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In this episode of the Stitch Please podcast, Lisa interviews Grace Christopher, the creative genius behind African Zesty Couture. Grace shares her journey into sewing, which began as a way to keep her mind active after moving to the United States (US) with her one-year-old child. Growing up in Nigeria, Grace had been exposed to her mother's sewing, but it wasn't until later that she truly delved into the craft. 

Grace's sewing journey began with an old treadle machine but when she moved to the US, she acquired an electric sewing machine, making her sewing experience more accessible. Her early projects were primarily for herself and her son, driven by a desire to connect with her Nigerian heritage. 

As Grace's sewing skills grew, so did her interest in different types of fabrics. She now offers a wide range of fabrics on her website, including Knit Ankara, Silk Adire, and Kampala. Grace provides insights into the cultural significance and unique characteristics of each fabric type, shedding light on their origins and traditional uses. 

Grace's approach to designing garments is influenced by her desire to celebrate the diversity of African fashion. She emphasizes the importance of allowing the fabric to speak for itself and encourages people to experiment with different styles and fabric combinations. Grace actively builds a sense of community among her customers through sew-alongs and challenges. These events provide opportunities for individuals to explore their creativity and gain confidence in working with African fabrics. 

The podcast episode concludes with Grace expressing her aspiration to flood the streets with African prints and her dedication to empowering others to embrace and incorporate these fabrics into their own creations. The conversation exemplifies the rich cultural tapestry that sewing can encompass, and the potential for creativity to connect people across continents.

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Grace Christopher

Grace Christopher's journey is an extraordinary fusion of law and creative passion. Initially drawn to law, she devoted years to her legal career. However, her early exposure to her mother's sewing ignited a lasting passion. From her mother's vintage machine to crafting her own garments as a teenager, Grace's creativity found its roots. A move to the US and motherhood rekindled her love for sewing, inspiring her to blend her Nigerian heritage with her creative passion for sewing. Grace's designs breathe life into African fabrics, infusing them with modern flair. Through approachable teaching and challenges, she cultivates a community of creatives, aiming to saturate the streets with African fashion. As a mother, business owner, and designer, Grace exemplifies the transformative power of self-expression and celebrates the beauty of diversity.

Lisa Woolfork

Lisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.

Insights from this episode:

• How Grace’s experience with sewing was both a way to stay busy and to feel connected
• Grace’s transition from practicing law to pursuing a career in sewing, driven by a desire to keep her mind active and find joy in creativity
• African Zesty Couture, specializes in offering various types of fabrics that have cultural and regional significance, and she aims to provide a wide range of options to cater to different tastes and preferences
• The silk adire fabric, traditionally associated with the Yoruba people, is known for its tie-dye patterns and is now also produced in silk, giving it a unique texture.
• How Grace approaches design: sometimes starting with a specific fabric that inspires a creation, while other times she envisions a style and looks for a fabric to match
• TikTok as a strategy to connect with others through sew-alongs and challenges, encouraging others to explore their creativity with African fabrics
• Grace hosts live TikTok session primarily on Fridays at 12:30 PM Central Time
• Initiatives that aim to break down the perception that African prints are exclusive or difficult to work with
• The ultimate goal of Grace's business is to "flood the streets with Ankara," emphasizing the accessibility and versatility of African fabrics in everyday wear
• Grace's journey from practicing law to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the sewing industry reflects her passion for creativity, her cultural connection, and her dedication to empowering others to explore their own creative potential

Quotes from the show:

