Lisa Woolfork 0:12
Hello stitches. Welcome to Stitch Please - the official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black Lives Matter. I'm your host, Lisa Woolfork. I'm a fourth- generation sewing enthusiast with more than twenty years of sewing experience.
I am looking forward to today's conversation. So sit back, relax, and get ready to get your stitch together.
Hello, everyone and welcome! I am delighted to be speaking today with Lisa Shepard Stewart and fabrigasm. That's right. I said fabrigasm on the internet or the podcast. But you know, I mean, I think this is good. This can still count as not adult language because fabrigasm is a magazine and now a virtual event and the brainchild of Lisa who not only has a long career in the textile fabric and fashion community, she is also the owner of Cultured Expressions in Rahway, New Jersey. So Lisa actually does it all. She was doing virtual stuff before we had to. She was doing all sorts of creative programming. And now her latest venture is fabrigasm, a live virtual event for lovers of African textiles. Welcome, Lisa, back to the program. Hooray.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 2:12
Thank you, Lisa. Good to be back.
Lisa Woolfork 2:13
I am so glad for us to be having this conversation today. So let's start with talking about fabrigasm. Where did the idea for that concept come from?
Lisa Shepard Stewart 2:26
It actually started when I had this little hobby of when I have a really good picture like from a friend, I'll make a fake like a fake magazine cover. And magazine journalism was my favorite class at FIT when I studied marketing many, many years ago. So I was always into the whole magazine thing. So when I get a really pretty picture, like say it but like I said a friend or whatever, I would convert it into magazine cover and put fake titles. They're just kind of a fun thing, like coming up with the title of the magazine and all that. This goes back years like a little hobby. So I was with a friend I did one for her because she had a whole gardening theme. And you know, whatever it was, and I started thinking about fabric, and I thought about fabrigasm. And we use that word loosely; you know back and forth like oh, you know, you see a beautiful fabric. You have a fabrigasm.
Lisa Woolfork 3:07
Ah, yes. Yeah. So
Lisa Shepard Stewart 3:09
People kind of get it when they hear it.
Lisa Woolfork 3:10
Yes!
Lisa Shepard Stewart 3:12
You know?
Lisa Woolfork 3:12
Oh, yes. Yes, that was wonderful. So you see a beautiful fabric, you have a fabrigasm!
Lisa Shepard Stewart 3:17
It's the feeling that you get. It's like your heart races a little bit.
And you imagine what it's going to become. It's a fabrigasm. I mean, I'm not sure what explanation it really needs.
Lisa Woolfork 3:29
That is all it needs!
Lisa Shepard Stewart 3:31
Yes. Yes.
Lisa Woolfork 3:32
I absolutely love that. I love that. Right. So it seems to be motivated by play and happiness. Because you were playing around with the idea of magazine covers, because that was like one of your favorite classes at the Fashion Institute. And it was also a way to preserve a memory. So if your friend you and your friend had a great photograph or something and you put it in this almost like a magazine tribute. It's a way to preserve and honor that memory. And then it's just really fun to see afterward. And I have had fabrigasms. And I think that many people who are listening to this podcast today will have had them as well, you know, because it just turns to absolute obsession. That's the reason that I have so much in my uhem collection because I develop very strong feelings about them.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 4:20
Right.
Lisa Woolfork 4:20
So what did you want to share with the world when you decided to transition fabrigasm? What we decided to build it as an actual magazine, you had been spending time creating these magazine covers for friends and families based on wonderful photos. How did you make that leap to saying, you know what, let's do a real magazine?
