Blacker Friday 2022!

Lisa Woolfork  0:00  

Hey friends, hey. I have exciting news. This Stitch Please podcast, just hit 400,000 downloads. Thank you. Thank you so much. This is a lot of downloads for a podcast that I thought only me and my mamma was going to listen to. And my mamma actually told me that she wasn't gonna listen every week, which I think she does in real life. So thank you. You can help us celebrate this milestone by supporting us on the Black Women Stitch Patreon. We had this ambitious goal to get 200 new subscribers by the end of 2022. And currently we have seven. We are well on our way to those new subscribers. If you join us, we'll be that much closer. Thanks again for listening. And here comes our Blacker Friday episode. 

Hello stitchers and welcome to the Stitch Please podcast. I'm your host Lisa Woolfork. We are talking today about Blacker Friday. This week marks one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year in the United States. And this is the weekend that people are getting ready to buy gifts for the December holidays. We want you to spend money with Black folks, #payblackwomen and #supportblacksmallbusinesses, all of whom are represented here in this episode today. This is an opportunity for you to learn about these wonderful makers in our community who are building legacy within their own communities and families, and we are happy to support them. So support a small business. Listen to this episode. Follow the links. Find out all this great information we have for you today from the makers themselves. Welcome Black business owners, and thank you for joining us for this special episode.

Bonita Hinton  1:46  

Hi, I'm Bonita Hinton, the owner and designer of BabyCakes Bags & Rags. I'm an embroidery artist specializing in one of a kind, bespoke three dimensional lifelike portrait, fine leather handbags, home goods, including custom decorative pillows, wall art and custom bath towels and more. In addition, I also design Afrocentric clothing and accessories. Please visit my website at BabyCakes Bags & Rags and on Instagram @nubiansistah and @babycakesbagsandrags.

Shereece Nicole  2:37  

Hi I'm Shereece Nicole of Sew Hooked on Treasures, the spot for the busy modern quilter.  If you are looking for new modern quilt patterns this holiday season, I invite you to stop by my website: sewhookedon treasures.com from November 23 to the 27th for a discount on all digital quilt patterns. And, if you are so inclined and you're looking for time saving tips, head on over to my Instagram @sewhookedontreasures.  Enjoy your holiday season.

Lisa Shepard Stewart  3:08  

Hi everyone. It's Lisa from Cultured Expressions where we specialize in African fabrics and embellishments for sewing, quilting, crafts, home decor and all things DIY. We're located in Rahway, New Jersey. And you can also find us online at culturedexpressions.com. Or you can book a virtual visit which is basically a shopping appointment by Zoom meeting. And there you can make your selections and see a lot more than we even have on the website. No matter how you like to shop, you'll find Jacquard batiks from Ghana and Ankara prints, both by the yard and in pre-cuts for the crafters and quilters. You will find Bogolan or mudcloth, Kuba cloth, codigo, scenic panels and other specialties along with beads and brass from Ghana, plus my books, patterns and kits and Fabrigasm magazine. After a busy 2022 We look forward to the new year of 2023 with lots more live, in person and virtual events, including QuiltCon in Atlanta in February, and a handbag masterclass course that combines technical skills with business coaching. So if you're looking to start a business, or improve your business, making bags that might be the thing for you. Plus, we'll be repeating our Sewjourn East Coast in late spring and returning to Santa Fe for Sewjourn Santa Fe in October of 2023. So be sure to join our email list for first notice of these activities and more. And follow us at cultured expressions on Instagram and Facebook. Finally, thanks to my favorite namesake Lisa at Black Women Stitch for another great year of connection and inspiration. I'll see you soon

Daniel  5:11  

Hey hey, friends.  My name is Danielle and I'm so happy to be here with you on this Blacker Friday. I am owner and designer of African stretch fabrics. A line of four way stretch fabrics inspired by traditional African wax print fabric. If you, like many others, have been searching for stretch African print fabric you are in the right place. We have beautiful prints like kente, mud cloth and more. All in bright bold colors for every season. So if you're sewing swimwear, active wear, leggings or even formal wear and you want a little bit of Ankara flair, head over to Africanstretchfabrics.com and see everything we have to offer. In addition to our printed fabrics in the new year, we will also be adding our soul shop which is offering coordinating solid fabric, lining and other notions as well as our PDF sewing patterns and craft kits to help you sew your own projects. So if you have any questions you can always reach me by emailing info@ Africanstretchfabrics.com Thanks so much to Lisa for having me and I will see you guys soon. Happy sewing, y'all. Bye.