• “The growth of your son and the growth of your sewing skills seem to kind of come up at the same time, like they’re rising together.” - Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• “I always encourage people do not see African fabrics as something difficult to work with or exclusive.” - Grace Christopher, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• “It just depends on how I’m feeling at the moment. I think as creatives, we tend to go back and forth based on how we are feeling and that’s part of the beautiful thing about being a creative.” - Grace Christopher, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• “You also spend time building community among your customers and not just your customers but everybody, by having different sew-alongs, having different challenges... I think that's really encouraging because it shows that you really want to build a relationship between yourself and your clients and you want anyone who is consuming your fabric to feel confident that they can use it for something that would make them happy.” - Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• “The fundamental reason why I do that is I feel like I cannot spread this thing fast enough on my own because one of the goals of my business is I say it like a little catch phrase to to flood the streets with an Ankara.” - Grace Christopher, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• “Your challenge is really more like an invitation for people to investigate their own creativity.” - Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• “I think sometimes we stumble into great things when we don’t even plan on them.” - Grace Christopher, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• "Be kind to yourself... embrace the journey and learn as you go." - Grace Christopher, Stitch Please, Episode #207
• "Color your life with these beautiful prints." - Grace Christopher, Stitch Please, Episode #207

Resources Mentioned:

• Black Sewing Network
• Youtube: Zesty African Couture

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Lisa Woolfork

Instagram: Lisa Woolfork

Twitter: Lisa Woolfork

Grace Christopher

African Zesty Couture

Etsy: African Zesty Couture

Instagram: Zesty Couture

TikTok: @Africanzestycouture

Youtube: Zesty African Couture

Facebook: Zesty Couture

Pinterest: Zesty Couture

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Produced and Edited by the Fermata Audio Collective:

EP - Krystal Hill

Producer - Mike Bryant

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Leave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.

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Stay Connected:

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Lisa Woolfork 0:00

Lisa Woolfork 0:46

[MUSIC]

Carmen Green 0:52

Hello. This is Carmen Green, founder and curator of the Black Sewing Network Experience. Black Sewing Network, also known as BSN, is a network that amplifies and celebrates Black voices in the sewing community 365 days a year. We host daily live sew along, sometimes multiple times a day, primarily in the Tiktok space, but also across all social media platforms. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to tune into the "Ladies of BSN" series on the Stitch Please podcast. Special thanks to Lisa of Black Women Stitch for always being so supportive of BSN, and for sharing this amazing platform with our incredible host. You can find our up to date sew along schedule at www.black sewingnetwork.com And we would love to see you join us at our next sew along. Thank you again for all your support, and enjoy the rest of this episode.

Carmen Green 1:45

[MUSIC]

Lisa Woolfork 1:59

Hello stitchers. Welcome to Stitch Please, the official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. I'm your host, Lisa Woolfork. I'm a fourth-generation sewing enthusiast with more than 20 years of sewing experience. I am looking forward to today's conversation. So sit back, relax, and get ready to get your stitch together.

Lisa 2:24

Hey, friends, hey. It's Lisa here from the Black Women Stitch org, and the Stitch Please podcast. And, as I say every week, this is a very special episode. Because this episode I am talking with the creative genius and immense talent behind African Zesty Couture. Yes, that is right. Grace Christopher is here with us today. You have seen her on Etsy with her thriving, well-rated African Zesty Couture business there. She has her own website, and a brick and mortar store in Texas. You see her around-- and she's especially active on TikTook. She has monthly sew-alongs. She will help you get your stitch together, especially when it comes to working with African fabrics. Grace, welcome to the program. Thanks for being here with us today.

Grace Christopher 3:18

Thank you for having me. Such an honor. So I appreciate you invitin' me. [chuckles]

Lisa 3:23

Talk a little bit about the beginning. I would love to hear--and I often ask people this--your sewing story.

Grace 3:30

So it's kind of an interesting story. I'm still in shock sometimes. But I didn't begin my career in sewing. Like, too far from it. I went to school, studyin' law. I practiced law for over five years; did the whole law school thing and everything. But before that time, my mom has always been someone with a creative side. Like, she always did a whole lot of things , and sewing was one of the things I happened to see growing up. She had this old vintage machine. I even did a video about it on my YouTube page. The old ones where you have to, you know, the--how's it called, you have to step on, like--

Lisa 4:16

--The pedal. It's a treadle machine. You move your foot up and down like this, right?, to get it to go.