Lisa Shepard Stewart 4:43
You know what, it was that was at work. And also another thing was that I had done the first three books. The last one I did was 2007. I did African accents on the go, which is a handbag book. And then, I guess around 2010 or so, I wanted to keep writing. I always been a writer too. And so, in addition to the fabric addiction, I didn't really want to write another book because that was a whole huge commitment. So maybe I could just do a little magazine and around the same time with this whole fabrigasm you know, fake, name kind of thing. I was like, that would be kind of a cool, like, cute name. I could do a little magazine. It will come out literally, when I have time; it's not a subscription thing, because I wanted to maintain the fun for myself. And I said, I could just do a little quick magazine. And I did. The first one was free, I just did like a digital version, and I printed some just to see how it would go. And it was well-received, and I thought, hmm, this is kind of fun. You know, I can put it out when I have something to say or projects to share. And it just kind of went from there. So that was in 2012, I did the first issue.
Lisa Woolfork 5:43
That is amazing. And I really like how you have found a way to work in a way that is organic for you. You aren't motivated by let me see how much I can push, push, push. You're saying let's see what makes sense for me and for my schedule. And then you can pour your heart into it, as well as your creativity and your writing skills, and produce something really beautiful. I got my copy a few weeks ago, and it is really lovely.It is absolutely, lovely. Issue number seven, y'all.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 6:15
Now if you're doing the math, the first issue was 2012. And this is number seven. So there's some time in between. And most of that time was between issue six and seven. That's when I opened the studio in 2017. I didn't have time literally to put out an issue. But the end of last year, I really felt like I wanted to end on an up note. I pushed to get one out and had some things to share. So it's like I said, it comes out when it comes out. And to me it's more fun that way, too. It's just like, oh, there's another one, you know, so.
Lisa Woolfork 6:45
It's a surprise. It's sporadic. And whenever it comes out, it's good.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 6:49
No, thank you.
Lisa Woolfork 6:50
Whenever it comes out, there's something useful. There are some things that I didn't know before. So I think that's perfect. It's just as it should be, you know that, you aren't driven by anybody else's schedule or requirement.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 7:02
Right. And that's what helps me keep it interesting for myself and for the readers is that I'm not just pushing things out because the deadline, and I have to do a quarterly issue. I don't want to have that pressure. It's not fun anymore. So hopefully, the fun comes through because I'm enjoying what I'm doing. It's not like a pressure thing.
Lisa Woolfork 7:18
Yes, absolutely. And the idea of creating a project, a physical product that's motivated by your interests, and all the things that you have accumulated and learned over a certain period of time that you then transform and share. It's just really powerful. I think that really is. It's a great model for everyone, I think, about how to manage one's own creative time and energy. And of course, it would make sense that there would be a gap between the issues that happened when the studio was first open. Because that took a lot of your time. You might recall, it took a lot of your time.
You mentioned Episode 26. I believe you were in on the podcast, Episode 26, y'all. It's a great episode. So I've included the link in the show notes. So do go back and check it out. We had a good time. But you were talking about all the time it took, you know, between like finding the perfect space and making the perfect space even more perfect. You couldn't do it all. And no one can. I really think about that gap in between as a space of growth. Because your project absolutely fundamentally grew. Once the studio was open.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 8:28
Definitely.
Lisa Woolfork 8:28
So yeah, exactly. You are one person who is doing amazing things. And you are not a machine.
Lisa Shepart Stewart 8:36
Right.
Lisa Woolfork 8:37
You are not a machine and you don't want to be a machine.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 8:39
I definitely don't. That is not the goal. The goal is for me to have fun. And if I can make a couple of bucks in the process and share what I do great, you know, so that's kind of it.
Lisa Woolfork 8:48
Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that's fantastic. So in terms of the magazine, when you look back at the issues that you've produced, what are some of your favorite things that you have shared? What were some of the favorite stories that you told? If you look back at the history of your magazine? Like anything favorite that just kind of stands out to you? I mean, I'm sure you don't have all of them sitting in front of you right now.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 9:10
I don't.
Lisa Woolfork 9:14
Is there anything? Which is perfect because I'm not asking you to look it up. Yeah, exactly. You don't have to go back and study you. It's like interviewing folks. It's like, how do I prepare? I'm like, Well, you've already prepared, you are you.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 9:26
Exactly. Right.