Dru  6:31  

Hey, what's up. My name is Dru Thompson, fashion designer, entrepreneur, educator and owner of Dru Christine Fabrics and Design at the DC Creative Suite right here in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 2012 my studio has been a place to find custom apparel for all occasions. This is also the space to find my designer apparel and accessory pieces. The DC Creative Suite inspires solace through our selection of vintage and contemporary fabrics, as well as our sewing classes for adults and children. My mission is to reignite an interest in sewing and help creative entrepreneurs successfully manage their business. Want to learn more? Be sure to check us out at www.DruChristine.com. See you soon.

Bianca Springer  7:31  

I love the holiday season. It's the perfect time to give the gift of creativity to yourself or those on your shopping list. Shop thanksImadethem.com for your sewing pattern weights, vintage sewing patterns and sewing themed jewelry. Use code BWS 2022 to save 25%. While you're there, be sure to buy a signed copy of my new book Represent! Embroidery. This inclusive book makes a great gift on its own or use the projects and patterns to embellish something fabulous to give. Discount code cannot be applied to book purchases.

Mondes  8:04  

Hi, my name is Mondes of Mondes Threads and I provide wearable solutions for women who can't fit their clothing properly. That simply means that I just do alterations and, yes, I will hem your pants, but I will do more. When you're in a pickle I will help you out by providing those alterations so that you either fit your clothing properly or help recreate or revamp those pieces of clothing. I also have some sewing courses, sewing patterns and I do have a course that teaches you how to monetize your sewing so you can actually make money from sewing and not sew. So that is available. All this information is available on my website www.MondesChisenga.com And so if any of those things interest you, you can visit me there. I am also on social media under MondesThreads across all platforms. So whatever suits your needs, I am there. Have a great day. This is so exciting.

Chrissy  9:22  

Hi, I'm Christina Massey, owner and designer at Gifted Hands by Chrissy LLC. Arts and crafts have always been my passion from taking pictures in school to scrapbooking and expanding to t-shirt designing, glass etching and rhinestoning. I continue to expand my skills by traveling throughout the US to conferences and conventions. After working over 10 years in the medical and banking industry, God allowed me to step out on faith and bring my creative dreams to life. I specialize in sublimation, glass etching, rhinestoning, epoxy tumblers embroidery, shirt beautifying, scrapbooking teaching, memorial products to name a few. If you're interested, get in touch with me through my Instagram, Facebook or Tik Tok.

LaTisha Porter  10:32  

Hello Hello Hello. This is LaTisha of Nicole Elise LLC. Nicole Elise is a fashion house where great fabric and fabulous style collide. We specialize in custom apparel that is comfy, classy and chic and offer a variety of textiles that will be sure to catch your eye and make you smile.  We believe it's the fabric which sets the tone for your look. Please stop by our website at www.NicoleElise.shop.  Browse our catalog of textiles or send us an email with the request for a custom order. We can also be reached on Instagram @NicoleEliseDesign or @NicoleEliseTextiles. Remember when it comes to your clothing, the fabric is key because fabric choice is everything.

Jonelle Dawkins  11:39  

Hello stitchers. My name is Jonelle Dawkins and I am the Executive Director of Scraplanta Creative Reuse. We are a 501 C 3 nonprofit that sells donated art supplies. We are a resource for Atlanta area crafters, to destash old art materials and restash on preloved craft supplies. Our shoppers can fill up a paper grocery bag of yarn and or fabric for only $10 plus tax. We also provide creativity workshops in our classroom space. If you're looking for a space to harness your creativity, check out Scraplanta Creative Reuse. We're located at 2130 Henderson Mill Rd. in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit our website www.scraplanta.org for our class schedules, volunteer hours, donation resources and even a link to purchase gift cards. We can't wait to craft with you soon.