Grace 4:22

She still has that currently.

Lisa 4:24

Wow. That's wonderful.

Grace 4:26

[Chuckles] And, out of all her children, it was just myself and the eldest that were able to figure out how to move that treadle. So I just saw her. [Chuckles] It was a balancing act, I will tell you that much.

Grace 4:41

So I started sewing when I was about 13 or 15. Going to school, but I was just watching her, and I decided to try a few things. And then I said, "I'm making my own clothes that I only wear at home," because I wasn't skilled enough at anything else. So I just went away it was just something nice to have So, I kind of took that from her. But when I went into college, began to study law, I had no time for anything else. So I kind of abandoned all of that idea. Then of course, finished school, got a job, became active and working and everything. However, when I moved to the US, I had a one-year-old son already, and I kind of put my life on hold completely. Halt, like a screech.

Lisa 4:42

Wow.

Grace 4:45

All of a sudden. You know, moving locations, and then having a new baby, I needed time to understand what I wanted to do next with my life. At that point, my entire priority was on my son. And I was whole day with him, because there was nowhere else to go. And this was a new country. I had not gotten my feet on the ground or anything. So I was looking for something to keep me busy.

Lisa 5:54

Yes.

Grace 5:54

Looking for something to keep my mind active, to make me, you know, excited, because my whole day was just about nothing. Cleaning up poop and all of that. I needed something to excites me.

Lisa 6:06

And I get it, exactly. And it's funny when you say, "I needed something to keep me busy," and I'm like, "Well, there's nothing that will keep you busier than a one year old."

Grace 6:13

[Laughs]

Lisa 6:14

But when you said you wanted to keep your mind active, if it's just all that you are doing--

Grace 6:20

Mhm.

Lisa 6:20

--and you feel like, "I don't have any other form of stimulation." And also that postpartum after birth, you can definitely start to feel low. Postpartum depression is real. It is a real thing that happens.

Grace 6:35

Right.

Lisa 6:36

And, you know, the fact that you could identify and say, "Hey, you know, I want something more." And that is okay. And of course you do, because you are a whole person who had a full life before you had a baby, you have a lot of transition, you're leaving your country, you're coming to a new country with a new baby, and everything is new, and you are probably sleep deprived.

Grace 7:02

Definitely, definitely. That was just it. And having the background of seeing my mom sew, and how it made me happy when I was able to make my own clothes, [unclear] I only wore them at home. I just kind of gravitated to doing that. So, we just got a domestic product sewing machine. And it was even easier, because this time I didn't have to walk on the treadle, right?

Lisa 7:25

[Laughs]

Grace 7:26

I was able to plug it in and it got going. And that was how I started. Of course, I couldn't remember anything I used to do when I was 15. So I went to watch videos on YouTube. Step by step, how to do this, how to make this.

Lisa 7:42

It's so exciting that you were able to grow up with a lot of sewing, and then only you and your eldest sibling could figure out how to make the treadle work at all. Because it's not as easy as it looks.

Grace 7:57

Yeah.

Lisa 7:57

And it's very physical, you know, like your body is moving, you know. It's definitely moving when you're operating the treadle. But now you come to the US, you're like, "You know what, I'm gonna get a very simple machine. But the fact that it has electricity will make it more complicated than I had before." I love how that's been able to make your sewing maybe a little bit easier. I love how you describe your early sewing projects, as you know, "This is house clothes. These are things that I wear at home. My skills are not yet ready for the world." But when they became ready, do you remember some of the first things that you made that you were pretty proud of?

Grace 8:32

So the first that I made was a shirt for my son.

Lisa 8:35

Oh, that's sweet.

Grace 8:37

The whole idea was to, kind of, wear matching clothes with him. Because it was not just not about trying to so it was also combined with me being a little homesick.

Lisa 8:51

Yes.