Lisa Woolfork 9:28
But does anything stand out throughout the years that you've been doing this? That's like, you know what, I was pretty happy about that. I was really proud of that. You know, that didn't turn out like I thought but I thought it was also good. You know what I mean, anything like that?
Lisa Shepard Stewart 9:40
Well, probably the most obvious. I guess I say obvious one is I think it was issue number three; it was a larger issue than usual about 28 pages with no advertising. So it's chock full of stuff. But this issue was 36 pages and it included the exhibit that we mounted in Ghana. We did a fiber art exhibit with the people that went on the trip with me that year 2013. And so in that issue, I really wanted to have a keepsake kind of thing. I said, I'm going to fold that into the fabric as a magazine that was coming out. And so we had pictures of each piece that was displayed and the description a little almost like a catalog when you go to exhibit.
Lisa Woolfork 10:17
Yes. Yes.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 10:19
That was very cool. Again, a lot of work because I came back from Ghana, exhausted, you know, with the trip and the group. There was a lot going on. And I said I have to get this out, so I was running on fumes trying to get the issue out, while it was still fresh, and you know, relevant and all that. And that one really stands out because it had a lot of different artists in there. And you know, their point of view, their pieces, and kind of recap the whole Ghana trip. So that was probably the most special one, I would say.
Lisa Woolfork 10:19
That is wonderful.
That was issue three 2013, y'all. And what I love about it is that you are doing exactly what the magazine promises. You are bringing African textiles to the world into the community who loves fabric. And I really think that this is a commemorative issue from 2013. I think now especially since we are all - well were not we're all. I am pretty tired of being isolated and not going anywhere. Because this episode is being recorded y'all in 2021. And we are at the heels; hopefully, of a global pandemic; hopefully, COVID rates are going down, things are starting to open up. So I was just saying that to have access to a 2013 magazine that went over an international trip and could preserve those memories because there's no way to remember every single thing, but when you read through the magazine, you can say, oh, yeah, I remember that piece. I remember when she said that, or I remember he mentioned this point. This is really great. It's just another way to bring people into the larger community and the larger question about these beautiful, beautiful fabrics. So that's wonderful.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 12:02
It was really fun. Yeah, so.
And aside from that, I think I like each issue better than the last one, which again, is kind of like a little goal of mine. I want to kind of not top myself, but I want to feel as excited about that as I did about the first issue and have new things. And I'm always finding new things to share. So it keeps it fresh. And it's just you know, I mean, there's always a difference obviously, the cover colors, I always you know, try to pick next month to be some greens. I haven't had green in a while.
Lisa Woolfork 12:28
Oh, cool, cool. Cool. I love this. Love this. Love this. Okay. I love it. Okay, so I was gonna ask about if you had any advice for someone who wanted to do a magazine in the way that you have. It seems like such a major undertaking, like how, like, I don't understand how, what even does this? And then you mention no advertising. I was like, oh my gosh, wait, what?
Lisa Shepard Stewart 12:52
Yeah, and that's I tried to do some advertising, but then I thought to myself, that's gonna lock me into again, that structure that I was really trying to avoid. Like, the creative side of me didn't want to have that pressure of the advertiser and how many issues. It was more than I wanted to do. And again, being, you know, a single entity here, I just really didn't want to take that on, even before the studio. So I keep it, you know, simple and chock full of stuff. It's $8.95, which sounds like a lot for twenty-eight pages. But again, with no advertising, there's, it really is chock full of stuff. And I have people that you know, get every issue because they enjoy it. Yeah. So as far as tips, right? So I think you kind of have to like to write, so you have that under control, you're good. And I say that because the more you can do on your own or for yourself, the fewer people you have to involve. And in my mind, it simplifies it. Like some people like to have a whole team, and for them, that simplifies it. Depending on the project, I just rather do it myself. And it's a personality thing, I guess. I don't know.
