Why I Sew Sulky of America

Let's celebrate the beauty and artistry of stitching, one thread at a time. This episode features Kate Johnson, a blogger and creative genius behind YOU TOO MORE, a delightful space where she shares her love for all things cross-stitch and quirky. Join us as we unravel the threads of Kate's stitching journey, explore her creative process, and dive into the joyous cross-stitch world.

Kate is an extraordinary individual who has found her true calling in the art of stitching. With a needle in hand and a thread full of creativity, she has immersed herself in the enchanting world of cross-stitch. But how did she stumble upon this captivating craft? After years of exploring various artistic pursuits, Kate unexpectedly tripped and face-planted into the cross-stitch world. And from that moment on, she was hooked!

Prepare to be inspired, entertained, and perhaps even motivated to pick up a needle and thread yourself!

Cross-Stitch Resources
Check out our cross-stitch resources and grab some products that will have you stitching successfully from the start: https://sulky.com/makers-lounge-handwork/

Connect with Kate:
Website: linktr.ee/youtoomore

Instagram: instagram.com/youtoomore/?hl=en

 

"Everybody has a different technique, a different style, a different way of finishing things, or how they store things like threads, how they manage their color, just a whole bunch of different things. Everybody has a different method to their madness. And I love that I like seeing that I'm constantly inspired. I'm constantly rearranging my stash of supplies to find out what works best for me."

We have the pleasure of sitting with the incredibly talented and multi-passionate artist Debbie Hodge. Debbie is the founder of Stitched Stories, a creative business that combines her love for embroidery, writing, and storytelling.

Join us as we uncover the secrets behind Debbie's unique approach to combining crafts and storytelling and how she continues to inspire and engage with her audience through Stitched Stories. Whether you're a seasoned artist or someone looking to explore new creative frontiers, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiring anecdotes!

[01:17] Crafting Chronicles: A Journey Through Passion and Stitching

[12:34] Artistic Adventures: Exploring Mixed Media and Embroidery Puzzles

[17:32] Embroidery Adventures: Debbie’s Tools, Techniques, and Inspirations

[24:49] Creative Explorations: From Teaching to Designing, Finding The Path in Sewing"

[28:43] From Stitches to Stories: The Intersection of Sewing, Scrapbooking, and Writing

[32:51] Crafting a Creative Renaissance: The Rise of Handmade and the Human Touch

Connect with Debbie:


website: https://shop.stitchedstories.com 
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchedstories.embroidery/ 
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchedstories.embroidery 
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCypBxI-zbioAFULI2bxoelQ 
pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stitchedstories/ 

"There is a real sense of moving back to something more creative with your hands and mind."

Valori Wells is a professional quilter, author, fabric and pattern designer, painter and photographer. She was born into and raised surrounded by fabric from birth by her loving and creative mother. She has been designing fabrics for about twenty years, and her products can be found all over the world. She has written a total of twelve books, nine alongside her mother and three by herself. Join us as we talk about Valori’s younger self, her first exposure to sewing, the balance between professional and personal life, hand-carved blocks, building connections in the community and more.

[02.30] Younger self – Starting the conversation, Valori shares a brief bio about herself and the journey she took to decide she wanted to design fabric.

[07.42] First exposure – How Valori absorbed fabric her entire life without even realizing it

[15.11] The balance – The importance of balancing professional life and personal life

[20.57] Hand-carved blocks – Valori shares how she fell in love with block printing and the Japanese block printing tools she uses.

[28.06] Favorite tools – Valori’s favorite tools in her sewing room

[35.33] Creating Connection – We dive into how Valori and her mom started doing virtual classes during the COVID-19 period to build a community connection.

[42.17] Open-minded people – Valori explains why she thinks she has the most amazing people in the industry.

[50.00] The satisfaction – It’s not always about the destination but the journey. What you're doing at the moment brings all the bliss.

Connect with Valori


Twitter - twitter.com/valoriwells
Website - valoriwells.com/
Facebook - web.facebook.com/valoriwells/

Reen Wilcoxson is the talented owner of Embroidery Garden. Reen is a passionate entrepreneur and expert in machine embroidery, specializing in captivating in-the-hoop designs. With over 20 years of experience, she has carved her niche in the sewing world, creating remarkable 3D products like bags, purses and wallets. Join us as we delve into Reen's world and explore the captivating realm of machine embroidery and beyond.

[01:03] Reen's Journey – Reen traces her transformative journey from her earliest sewing memories to her current pursuits.

[23:02] Favorite Items - Reen mentions the essential items or tools she considers indispensable in her sewing endeavors.

[28:03] Transformative Power of Sewing – We discuss how sewing has provided Reen with opportunities in her life.

[31:54] Sewing "Bucket List" Items - Reen's sewing aspirations beyond machine embroidery.

[39:54] Beyond Materials - How sewing evokes emotions of accomplishment and pride in Reen's journey.

Connect with Reen:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reen-wilcoxson-1948248a/
Website: embroiderygarden.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/embroiderygarden
Facebook: facebook.com/EmbroideryGardenITH

Melissa Mora of Melly Sews is a pattern designer, author and sewing blogger. She designs fabric for Riley Blake and her "Learn to Sew" posts with easy-to-follow instructions are timeless. Listen and learn more about her journey in the sewing world.

Author of Sundressing, Melissa spent 12 years in the classroom as a high school theatre teacher before leaving to become a full time sewing writer and pattern designer. Now she claims the entire internet as her classroom.

She is also the co-editor of and contributor to the book Sew Place Like Home, a collection of stories for those who love sewing. Her fabric line, Idle Wild, launched with Riley Blake fabrics in fall 2015, and sewing patterns from her brand Blank Slate Patterns are carried in Joann stores nationwide. Melissa blogs at Melly Sews, where she gets to combine her love of sewing, teaching and writing in one creative place.

A native Texan, Melissa lives in Austin with her family.

Find Melissa:


Website: mellysews.com
Social: @mellysews

Karie Jewell is a pattern designer and quilter. She has over 30 years of experience in quilting. She first started sewing with her mother and grandmother when she was 14 and started her own company with a friend in 2001. Listen as she shares her most precious memories of sewing, the specialty of handmade gifts, her business partner, her love language, and more.

[01.36] Karie’s background – Starting the conversation, Karie shares a brief bio about herself, her career journey, and why she loves hand quilting so much.

[08.07] EPP – Karie explains English paper piecing and how it works.

[11.03] The first memory – Karie dives into her first memory of sewing with her grandmother.

[23.03] Handmade gifts – We talk about the specialty of giving handmade gifts to someone.

[28.10] Business Partner – Karie talks about her friend with whom she started her business.

[35.06] Favorite people – We talk about Karie’s favorite people and how they helped her pursue her career. [42.02] Machine embroidery – Karie shares why she has never done machine embroidery.

[47.20] Spreading Love – At the end of today’s conversation, Karie shares how she gives love to people with everything she sews for them.

Grab Karie's "Orange Jewell-ious" Quilt Pattern: https://sulky.com/orange-jewellious-quilt-digital-pattern

Connect with Karie:


Website - kariejewell.com
Instagram - instagram.com/kariejewell