Grace 8:51

So, I missed my family, I missed what I typically see all the time, African prints everywhere. I missed that experience of being home. And I was like, "Let me find something to hold on to. Maybe if I start a tradition of making my children wear what I used to wear, maybe we can have that." So I actually wanted to make something for him. And--I made that for him first and then I made myself--I think a dress also-- a very easy dress we could wear together. And that was the first project. Now it wasn't perfect. But we went out and we rocked it. [Laughs]

Lisa 9:32

And I'm sure you got compliments. I'm sure. All the imperfections that you saw, I do not believe other people saw. Am I right or am I right?

Grace 9:40

You're right. Definitely right. Yeah.

Lisa 9:43

Oh, that is so exciting, and how the growth of your son and the growth of your sewing skills seemed to kind of come up at the same time. Like, they're rising together, you know. That's pretty exciting to see. Now, you offer lots of different fabric types on your website. And that's something that I really appreciate about what your site does. You offer Ankara and Ankara bundles, you offer scrap pieces and little bags, you offer jelly rolls where there's lots of different--there's so many different varieties of types of fabric you can get. For me, the things that I love about your shop, I love the knit Ankara, because I am a knit lover. I love knit fabric. And I wondered if we could spend some time talking through some of these fabrics, and then talk about how you encourage people to use them. This is an image--ya'll if you are a Patreon supporter--thank you very much, Patreon supporters. Patreon support is the lifeblood of this podcast and helps me to pay the people that help me. And so thank you very much for that. We're looking at knit Ankara here. And this is from your website, there's two rather traditional patterns. I know I have something similar in a woven with the blue and yellow, and then these amazing lions, and then these wonderful flowers, talk about your knit Ankara, and what made you choose or decide to start offering this in your shop.

So--you of course--typically Ankara comes in just a woven one that doesn't stretch. And that's kind of how I learned. I never had any idea of knit fabrics. However, with interacting with members of our sewing community, and actually seeing how beautifully fabrics that stretch can look, I decided to go searching. 'Cause people have been asking me, "Do you have the kinds that stretch?" And I'll say, "No," because they actually are very hard to find. So because abnormal. It's not typical. So I did reach out to be, like, please find it for me. So they have knit fabrics, but they have the design of Ankara on them. So they're not the Ankara fabrics, but the designs, the colors, the patterns, is what makes it different and beautiful. So, like you said, the blue and the red are normal, typical designs you will see in the woven one. And also the lion one--that lion one has a special thing, special place in my heart, because it's a very special fabric. It does have a woven edition. And the original one is actually wool,.

What?

Yeah, is an Igbo fabric called Isia--

Ohhh.

--which literally means "the head of the lion."

Ohhh.

That fabric has a deep history in the Igbo tradition. Because it was only allowed for warriors to wear. So, it was like you had to be a warrior. Being able to conquer a lion--

Wowww.

--to be able to wear it. So there was a time when even women were not allowed to dress in this. It was like, you are not a warrior. It was for men, exclusively for men, and for warriors. But now with things changing, it has not only just transitioned to not being only wool, for the traditional Igbo fabric was wool.

Wow.

--but now they also make it in cotton. And now also in knit. So I was so excited to see it it knit. But, like "what? Let's do it." So I had to get it. I had to get to it.

That is amazing. And I think I'm surprised to learn that wool fabric would be something that you would want in Nigeria. So can you talk a little bit about that traditional Igbo fabric and why you think it was made from wool?

Ah, I cannot speak to, because I don't want to be wrong. I can't speak to the exact reason why it is wool. The much I can say is that Africa does have some fabrics that are particular to different regions. So the thing that we all know, the Ankara we all love, is more like something we all love as Nigerians,--

Yes.

--as Africans and all of that. However, it does have different fabrics that speak to them. So my own local community, very minority tribe, if I ever mentioning it someone-- nobody might even know what it is. We have our own special fabric that is more like linen.

Ohhh.