Lisa Woolfork 13:53
But I also love what you're doing. I just cannot stress enough how wonderful it is to have you as a Black woman, as a Black woman, artist, as a Black woman who is committed to textile art and to fiber arts and needle arts, who is doing and living a creative entrepreneurial life on her own terms. It is rare, it is absolutely rare, and it is precious. What really inspires me is that you know that your time is rare and precious. You're like you know what, I'm not going to run myself ragged to bring in bookoo bucks of money, or I could do more and make more money and it's like, you know, but money isn't going to help buy your time back right? There's no amount of money that can value your time.
None.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 14:47
Exactly.
Lisa Woolfork 14:49
You cannot put a value on contentment.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 14:52
Right. Right. Yes. And you can't get your time back. The older you get, obviously time becomes more precious and you really begin to realize how I want to spend my day today? What do I want to spend it doing? You know? And that really helps me decide a lot of things. Just quite literally, how do I want to spend my time? I'm spending my time on something that's dumb or whatever. I have to get myself out of it because it's like, look, we're losing daylight here.
Lisa Woolfork 15:17
Yes. Yes.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 15:19
I don't say to myself in a frantic way, but I just really bring myself back to okay; what do I want to do? Even if it's just fun or even if it's taking a nap. If that's what I want to do? I want to feel like that's the moment that I'm in, you know? So?
Lisa Woolfork 15:30
Yes, yes, yes. I mean, and I really do think that this is wonderful, because it has helped, at least has helped me. And that's one of the things I've enjoyed about developing a relationship with you. It has helped me to understand that I am absolutely right to draw whatever boundaries around my life that I feel like drawing.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 15:51
Yes.
Lisa Woolfork 15:52
And that I don't have to do anything.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 15:54
Right.
Lisa Woolfork 15:55
And it doesn't matter if some, you know, business model thing says you have to have this XYZ output, or you have to make sure you are niching down to do blahdy blahdy. Blah. Like, it's not fun.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 16:10
In 20 years, my first book came out in 1999. After that, I formed Cultured Expressions. And I have never written a serious business plan. I mean, maybe that's not the thing to say, but I've tried to sit down and write one, and you know, and it just didn't fit the way things happen for me, so I don't know. There are different approaches, I guess, for different people, I just kind of feel my way and do things and take some risks and try some things and that everything works out. But the things that do, you know, great. But I don't think I've written a serious business plan. So you know.
Lisa Woolfork 16:48
And I think for me, I'm sure that business plans, that's one thing. You could write a business plan, you could hire a consultant to work on your business plan, but what it seems to me is that you're engaged in is meaningful life's work. Meaningful life's work. And that is something that is going to come from you and you alone.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 17:10
Right.
Lisa Woolfork 17:11
And that, to me, seems incredibly important that you are able to follow a path that is healthy for you, that is also thriving, and amazing. You know, like, this isn't small. This is robust, and it's intricate, and it's beautiful. I just think it's fantastic.
Okay, so let's talk about this event. We're gonna take a quick break, y'all. But when we come back, we are going to talk about what it means to transition a magazine into an experience. Stay tuned.
Black Women Stitch in the Stitch Please podcast are happy to announce that we have another way to connect with our community. In addition to the IG lives that we do every Thursday at 3:00 pm, we also now have a club on Clubhouse. That's right, friends, they done messed up and given me the chance to have a club. So follow Black Women Stitch on Clubhouse on iOS devices, and soon on Android, and we'll help you get your stitch together.
Welcome back, everybody. I am talking today with Lisa Shepard Stewart of Cultured Expressions as well as a fabrigasm, the magazine and upcoming live event. So I wanted to ask what inspired you to transition the story you just shared about fabrigasm the magazine into a live virtual event? What that will be y'all in two weeks- May 1st and May 2nd is when Fabrigasm Live is going to be available for you to hop in. So can you tell us a little bit about that?. What made you think-let's see how we can move this in a different direction and make it more participatory?
