Stash Free Sewing (and Formalwear!) with Patrice J Bridal

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Episode Summary

Patrice Johnson is a multimedia marvel with exquisite sewing. And she has a STASH FREE SEWING philosophy! She can count the pieces of her fabric stash on ONE hand. Listen to her stories of formal wear sewing–the triumphs and the trials. Hear how she has always been a “serial entrepreneur”, even selling candy (and candy apples) at school! And learn how she came to cherish experiences more than collecting things.

Episode Notes

Find Patrice on social media

Patrice on Instagram 

Defining This Thing series with Patrice and her husband Ian on Instagram

Patrice J Bridal to Rent, Buy, or Create the Dress of your Dreams!

Defining This Thing video series with Patrice and her husband  on YouTube

 

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Gail K Fabrics

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Textile Discount Outlet

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Read Full Transcript

[00:00:00] Lisa Woolfork: Hello, stitchers. Welcome to stitch, please. The official podcast of black women's stitch, the sewing group, where black lives matter. I'm your host Lisa wool fork. I'm a fourth generation sewing enthusiast with more than 20 years of sewing experience. I am looking forward to today's conversation. So sit back, relax, and get ready to get your stitch together.
[00:00:41] Lisa Woolfork: I am delighted to be in the company of Patrice Johnson, who you can all can find on Instagram at Patrice J seven 15. She is a dynamo. She has a, a, a Instagram page as well as a part. It's a, it's a video. Like a video [00:01:00] podcast, YouTube channel with her husband called defining this thing. You can also find her at Patrice J bridal.
[00:01:06] Lisa Woolfork: I think her amazing boys have a little channel that she, you know, moderates for them. She is a social media Maven, and she is also an amazing and fantastic and exquisite sewist. And so I'm delighted to be joined by her today. We are recording now just a little bit before Thanksgiving, but this episode is gonna be part of our happy new.
[00:01:28] Lisa Woolfork: 2020 series. And one of the reasons I wanted to do a 2020 series is because. 2020 for me, symbolizes vision is a vision that I never had. I mean, I feel like I've been wearing glasses since I was in like the second grade. And so I never had 2020 vision. So I aspired so 2020 became that much more aspirational for me.
[00:01:50] Lisa Woolfork: And so throughout the month of January, we're gonna be talking about sewing resolutions. So in goals, sewing clarity. And when I thought about clarity, I thought about [00:02:00] Patrice because the work that she does is so exquisite. And beautiful. And she has a really wonderful philosophy about what it means to sew and to create, um, and about what, what really matters in terms of how we develop priorities, not just in sewing, but also in life.
[00:02:20] Lisa Woolfork: So I just wanted to welcome Patrice to the program. Thank you for joining us and happy new year. Thank you so much for
[00:02:26] Patrice: having me. I'm happy to be here. Um, always love to chat with, with you. You're pretty funny.
[00:02:33] Lisa Woolfork: Yes. Thank you. And you too. I mean, we had a Patrice came to my attention when I was doing my so tidy up Thursday series that I used to do.
[00:02:42] Lisa Woolfork: Um, I just recently changed that series to a hashtag get your stitch together to tie it more into the podcast. But for a while, I was doing this spring cleaning series that seemed to last for like three whole months, cuz it was always something else that needed to be cleaned up. But Patrice came to my attention.
[00:02:59] Lisa Woolfork: [00:03:00] She said she did not have a sewing stash. And so we are going to get to that. I promise because this is one of the things that I most admire about her, and there's a lot to admire about her. And this is just one of those things, but I wanna get started first with talking a little bit about your sewing, Patrice, how you got started.
[00:03:19] Lisa Woolfork: How have you been sewing since you were little? Or did you start as an adult?
[00:03:23] Patrice: So I dabbled as a kid. Um, both of my grandmothers. So I was always the pin, the pattern cut the pattern out girl, and you know, that gradually elevated into doing like small projects with them. Um, but of course, as a teenager, I did not do any type of sewing.
[00:03:41] Patrice: I would do crafty things here and there. Um, if it required to sew a machine great. But if not, it was no big deal. Um, but I didn't get started back. I didn't really pick up an interest in with someone until after, um, Ooh. 2005. So I was about 25 when I picked it back up and mm-hmm it [00:04:00] was like, where have you been all my life?
[00:04:03] Lisa Woolfork: it's like, I really enjoy this. We what happened? We used to hang out a lot. Exactly. And so what changed in 2005 that made you think about, um, trying to do more? So, and you said you also, you had done a lot of creatives when you said you were a teenager, what kind of creative things did you remember doing as a, as a young, as a high school student?
[00:04:26] Lisa Woolfork: Anything that sticks out to your mind? It would be
[00:04:29] Patrice: anything. So it would be, um, you remember those little iron ons, you can iron on something onto fabric and it would leave this design and then you would get like the puff paint and paint it. Oh, wow. Do you remember that? So I would do pillows and then, you know, I would make hair bowls and sell them.
[00:04:47] Patrice: Um, it was always, I always, always, I've always been a serial entrepreneur, even in school. Like I would make candy pro I'm from new Orleans. I would make, uh, Pauline candy. And caned apples and I sell [00:05:00] it at school or buy like the packs of bubble gum 10, no 10 for a dollar and 2 cents and sell 'em for a quarter.
[00:05:07] Patrice: So I've always
[00:05:07] Lisa Woolfork: been, interested in like a serial. Did you say serial entrepreneur? Is that what you said? That is amazing. That's amazing. I love the story of, I love the pros, you know, because you know, there, there can be it's so. and not everybody can make them and everyone has their own like unique little spin on it.
[00:05:28] Lisa Woolfork: Mm-hmm so, and did you say, you said you sold candy apples at school too? Absolutely.
[00:05:32] Patrice: I would go to school with the shoebox full of candy, so it'd be probably candy and candy apples. And my goal at the end of the day was to have a empty shoebox to go home with, to fill up the next. But I used the money to get to pay for like my dance tickets or we had Friday night dances and it was always like, uh, $5 to get in $5 to take pictures or $10 to take pictures.
[00:05:54] Patrice: And that was the way I could go. If I couldn't make the money, I couldn't go.
[00:05:59] Lisa Woolfork: [00:06:00] Wow. That's fan that's fantastic. And so you would leave, you would go to school with a shoebox full of treats and come back with a shoebox full of money. And then that's, that is really genius. And I think it's another, it's an interesting pattern because I think that sometimes when we're sewing or thinking about sewing, not many folk, well, I can't say about many myself.