All you can do with that fabric is style it. That's what my mother used to do. Style it, wear it as a wrapper across our waist, go for the event, come back, put it out to air dry, and put it back in the box. You don't--[Chuckles]--with the way Ghanaians have a special process to make their Kente fabric.

Yes, that's right.

Our fabric is so particular to the Igbo people. So I'm not Igbo, I cannot really speak to the far, far history as to why--

No, but that's really helpful, what you've explained that different regions, different countries have their own different types of fabrics. And I'm wondering if one of the examples of that is Kampala? This was new to me.

Yes.

I have seen these prints before. And if you are Patreon supporters--that's it, thank you. Here are some gorgeous images. We are looking at images of the fabrics that Grace offers. And what we have on the slide right now is a Kampala fabric that she sells. And these are gorgeous. Like, they look like, almost like a kaleidoscope-type, you know, type impression.

Yup.

Can you talk about what Kampala means? Is Kampala a place? Is it a technique? What is Kampala fabric and why do you carry them in your shop?

So I tried to be as broad as possible since I'm doing African fashion, not just Nigerian fashion. So when I started this, I was interested, apart from the fact that they are gorgeous, right? Kampala fabrics are originally designed by Uganda.

Ohhh.

Kampala itself is a city in Uganda.

Okay.

Kampala is a city in Uganda. So they actually named the fabric by the city. That way, you can't even run around in circles,--

[Laughs]

--you know where it came from. So this is their interpretation of tie dye.

Ohh.

And I do have a friend in church that is from Uganda. I had to check with her, like, "This is what my vendor is sending me that they say is from your country. Is that so?" They say, "Yes. That's our fabric," that she was excited to see, "That's our fabric."

Oh, I love that so much. Oh, that she can recognize a little piece of home, that you were able to share with her. Oh, that's wonderful. So I love that--I really am glad to know, and I think not--as soon as you said it, I was like, "Oh, that's right. I did know Kampala was in Uganda." Oh my gosh, I think I saw it attached to the word "fabric" and thought that, "No, no, this must mean something else." But no. I like that you said that, "This is a good way,"--

Yeah.

so that you don't have to go wondering where this beautiful piece of Kampala fabric came from. It probably came from Kampala. I think that's so wonderful.

Now how about this one? This is the silk adire. I know that adire is also similar to the way you've done the knit Ankara. You've also taken another traditional fabric that is usually done in cotton, I believe, and made it into a silk or a satin. Can you talk a bit about this piece? These are also so unique.

Yeah, so this one, the silk adire is also a localized fabric. So this is known for the Yorubas.

Ohh. Okay. Okay.

Even growing up, when you saw this fabric, you just attributed it to the Yorubas. This is their own version of tie dye. And it is done with silk.

Ohh.

They do have some other fabrics they call adire.

Ohh.

They have some madeira fabric--that is also tie dye. Just different methods of tie dye. Some, the ones that have strings, the other ones is stamp on.

Yes.

But it's all tie dye. So they call it "silk" just to differentiate the fact that these were tie dyed with silk fabrics.

Ohh! So the fabric itself is not silky.

It's silky.

Oh it is? Oh, I understand. So there's two types of adire: You can do it with silk, or you can do it with cotton.

Yes.

Ohhh. Look at me! See, look, you are teaching me so much already. And I thought that I had learned this already. So now I'm feeling like I'm getting advanced education. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[Music] Black Women Stitch is happy to celebrate the 200th episode of the Stitch Please podcast with AccuQuilt. It's our birthday, but thanks to AccuQuilt, we're giving gifts. All September we counted down to 200 episodes. In October every week we gave away one AccuQuilt GO Me Fabric Starter Set and culminated with the grand prize giveaway of the GO Big Electric Fabric Cutter Starter Set. If you are new to AccuQuilt and are thinking about investing in their system, the Ready Set Go bundle is your best value. Ready Set Go provides everything you needed to get started: an AccuQuilt GO cutter, the eight inch cube with eight essential dyes to create 72 blocks, a dye to easily cut multiple strips, squares, and diamonds. You also get a pattern book! And the best part is, at anytime you can upgrade your GO Cutter to the fantastic GO Big--which is what I have--where the AccuQuilt magic can happen at the touch of a button. June Tailor, a well-known name in the notions game is now part of AccuQuilt. Links to AccuQuilt's wonderful products can be found in the show notes. [Music]