Lisa Shepard Stewart 18:54
Right? Well, you know what I noticed when issue number seven came out. Let me go back. When issue number six was out in 2017, I wasn't as involved with Instagram, and all that. I built up a lot of that since then. When I did number seven, which came out in December, I ordered extra issues. And I was like, you know, I want to be ready because I figured there would be more people. I had a little bit more of a base, and I just want to kind of be prepared for this like a little test to myself, I ordered more to see if I could actually sell the more that I ordered. I did that. And also in the back of my mind in the before times, like pre-pandemic, I had it in my mind about doing something regional, like an in- person live event and bringing in speakers, the kind of things you'll see in a couple of weeks. And with the pandemic, I thought maybe I could flip it into a virtual. And I was thinking about names and I thought the natural name would be fabrigasm because people had, you know, with the new audience from Instagram and just new customers in general, I just felt like that would be a nice kind of umbrella term fabrigasm and Fabrigasm Live, basically. I kind of flipped from the idea of doing something in-person to doing virtual. And it just started to kind of come together in my head. I just started planning it. And then I hit my A list and B list of people.
Lisa Woolfork 20:04
Excellent.
I'm not gonna ask which one I was on.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 20:07
You were on the A-list.
Lisa Woolfork 20:08
Okay, thank you. I appreciate that affirmation. I'm gonna put myself on the A-list regardless. I am an A-list kind of bitch. That's the kind of person I am, just in general.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 20:18
So you were definitely A-list. Yeah.
Right? Well, I'm using a platform called hopin.com; it's HOPIN. And they're doing, you know, a lot of virtual events for all kinds of people and companies and organizations. I located them after a long exhaustive search of how to make this happen in an affordable kind of way. And so, I put together two days of events: panel discussions, we have presentations from fiber artists, we have creative demos. We have an opportunity to socialize called creative critiques. Where you can actually come in live, you can show yourself on camera, and be live. Get feedback from the group that's in that particular session, about your work. So you have a quilt, you're like which border should I put, you know, that kind of thing, just to have an interactive kind of component to it, that's gonna be a lot of fun.
Those rooms can have eight people at a time. And they can switch out within a half-hour. So you can have somebody come in and come off, and somebody else come in, and five hundred people can actually watch it. So you have the eight people live, you know, one time, we'll have a moderator to kind of keep things moving. It'll be a nice way to either show your work, if you just feel like you want to get some praise for this new bag you made, or if you want to, you know, get some technical assistance or whatever it is, you know, input just like a fun, creative way to find new peers and connect. So,I think that's gonna be a lot of fun.
Lisa Woolfork 23:16
It sounds really amazing. I'm just looking at the list of presenters that you have. It does indeed run the gamut from fashion home deck, quilting, thinking about someone like Jacqueline Shaw, who has the African fashion guide that she runs out of the UK. She also runs a wax and wraps subscription box. She does a little bit of both the fabric vending, but also, I think one of her major contributions is the African fashion guys. So she's paying attention to these trends, and is in such an excellent position to have these conversations.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 23:50
Right. Now on Saturday, actually, why you mention Jacqueline. On Saturday, she and I are having a discussion called Passion to Profit: Creating a Business Around African Textiles because we both get a lot of questions on that. So if you're looking to start a business, there are so many different ways to get into it; whether you're making products or selling fabric or whatever, we'll have a great discussion with her. Obviously, she's the perfect person to speak to on that. So I'm looking forward to that. And we just got a lot of really fun stuff to do. And Saturday evening, I'm doing a demo called Mudcloth & Mimosas.
Lisa Woolfork 24:19
Nice.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 24:21
That's gonna be like just some fun things to get together and hang out and learn something new.
Lisa Woolfork 24:27
Mudcloth and mimosas. Yes, please.