[00:06:21] Lisa Woolfork: Like I only speak for myself. I don't really think about. How can I convert this into some type of income or how can I convert this into, you know, into, into money? Because it just feels like now at my age, it's just like, oh, it's so much work and so much time, and I'd rather be doing something else. And I'd rather be sewing my own stuff rather than for someone else.
[00:06:42] Lisa Woolfork: But you, um, started off in a different way because you started off with that entrepreneurial mindset.
[00:06:49] Patrice: Yes, absolutely. Um, and, and don't get me wrong. I've S sewn for people off and on, and I've quit like 15 times. Like I'm never sewn for anybody else again. [00:07:00]
[00:07:01] Lisa Woolfork: wow.
[00:07:02] Patrice: What is the thing up? Going back to it back?
[00:07:05] Lisa Woolfork: What is the thing that I'm really curious about this? What is the straw? Do you have some good examples of straws that broke the camels back where you were like, you know what. I am not sewing for nobody again, never like, do you have like some examples where you were just like, that's it and this cuz this could be helpful to people who are not so much of, I guess, lots of people who of course listen to the podcast.
[00:07:26] Lisa Woolfork: So that's the whole point of it, but it also helps people who sew for money, learn to set boundaries. So I'm curious because I'm nosy and I really wanna know what the T is that made somebody that made you, that drove you to the edge. And you were saying, not only am I not sewing for you anymore. I'm not showing for anybody anymore.
[00:07:47] Patrice: Never again, anywhere. So there's one prom story, then there's one bridal party story. So the prom story. Yeah. I'm so excited. Okay. So first of all, it was my, it was my fault was that I did not, um, value [00:08:00] myself enough, so I did not charge enough from the very beginning mm-hmm . Um, so basically I had these, uh, cousins, um, they were both living with the aunt, so the aunt would bring them in, um, one girl.
[00:08:14] Patrice: Pleasure to work where she was such a sweetheart. She knew exactly what she wanted. Um, picked out her fabric. It was exact, you know, like her vision was clear and, and precise mm-hmm and I made her dress exactly the way she wanted it, the exactly the way that it was sketched out. And even though I didn't necessarily make a profit with her dress, because again, I told you I didn't price belt didn't value my work the right way.
[00:08:37] Lisa Woolfork: That's right. That's right.
[00:08:39] Patrice: She was a dream to work for. That's right.
[00:08:43] Lisa Woolfork: She was different.
[00:08:45] Patrice: Bless her heart different. Yeah. She was a different kind of kid. And um, so she changed her dress design several times. And so once we had gotten the, what I thought was the final design come in for the final dress fitting.
[00:08:59] Patrice: [00:09:00] And she's just like, uh, her attitude was just like, mm it's. You know, it it's whatever. So the aunt paid me, they took the dress and then I'd go to ask for picture. and the lady is basically like, she actually didn't wear the dress. She called her sister from another state and her sister flew to St. Louis and, um, went, took her dress shopping like the day before the, uh, prom.
[00:09:28] Patrice: And I was like, this is a little careful
[00:09:32] Lisa Woolfork: what are you kidding me? So, yes, of all
[00:09:37] Patrice: night and day experience.
[00:09:39] Lisa Woolfork: Wow. There's so many lessons that you can learn from a terrible story like that. My first lesson is like, first of all, if you could afford to fly somebody, your auntie to up tier where we lived could take you shopping.
[00:09:52] Lisa Woolfork: I should have charged you three times as much as I did for that dog on dress. First of all, first of all.
[00:09:59] Patrice: [00:10:00] First of all. Um, but then also having a contract and, you know, saying, okay, for changes, this is a fee. So are you sure you wanna make the change? And, you know, making them be, uh, making them basically be accountable for this is the design you want.
[00:10:14] Patrice: You want, you agree to this sign off on it? Um, you want, oh, you don't want that anymore. You wanna make a change? Sure. Sign off on it and also pay. you know, and, um, yes, as much as there's the creative part and the passion of making things and, you know, taking a, you know, flat piece of fabric and making it this beautiful garment.
[00:10:35] Patrice: It's your time, it's your energy. Mm-hmm, , it's your effort. You're missing time with your family, your friends or event, or you're staying up to, you know, past, you know, three hours past your bedtime when you still have a job. And, um, that was, you know, the one thing that I learned, like never again, child never, ever.
[00:10:54] Lisa Woolfork: I mean, I think that's, that is real. It's so powerful because like you said, sometimes every hurt is a [00:11:00] lesson, you know, that, you know, I bet you were frustrated and wounded and angry. I would've been all of those things and more. And, but then you said, you know what? I know how I can prevent this by setting up policies here is the policy.
[00:11:14] Lisa Woolfork: You wanna change this? Of course you can sign off on it. This is how much it. and I think that the accountability part is what I love about what you said, you know, that clients need to be accountable for their work. I think that maybe folks are just so used to like walking into a store and buying something and trying it.
[00:11:36] Lisa Woolfork: And if they don't like it, they can return it. That I think that maybe it's fast fashion, that's really spoiled. People's appreciation of what it means to actually have something made. Um, maybe it's this idea that oh, They don't truly value what you bring to the table. Like, oh, sewing. Something is just as easy as buying it, you know?
[00:11:56] Lisa Woolfork: Oh, they have, I'm sure
[00:11:57] Patrice: you of the work that goes into making a [00:12:00] garment, which is why I've been lately. When I make. Dresses. I try and show like the process because it's a lot of work when you, I mean, of course there are some things that's just two themes in a, you know, a piece of elastic in a waistband, but then there are other things that are just a lot more involved when you're talking about someone who does not have a traditional body type.
[00:12:20] Patrice: You can't just grab a pattern and cut it and be like, okay, this is gonna fit you. And you're gonna look great in it. You have to do modifications or you have to start from scratch with the pattern. So, you know, there's work that goes into this there's skills involved people.
[00:12:35] Lisa Woolfork: absolutely. And for, even for, and I think that particularly people seem to think that I'm gonna look at, I'm gonna look at the pattern and I'm gonna look exactly like that.
[00:12:45] Lisa Woolfork: And I'm like, you ain't gonna look exactly like that. Cuz you don't look like that. So stop playing. Um, right. And I think that that's true of everybody. This is not to body shame. This is true for everybody. For most people. The patterns that way, that they're [00:13:00] drafted, they're drafted for people who have a certain shape who don't have hips, who don't have a booty who don't have boobs, who don't have these things.
[00:13:08] Lisa Woolfork: And if you're sewing, particularly for us as black women, if we're sewing for ourselves, or if we're sewing for other folks in our community, we need to make these modifications. Not because there's anything wrong with us, but because there's something wrong with the pattern, cuz it never was never made for us to begin.
