Shows
Sew & So...OMG Fashun Part 2. Meet more Disruptors!Welcome back to Part 2 of OMG Fashun – Friends They Never Knew They Needed. In Part one, Co-Executive Producer Rich Brusa and Producer Marcy Guevara-Prete gave us an exclusive peek into the genesis and workings of this show. Then, several of the contestant/disruptors shared personal stories of their paths to this show and how it changed their lives. Join us now as we meet more of the participants and hear their special and unique stories. (:37) Meet Jarrod Olson (Instagram @jarrodbillieolson)and learn about his brand Billie’s (2:14) Jarrod c...
2024-09-1230 minSew & So...Jennifer May Nickel – Storytelling Through Costumes, this Sewist Shares the Behind the Scenes Explanations of TV Costume CreationSettle in with us for a back-stage tour of exactly how costumes are designed for tv shows. Learn how a certain look is achieved and how moving to LA during the writer’s strike was a “terrifying” time for our guest who moved there for the first time to find work! Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Jennifer May Nickel completed her undergrad studies at East Stroudsburg University, did summer studies at St. Edmund’s College/Oxford University and earned her MFA in costume design at Carnegie Mellon. She’s worked on numerous fil...
2024-08-151h 00Sew & So...Grace Latz - Olympian Artist-in-Residence Program/Paris 2024Grace, who was on America’s 2016 Olympic Team placing 5th in the quadruple sculls. A much-decorated rower, she was on 4 national teams, a 2015 World Rowing Champion and walked on the team at the University of Wisconsin, Madison to eventually help the team win their first Big 10 Championship in Women’s rowing.She will be in a different role this year as one of four Olympians selected for the Paris 2024 Olympian Artist-in-Residence Program to implement collaborative and community-based art. Through reassembling donated uniforms and equipment from Olympic sports through a local recycling center, she created a large-scale tapestry of the...
2024-08-0157 minSew & So...Paris Green - A Positive HeartParis Green – a current BERNINA Ambassador - is one of the principals of the Couture Beauty and Sewing Academy. She also designs for and leads the online site Scarves and More By Paris. Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Paris began sewing at age 4. She became serious about her sewing at age seven and entered her first sewing competition at 9 years old. She won the Kid’s Beginner Sewing division that year. At age 10 she became BERNINA’s youngest sewing ambassador to share kid-friendly tutorials via the We All Sew blog. In her spare time, Paris l...
2024-06-2022 minSew & So...AQS Quilt Week 2024 Live from Paducah, KY- Celebrating 40 years of AQS(:44) This show opens with the amazing sounds of the Paducah Tilghman Marching Band who annually opens Quilt Week with their exciting showmanship and award-winning music! (2:07) Bill Schroeder III President and CEO of AQS opens the awards ceremony and Susan Cleveland www.piecesbewithyou.com announced the Best of Show Winning Quilt. Hear personal experiences direct from those attending the ceremony from Alaska, Wisconsin and Nebraska (6:16) Catherine Gross District Manager for BERNINA talks about the importance of being at quilt week and how special those in the community are. 7:41) Bon...
2024-05-0944 minSew & So...George Kalajian - Standing Next to My FatherOur guest in this episode is George Kalajian the owner/operator of Tom’s Sons International Pleating which was founded more than 50 years ago by his grandfather.Born in Lebanon and moving to the US when he was 5 years old. After working with his father for a time, he went off on his own and worked in technology, as a teacher and as a bartender. Coming back to the family business…George has worked with myriad designers, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and on many tv shows, films and Broadway plays. George traces his family’s involvement in the...
2024-04-2545 minSew & So...Robyn J. Cuthbertson - I feel SO luckyOur guest in this episode is Robyn Cuthbertson. Born in Melbourne Australia and raised in Lower Plenty (about an hour northeast of Melbourne), she learned to sew from her mom. Robyn was always interested in crafting, so sewing was a natural progression for her. She graduated from Melbourne University with degrees in Engineering and Physics and spent most of her university free time hanging out with the juggling club and perfecting her circus skills on a unicycle. At age 30, while working on her PhD in Engineering, Robyn was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease and was forced to...
