Episode 50

Stitchcraft Podcast

Repeat after us: Valentine’s Day is for friends, not lovers! Welcome to one of our favorite holidays, a celebration of appreciation and affection, topped with lots of sugary sweets. We can’t help but think this year is perfect for telling people you’re thinking of them fondly, since it will still be quite a while before we can see each other in person.

Aislinn is drinking A Date with Shirley Manson (recipe partway down this page). Maranda is enjoying Four Roses Bourbon with ginger beer.

Aislinn’s valentines have taken a year to make, but they were worth it! She’s been crocheting them using this pattern with the pinks and reds from the Stitch Together 2019 Advent Calendar and will be making bunting. She recommends against trying to starch knitted things, it just makes weird, almost plasticky-looking flakes all over everything. She is also working on the fantastically Art Deco Hulanicki socks by Rachel Coopey from PPQ Winter 2015 using deep stash Lorna’s Laces Solemate in the Washington Apple colorway. Such a lovely light yellow-green! She is yearning to gather the courage to try making the Libette shirt from PPQ Summer 2014. Maranda recommends for any sewing project: make a muslin first! Make your muslin from less-precious fabric so that you have a chance to learn what you’re trying to do, modify it as needed, and you’ll be much more likely to love the final finished project (not to mention, if you like your muslin, you can wear that, too).

Maranda valentines this year will be mending kits with handmade heart-shaped denim iron-on patches! She bought a full bolt of her favorite adhesive, Heat N Bond, which will last her a long time (and is much more affordable over time than buying it by the sheet). Pellon is another easy-to-find option.

We chatted about a bunch of other stellar things as well, including Ruby Star Society fabric, especially the prints by Rashida Coleman Hale. If you’re looking for ethically made clothing, good options include companies that make clothes from deadstock, fabric that has not been used before but will not be used by the company that had it made. Noctex uses largely deadstock for their clothes, which are wonderfully goth.

Gold stars this week (details of most in this Time article): Aislinn appreciated the design of Jill Biden’s inauguration dress and coat by Gabriela Hearst, decorated with hand-sewn flowers representing all of the states of the USA. Maranda loved the way that Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama highlighted amazing American designers like Kerby Jean-Raymond with their inauguration attire.