[00:13:25] Lisa Woolfork: So all of that goes into it. And I remember my, um, hairdresser had this, this sign in her shop once and it said I'm a beautician, not a magician. exactly. So don't feel like, oh, all you have to do my favorite, favorite favorites. When someone tells me, you must love this too. Oh, oh yeah. It will be easy for you.
[00:13:49] Lisa Woolfork: yeah. All you have to do is this and this and this it's easy for you. And I'm like, if it's so easy, then why don't you do it, your damn self, if it's that easy, [00:14:00] you know? I mean, I would hate to deprive you of the opportunity friend to do something easy. Yeah. So you go right ahead and do it. You're listening to the stitch, please podcast the official podcast of black women.
[00:14:15] Lisa Woolfork: Ditch. We're talking today with Patrice J bridle about the challenges of formal wear and sewing for other people. When we come back from the break, we'll hear another story, um, of Patrice's creativity, um, not being fully appreciated as it should be and what you can learn from that too. Stay tuned.
[00:14:49] Lisa Woolfork: Here it's ditch, please. The official podcast of black women's stitch. We talk a lot about sewing, but if you want to see and not just hear about some of the things we've been [00:15:00] discussing, feel free to join us on the social. You can find us at stitch, please. On Facebook and you can also find us on Instagram at black women's stitch.
[00:15:12] Lisa Woolfork: You can find photos of projects that we've been working on. Really interesting social commentary and on Thursdays at 3:00 PM Eastern standard time, you can join black women's stitch for a live Instagram chat. Again, that's every Thursday at 3:00 PM. So find us on the socials. Follow up with us. We are happy to hear your direct messages.
[00:15:36] Lisa Woolfork: You can reach out to us at the black women's stitch page on Instagram, and we'll help you get your stitch together.
[00:15:50] Lisa Woolfork: So now you gotta tell me about the bridal story. Now I'm all intrigued because yes. Okay. The cousins that's pretty
[00:15:56] Patrice: great. So the prime story, the cousins, I was like, oh, [00:16:00] I've never swung for anybody else ever, ever, ever, ever again. But then, um, a few years went by. And a friend of mine was fun and you forgot I forgot about it.
[00:16:09] Patrice: You know, though, sometimes those ball lessons, if you're not possibly doing it, you forget about it. You, you know, some things you have to repeat. So I was so excited because she was like, I'll be, you know, would you make our bride space dresses? Oh my God. I get to do a bridal party. I've always wanted to do a bridal party.
[00:16:28] Patrice: So it was five girls, um, fabric pick fabric selection, like the brides. No problem at all. But then later on, it was like, the mother of the bride also wanted something because she had been looking around and she had not been able to find anything that was fabulous enough for her to be in this wedding.
[00:16:49] Patrice: And she admired my work because she also had a similar body type in mine. So lot of boobs, little boobs mm-hmm so mm-hmm , I'm like, oh [00:17:00] great. You're like, it's like making a dress for. So she comes in, she picks her own fabric. I mean, like, you know, I'm like, this is the fabric, you know, do you want the mat side?
[00:17:09] Patrice: Do you want the shiny side? You know, like I go through this entire process with her. Right. And, um, maybe it was the weekend of the wedding. Oh, I get a phone call and she's like, um, I don't like my dress. It's too shiny. I don't, um, like the way that it. . Um, and, and I'm just like, we've had multiple fittings.
[00:17:37] Patrice: You raved over this fabric, you chose the shiny side because you wanted to show up. And I refunded her, her money. you did not. I did. I was like, sometimes it's just not worth it. I was like, you know, did you do with the dress? Did you keep the dress? No, I love it. Love it.
[00:17:59] Lisa Woolfork: What. [00:18:00]
[00:18:00] Patrice: And then went to the wedding.
[00:18:01] Patrice: Wow. And, and went to the wedding and was like, hi, it's so good to see you again and hugged her.
[00:18:08] Lisa Woolfork: did she have the dress on?
[00:18:10] Patrice: She did not. She did not have the dress on. And the dress that I made for her looked a lot better than the one that she wore. So
[00:18:18] Lisa Woolfork: I was pleased. Maybe she had her auntie come down and take her shopping the day before the wedding.
[00:18:24] Patrice: But yeah, people have these, um, pictures in their head of what they're supposed to look like. And then a lot of times, I, I also think what, what also happens is that they, they come, they're pleased with, they're pleased with, they're happy with it, but they're not as confident as they need to be. So when they get home and they show it to someone else that that person doesn't have a reaction that they want them to have, their confidence is shook.
[00:18:47] Patrice: And then it's like, oh, well, I don't like this. No, you loved it here. And now you don't want that's right. It.
[00:18:53] Lisa Woolfork: Yeah, right, right. And it's cuz it's, cuz it's not about the dress. It's about the person wearing the [00:19:00] dress. That's the problem, you know, mm-hmm and that, that, and I feel like, and this is one of the reasons that I don't do weddings or anything like that is that they're so emotionally intense.
[00:19:10] Lisa Woolfork: The special occasion there's someone was like, I think I had on a dress once I was picking up my kid from elementary school. And they were like, Ooh, I really like what you have on that's so pretty good. You make me want, and I mean, Patrice was a simple dress. This must have been some kind of like halter top thing with a built in shelf bra and ties that tied in the back around the neck.
[00:19:31] Lisa Woolfork: And I had, I had made it really long and I was wearing some sandals. It was like incredibly easy. It was so easy that I was like, you. I could probably make this for you. Yeah. It's not much fitting involved. It's just easy. And then she said, I want it for my wedding. And I said, oh no, ma'am . Oh, no, ma'am you almost got me there.
[00:19:52] Lisa Woolfork: Ha I'm glad you kept talking because that's a hard pass. Because I think it's, as you said, [00:20:00] like people they're excited and they're happy in the fitting room when they come into your studio, they're excited and they're just amazed that you are making something for them. And then like you said, they might get home or look, or they're looking at themselves and they're doubting themselves or whatever, the other feelings or emotions that get caught up in it.
[00:20:17] Lisa Woolfork: And then that just changes how they see themselves, which has absolutely nothing to do with the work that you have done. And so I said, that's just too much. That is just been a while, but
[00:20:27] Patrice: I recently did a wedding and, um, it, it was, it was perfect because I, I, I stuck to my policies. I stuck to my fittings.
[00:20:37] Patrice: I stuck to the sign, like having them sign off and, um, it, the accountability was there. And so I think it made the process a lot. Um, made the process go a lot smoother. And of course, I mean, there's always, you know, well, you know, well, can I add this and can I change that? I don't have a problem with doing those kind of changes or, you know, working with them.