Yes, it does sound fun. And I like the creative critique, and that you're bringing in actual artists and quilters who also teach, so you're talking with Carol Lau Shah and Kianga Yaki like. She's awesome. Actually, she lives in my hometown. I don't know why we never met each other. I know she's probably lived ten minutes from the house I grew up in. Small world. This is a small world. That's why I got to be nice to people. And so what I like about this is that it allows people multiple points of entry. And so, if you're not a quilter, but you're interested in home deck, then we know you, we can talk about that. If you don't know much about what an indigenous technique of fabric dyeing is, now, you get a chance to learn about that, and what we can do to preserve these lost arts before they're all gone. All of these things, I think, are such important and fun conversations. So it's a mix of both. It's the learning, it's the practical, it's getting a critique and support, and all of these things. I think that's wonderful, that is deeply interactive, as well as allows people to like so long, while you're doing something.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 25:42
It's really wonderful. You can just take some time to still for yourself, and just listen in and watch. And you know, it's just like a whole little sewing week. Well, creative weekend.
Lisa Woolfork 25:51
A creative weekend, a creative weekend. So we have talked about what you're doing with the event that's coming up in two weeks. I'm gonna include the link to the event in the show notes.,so you'll get a chance to sign up on Lisa 's site,. ow do people sign up? Do you want them to go to your website? Or is there a special?
Lisa Shepard Stewart 26:11
Yes, if they go to the website, culturedexpressions.com, there will be a link you can click on that will take you to hopin.com. What you'll need to do is register on hopin.com with just an email address and a password, so you can get into the event when it begins. And you can find the full schedule, you can register, pick your ticket level, and all that. That's going to be on the website. And it's on the website now. And that's probably the easiest way to do it.
Lisa Woolfork 26:38
So hopin is the platform, hopin.com And that is where you would go after you've gone to the website, you go to hopin.com, you register.
I like what you described about how you could go from event to event. I really also like how there's no conflicts. I always find that so hard at a conference or in an event-like what do you want to do? Do you want to learn more about fusible applique secrets? Or do you want to learn about how to do needle turn applique? And it's like, well, wait a minute, I want to learn how to do both, but there's no way, so.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 27:12
Yeah, and see, that's the other thing. I mean, being that this is the first thing that I'm planning, that's a big virtual event, I wanted to keep it again, simple for myself as an organizer. And not have so many options that I can't keep them corralled. You know, the next time, I may go crazy and do a whole thing, but this is one that I'm happy with. I like the fact that people can take part in everything if they decide they wanted to, you know, spend the entire day or however. I just kept it simple in that respect, where they can kind of jump into everything and get involved and get the most out of it.
Lisa Woolfork 27:47
I think that is wonderful. And so this is the big major event; this is going to be a wonderful way y'all to get started with the month of May and get started with doing something fun and creative for yourself. Where you can learn, you can attend lectures. You can participate in discussions. You can get feedback from professional quilt teachers and artists who do this work for a living. It really is a wonderful thing that you're bringing to the sewing community. And I'm really excited about it. And I'm glad to be able to participate, so thank you for asking me.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 28:24
Oh, definitely, you know, like I said, you know, you will make A list. It was funny because I just was gathering friends and people that I know, and I realized there was such a wealth of knowledge and talent, just within people that I talk to every day or, you know, just kind of interact with. And in thinking about structuring that into an event, I was like, wow, this is really great. It was impressive for me. I was like, wow, this is gonna be kind of cool.