Nikki  12:40  

Hi, it's Nikki, owner of SeamsNSuch Boutique LLC. I offer custom craft and accessory items made with love and care. The items I offer are bags, wallets, baby gift sets, memory bear service, bucket hats and much more. Just ask. My shop can be found on Facebook under the name SeamsNSuch Boutique. Also, I host the live sewing tutorial show on Tik Tok under the name NikkiD2013KW. I go live every Saturday 10:30am Eastern Time, and join me for some sewing tutorials, cookout music and just good vibes and conversation. So check out my page on Facebook SeamsNSuch boutique. I look forward to helping and serving you. Have an awesome day.

Lisa Woolfork  13:42  

You're listening to the Stitch Please podcast Blacker Friday episode we're gonna take a quick break and when we come back we'll hear more from these fantastic Black owned businesses. Stay tuned.

Thank you so much for your support of Black Women Stitch and the Stitch Please podcast. We are happy to announce that the 2023 Black Women Stitch wall calendar is Black, baby. We are back. We are Black, and it is a beautiful calendar for 2023. You can find more information about the calendar at the Black Women Stitch website through our shopping section. Or go directly to BlackWomenStitch. bigcartel.com and we'll help you get your stitch together. 

Welcome back to Blacker Friday, a spotlight on Black owned businesses as we help you get ready for the December holidays and the most busy shopping season of the year. When you support Black owned businesses, you're doing more than getting a high quality product or service. You are also helping to close the racial wealth gap, build economic equity and economic justice. Be sure to check the links in this episode and support Black owned businesses this weekend, and make Black Friday, Blacker Friday.

Isabel  15:12  

Hello. My name is Isabel Gransaull and my social media handle is Beau Je Designs. You can find me on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Pinterest. Over thirty years ago I was trained in the art of pattern making and garment construction, and since then I have been creating custom made clothing. Now I mainly sew for women but on several occasions I have sewn for men, including my husband and my boys. I have made a wide range of garments over those years: wedding gowns to house dresses and everything in between. I love sharing sewing tips and sewing tutorials and sewing techniques and the like. Now I am going to resume teaching pattern making classes as well as sewing classes online. And those classes will begin from the week of January 6, 2023. They will be eight week long courses. The courses are going to be pre recorded so a person can work at their convenience and at their pace. My website is www.beaujedesigns.com That is  B E A U J E D E S I G N S. Beaujedesigns.com

Cecily  16:41  

Hi, my name is Cecily Habimana co owner of Sew Creative Lounge. We are the culture keepers of sewing and quilting with a mission of teaching the world to sew one stitch at a time. We are excited to provide sewing classes, both in studio and virtually throughout the entire country. We are excited to be a part of the sewing community and being the ones that invigorate people's lives and teach them that this is not just about sewing itself, but it's about the culture. It's about the community. It's about the confidence in which sewing brings to so many people. We also teach children and adult classes at our home studio in Mount Rainier, Maryland, as well as our satellite studios in Chicago. We partner with several elementary schools throughout the DC metropolitan area in teaching their after school programs as well. In response to the pandemic, I along with my partner Tisha opened up an online store and began designing in an old collection of fabrics. We are so excited about our work and we're always eager to teach our students our love and our passion for sewing. For Sew Creative Lounge, you can visit us at SewCreativeLounge.com. Or you can visit us in person in Mount Rainier. Our address is 3711 Rhode Island Avenue.  Thank you and we hope to see you around 

Alexis  18:08  

Hey everyone. I am Alexis, owner or Sew Sweet Academy and educator for Brother Sews International. Here at Sew Sweet Academy, we specialize in all things embroidery, from learning how to create beautiful works of art on your single or multi needle embroidery machines to how to start a home-based embroidery business with a booming customer base in no time. My favorite things to teach are patches, logos, appliques, hat stitch outs and more, which all can be found in our vibrant learning library vault of tutorials. Come find me on all social media platforms as Sew Sweet Academy that's so Sew Sweet Academy, or visit our website SewSweetAcademy.com.   I can't wait to meet all of you. We are a community of like-minded stitchers, all focused on growing our skills and resolving stitch struggles in a safe learning environment. But most importantly remember it does not have to be perfect, but it has to be free.