[00:20:59] Patrice: [00:21:00] But, um, I think, I definitely think like having the process and the systems in place. um, let them know that I'm not just some chick sewing in my basement, which I am, but you know, like it's a legit business. You're gonna pay me what I'm worth and I'm gonna provide me that's right. Quality dress that you know, that we design together.
[00:21:20] Patrice: So it
[00:21:22] Lisa Woolfork: makes the difference. And it's so UN and it's so unique. That's the thing is that what you are creating with them is not something they could just buy off the. And I think that I'm, I'm very glad that you have been working with your clients and training them to value your time, as well as respect the process that you were both engaged in together.
[00:21:46] Lisa Woolfork: And then that creates something that's not just addressed for a special occasion. That's how you create an heirloom. That's how you create something. That means something. To them, not just at the, for the event, but [00:22:00] also something they wanna save something. They wanna pass down something that has a lot of good memories tied up in it.
[00:22:05] Lisa Woolfork: So I think that's, it's like, it's like you're creating almost like an archive of memory through that outfit, through that garment in fabric. I think it's really beautiful and powerful. Yes, I've definitely.
[00:22:17] Patrice: I mean, I enjoy the, so like the fast throw. It's one of those things I can, I can do it, but I'd rather just buy it you know?
[00:22:28] Patrice: Yeah. Cause I see people, you know, make t-shirts I make jeans and I'm like, yeah, I've made a pair of jeans before I've made t-shirts I've made like the Macau 6, 8 86, like everybody's made that body kind dress. But when I go on Walmart and that little tried in shoe brand, I'm like, Hmm, I can send. $40 on fabric and two and a half, three hours of time, or I could spend $15
[00:22:53] to
[00:22:53] Lisa Woolfork: get this dress and we all know about how you feel about buying extra fabric so I [00:23:00] can see why you'd make that choice.
[00:23:02] Lisa Woolfork: Yeah. So,
[00:23:04] Patrice: but, but then, but then on the flip side, it's like, if I, for instance, with this gown that I'm making for myself now, I'm. I'm I'm adoring the process of it. So, you know, I'm like, I've done my, um, I drafted, I draped my pattern and I've TD it up and I've, you know, put it back on the dress form for fit to check the fit.
[00:23:25] Patrice: And now the next thing is to do like my Muslim for myself. And I love the slow sewing of formal wear. I love the boning. I love the casing. I love the support layers. Like I that's my jam. I like dresses that take weeks to. I love it. I, where I'm gonna work on a little bit today and walk away from it.
[00:23:47] Lisa Woolfork: Mm-hmm. And I love that. I, I love, like, I, I, I was thinking recently, something you did was, you were just BA I think it was like a little pole you had said, like, should I do a sleeveless or off the shoulder or one shoulder? I was like one shoulder, [00:24:00] one shoulder. I was excited that, that apparently one, and it's gonna be a one shoulder dress.
[00:24:04] Lisa Woolfork: I feel like I made something. But, um, watch, I did see you doing the draping on the form. And I think that there's something to be said for, I like a structured dress as well. I. Enjoy formal wear sewing per se, but I do like structuring a full skirt. I do like to wear clin underneath. I do like to use, um, um, uh, uh, what's that?
[00:24:28] Lisa Woolfork: Not grow grain ribbon. Um, the horse hair, the other ribbon. Yeah, the horse hair braid and the hem. I love to, I love those aspects because it just gives it a little bit of pop, even though I know I don't have the patience. Um, and I, some of the other architectures I do like some of the engineering, the, the boning in the scenes to help it stand up the stays, you know, things like that.
[00:24:51] Lisa Woolfork: I think for me, I find that same kind of satisfaction in broad making. That you can, when you make a bra and how, like, you [00:25:00] know, you make a bra that has an underwear. And when you, when you slide that under wire in there, you know, it's gonna do what it's supposed to do when you're adding the, um, the PCO elastic around the edge, when you're putting your hardware in all of those things are similar to what you're describing.
[00:25:17] Lisa Woolfork: Um, though it doesn't take that long to make a. um, it takes way longer to make a dress. Trust me. Well, the best thing, when you say weeks, I was like, oof. Yeah, by then, I'm pretty sure I would've lost interest. Um, but it's also something that you are making that you are, it's an investment. It's, it's a, it's a real statement piece.
[00:25:39] Lisa Woolfork: And that's something I think is really, really powerful. And that it's a, it's a, it's a beautiful form of self care in a way, because you are taking the. To construct something with love and care and patience and diligence that you're gonna give to yourself, that's going to fit yourself. And that's, [00:26:00] it's, that's really powerful.
[00:26:01] Patrice: It is. And then, you know, you, when you talk about, um, when you talk about like fitting for yourself, when you spent like your entire life going to the store to buy special occasion, Dresses and gowns. Cause in new Orleans, everything is a formal, homecoming is a formal sweetheart ball, right? Like in high school, you know, there were five or six occasions for you to wear a formal gown.
[00:26:22] Patrice: And with my size, it was the hardest thing to buy a dress off the rack. So to be able to make a dress and know that it is going to fit like a glove. It's like the best feeling in the world.
[00:26:35] Lisa Woolfork: It also, even before that, even before size inclusivity became an issue for ready to wear companies, you had already developed a solution.
[00:26:45] Lisa Woolfork: Mm yeah. Which was too sew for yourself. It
[00:26:50] Patrice: was either
[00:26:51] Lisa Woolfork: bad or not wear dress. Yeah, exactly, exactly. And who, no one, you don't no one's gonna do that. You know? Well, not no one, but you certainly don't have [00:27:00] to. Um, and I think that that's one of the really, I think really liberating aspects of creativity is that you don't have to rely on what's what's been given to you.
[00:27:11] Lisa Woolfork: You can just do it yourself. And I think that that's a really great feeling. You're listening to the stitch, please podcast the official podcast of black women's stitch. I am talking today with Patrice, Jay bridle, about the risks and rewards of sewing formal wear for other people and the immense rewards of selling formal wear for yourself.
[00:27:32] Lisa Woolfork: When we come back, we'll talk more with Patrice about her stash, free sewing, stay tune.
[00:27:49] Lisa Woolfork: Hello stitchers. We have a limited edition opportunity for you to support the stitch please podcast and the black women's stitch project as a whole and get. Some more fabric in your collection. [00:28:00] These are mystery fabric boxes of fabrics that have been divided into woven and knit there's boxes that would, that are stuffed with black and white fabrics.
[00:28:09] Lisa Woolfork: There's boxes of Chevron fabrics. There's boxes of fabrics called I think adventure or nature or something like that. Um, and these are completely. Of fabrics. These are medium flat rate S PS boxes that can be sent directly to you for $30. And that shipping is included. So if you're interested in building your stash or, um, taking a chance on some really cool fabrics, let me know, you can DM me on Instagram at black women's stitch, or you can send me an email at black women's stitch gmail.com.