2024-04-1131 minSew & So...Jessica Barrera - Sallie TomatoDesigner, author, educator, and entrepreneur Jessica Barrera is our guest in this episode of Sew & So. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she learned to sew at an early age. She studied entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. When not running her growing company, she enjoys coffee, being a mom, coffee, home decorating, travelling and black and white movies! (1:20) How did she learn to sew? Her mom taught Jessica when she was 5 years old. The first thing she made?! A quilt for her American Girl Doll!(1:56) Who/What inspired her...
2024-03-2825 minSew & So...Karen Nyberg - "I Did It - I'm Here"(2:04) Karen brings us back up to speed on how she learned to sew. Her mom was the influencer on her – one of six children who learned to sew at the age of 6! Hear how this all began for Karen. (4:03) Were any of her sewing skills applicable for her training and life as an astronaut? Yes, they were…she explains here. (4:55) How did Karen get into the space program? As a kid she started to proclaim that she wanted to be an astronaut! She put it out there and made it happen! ...
2024-03-1437 minSew & So...Cristina Arcenegui Bono - My 40 Cousins - My InspirationTravel with us to Andalusia, Spain for an amazing conversation with Cristina Arcenegui Bono whole cloth quilter extraordinaire! (2:27) How did Cristina learn to sew? Well…she never really did! (3:15)Who is her inspiration? How about her 40 cousins?! And wait…there’s more! (5:16) Cristina started out her career in the Travel & Tourism industry in London…to help improve her English. She shares that story here. (7:05) Cristine used to frequent haberdashery shops www.libertylondon.com which fueled her love for textile art. It all began when she cam...
2024-02-2940 minSew & So...Emily Blumenthal - The "What Now" MomentHandbag Designer 101 – is synonymous with Emily Blumenthal as she has done it all. What makes her different is that she takes her creations one step further in teaching not only HOW to design…but what to do next with your creations. Born and raised as a New Jersey Girl, she now makes her home on the lower East side of New York. (2:55) It was the entrepreneurial spirit that her parents instilled in her that got her on her way to where she is today. Hear how ADHD helped her along the journey. (4:2...
2024-02-1540 minSew & So...Linda Diak - StrongerOnly coming to quilting 5 years ago, Linda Diak has had a life full of creativity. She’s raised and sheered her own sheep for fibers to spin. She’s crafted knitting needles and crochet hooks, and beautiful bespoke art quilts. Her newfound love for quilting began at a chance opportunity to sit down at a long arm and well…let’s let her tell you more. (2:00) How did she learn to sew? Her grandmother was a tailor and furrier who took the reins. However, it wasn’t easy because grandma did it faster! Her mother was a maker...
2024-02-0143 minSew & So...Tina VanDenburg - A Fully Lit-Up LifeOwner of Kinship Handwork, Tina VanDenburg has lived life others simply dream of. Ready for chances, and learning from experiences, Tina left no stone unturned in searching for passion, peace, and a fully lit-up life. Born and raised near Grand Rapids, MI, her sewing journey began when she couldn’t find cloths that fit her body. Before that she lived in Alaska then returned to Michigan and built houses as a carpenter. She blogs and has a vibrant podcast called In Kinship. (2:06) How did Tina learn how to sew...
2024-01-1847 minSew & So...Yvette Todd - It Began With Rat HammocksShow Notes: Yvette Todd Yvette Todd’s creation Stash Hub is only one year old, but it’s already made bold strides in helping sewists organize their fabric, patterns, and plan sewing projects. Only sewing since 2020, Yvette grew up in Portsmouth England. She attended the University of Bath where she met her husband…a union that proved essential to the creation and success of the Stash Hub App. (1:59) Yvette shares stories of her childhood and how these experiences led to where she is today. (4:00) As Yvette began...
2024-01-0428 minSew & So...Sarah Veblen - Designing From the Inside OutSarah Veblen from Sarah Veblen Clothing Originals has led a life dreaming of owning hew own business and in 1985 it all came true. Now an Haute Couture mainstay, she shares her story of taking chances and achieving her dream! (2:28) Sarah shares her story of learning to sew…her mom said she was already sewing circles around her by 9th grade. She also explains what it means to be a “thinking sewer”. (4:30) Why does she feel that sewists shouldn’t blindly follow instructions? The person who drafted the pattern and the one who wrote...