Now we've gone through all these different types of fabric- the silk adire, the knit ankara, the kampala. And now, it's almost--as I said before with the education-- what do you encourage people to make with these things? I think it is one thing to sell fabric, it is another thing for you to use your fabric to create fashion that is, according to your interpretation, reflective of the Black diaspora, which will not just be Nigerian, as you mentioned, that you wanted it to be a bit broader to think about all of the countries on the continent. What's your first step when you are designing a piece? Do you think about a particular region? Do you start with a sketch? Do you start with a fabric? How do you start to build what would become these really beautiful pieces that you've created?

So my method does differ, because I do have some moments like we all do. So sometimes I start out by just loving one fabric, like, I can't let this fabric go, I have to use it.

Yes.

Right? And then decide I want to use that fabric, then I look at the patterns and the design, and then decide on what I want to do with it. So it's--those that you see here, I loved the fabric. And then with the way the design is placed, I was like, "I have to showcase the lines." So I need to do a duster where they get to express themselves without me doing so much, so. Sometimes I just want the fabrics to speak for themselves. And that's kind of what I did with that.

But also sometimes I have a style in mind, and then I have to go look for a fabric that will match with what I'm trying to do. So that's kind of what happened with it--with the other dress, I just wanted to do a solid and Ankara. I wanted a little mixture, so I decided okay, I'm going to find a beautiful floral print, a bold, floral print, and then mix it with something that is solid. And that was how that started. So it just depends on how I'm feeling at the moment. And I think as creatives we tend to go back and forth, based on how we're feeling. And that's part of the beautiful thing about being a creative: we are not in a box.

That's right. [Chuckles]

We express ourselves however we're feeling at that time. So I will always encourage people: Do not see African fabrics as something difficult to work with or exclusive. It just see it as a regular fabric you will pick up in the store. Whatever you use, your typical cotton fabrics for, you can use with Ankara.

Absolutely. And it gives you some more volume because sometimes the fabrics can be kind of stiff. So, like, if you're doing--I keep thinking about Nikki Brooks's Nomi pattern--I'm blanking on the number--but it has a very, very elevated, exaggerated sleeve. And exaggerated sleeves--

Mhm.

--do very well in Ankara. They really stand out. And so I want to shift to talking about how, in the same way that you've been such a generous job talking about the--your fabric here, and educated us about the different types in different regions, you also spend time building community among your customers. Not just your customers, but everybody! By having different sew-alongs, having different challenges, here's a bag of scraps, what can you make? I think that's really encouraging because it shows that you really want to build a relationship between yourself and your clients. And you want anyone who was consuming your fabric to feel confident that they can use it for something that would make them happy. Can you talk about your sew alongs that I think that you do pretty regularly? Or the different challenges that you invite people to consider when they're consuming your fabric.

Okay, so I love the challenges and I love doing the sew-alongs, because the fundamental reason why I do that, is I feel like I cannot spread this thing fast enough on my own.

Mmm.

Because one of the goals of my business is- I say it like a news catchphrase- to flood the streets--

Yes.

--with Ankara. And I cannot sew fast enough to make that happen. So how about we empower--

Yes.

--everybody to do it. So I wanted to encourage you to use the fabric, to show you how you can use it even in regular clothes you wear. Like, it doesn't have to be a special [unclear]. You can use it for casual stuff. So I'm into casual stuff you just wears and lounge around the house or go to run--

Right.

--Walmart and all that. I don't want to be the only person or only woman in Ankara.