[00:28:42] Lisa Woolfork: And we will send you. A mystery box of very cool fabrics, $30 shipping and insurance included. And that'll help you get your stitch together too. Thanks.[00:29:00]
[00:29:02] Lisa Woolfork: I, I wanted to transition to talk about your stash free sewing. You were saying earlier, before we started recording. So as I mentioned earlier, folks, um, Patrice and I talked about this, uh, several months ago, um, when I was doing my so tidy up series and it was really great. We got a lot of really great questions.
[00:29:18] Lisa Woolfork: People. Mostly we're like how though? House way? What, what do you mean? I, how and why? That was the major, big question. It was just like, people were so concerned. And then you said people were sliding your DMS to offer you fabric and, um, You know, because they were like, what on earth? You know? And so I just thought this was really incredible because we've been talking, um, about your work in bridal, where your work in formal, where, how you love slow, sewing, how you appreciate the process, how you make beautiful garments for other people.
[00:29:54] Lisa Woolfork: And when I imagine someone who does that type of work, I imagine because I can only, you know, [00:30:00] think about myself, I guess, in this context, someone who has a, a, a fabric collection, like I. , you know, I have a lot of fabric. I feel like you would need a lot of fabric because you sew for other people, you sew for yourself and that's not true at all.
[00:30:13] Lisa Woolfork: So when we last talked, I think you had seven pieces of fabric in your stash or six? Yes. And has that changed? It might have been 4, 5,
[00:30:25] Patrice: 6. Okay. So it has changed because I'm, I made something using the black and white. and I use the, um, one of the, um, pal looking prints. So now I have white for my wedding dress.
[00:30:42] Patrice: I'm getting, having a, I'm doing a vow renewal neck in February. Oh, exciting. So I have white fabric for my wedding dress. Um, I have the blue, I still have the same blue fabric that I didn't know what I was gonna use it for. Um, and I'm using that in December for the award ceremony and, [00:31:00] um, I think I have. I still have that same gold Ponti knit that I'm gonna use for, um, uh, that two piece sweater skirt set that everybody's making.
[00:31:11] Patrice: It was the, so your view project of the month. Oh yes.
[00:31:14] Lisa Woolfork: Um, you know,
[00:31:16] Patrice: the one with the cute sleeve. Yes. Yes. Um, but yeah, I've not added anything else. Wait, I think that's just four pieces. I still have that Pearl fabric. Gosh. Yeah. I still have the Pearl fabric. That's. So I actually have to get lining for the, I have to go out and buy lining for my blue dress and I have to buy lining for my wedding dress.
[00:31:39] Patrice: And yeah, I it's still, it's still slim.
[00:31:43] Lisa Woolfork: I think that's so basically you can count on one hand the pieces of fabric you have in your fabric collection right now. Yes. Wow. Yes. That is astounding. that? That is [00:32:00] absolutely astounding. Um, I wanted to talk a bit about why you like about your philosophy, because that's one of the reasons I wanted to talk with you.
[00:32:08] Lisa Woolfork: As we start the new year, I said 20, 20 clarity, et cetera, et cetera. Um, a way to think about facing the new year with this sense of awareness and purpose. And I think that's what I recognize and value. In addition to your general awesomeness and badassery and creativity is this clarity. That you say I'm gonna buy what I need and when I need something else, I'll get it.
[00:32:34] Lisa Woolfork: But I don't need to stockpile. I don't need an archive. I don't need a library full of fabric. I don't need, you know, all the stuff that you know, I don't, I don't need that. And so could you tell us a little bit about your philosophy and what motivated it?
[00:32:52] Patrice: Uh, So, um, again, I've mentioned that I'm from new Orleans originally, but my husband and I are, and, um, I [00:33:00] used to be a collector of things.
[00:33:01] Patrice: Like I had a bookcase full of books and I had photo albums everywhere and, you know, high school mementos and family pictures all over the wall. And just, you know, basically if it was something that I was into, I had lots of it. Um, and then hurricane Katrina hit and it was all gone, like in a matter. You know, a day or weekend, because once we left, um, the city, we didn't get back for a few months.
[00:33:28] Patrice: So it's like all of this stuff and I'm homeless and I don't have anything, but literally the clothes on my back. And so when we settled back down finally got settled in St. Louis. Um, of course we're starting over from scratch. I did the desire to buy a bunch of things. Wasn't there. It was. We just need a sofa, a place to sit, we just need a bed and a mattress.
[00:33:54] Patrice: We don't need a dresser. Um, and of course, you know, like we've, you know, accumulated things like we [00:34:00] still have things, but I purge often, um, I will go through my closet and be like, there's too much, too many things in here. And I'll fill a bag to take the Goodwill just because it was Wednesday morning. And I was looking through my closet and couldn't find the dress that I was looking for because it was too tight.
[00:34:16] Patrice: Mm-hmm and I heard, um, I don't, I just don't keep a lot of stuff. Um, so it's a little bit of posttraumatic stress. Yes. Yes. But it's also just, uh, you know, definitely knowing that, you know, all of these things that we accumulate and we hold value in really has no value at all, because it can be taken away in a moment.
[00:34:39] Patrice: So, um, that's where the, the stash freeness came. Because I try and leave like a stash free life, but yeah, we definitely per a
[00:34:49] Lisa Woolfork: lot in this house. And so I, and I, I, I hear what you're saying about the post traumatic stress, and I think that trauma can expose something about, [00:35:00] I think trauma de naturalizes.
[00:35:02] Lisa Woolfork: Things that we experience as normal. So before your traumatic event, you thought, of course you have a house full of stuff. If you like something, why, why buy 10, when you could buy 20, you know, that kind of thing. And then you have this traumatic loss and it kind of teaches you, I think, teaches a lot of people about what really matters.
[00:35:22] Lisa Woolfork: And it's not like you don't sew anymore. It's that? You're, you're still sewing and making beautiful. I still. Yeah, definitely
[00:35:32] Patrice: still sewing is just that we can get it when we need it versus buy it and just, and just having it for me. That's, you know, the way I
[00:35:41] Lisa Woolfork: look at it. Yes, you can get it when you need it.
[00:35:45] Patrice: But I do have regrets.
[00:35:47] Lisa Woolfork: about, in what way? Like, is there fabric that you left behind at the fabric store that you were like, I should have rescued that poor, poor piece of Ponti.
[00:35:56] Patrice: Oh, I went to London in February [00:36:00] with the family and, uh, stumbled upon this fabric store that I cannot remember. The name of went back through.
