March classes

Whipstitch is my baby. In a lot of ways. Not just the shop, but this blog and all the things growing out of it and planned for it, its whole future. I’ve been designing children’s clothing for a while now, and I feel so creatively challenged and fulfilled by doing it. It really stretches parts of me that I don’t ask to come out and play very often. One of the toughest aspects is in the realm of fabric selection, which for me means de-selection, because I always want to choose ALL of it. I work very diligently each season to select fabrics that work well together and to put out a collection of separates that are also outfits and that look good both on display in the store AND in the closet, whether you purchase one piece or (in the case of my own children) each and every single one.

But it’s a struggle. I feel like I’m a little girl again and I don’t want to hurt any of my stuffed animals’ feelings by leaving a single one on the floor while all the others get to sleep on the bed with me, so I sleep on the floor while they take over the bed. I feel that way about any fabric or print that I am forced to leave out of a collection. So Whipstitch Fabrics was born, my baby, my opportunity to buy EVERY SINGLE DELICIOUS FABRIC I came across.

I never would’ve taken the plunge, though, if it hadn’t been for the classes I’ve been teaching. I was asked nearly two years ago to teach sewing classes through Beehive Co-op, a very hip boutique here in Atlanta. I have yet to meet a single woman through these classes who I wouldn’t want to hang out with in real life, and have been very grateful to find that some of them have become dear friends. And all of them, invariably, have complained that there is NO WHERE to buy fabric in town.

For those of you who don’t live here in Atlanta, it’s a BIG city. In some ways, even more so than New York, because we’re terribly spread out, and in total denial. The closest Jo-Ann to the store where our classes is held is 19 miles away. The closest Hancock is 6 miles, but they’re so rude that it HURTS to go in there. There are two quilt stores inside the central city area (Inside the Perimeter, we say around here, or ITP to those who Know), and each of them is 15 miles away from the shop. My students bemoaned the lack of convenient stores, and my girlfriends encouraged me to do something about it.

So, Whipstitch was born. At its heart, Whipstitch is still an extension of my classes, and exists to fill the needs of my students. If you’re around the Atlanta area, come on by and check out our March class offerings–I’d love to have you, you’ll have a ton of fun, and you can meet Whipstitch for yourself!