Early in September, Seattle had a Fabric Show where all the reps for fabric vendors like Alexander Henry, Kona Bay, Free Spirit, Michael Miller, Moda, ZPRZ, and so many more all had "booths" or in this case rooms where you could see the latest fabric trends. This is where industry folk, like shop owners or clothing/quilt designers, could meet and buy for their business needs. Judy & Sandy of ZPRZ, by the way, gave great samples and also followed up just a couple days after the show. Color me impressed!
How my friend Charity & I attended is that this show happened to also be open to the public and I was fortunate enough to find out about it through Tacoma Sewing and Design School newsletter that Ryliss puts out regularly.
The show was held at an embassy suites where the rooms all face an inner court yard. Those who have been to Art and Soul in Portland years past, same floor plan. Some vendors were not interested once they learned we were not fabric business folk. But others were very kind and showed us their many products. Dan Rimmon had many fabrics that could be purchased in small quantities (2-15 yards). See the photos of the yummy purple and blue hemp knits, oh swoon! And he had tons of liberty. Very nice guy. I will definitely be in touch.
How my friend Charity & I attended is that this show happened to also be open to the public and I was fortunate enough to find out about it through Tacoma Sewing and Design School newsletter that Ryliss puts out regularly.
The show was held at an embassy suites where the rooms all face an inner court yard. Those who have been to Art and Soul in Portland years past, same floor plan. Some vendors were not interested once they learned we were not fabric business folk. But others were very kind and showed us their many products. Dan Rimmon had many fabrics that could be purchased in small quantities (2-15 yards). See the photos of the yummy purple and blue hemp knits, oh swoon! And he had tons of liberty. Very nice guy. I will definitely be in touch.
Upon stumbling into the Riley Blake rep, Carrie Strong, I asked her advice on what a budding fabric designer would do to get started. Wow, such a kind, helpful woman. In short, she said, get your body of work together, make it outstanding, then go to one of the major quilt shows (it travels around the US and was in Portland last year), then schedule to meet with the manufacturers. She knew we were "the public" and still was nice to us and helpful anyway. Now that is the sign to me of a sales rep who thinks holistically, and cares about all customers at all levels. One never knows the impact a single person could have even if they are not buying wholesale, they could be a huge influencer. Treating everyone as though they matter is a gold star sales rep in my book.
Last, we met Melissa McGill who reps for Alexander Henry and Robert Kauffman, two of my absolute favorite manufacturers. She also had a table of these hand-dyed fabrics that totally caught my eye. If you read my post Vintage Apron Grows up to Become a Skirt, you know that I am totally infatuated with African fabrics since watching Wild at Heart written by Ashley Pharoh (writer of Bonekickers I might add) see below.
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Because of this African fabric infatuation, I'm working on a few wardrobe pieces and have been looking for just the right fabric. Well, Melissa's pieces turned out to be perfect. I inquired a bit about the history of the fabric. Turns out, her husband started a school in Uganda for the handicapped so they could learn a trade, have a safe place to live and earn their own money. Melissa visits every 5 years and teaches the women new techniques. These fabrics were shibori dyed or batiked on a huge scale. They lay the fabric out on the ground, then they fold or batik it. Folding occurs lengthwise many times over then dyeing.
A woman at the Kampala school wears a skirt made of a hand-dyed print very similar to one of the bolt pieces I bought. Image Source & Copyright: Melissa McGill (Facebook: NW Textiles Melissa McGill Fabric Sales Rep. Click picture for link)
The other method they use, because wax is expensive to obtain, is to make a cornmeal paste and cover spots with a broom, let it dry, then dye. Think of it like a resist. How fantastic is that? And the colors are rich and remind me of the beautiful images of African sunsets and landscapes.
Kampala School dyers laying out their fabrics to apply resist. Image Source & Copyright: Melissa McGill (Facebook: NW Textiles Melissa McGill Fabric Sales Rep. Click picture for link)
Even better, is knowing that I am directly supporting another crafts-woman and helping her continue creating. Yes, the tears are welling up and my heart warms at this thought. Supporting a fellow artist or crafts-person be it in Africa or be it in your hometown is a valiant and worthy effort. Every choice is an opportunity to ..."be the change you wish to see in the world" (Gandhi). How are you creating a better world?
The day with Charity finished by a visit to Phinney Ridge where we stopped into the Fiber Gallery, a lovely shop that had a Rowan book I wanted, followed by lunch at Hummus Cafe and hot chocolate across the street.
The day with Charity finished by a visit to Phinney Ridge where we stopped into the Fiber Gallery, a lovely shop that had a Rowan book I wanted, followed by lunch at Hummus Cafe and hot chocolate across the street.
I must tell you, do not miss trying the eggplant+falafal sandwich at Hummus Cafe Totally and completely amazing. I haven't found middle eastern cuisine this good since I lived in Detroit. Plus, the service and the owners were wonderful! Highly recommended.
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