[00:36:07] Patrice: My pictures can locate the corner of the corner of the shop and still can't figure out the name of the shop. So I, so that I could call them. And, um, I took a picture of this gorgeous fabric, but it was like 199, uh, pounds per meter. and I was like, there's no way in hell. I'm paying as much money for some fabric.
[00:36:28] Patrice: I'll find something, you know, close to it on the internet. The internet has everything. Right. I have not yet found a piece of fabric that not even remotely resembles this. And occasionally I just go back through the pictures from London and internet every time I see it, I'm like I should have bought that fabric.
[00:36:46] Patrice: So I do have regret. Oh, my good, well, you know, but I've not found a piece of fabric that's special again, not yet. Well,
[00:36:54] Lisa Woolfork: I think what we should do is we is instead of like, I ask people to provide a photograph [00:37:00] for their cover episode cover for the episode. So I will use, if you gimme that picture, I will use that picture for the cover of this episode.
[00:37:09] Lisa Woolfork: And we do have some people that listen in London, maybe they will recognize. The shop or the fabric, oh girl or whatever, and maybe they can help you out. We have people listening all over the world, but we do have some li listeners in the UK and in London. So maybe they can help you out it,
[00:37:29] Patrice: listen, the fabric was near, near the outro street
[00:37:35] Patrice: that was near
[00:37:36] Lisa Woolfork: Oxford street. Um, you know, that little busy area
[00:37:39] Patrice: near the, uh, tube there, the. Oxford street two. Okay. Um, but yes, I will send you a picture of that fabric. Yes. Help me. It's like, where's, uh,
[00:37:47] Lisa Woolfork: where's, where's Waldo. Where in the world is Carmen San Diego and this piece of material. That's what we need.
[00:37:53] Lisa Woolfork: That would be amazing. Oh, I hope that, that, that fabric,
[00:37:58] Patrice: I hope that someone does [00:38:00] recognize it or can point me in a direction because I have. And I've scoured the internet. And I have been I've come up dry, but when I saw the fabric in the store, I was like, Ooh, this will be my wedding dress. And it is not white.
[00:38:13] Patrice: Oh, this will be my wedding dress. So I really, if I could afford to, to go back to London, I may have to see what's happening for black Friday. If I can get a ticket, I'm going back
[00:38:26] Lisa Woolfork: to get that fabric and try and find it. This is another thing. Get that fabric. That's it's. This is another thing I think is great about your approach is that when you are careful with your selections, if you really, really want something, then you'll get it.
[00:38:45] Lisa Woolfork: You know, because you only, you already only have five pieces of fabric already. You know, I mean, if you gotta check in a six piece of fabric, it's got to be special.
[00:38:58] Patrice: I really wish that I [00:39:00] would've bought that fabric, cuz that would be I'm the, the wedding is our vow. Renewal is gonna be on a beach and wow. The fabric just reminds me of the ocean it's to me, it's like ocean, just bliss, serenity. And um, I I've not found anything remotely close, so that was the one time that my frug get
[00:39:23] Lisa Woolfork: me in ass.
[00:39:24] Lisa Woolfork: oh man. Wow. Now I want you to send it to me earlier so that instead of having it, I can have it. I can put it for your podcast episode, but that's not gonna come out until January, but now I want you to send it to me now, so I can see if I can share it around to see if anybody else I have some folks I know who are in the UK totally.
[00:39:41] Lisa Woolfork: And say like, see if they still have this still, what's the name of this shop at least, you know, I think, I feel like I feel like a, a purge. Yeah. I will send it to you. I feel, yeah. I feel a rush fabric detective coming on, you know, That, that sounds really exciting. Listen, that would be forever grateful. I mean, [00:40:00] forever grateful.
[00:40:00] Lisa Woolfork: That does sound so amazing. Yeah. So the fabric shop next to the Oxford tube station and you have a photograph and everything. At least if you get the name of the fabric shop, you'll be able to call them and you have the picture and you can say, this is what I'm looking for. And all that'll be much cheaper than you getting a plane ticket over there.
[00:40:22] Patrice: Well, yeah, I was like Norwegian air, you know, black Friday. You know, if it, if they smile on me right, then maybe I can give me a plane ticket to go back for cheap. But yeah, that's the one regret that I have the one. Wow.
[00:40:36] Lisa Woolfork: That's pretty powerful. But I think overall, I think you seem to suggest earlier that.
[00:40:42] Lisa Woolfork: You were because you were on a trip with your family, and you said that rather than spending money on collecting all this fabric, you would rather spend the money on experiences on doing things with the kids on, you know, doing this, this wedding vow renewal in this beautiful place on the beach. You know, like these [00:41:00] are, these are the things, these are the choices that you're making.
[00:41:02] Lisa Woolfork: When you choose to, um, not collect fabric, you're collecting something.
[00:41:11] Lisa Woolfork: Absolutely.
[00:41:11] Patrice: We, um, I don't, my kids love to travel because really that's all that they know. Um, but as a kid, we didn't, we couldn't afford to travel much. Um, that's the same, same is true for my husband. So it was like once, you know, we figured out our life and how to manage our finances. Right. It was like, yeah, we're taking trips buddy.
[00:41:32] Patrice: And, and I mean, and it could be as simple as I. St. Louis is situated perfectly where there's like five or six major cities within a four to six, between four to six hour drive from us. Oh, is that right? So it doesn't even, yeah. So we're Chicago, Nashville Louisville, um, Kansas city, Memphis for between four and a half to
[00:41:55] Lisa Woolfork: five hours.
[00:41:56] Lisa Woolfork: Oh, that's great. So
[00:41:59] Patrice: yeah, [00:42:00] so even, and a lot of people think travel. Means catching a flight or going overseas. And for us, it's just getting away from our norm and doing something new and different that we can't do in St. Louis. But yeah, we, we, we do a lot of travel as a family.
[00:42:19] Lisa Woolfork: And what a great gift for the kids too.
[00:42:21] Lisa Woolfork: It lets them see, you know, the world in the different parts of the world in a different way, you know, lets them see that, you know, all of these things are within your reach. You know, all you gotta do is get in the car and go there. You know, I think that that kind of gift of mobility, the gift of a change of scenery, trying new foods, seeing new things, um, that's pretty great for a kid to expand their worldview.
[00:42:44] Lisa Woolfork: Mm-hmm
[00:42:48] Patrice: It's uh, definitely one of the things I wish I would've been done more of even before we had have, before we had the boys, you know, would've loved to have traveled more with my husband, but you know, [00:43:00] we're getting it in now. So making the best of our current situation. Yeah.
[00:43:04] Lisa Woolfork: And then when, and then when the kids are grown, which will be there before, you know it, I have two boys, my two boys are about four years apart and that means that one of them is a junior in college.