2023-12-0744 minSew & So...Kelly Dempsey - When You Think It’s Falling Apart…It’s Really Falling Into PlaceOur guest today is Kelly Dempsey – a sustainable fashion designer and Project Runway Season 14 runner-up. She has become a leading voice for sustainability and equitability in the fashion industry and has been featured on Good Morning American and in Marie Claire.Born and raised in Munsen, MA, Kelly taught herself to upcycle when she was 9 years old. Bullied in school, she used these experiences to eventually launch a terrifically successful career.Her passion for upcycling has led her to numerous opportunities - several of which are her courses on sewing and upcycling.When no...
2023-11-2334 minSew & So...Catherine Stephenson - The Hidden ProfessionOur guest in this episode is Catherine Stephenson who lives in Ajijic, Mexico. The owner and name behind Catherine Stephenson Couture, she’s been in the sewing world doing what she loves for more than 35 years. Originally from Portland OR, she travelled to Madison WI to earn her BA in textiles and clothing from the University of Wisconsin. Returning to Portland after that, she opened her business and worked to create the Custom Clothing Guild that eventually became the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (PACC). All of this led to…well, let’s let her tell yo...
2023-10-2653 minSew & So...Maritza Atayde – Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus Fate and a Chihuahua(2:28) Maritza shares the beginnings of her sewing learnings and her journey of improvement. She takes us through her progression in costume creation and how she was affected by the events of 9/11. She even “almost” had an opportunity to meet Mikhail Baryshnikov. (15:21) She grew up in a circus family and gives us a first-hand account of what it was like. She also shares some of the superstitions held by circus performers.Also, circus “hand balancers” once looked down upon are now held in really high regard. She explains how this happened.(18:13) At 13 she start...
2023-09-2847 minSew & So...Abby Riba - The Clothes Horse Goes Snoop Shopping(2:25) Abby shares why she initially didn’t like sewing when she took her first course in high school. But reading Vogue magazine turned this around for her as she wanted the fashion she saw in the magazine – but couldn’t afford. She also talks about how her children were the genesis of her learning to sew for uniquely sized people.And she talks about how her unique talent for doing what “just made sense” helped her get through tough sewing situations. (5:48) Listen as Abby shares what it is about sewing that means so much to her...
2023-09-1436 minSew & So...Mary Grabenstatter, Needle Sharp – The Worst of Times, the Best of TimesShow Notes: Mary Grabenstatter(1:40) Mary shares her story about why arts and crafts were important to her as a child. Hear about the origami birthday party and her favorite crafts! (3:20) Studying French and Film in college and working at Barnes & Noble her early adult years were filled with many experiences…starting with being a chemistry major. Hear about her adventures! (7:07) When The Hunger Games was first released, Jennifer Lawrence came to the bookstore. Hear how this event closed the whole store down! (7:50) At the age of 32...
2023-08-3128 minSew & So...R'Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe 2023 - If Not Now, When?!R'Bonney Gabriel is an eco-friendly fashion designer, model, and sewing instructor based in Houston, TX, and New York City who also happens to be the current Miss Universe titleholder. Born in Houston, TX she became the 1st Miss Universe of Filipino descent. As the first Filipino American to win Miss Universe and Miss USA, much of her platform is about embracing her culture. She is a voice for Asian-Americans, opening the door for more diversity and representation in society. She attended the University of North Texas, where she earned her degree in Fashion Design and Fib...
2023-08-1733 minSew & So...Courage + Cosplay = Yaya HanBorn in China, raised in her early years in Germany, Yaya moved on her own to the United States in 1998 while still a teen. It didn’t take her long to make a name for herself in the cosplay community. Now a successful designer, model, author, tv personality and social media influencer with more that 3 million followers. (2:24) Yaya tells us of how she learned to sew out of necessity through getting involved in cosplay 24 years ago. Using a $40 sewing machine she prepared to go to her very first expo the 1999 Anime Expo in Anaheim, CA. She...
