I was talking to my friend Leigh (owner of Topstitch Atlanta) about planning Atlanta Frocktails. For those that don’t know, Frocktails is an annual soirée for the maker community. We have them in various parts of the world—yes, world. They are a time for people who sew, knit, crochet, embroider, etc to come together and just celebrate what it is that we do with each other. Each of these crafts can be a really lonely thing and not everyone appreciates the work that goes into crafting the things we do and at Frocktails, you get to be surrounded by people who get it.
When I was talking to Leigh, I was telling her how the studio is one of my happy places. In fact, as I write this I’m sitting on the comfy couch in the corner as Leigh teaches a class on apron-making. Making things makes me so happy and right now, I need to choose my happy.
As the world feels like it’s burning, when I step into my office or this studio, I feel lighter and like I can breathe. There’s no hate here. No one is judging me by the size of my waistline, color of my skin, texture of my hair. In our community—the one that she’s created and the one I get to nurture—there is no space to hate someone because of who they love, how they identify, what adjustments they need, etc. and having this space feel safe is important because it’s not just me who feels that here.
The community that I belong to within the sewing niche is one that’s filled with love, light and laughter and as we navigate dark times, intentionally surrounding yourself with these things is important. Having joy amidst hateful and dangerous times is revolutionary. Why?
Because WE are the ultimate source of our joy and choosing love over hate is an act of resistance.
It’s so easy to fall into hate. It’s easy to find fault in others. It’s easy to nest in negativity. Being overwhelmed and feeling like I’m drowning is easy for me. But moving to breathe, kicking to survive, fighting to thrive… THAT is the hard part.
And for me and many others, sewing is part of that.
So like many have heard me say, delulu is my solulu right now. Joy is my fight. Sewing is my resistance. And Frocktails is where I get to meet with my people so we can do it together and pour light into the darkness together.