[00:43:17] Lisa Woolfork: And the other is a junior in high school and next year for my birthday. Well, this year for my birthday, since we're in 2020 this year for my birthday. My husband and I are going to Paris, which I'm really excited about. Um, and then when my youngest he'll be graduating from high school next year, and then the other one will be done with college at the same time, I plan to probably have a total nervous breakdown, um, because my kids will, I will have a total, like, I'll be like totally empty nesting and like not know what to do with myself with, with my time and with anything else.
[00:43:54] Lisa Woolfork: And so then we need another. I had already told my husband that too. I was like, I need to take a [00:44:00] trip when, um, the youngest graduates high school and the other one graduates college, so that I'm not just sitting around the house, like crying, like, um, someone who has lost, you know, you know, all her wits
[00:44:17] Patrice: Yes vacation the, the emptiness way.
[00:44:20] Lisa Woolfork: That's my, that's my plan vacation. My sisters just went to Morocco. They had a great time there. Like there's places to go. And my, uh, one of my, my youngest sister is studying to be, to do a tra to do, to do travel agency work, you know, so she can get like flight deals and she's really good at organizing trips.
[00:44:38] Lisa Woolfork: So I think travel. Oh, good. and I love travel, but like, unlike you, like when I go traveling places, I look for two things, food, the two F's food and fabric. I get it from everywhere, food and fabric, food and fabric
[00:44:55] everywhere.
[00:44:55] Patrice: Now I it's the same for me. It's the same for me, but I don't [00:45:00] always buy fabric. So, um, I went to Atlanta, a couple of, I think, a couple months.
[00:45:06] Patrice: and, um, so what is it? Fine fabrics or Gale K fabrics. I went, I went to five
[00:45:10] Lisa Woolfork: fabrics. I went in there, the warehouse one, the really big one with the hot.
[00:45:14] Patrice: Yeah, I went in there. Yes, yes. That one where it's such like racks and racks. Yes. As far as your, I can see. Yes. So I went in there and I stayed in there for quite some time and I did not buy a single piece of fabric.
[00:45:29] Patrice: Oh my gosh.
[00:45:31] Lisa Woolfork: How
[00:45:31] Patrice: did you manage? I, I. One, because I still have that blue fabric from PA, uh, from London in my head and nothing measures up to that,
[00:45:41] Lisa Woolfork: like that wasn't in there. I told you what I wanted. I said, I was gonna send you a picture. Lisa, why aren't you listening? I told you what I was looking for and they didn't have it.
[00:45:51] Lisa Woolfork: So it's
[00:45:51] Patrice: like nothing measures up to that. It's just not good enough.
[00:45:54] Lisa Woolfork: Um
[00:45:56] Patrice: and then, um, I just was like, yeah, no, I, [00:46:00] you know. Okay. No, it's, it's it's nice. No, I didn't have any plans for anything. Um, yeah, I just didn't see anything that, that was like, take me home now. Yes,
[00:46:12] Lisa Woolfork: I, and I can appreciate that. So there I did the opposite.
[00:46:16] Lisa Woolfork: I was also in fine fabrics a few months ago. I was there. Um, I had just done, I done a work thing in the morning and then in the afternoon I did that. And so. I went and I bought some fabric and because I like to travel light with just like a little carryon and I wasn't coming straight home. After that trip, I had to go to DC and do some other work.
[00:46:38] Lisa Woolfork: And I was like, oh no, I'll mail a box back to myself. I'll mail this box back to myself. And when I get home, I can open and put it away. Do you know that I bought that fabric? Uh, maybe two months ago, I have yet to open that. It is sitting that fabric that I had to have, that I wanted so [00:47:00] bad that I got from fine fabric.
[00:47:02] Lisa Woolfork: I had to have it. I had to have it. I couldn't leave it there. It was picking to me left and right. All that stuff was speaking to me and jumping in my shopping cart. It is in that box sealed. I have, I'm gonna be so surprised when I open it up. I, I have no idea it's gonna be, I might wait until Christmas. I might wait until C.
[00:47:22] Lisa Woolfork: Right or, you know, put a bow on at
[00:47:25] Patrice: Lisa. I will, I will
[00:47:26] Lisa Woolfork: like see someone got me something and watch, I will be so surprised.
[00:47:30] Patrice: I'll be like, what is this?
[00:47:31] Lisa Woolfork: Ooh, I remember those bra straps. Yes. Okay. Yes. This peak peak. Oh man. Someone knew exactly what I wanted. Yeah. It would be me. So its so terrible.
[00:47:44] Patrice: But then I discovered this, um, I discovered this, it was new to me.
[00:47:49] Patrice: So I go to Chicago all the time and I would always go to VO fabric in Evanston or rainbow fabric in Evanston. Right. Um, I found out about this [00:48:00] place called textile discount outlet. Oh, it's in this little Jewish neighborhood in Chicago and it is four floors of fabric. Everything that you could possibly think.
[00:48:12] Patrice: And imagine like when you first walk through the doors, there's this, there's this glass case. Um, Rhines stone Bodis that are, are like the Bodis panels that you see on like prime gowns and the blingy blingy, $300 a panel. Wow. And, uh, just fabric hanging from the walls. And it's all the far fulls and, and sequencing pearls.
[00:48:36] Patrice: And, and I, I walked around the store and I was like, okay, all right, this is a bit overwhelming because it's a lot. And, um, I was fixated. Do you like Christian
[00:48:49] Lisa Woolfork: Siriano? I don't know if you, yeah. Yeah, of course. He's amazing. Little
[00:48:52] Patrice: boy project runway. Okay. So a while, a long while back, he had posted this picture of this dress and the [00:49:00] Bodis was like encrusted in like pearls.
[00:49:01] Patrice: Wow. Just clusters of pearls over the whole Bodis. And there was like this, um, hanging from the wall. There was this squash, this, uh, this length of fabric that was basically sheer mesh with Pearl. All over it, that fabric I bought that came home with me. That is, that spoke to you. That piece came home that spoke to you.
[00:49:26] Patrice: That was, I was like, it's like Christiano. I must have it. Well, of course. So I, I, you know, it's like I have these, these images in my head. And so then some things are like, if you see it, you get it. Um, and then other things are like, eh, I don't
[00:49:41] Lisa Woolfork: really need it. It's so good because I feel like we get so seduced into buying whether we need it or not.
[00:49:49] Lisa Woolfork: Um, and I feel like, you know, I get the Joanne's flyer every, you know, three times a month or twice a month and I get the emails and now for some reason they started sending me text messages, [00:50:00] Lord, it's just like, who are you? Some ex what is going on? Why are you blowing up my phone? But all of this in this Joanne's is stalker bay.
[00:50:09] Lisa Woolfork: Yeah. Kinda stalker bay for real. And it's just like this urgency, like now it's like bigger than black Friday. Now it's gonna be, and it's just like, I was looking through the thing I'm like, I don't need it. I don't need it. No, I don't need it. I don't. And so I'm trying, so I know that there's a group. Um, we talked with Alicia Hudson, um, about a month ago, and I guess in January they do a no spend January, like where they don't buy any fabric at all.