Lisa Woolfork 28:47
I think it's gonna be very cool. I think it's gonna be a good time. And I am so excited about it. And the timing is just perfect, a nice way to start May and heading out of Spring into Summer. Like all of these things, I think as a nice way to transition from one season to another as well as to inspire us all to think about how we express our creativity. And also to have deep and serious conversations about the future of African textiles. You know what I mean, I just think that having these conversations are so important, as well as, you know, identifying indigenous practices that are at risk. You know.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 29:26
Right. And we're speaking actually to the artists that are top in their areas, like I mentioned, the kente weaving, indigo dyeing and barkcloth, in particular. And then we have another artist who's not on that panel. David Kibuuka from Uganda; he does a certain type of batik. He's going to talk about that. There's so much beyond the ankara
Lisa Woolfork 29:44
Right.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 29:45
And you know, we'll always have on unkar, but just to explore more than that. I think it's important to just, there's so much there that you know, why not take advantage.
Lisa Woolfork 29:53
No, I love it. And I'm grateful to you for taking your time and energy to bring this event forward.
I know It's a lot of work, I cannot fully imagine how much work it is. I know I have put on events like real-life events that have stressed me out beyond no end. And so I can only imagine all of the work that's required to do this and to pull this off, but I am grateful that you decided to do so.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 30:15
Well, thank you, Lisa; I thank you for your platform. As always, I appreciate it. It's always fun to talk to you, just in general, and you I do want to invite everybody to come out and support it, check it out, it's gonna be a lot of fun. We have three different ticket levels with different perks and things going on.
Lisa Woolfork 30:31
Excellent. Okay, y'all, you have heard it here. First, do indeed check out Fabrigasm Live. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm gonna be there. I'm looking forward to it. And do check the show notes for this episode. And there will be a link to Lisa's shop, that will also have the link to the event. So go ahead and get your tickets; there's three levels so you can decide which works best for your budget. But no matter which ticket level you choose, you are going to have a good time.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 31:02
You know what I was thinking as we were talking, I didn't mention my,
Lisa Woolfork 31:05
Let's hear some sponsors.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 31:06
We have eQuiliter.com, they sell all kinds of fabrics. They all always donate 2% of their profits to charities. And they're just very, like amazing. They have a real global sense about them. And Luana [Rubin] travels all over us. We vibed over certain things. We have C&T publishing; they do lots of craft books, sewing books, quilt books, special projects, and special products. And then we have the modern quilt guild as a sponsor. Very excited so far, they're the confirmed sponsors and we're still confirming some other ones.
Lisa Woolfork 31:39
That's wonderful. And that helps to defray the cost, as well as provide really fun things for the participants. So that's good to know. Excellent. Lisa, this has been so wonderful. Thank you so much for this conversation. Thank you for taking the time to do it. When I know you've got to be swamped with so many other things.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 31:56
But this is part of it. I mean, there you go. This is there you go. This is more than within the realm
Lisa Woolfork 32:06
That's excellent.
Thank you so much, Lisa, for this conversation, and y'all be sure to check out Fabrigasm Live, which you can find out more about on Lisa's website culturedexpressions.com. A fantastic brick and mortar shop in Rahway, New Jersey. As well as a wonderful place for virtual shopping experiences. So check her out. I have been happy with every single thing I have ever gotten from there.
Lisa Shepard Stewart 32:28
Thanks, Lisa.
Lisa Woolfork 32:29
All right. Take care.
You've been listening to the Stitch Please podcast, the official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black Lives Matter. We appreciate you supporting us by listening to the podcast. If you'd like to reach out to us with questions, you can contact us at Blackwomen stitch@gmail.com. If you'd like to support us financially, you can do that by supporting us on Patreon, PATREON and you can find Black Women Stitch there in the Patreon directory. And for as little as $2 a month, you can help support the project with things like editing transcripts and other things to strengthen the podcast.
And finally, if financial support is not something you can do right now, you can really really help the podcast by rating it and reviewing it anywhere you listen to podcasts that allows you to review them. So I know that not all podcast directories or services allow for reviews. But for those who do for those that have like a star rating or just ask for a few comments, if you could share those comments and say nice things about us and the stitch plays podcast. That is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much. Come back next week, and we'll help you get your stitch together.