2023-07-2052 minSew & So...Cookie Washington - The Divine FeminineCookie Washington, born in Morocco, is a fourth-generation needle worker, award winning textile artist and guest curator of the African American Fiber Arts Exhibit which is part of the North Charleston Arts Festival. Her passion for fiber art is infectious and she comes from a long line of sewists dating back to her great-grandmother. She’s been selected as one of 44 master quilters to create a quilt for Barak Obama’s inauguration and has been featured in documentary films. (2:28) At four years old, Cookie was paid 50 cents by her...
2023-07-061h 03Sew & So...Amanda Carye - Quilting Since ForeverAmanda Carye, the owner of Broadcloth Studio and the co-host of Quilt Buzz has been quilting “since forever”. On this episode she shares her journey outside her comfort zone and shares her adventures in starting both her business and podcast Show NotesAmanda Carye, who owns Broadcloth Studio and hosts the Quilt Buzz Podcast has been quilting for her whole life. From Boston, she currently lives in New York City.(1:30) Amanda tells all about learning to sew, and how her grandmother taught her to hand sew.(3:09) What is it about...
2023-06-2229 minSew & So...Alex Anderson from thequiltshow.com - Claim Your Space(2:30) Alex takes us back to the beginning of her sewing journey and tells us of the first thing she ever sewed! (4:47) Alex takes back to her very first quilt studio and tells us of the moment she began to take herself seriously as a quilter. The “Quilt Life” (7:25) became a mantra for her as she found that she really belonged…Alex explains how this happens and what this means to her. What is “The Quilt Life”? She tells us! (9:34) Over the years her favorite things about quilting have changed. Owning a BERNINA was...
2023-06-0843 minSew & So...Jedimanda - My Life in CosplayJedimanda is a professional seamstress, author and avid costumer. She’s been features in numerous publications, won awards for her costuming, and loves travel as much as she loves cosplay. At (1:54) she tells us why C2E2 Chicago is her vary favorite convention…and shares the story of how she learned to sew…and how this led to her first job in college. She takes us through her Senior thesis project and how she made things work to her liking. (5:34) Jedimanda provides a detailed description of the costume she wore during our inte...
2023-05-2537 minSew & So...C2E2 Chicago - 2023The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo or C2E2 is a Chicago fan convention dedicated to comics, pop culture, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Now celebrating its 13th year, this event is a place for self-proclaimed geeks, nerds and introverts to connect and fit in. We had full access to attendees, vendors, fabricators and even some well-known authors and cosplayers. Join us as we experience C2E2 2023. We start this fun day talking to several cosplayers who share their experiences in designing their costumes and talk about what C2E2 means to...
2023-05-1136 min
Make and Design with Carina GardnerEpisode 294 From Broadcast to Podcast with Meg GoodmanCarina's guest today is Meg Goodman who owns a podcast production company and hosts the Sew and So Podcast for Bernina. She talks about going from broadcast at the age of 13 to not getting around to retirement because of her current creative pursuits. Learn more about Meg and the stories of quilters in today's podcast!You can reach her via Instagram @flintrockllcEmail her at megoodman@theflintrock.comWebsite sewandsopodcast.com or www.theflintrock.com
2023-05-0317 minSew & So...Meeting Black Sewists Where They AreAleeda Crawley, President of the Modern Quilt Guild shares her personal journey into the world of quilting and tells of how she became president of the guild. The Guild itself is a powerhouse in the world of quilting – she tells us about its purpose and overall work. The Guild can be found at www.themodernquiltguild.com.Karen Cooper – Executive Director of the Guild drops in to explain how the Guild has taken a stand for DEAI and is committed to being a place where all feel safe in expressing their opinions and coming together as a community to c...
2023-04-2734 minSew & So...Nick Verreos - From the Little Boy Sketching Under the Tree to Project RunwayGrowing up in South America, Nick spent his days under a tree drawing his mother’s dress designs for the diplomatic parties she attended with his father…an American diplomat in Caracas. He called her “Jay-Lo before there was Jay-Lo”! He credits his success to his mom for her support and encouragement. Learn too who Nick considers his mentor.(5:36) What was the moment he knew he was a success? Nick shares that with us – the retailer Henri Bendel had a lot to do with this. (8:15) Project Runway…behind the scenes and exclusive scoops…this conversation doesn’t disappo...