[00:50:39] Lisa Woolfork: Um, throughout the month of January. I guess as you know, another, another way to kind of start purging or to start thinking more deliberately about the choices that one makes with fabrics and stuff. Um, and I think I've always find that really impressive. I'm not about the loud lie to myself or to anybody else and saying I'm gonna do it, but I can definitely see why I'd be a good idea.
[00:50:59] Lisa Woolfork: for sure. [00:51:00]
[00:51:01] Patrice: But you know, it is hard though. I definitely understand like the urge to buy fabric, all the. The sewing community is so diverse and everybody is just putting their, their own little creative spin on things. And you're so you're constantly seeing, Ooh, that's pretty. I could make that too. Maybe I should make that.
[00:51:19] Patrice: So like the images are there and you just, you wanna, I mean, there's all these like sewing monthly challenges and all this stuff. So I, I get the urge to want. Like so, and, and make what everybody else is making, but like half the time, this shit won't look good on me anyway, cause I don't have the same body type deserve.
[00:51:40] Patrice: Right. Or
[00:51:41] Lisa Woolfork: like you make it, I pick my battle or you make it. And you're like, I made this, but I don't really love this. Or I was part of this challenge and I did all this stuff and now I have. But I don't totally, totally love. So I'm trying to be more, uh, wise about how I participate in these kind of things, [00:52:00] because I need to do more of what you're doing, which is getting rid of stuff.
[00:52:03] Lisa Woolfork: I had a, um, I hosted a sewing class, um, a sip and so a few months ago, and as part of it, I donated 20 dresses that I had sewn and. And now I'm like I could. And you, can't in telling you Patric, you look in my closet, it looks like I didn't give anything away. And I make all my clothes, like almost everything I wear, underwear, outerwear, garments, whatever.
[00:52:28] Lisa Woolfork: It's all stuff that I've made. So I make a lot of stuff. But that also means you end up with a lot of stuff still. Whether I buy it at the store, whether I make it, it's still there. So I'm, I do need to think more carefully. And I think that's one of the things I really admire about your approach is the thoughtfulness of it.
[00:52:45] Lisa Woolfork: So if you see a piece of fabric, that's $200 a meter, you're like, I'm gonna get that. because I don't buy, I don't hop up and buy everything I see, or everything that comes down or every sale that comes in my email inbox, you [00:53:00] know, I'm deliberate and I'm gonna make this deliberate choice to do something special for myself.
[00:53:05] Lisa Woolfork: And that I think is really admirable.
[00:53:10] Patrice: Yeah. I, I mean, I appreciate that from cause um, I mean, another thing is like I have two young. I work. I actually do have a nine to five . So, you know, I don't even have the time to sit and sew the way that I used to, like before kids, I would sew. I was, you know, I was always making a, oh, go somewhere, cute dress for this cute dress for that.
[00:53:32] Patrice: And now I'm like, uh, my birthday is fine. I'll do a dress for my birthday, but I don't know if I'm doing a dress for everything else. You know what I'm saying? Um, cuz I just don't have the time. So, and that's why it'd be nice to have like Cinderella's forest creatures come through though. And
[00:53:50] Lisa Woolfork: like that's yeah, right come.
[00:53:52] Lisa Woolfork: And like every day a bird come and drape all the stuff and you know, some kind of little squirrel with a needle and thread with sew it [00:54:00] all together for you do what you don't want. That they'd make a mess. It'd be awful, you know? Please a squirrel run across this floor right now. I would faint dead. I would.
[00:54:10] Lisa Woolfork: They'd be like what happened to her? Oh, a squirrel. Yeah, your mama got killed by squirrel. Sorry. that? That would be it. Well, this has been a real pleasure talking with you. Thank you so much for taking the time. Um, tell us where we can find you on the socials, and I'll be sure to include those links in the show notes.
[00:54:27] Lisa Woolfork: Um,
[00:54:28] Patrice: Patrice J seven 15, if you wanna know, like the crazy me, um, and then Patrice J bridal for all things, um, draping and wedding dresses and, you know, um, formal occasion wear. And then my husband and I, I think we start back our, I guess, next season of defining this thing. So if you're interested in, uh, my relationship we've been married 20 years in February.
[00:54:53] Patrice: Um, we're at defining this thing on Instagram and YouTube. That's
[00:54:57] Lisa Woolfork: fantastic. [00:55:00] Congratulations on your anniversary next month. That's fantastic. Um, 20 years is really a beautiful milestone. I can't wait to see the pictures of this amazing dress, but do send me that picture in the meantime. And I'm gonna put.
[00:55:12] Lisa Woolfork: On the, um, on my page to see if somebody in the London area would knows what we're talking about, because I am now really excited. I will. All right. Thanks so much. I appreciate you.
[00:55:28] Lisa Woolfork: We've been talking with Patrice Johnson of Patrice, J bridle about formal wear stash, free sewing and other things. That'll help us appreciate the creativity that we have in sewing. I hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did and do, please check out Patrice on the social media, Instagram. And YouTube and the links to her pages and her accounts are in the show notes.
[00:55:59] Lisa Woolfork: [00:56:00] Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of the stitch. Please podcast the official podcast of black women's stitch, the sewing group, where black lives matter. There are variety of ways that you can support the program and you're doing it right now by listening to the pro, by listening to the podcast, it does help us.
[00:56:19] Lisa Woolfork: Another way to do that is to rate the podcast, review it, subscribe to it. All of these things are ways that you can support the podcast without having to spend any money at all. If you would like to spend some money to support us, there are ways to do that as well. You can make direct donations to our Patreon site for monthly contributions, as well as one time contributions to.
[00:56:43] Lisa Woolfork: Cash app or Venmo. And finally, we have another cute, very adorable way for you to support the black women's stitch project. It's a pin, a P I N enamel lapel pin. That's very cute. It's about two inches wide and [00:57:00] one and a half inch tall. And it's of the black women's stitch logo. And that is $15 with free shipping to the.
[00:57:08] Lisa Woolfork: And so if you drop $15 in the, a PayPal, Venmo or cash app accounts, and then send me your email. No, not email. If you send me your mailing address to my email, either at black women's stitch@gmail.com or you send me a direct message on the black women's stitch Instagram page. We will put the pin in the mail to you.
[00:57:32] Lisa Woolfork: Um, again, free shipping, $15 for the pin and all of this goes to support the black women's stitch project. Thank you again for joining us this week. Come back next week and we will help you get your stitch together.[00:58:00]

Hosted by Lisa Woolfork

Lisa is a fourth-generation sewing enthusiast who learned to sew while earning a PhD in African American literature and culture. She has been sewing for more than twenty years while also teaching, researching, and publishing in Black American literature and culture.

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