Love Cuddle® Fabric Facebook page.

If you know someone who has an outstanding story that should be shared on this podcast, or what to comment or just say hello - drop Meg a note to [email protected] or complete the form on our website

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

While at the University of Alabama, Leah Kate got a lot of experience with leotards, both as a dancer and as part of the costume department. What she found was that rarely did they properly fit all women’s body types. Knowing that one of the first rules of dancewear is that it should enhance movement, not burden it, she set out to create styles that were functional, comfortable, and fashionable. Within her first eight months, she was featured at two sold-out shows at New York Fashion Week. 

Leah’s passion for design was ignited when she was nine years old and involved in a local hip-hop dance theater. She realized that one of the ways she and the other dancers expressed themselves was through what they wore, so she started drawing designs for leotards in her notebooks. “I was probably designing five or six a week or something like that. And I had no ability to make them yet, but I definitely had vision.” It was her senior year of high school, when started to develop her skills: working with steel boning and patterning, she created a beautiful stretch corset. 

Leah realized that regular flat patterns didn’t work for a dancer with her build: long torso, athletic build, full bust measurement. She fully developed the skills to make clothes in college, but it wasn’t until after she graduated and inherited a 50-year-old Serger that she was able to develop a prototype. Soon after, she purchased a BERNINA L 890 with air-threading capabilities. At that point, she had the resources she needed to launch her company. [2:00-22:00)

And wow, what a launch it was! Leah Kate shares her experience of receiving the call to help choreograph a dance fashion show for EDM artists DRMAGDN and Sh!tty Princess in collaboration with fashion designer Hicham Bens of The Royals Paris (personal designer for the Moroccan Royal Family). About halfway through the process, DRUMAGDN asked her if she wanted to launch Leahtards. As if that wasn’t exciting enough—Leahtards opened the show. She choreographed, performed, and launched her brand at New York Fashion Week. She also shares some of the highlights of her illustrious dancing career.  A video of the Fashion Show Week performances is currently in the works, as the momentum of Leah Kate’s success keeps building. Leah Kate’s mission is to provide dancewear and costumers that make dancers feel good about walking out onto the stage for rehearsal or performing in her own words. “I want to be a refuge for my dancers, and my customers so that they feel like themselves, they feel that they've expressed themselves fully, and they're not judging themselves, and therefore, they really don't care if anybody else is.” [24:19-51:56]

To say that Leah Kate is an entrepreneurial powerhouse would be an understatement.  As she details her experiences, the energy builds and her passion and enthusiasm are palpable. Be sure to tune in to listen to this amazing success story. You can connect with her by going to her website, Leahtards.com or by emailing her at LeahKatenickel.com

If you know someone who has an outstanding story that should be shared on this podcast, drop Meg a note to [email protected] or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

When HollyAnne was caring for her babies and in the throes of post-partum depression, quilting was what she did to “feed her soul,” and her online quilting community was her soft place to land. Once she discovered modern and modern-traditional quilting, she quickly fell down the rabbit hole, and upon watching a free motion quilting class online, her passion took on a life of its own. “Something about it really spoke to my soul. It really reminded me of the motion of brushstrokes and Impressionism and modern Impressionist paintings, which was always my favorite era of art.” 

While she was building a small business selling t-shirt quilts through her Etsy shop, she continued her exploration of modern quilting, going to her first QuiltCon in 2017. It was there she witnessed free-motion quilting in person. She describes her time there as magical and managed to pass out a box of business cards to start building community. The event, which she refers to as a “breath of fresh air,” was the thing that set her education company String and Story into motion. As a result of her passion, commitment and love of teaching, the community quickly attracted an international following. (3:46 -10:35)

HollyAnne soon created a blog on Instagram followed by Quilting Rock Stars, a String & Story community on Facebook, which attracts people from around the world. “What started as my little feeble attempt to just have a place to talk to other people who liked quilting, turned into a real community where folks would share about stuff going on with their families, their health challenges… and it's been incredible.” She talks about the power of community, and how this virtual community has been a lifeline through some very dark times. (13:30   – 17:38)

HollyAnne views her live String & Story sessions on YouTube and her Rock Stars group as an old-time quilting circle gone viral.  It’s a place where people can pull up a chair, tell stories and be real. “I really believe that if I can be leading with love, and how I lead my community, then we can navigate all the hard things that are gonna come our way.” (13:30   – 24:54)

As she continues to share her journey with us, HollyAnne talks about making quilts for kids with cancer, the genesis of String & Story, her inspiring Rock Stars, and her new store in Duluth.  During this casual conversation, her humanity and love of quilting shine through. You won’t want to miss it! You can connect with HollyAnne at stringandstory.com, on Instagram and her Quilting Rock Stars group on Facebook. 

If you know someone who has an outstanding story that should be shared on this podcast, drop Meg a note to [email protected] or complete the form on our website.

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.