2023-04-1334 minSew & So...SewExpo 2023 – A Gathering of Friends in the Pacific NorthwestThis exclusive/all-access episode takes you through the 2023 version of SewExpo at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, WAIn it’s 39th year, the Sewing and Stitchery Expo was back in full force after a two year Covid 19 hiatus.Hear directly from Show Manager Janet McLoughlin and Education Manager about how they were brought out of retirement to make this all happen.There are vendors who will talk about their wares and as always interviews with charities and non-profits who use sewing and quilting to serve unique needs.Hear from Be...
2023-03-3049 minSew & So...QuiltCon Atlanta 2023 - In the Aisle and Behind the ScenesThis exclusive all-access episode takes you through the 2023 version of QuiltCon in Atlanta, Georgia.The definition of Modern Quilting varies from person to person. Hear the thoughts of Modern Quilt Guild (MQG) President Aleeda Crawley, Karen Cooper Executive Director of MQG, Christa Watson BERNINA Ambassador, Last Year’s Keynote Speaker Latifa Safir, and attendees from around the world.Learn from Elizabeth Dackson – MQG Director of Events exactly what it takes to put on QuiltCon…and she shares a hidden secret about the show!Then Karen Cooper added her two cents on putting the show t...
2023-03-1635 minSew & So...Sarah Joiner - Make What You Want!(2:00 – 6:35) She begins the conversation by explaining that she learned to sew with her grandmother’s basement sewing machine, using fabric from her grandma’s (who she never met) magical craft cupboard. This cupboard held all of her deceased grandmother’s scraps, thread, etc., and inspired her with her grandmother’s spiritual presence. In high school, she wanted to learn to sew clothes and created her first 1950s-style dress. She’s always been drawn to vintage silhouettes creating her first design from a princess/full-skirted pattern.(7:25 –11:19) She explains why she named her blog the Lilac Elk. In September 2018, Sarah learned...
2023-03-0234 minSew & So...Sarah Ramberg - Everything Old is New AgainSarah Ramberg worked for an environmental engineering and consulting firm for 15 years. After being laid off in 2017, she decided to turn her passion for sewing with flannel and upcycling into a full-time career. Sarah was bitten by the antiquing, thrifting, and garage sale bug when she was in Junior High. Today, she feels a fundamental need to repurpose and recycle broken and neglected items in lieu of buying new things whenever possible. She describes upcycling as taking something that already exists and improving it to your own personal tastes. Maybe you want to transform one style into a...
2023-02-1630 minSew & So...Brooks Ann Camper - A Wrinkled DressA wrinkled dress changed the trajectory of Brooks Ann's career. It all began her senior year at Centenary College, where she was a theater major. She had been cast in a play and was behind the stage when the head of the department, “a brilliant, but grumpy old man,” noticed her dress was wrinkled he sent her off to iron it. When she confessed, she’d never ironed before, he assigned her—against her will—to work with him in the costume shop for the next production. “I unexpectedly just had a total blast making costumes with the grumpy old man and...
2023-02-0248 minSew & So...Carina Gardner - The Art of Dreaming BigA lifetime learner and prolific entrepreneur, Carina Gardner learned to sew by sneaking downstairs and using her mom’s sewing machine to create Barbie clothes from fabric scraps. As time went on, she found herself in the scrapbooking world at a time when scrapbooking crossed over into fabric. The first fabric company she designed for was Northcott. She also designed a fabric line for Riley Blake, who was so impressed, it started producing a variety of Carina Gardner-branded products. According to Carina, it was a lovely way to take her creativity to a whole new level. Carina is...
2023-01-1934 minSew & So...Sue O'Very-Pruitt - Living the DreamSue O’Very Pruitt’s love of sewing began very early and has taken her to places near and far. She went from designing dresses for her Barbie doll at six years old to creating customers at Busch Gardens when she graduated college. After leaving Busch Gardens, she created costumes on a cruise ship for six months, before going on to become lead designer for a leather manufacturing company in China. While there, she designed leather cases for Verizon, and small leather goods for Hartman Luggage, Nautica, and numerous other companies. She’s traveled to China 22 times and to other...