Geraldine  19:23  

This is Geraldine Wilkins, The Living Water Quilter. I love to help quilters go from frustration to fabulous. I do that by helping you discover and develop machine quilting skills so that you can save time and save money, make more quilts for friends, family or for your business. I do that by teaching at national quilting events, virtual events online, with quilt guilds and groups. I also lecture and teach different topics all about machine quilting. My specialties are free motion and ruler quilting. I put together a special 10 part series to help quilters go from fabric preparation all the way to finishing their quilt with fun quilting design, all the steps in between. I call it 10 steps to stress free machine quilting. And just for the Stitch Please audience I'm giving a Blacker Friday discount, steep discount of 50% off. All you have to do is use the coupon code Stitch Please. I love to help women go to the next level in their quilting experience. To redeem your coupon code go to machinequilting.live click on courses and look for 10 steps to stress free machine quilting. Use the special discount code, Stitch Please at checkout. Looking for a teacher or speaker for your next event or perhaps you want to collaborate, check out my website. Go to machinequilting.live.

Kena  21:14  

Hi, my name is Kena Tangi Dorsey. Thank you so much Lisa and Black Women Stitch for the invitation to submit for the Blacker Friday. podcast episode. My name, like I said, is Kena, and I am a teacher, mentor, pattern designer and owner of Kena Quilt Studio. The main focus of my business is to teach quilters how to quilt. I teach both in person and live and on demand quilt classes with my special niche and focus being on portrait quilting, art quilts, and also giving quilters the confidence to work with and use African print fabrics in their quilt projects. I conduct lectures and workshops and classes at guilds and summits and conferences and different online and in person quilt industry events. I also am in the process of designing patterns specifically with African fabric as the center of the patterns which is something we don't really see much of.  My business continues to grow and evolve. My website where you can learn more about me and what I do is www.KenaQuiltStudio.com, and of course I can be reached on Facebook and Instagram @KenaQuilts. Thank you.

Shaun  23:01  

Hi, this is Shaun of Geaux Savvy design. That's G E A U X Savvy Designs where we customize apparel, wood and acrylic to meet all of your needs. If you're looking to brand your business with brand new polos, outerwear, or any type of apparel, where the business for you, so please check us out. We're located on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, as well as Facebook at GeauxSavvyDesigns. That GeauxSavvy designs LLC. So we look forward to hearing from you and please, have a wonderful day.

Linda  23:57  

Kraftin Kuzzins and More LLC owner and designer Linda MKC specializes in crocheted acrylic, wood and lasered items. These items include custom blankets, tumblers, T shirts and trades. She has a love for creating and making new patterns. With the creation of wood items it allows her imagination to run wild and her creativity to make your memorial and special moments even more special. She has a passion for sisterhood which drives her to keep pushing and creating. So check out Kraftin Kuzzins and More LLC on Instagram where you can see all of her fantastic items. And you can customize anything that you see on her Instagram. That is Kraftin Kuzzins and More LLC owner and designer Linda MKC.

Neci  25:05  

Hi all. I'm Neci Love Harmon of What's She Creating Enterprises. We are a company striving to beautify the world via creative education, building community and utilizing fabric in various ways. We offer sewing instruction face-to-face and online, from unboxing to the first stage at youtube.com/whatsshecreating.  If you are in the Atlanta area, we host monthly pop up art experiences in which participants sip and paint pillows and create unique arts and craft projects. We offer craft kits, handcrafted jewelry online, as well as custom bags at whatsshecreating.com That's w h a t s SHE creating.com. Connect with us via social media at WhatsSheCreating. Take the time to invest in yourself this season by creating something beautiful. Much peace and blessings to you. See you soon.

