Fabric & Good People Who Happen to Design It.

So we got to visit the beautiful Whipstitch during our weekend in Atlanta. The place is very adorable, you should really check out Rachel's great pictures of it if you haven't yet. I realized that I hadn't ever visited another modern fabric shop besides the one I work in. While everyone else was hyperventilating over the fabrics they only get to order online most of the time, I was contemplating the layout of the store and trying to spy on the beginning class they had going on. (Not that I would need to spy, you know what I mean.) I was also learning up-selling techniques from the lovely girl who cut our fabric. Maybe it was just the Southern charm, but I feel like she could've convinced me to buy just about anything!

Of course I did find some things we don't carry at Sewn to covet and bring home. I got some Birch, Cloud 9 Monsterz, Quilt Blocks in a color way we don't have, and Lizzy House. I feel like there are at least  a couple other fat quarters that didn't make it into this photo because they are strewn about my sewing room. I've already started a new quilt with some of these goodies!

This Trefle print was a must for me. I think I remember Sophie using some in one of her awesome boy blazers? (Maybe Soph? Can't find it.)  Anyway, mine will become a Nituna for Elsie in the fall. SO EXCITED.

And I'm thinking this Melody Miller panel will become a new bag in the fall. I love everything on it, but especially that purple lady bit. (Gotta be a better way to say that...)

(Jacey's Picture)

Sunday night was such a special treat. Four sewing celebs who live in the Atlanta area were gracious enough to join us for dinner. Deborah Moebes, author and the owner of Whipstitch, along with designers/ authors Rashida Coleman-Hale, Melody Miller, and Ellen Luckett Baker. And they didn't jet home to their families after dinner, which they totally would've been justified in doing, they hung around and chatted with us until after 10. 

Now I'm not one to get extremely worked up about meeting cool people. I got that they were all kind of big deal, and I mostly worried that I'd say something that sounded stupid. I just wasn't squealing and wetting my pants or anything. But I didn't realize that this night would be one of my favorite experiences of the trip. They were all just so lovely and I truly admire the beautiful and refreshing ideas they are each bringing to our industry. As I listened to them humbly talk about these things, I realized how awesomely creative and ambitious they really were. Then I peed my pants. It was awkward... :)

We were even more floored that they each brought us gifts! Deborah had already given us the wonderful gift of 10% at Whipstitch. Rashida had signed copies of Zakka Style for all 8 of us, Ellen brought us fat quarters, and then Melody passed out a bag of Doritos to each of us. It was hilarious. Then she came back around with the typewriter fabric goodies, but the fact that she passed out Doritos first, sealed her place in my mind as the most adorable person ever. As you can see, I've been enjoying mine immensely.

Sewing Weekend in Atlanta

I arrived in Atlanta last Friday morning for the start of a great weekend. Super great. The greatest. I joined 7 other blogger friends for three days of nothing but sewing, good food, and fabric. Well, I guess there were some shenanigans too. And some really fantastic conversations that I won't soon forget.

See how happy I was? (photo by Ara Jane)

(Disclosure: I took pretty much zero good pictures. These are all by my friends, but don't worry, I'll tell you who.)


(More disclosure: This is really hard to blog about. I don't know what to show you because there is too much good stuff and you are going to get real sick of hearing about it from all of us. Oh well, suck it up.)


(Fullest of disclosure: These people are really REALLY great and wonderful people. If you don't know them, go follow their blogs. I'm pretty much just going to write about how cool they are for right now.)






This is Nicke. (Picture by Jacey) You might think she has a look of fabric-buying guilt, but I think it's more a look of "Don't even think about touching my bolts fools." I got to look at her cute mug mug a lot as we sewed across the table from each other, and shared a room. She's hilarious. She's a potty-mouth. She had enough self-discipline to get up and run in the morning. She's a really strong and wise person. And her stash is enviable.

This is Holly on the left, thoughtfully looking for the best fat quarters. (Rachel's picture) This girl has serious style. I never feel anything less than love for her fabric combinations. She has such a sweet spirit. She's an instagram fiend. Her eye knows exactly what blocks in your quilt configuration need rearranged and then it sings. Oh, and she's a fantastic cook. She's just the perfect combo of super classy and super down-to-earth.

This is Jacey.  (Picture by Holly) You know those people that are just so positive and happy that everyone is drawn to them? That's her to the nth degree. And, bonus: we like exactly the same type of music and movies. She's so good at everything she tries when it comes to sewing and knitting. She was actually one of the last to arrive at the house on Friday, and she was like the glue that suddenly made us all feel like old friends. That's just her. 

This is Ara Jane. (Picture by Rach) I am SO glad this girl came to Atlanta. I didn't even know her that well as an online friend before the trip. She is fantastic. So funny and relaxed and just plain cool. The kind of person you want to have coffee with any day of the week... well, I think she's more of a tea drinker. But I'd drink coffee and she would not judge me for it. She's a new-ish mother and she just beams when she talks about her adorable daughter. I also wish I could commute to Seattle a couple times a month to be in a book club with her. Smart as a whip, but not the kind of person to lord it over anyone. 

Although she might kill me for picking this picture of her, this is Maureen. (Jacey's pic) This girl is bottled fun. Chatty as can be, but not in a way that anyone minds. You want to hear Maureen's stories or you feel like you are missing something good. She's your favorite small-town friend. She deals with a couple dietary issues that I would gripe about profusely, but she doesn't. Instead she just tells more funny stories about it. She makes a mean grapefruit mojito, and if I could, I'd be hanging at her house on the weekends bugging her to make it for me. You probably already read her blog, therefore you know that she is crazy artistically talented. Like... CRAZY.

This is Amanda. (photo by Holly) How great is her sewing machine? You can't tell in this picture, but she is fairly pregnant. Even so, girl produced on that machine. I'll probably always picture her bellied up to it, creating beauties, saying things that alternate between really profound and dryly hilarious. She's the kind of girl who makes things happen. Generous with her thoughts and her smiles, and even giving enough to let us all feel her baby belly because we missed being pregnant (Don't worry, that feeling only lasted momentarily.) 

Of course you know Rachel too. (Holly again) Rachel in real life is just like you would think she would be. Which is good, because you know blog Rachel and real Rachel are genuine, sincere and lovely. I admire so much about the way she works and takes care of her family. And she never seems to have a creative slump, the beautiful creations just gush from her. She's a real thinker, an organizer, and a major encourager. Basically she was the Leslie Knope of the group, (no Rach, none of the dopiness!) and we definitely needed one, or the whole weekend wouldn't have happened. Everyone loves Leslie Knope and totally roots for her. 

Enough barfy friend stuff. Tomorrow I'll show you what I got from Whipstitch (where many of these pictures are set) and tell you about even more fun people we got to meet. Now seriously, go follow their blogs!