2023-01-0529 minSew & So...Carson Converse - Catch Your BreathCarson Converse is not a minimalist by nature, although she does value simplicity. She also loves doing intricate detail. She describes her process as reductive art because she often starts by throwing a lot of fabric and inspirational images on the wall and then expanding and contracting until the piece feels quiet and still. In her own words, “I want to give the viewer kind of a moment of stillness, maybe an opportunity to catch their breath.”In her work, she likes to shine a light on the women creators who’ve gone before her. and she has st...
2022-12-2234 minSew & So...Sew Much Giving - Sewing and Quilting as Service for a Greater GoodIn this special episode, you’re going to meet seven special organizations…charities that use sewing or quilting to care for people who are struggling because of where they live, the health burdens they carry, or injuries they sustained in service to our country. Come with us as we meet the extraordinary who care for the exceptional.:37 Our first visit is with Carla Triemar of Quilts Beyond Borders who has handed out more than 30,000 quilts worldwide in the last 15 years. www.Quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com5:42 Diane Canny tells us the story of the genesis of The Covid...
2022-12-0842 minSew & So...Houston Quilt Festival 2022 - Down the Aisles, In the Gallery, and Behind the ScenesExperience the Houston Quilt Festival through this episode chock full of personal and informative conversations. We meet BERNINA educators from the exhibit hall stage – Connie Fanders, Amanda Murphy, and Sylvain Bergeron.Show prize winners Angela Petrocelli (grand prize winner), Debbie Corbett, Sue Sherman and Kestral Michaud describe in detail their award-winning quilts.Listen to class instructors Gail Yellen and Pam Mahshie as they talk about the classes they conducted.Then, Bob Ruggiero, VP of Communications for Quilts, Inc. takes you behind the scenes for an intimate and revealing description of just wha...
2022-11-2443 minSew & So...Linnca Stevens & The Sewing Labs- Sewing for a Better TomorrowLinnca Stevens is the co-founder of The Sewing Labs – a non-profit in Kansas City, MO whose mission is to create a community and teach sewing toward employment, entrepreneurship, and enrichment.Hear Linnca’s biographical journey toward where she is today and why she started the Sewing Labs.Her grandmother Margaret, a Swedish immigrant taught her to sew and as a young child, Linnca was eager to learn! Enjoying making several types of garments, she works with mixed fabrics and recently created a jacket out of KC Chiefs t-shirts and even a Dolly Parton quilt.Li...
2022-11-1030 minSew & So...Desi Dessu - The World of CosplayCosplay, the art of combining costume and role play, grew out of the practice of costuming at science fiction conventions. Over the past couple of decades, it has really taken off and become its own subculture. Desi believes cosplay can be inspired by Japanese anime characters, a Western comic book character, a Disney character, whatever inspires you. “It's literally just, I love this character so much that I want to express my love by actually dressing up as them.” Desi was a huge Sailor Moon fan and was following news on the Sailor Moon website in ea...
2022-09-2923 minSew & So...Teresa Coates - The Things That Make Me HappyAlthough Teresa comes from generations of makers, she was the first to pursue quilting as a career when she, as she puts it, “stumbled into the quilting industry.” It began in 2011 when she joined the crew at the Fabric Shop Network and then became editor of Websense magazine. Teresa started out making garments using patterns from The Big Four. From there she discovered Indie pattern makers and vintage patterns, and really started working with non-traditional fabrics like painted canvas and double chiffons, and other weird fabrics and piecing them together to make different types of quilts. After coming on boar...
2022-09-1532 minSew & So...Leah Kate Nicoll - Fashionable Yet FunctionalWhile at the University of Alabama, Leah Kate got a lot of experience with leotards, both as a dancer and as part of the costume department. What she found was that rarely did they properly fit all women’s body types. Knowing that one of the first rules of dancewear is that it should enhance movement, not burden it, she set out to create styles that were functional, comfortable, and fashionable. Within her first eight months, she was featured at two sold-out shows at New York Fashion Week. Leah’s passion for design was ignited when she was n...