Tangular  26:12  

My name is Tangular Irby, and I am an educator, proud auntie and grandchild of late Gee's Bend quilters, Pearlie Kennedy Pettway and Jensie Lee Irby. Every family has a story. As a descendant of Gee's Bend, Alabama, ours is a rich legacy that deserves to be shared. My grandmothers were quilters who left this earth far too soon. It is my pleasure to honor their memory through my children's books that will teach the next generation the history of my family treasures. Journey back in time to admire illustrations of antique and contemporary quilts by India Shaina. To learn more about the legacy and to order autographed copies of my book, Pearl and Her Gee's Bend Quilt, visit us at www.geesbendmade.com. That's www GeesBendMade.com

Garland  27:19  

Hello, my name is Garland Demetrius. I'm Head Tailor and owner of Couture Man Sewing, located here in Fontana in the Inland Empire in beautiful California. My business specializes in sewing classes. I work for the city of Fontana and I also work for Fontana Adult School. At Fontana Adult School I have four different sewing classes at four different levels. And for the City, I have two different classes at two different levels. We also make custom and do quality alterations. My specialty is making one-of-a-kind, high end gowns. We do hand beadwork, hand crystalling. And we specialize in quality levels stitching and making. I'm also in school right now studying apparel manufacturing. We also do events as well. So I do events with the City. I'm also really big on Instagram. I also like to do a little reels, make funny videos and things like that. I also like to give a lot of tutorials and I really have found pleasure in teaching. Next year I'm definitely going to push forward with making more garments and doing more one-of-a-kinds, but last year and this year, I really focused on the teaching aspect which I really love. Thank you so much for the feature. Have a great day.

Laverne  28:42  

Hello, it's your favorite peach, Laverne Benton. I'm the owner of Bzy Peach LLC, a small Black woman owned business specializing in hand dyed cotton yarn, tensile yarn, project journals and other fun accessories. New to my online shop, The Market, our individual hand dyed embroidery threads. These 100% recycled cotton threads now come in 40 different individual colorways. So run over to BzyPeach.com to check them out right now. Now is also the time to announce the launch of my 2023 Yarn Clubs. This will be the third year for the Peachy Yarn Club, and I am excited to share new options. So on Black Friday, make sure that you check out bzypeach.com or @BzyPeach on Instagram for all of the details. And as usual, I stay busy keeping you peachy.

Adaku  30:00  

Hi, my name is Adaku Parker and I am the owner of Dovetailed London, a sewing and soon-to-be fashion business. I'm so excited to be taking part in the Blacker Friday episode of the Stitch Please podcast. I initially started my business to share my passion for African fabric with others. The business quickly grew. And today we sell African fabric. I design sewing patterns designed specifically for sewing with these fabrics. We provide sewing subscription boxes that are sent out monthly and bi monthly, and sewing kits. We also run workshops from our East London studio, where you can come and make any of our sewing patterns. I am the best selling author of the internationally acclaimed sewing book Sewing with African Wax Print Fabric, and I am on a mission to help people add more color to their wardrobes and homes by sewing with these glorious fabrics. I'm also excited to share with you that we will be adding a ready-to-wear collection to our business. You can follow me here on Instagram @dovetailedlondon and visit our website at www.dovetail.co.uk to see all of the products and services that we offer. Plus, sign up to our mailing list to get 10% off your first order and be the first to hear about all of our exciting news.

Lisa Woolfork  31:47  

You've been listening to Stitch Please, the official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. We appreciate you joining us this week and every week for stories that center Black women, girls and femmes in sewing. We invite you to join the Black Women Stitch Patreon community with giving levels beginning at $5 a month. Your contributions help us bring the Stitch Please podcast to you every week. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support, and come back next week and we'll help you get your stitch together.