2022-09-0154 minSew & So...HollyAnne Knight - Quilting Circle Gone ViralWhen HollyAnne was caring for her babies and in the throes of post-partum depression, quilting was what she did to “feed her soul,” and her online quilting community was her soft place to land. Once she discovered modern and modern-traditional quilting, she quickly fell down the rabbit hole, and upon watching a free motion quilting class online, her passion took on a life of its own. “Something about it really spoke to my soul. It really reminded me of the motion of brushstrokes and Impressionism and modern Impressionist paintings, which was always my favorite era of art.” While she...
2022-08-1836 minSew & So...BERNINA University 2022 - Your Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes ExperienceThis is your full access pass to the exclusive/annual BERNINA dealer conference – BERNINA University.Join us in Palm Springs, CA for this 53rd gathering of BERNINA dealers, BERNINA partners and BERNINA staff from both BERNINA of America and BERNINA International – Switzerland and beyond.Hear about the brand-new products BERNINA is unveiling in 2022 and experience the immediate reactions from the attendees.Learn what it takes to produce an event of this magnitude.Hear about the new product development process, the importance of education and how “listening” is behind everything BERNINA does!Mee...
2022-08-0438 minSew & So...Kaffe Fassett & Brandon Mably - Color As a Life-Enhancing ForceMake time to settle in for the duration of this fascinating conversation with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably. Learn how Kaffe chose his name, about how a chance meeting on a train changed his life, and about the three women that had a profound effect on him and his career. Hear the story of Kaffe and Brandon’s worlds combining and the genesis of an enduring partnership.And then there are the inspirations, their work with Oxfam, the famous exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, visions into the world of colors, and the things tha...
2022-07-211h 02Sew & So...Michelle Morris - We See You!Michelle Morris began re-fashioning long before it became a trend. Growing up, her family didn’t have a lot of money, so she was always doing something to breathe new life into second-hand clothes, or her own clothes. A major influence for Michelle was her first Home Economics teacher who took her under her wing. Today, a sewing influencer herself, Michelle is known for her bold and unusual prints, her ability to mix and match those prints, and her denim creations. She shares her evolution with us, from her younger years where her very first project in Home Economics cl...
2022-07-0724 minSew & So...Mae Burrows - From Betsy Ross to Audrey HepburnAlthough not a common combination, Mae’s father was a career Marine and an avid sewist. A direct descendant of Betsy Ross, he was born into a family of sewists, including his mother and grandmother. Mae grew up watching her father create quilts on his BERNINA machine and it was his love of sewing that inspired her to start sewing at the age of six. Mae was nine when her mother caught her cutting up her skirts and enrolled her in sewing school. Even as a child, Mae was frustrated by the “by the book” approach of her sew...
2022-06-2328 minSew & So...Bill Schroeder III and AQS - All in the FamilyBill Schroeder III has been around quilting since he was a young boy selling buttons at their AQS booth at the Quilt Show in his hometown of Paducah, KY. When his grandparents launched the AQS Quilt Contest in 1985, it was the first contest in the industry to award a $10,000 prize. When Meredith and Bill Schroeder started hosting Quilt Week 36 years ago, young Bill was right there helping his dad hang signs. When his family decided to sell the business, he and his brother-in-law James went in 50/50 and purchased the company. They did so to continue the family legacy, and t...
2022-06-0925 minSew & So...Visiting the National Quilt Museum During Quilt Week 2022The conversation begins with Rachael Barr, Curator of the National Quilt Museum. She talks about the history of the museum, its mission and the behind-the-scenes activities involved in bringing an exhibition to life. One current exhibit is “New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Shakespeare 2022”. This competition challenges quiltmakers from around the world to create an innovative quilt based on a specific traditional pattern. Each artist brings the magic of storytelling to life through their own creative interpretation and techniques. The theme for this year’s competition is Shakespeare. Laura Pomes, this year’s first place winner, comes from a bac...
2022-05-2644 minSew & So...Mimi G - Never Say NeverWhat began as just a hobby in Mimi's Los Angeles home in 2012 blossomed into an international brand. She’s achieved a daily engagement of more than 3.2 million followers across all social media platforms, 22 million pageviews and 2.2 million unique visitors annually on her blog and courses on DIY. But her love of sewing started long before that.Mimi began sewing when she was twelve, taking apart clothes, and figuring out how to put them back together again. She didn’t realize that she was teaching herself the basics of construction and pattern making. Although she was a run...
2022-04-2844 minSew & So...Sarah Caldwell - From Frogs to FrodoSarah’s love of sewing began when she was a young girl growing up in New Zealand. Her first creation? A bean bag frog. As she grew older, her passion for sewing grew and Sarah eventually studied fashion, design, and garment construction. Her talent led her to BERNINA. She shares what it’s like to work for a family-owned company, how everyone looks out for each other, and how she can go into any BERNINA store anywhere in the world and be welcomed like family. “It really is quite unique.” (1:57-10:29)Sarah also talks about her biological family, an...
2022-04-1441 minSew & So...Jean Wright - From the Day I Looked at the MoonAs a young girl, Jean would look at the moon at night and dream of working for NASA. That dream came true when she became one of 18 seamstresses that built (sewed), created, and repaired thermal protection, flight hardware, and parachutes. This dedicated team of women dubbed themselves the Sew Sisters.Jean felt that getting her initial interview with NASA was a miracle. “The second time Kennedy Space Center came on the caller ID, I thought somebody was playing a cruel joke.” It was no joke. Jean got accepted into the team. She remembers telling her daughter, “Oh gosh, th...
2022-03-3148 minSew & So...Christy Burcham & Aaronica Cole - Plus Size SewingAs the conversation begins, we learn about the individual journeys of Christa and Aaronica, and how sewing has influenced each of their lives. Christy, a plus-size sewist herself and daughter of a tailor, grew up around sewing, and notes that the sewing industry has adapted over the years to be more accommodating to sewists of all sizes. Although she sewed on and off since a young age, Aaronica’s real passion for sewing started when she was pregnant with her second child. For her, quilting is one of the most empowering things ever because you can take unformed pieces of...
2022-03-1748 minSew & So...Marisa Marquez - Everyone Is an ArtistAfter living in the United States for seven years, Marisa and her husband moved back to Spain in the late 1990s to help her parents with their sewing machine business. While working at the store, she and her sister introduced quilting to help modernize the business. Marisa also managed the store and taught sewing before returning to the United States in 2019.It was while she was in Spain that Marisa discovered her love of free motion quilting. Although she’s been quilting for the past 22 years, Marisa didn’t create her first themed art quilt until 2014. She name...
2022-02-0327 minSew & So...Kelly Rae Roberts - Let Art Out, Let Love InAs a former social worker with zero art experience, Kelly Rae picked up her first paintbrush at age 30 - that's when everything started to change. Although she had been collaging and card making at home after work, it was when she started adding painting to her cards and scrapbooking that Kelly’s passion ignited. She explains painting brought her what she was craving: healing, unburdened joy, and awakening. Kelly Rae started blogging about her process, and before long, her cards turned into paintings with collaging mixed in. In 2006, when Etsy was first starting out, she began showing her...
2022-01-2028 minSew & So...Becky Glasby - National Quilt MuseumBecky loves all aspects of quilting—from choosing the pattern to cutting the fabric, to stitching and piecing and mixing up patterns and colors. She also loves machine quilting—especially free motion quilting. Because she doesn’t have to follow a set pattern and can basically do whatever she wants, she feels that it enhances her ability to create and be artistic. She compares free motion quilting to handwriting. “Whether it's meanders or stipples, or swirls or squiggly lines, you know whatever it is you're creating it's not always going to look exactly the same from one person to the next...
2022-01-0649 minSew & So...Paul Ashworth, CEO - BERNINA North America - Quality, Innovation, Performance…Walking the TalkBritish by birth, Paul Ashworth is an avowed world traveler and has lived and worked in multiple countries. Bernina of America represents half of Bernina's business worldwide, and during his time there, he has successfully grown the business by over 65%. When asked what brought him to Bernina, he says, “…I guess you can say it’s luck.” He shares that if someone had told him he’d one day be joining the sewing industry, he probably would have chuckled to himself. He had it in his head that the wine and spirits industry was where he belonged, but when BE...
2021-12-0939 min