[Laughs]

Okay? I'm trying to get off Get us all [unclear]. So that's kind of why I do the sew-alongs. I am usually live steady on Fridays, by 12:30 Central Time on TikTok.

Oh good.

That's my regular time that I'm always live. Apart from that I, from time to time when I have some space, I show up live, but for sure, regularly, it's every Friday twelve--

Oh, that's good to know.

Mhm. For the challenges, we do spice things up, trying to make people think of ways they can incorporate African prints and even mix it with other things. We have had a challenge where we combine Ankara and denim. We have had where we did a patchwork, kind of stole, like, just use at least four different African prints in one project.

Wow.

That was the challenge. What we have currently going on is to mix solid and Ankara in any singular project. So those challenges are meant to motivate you, to inspire you to do something you ordinarily not want to on your own. And that's what I really love about challenge. And so far, we've seen some amazing things.

I am so glad because I love how your challenge is really more like an invitation for people to investigate their own creativity. You know? And so I think that is so beautiful. That's really wonderful, Grace. Another thing I was thinking of was that, you know, your--as your family has grown, you came here with a baby, essentially, a very young child. And now you've got more than one I think? And I just recently saw a photo of you and all of them looking utterly adorable. They had all had outfits that you were--you had made, and you were matching them. What does this mean to you, as someone who started sewing when they came to the U.S. in order to have a cultural connection back to Nigeria, and now here you are, you have your family in matching outfits that you've made. Tell me a bit about that. Is that like a 360 moment, kind of coming back to where you started a bit as a child?

Absolutely, it's just--it's still a dream to imagine that I'm able to do that now, because that was the vision originally: to have something to pass on to my children, to match with them, to make them even love and excited about the fabric. And now they actually look forward to me making something for them.

That's the best.

And when I send these pictures to my mom, she's so excited to see. She's like she never believed she will--I will do what she used to do. She never believed it, 'cause she just felt I will always be a lawyer. So it makes her so glad to see, even her grandkids look the way we now look and create this beautiful culture that we are able to, you know, personally, actually love to wear. It's just been a blessing.

It sounds like it, and it looks like it. That's what I see when I look at your images and see their beautiful smiling faces and your beautiful smiling face. It really is. I can definitely understand why your mother would be very proud. Now let me ask you, as we had to wrap up, our final question that we ask everyone. The slogan of the Stitch Please podcast is that we will help you get your stitch together. Grace, proprietor and CEO of African Zesty Couture, what advice would you offer to our listeners to help us get our stitch together?

I would say, allow yourself to be creative, change your perspective, if you feel like you are in a rut. Just express yourself. It took a moment even for me to accept being a small business owner and a fashion designer, it took a minute for me to accept that new reality. But I think some of the time we stumble into great things when we don't even plan on them. So. Even in our journey do something new, try something different. Get inspired. And just like--we have only one life to live. So I kind of want to express myself. So typically, I am a quiet--

Mmm.

--introvert, but I don't dress [unclear] because I want to be something else. So express yourself with--however way you can. And then get the resources that you need to do that. Day by day keep trying what you can try, do what you can do. Take it one day at a time, you know. Be kind to yourself--

Yes.

--I need to say that for myself too. And just embrace the journey and learn as you go. And I think you get your stitch together that way and definitely color your life. Color your life with these beautiful prints.

They absolutely will.

They will inspire you.

They absolutely will. I was looking through the website and I was like, "Lisa, you are here to do research, not to shop." But I will be coming back to shop, certainly,--

Good!

--because you have some new knit ankaras that I hadn't seen before. So I will definitely--you will be hearing from me at some point soon. Grace, thank you so much again for being with us. Thank you so much. Tell us how we can find you. Where can we find you on the socials? And if folks wanted to sew along with you, you said that you're there Fridays at 12:30 Central Time?

Just Friday, 12:30 Central Time, for sure. But if you follow me, you'll be able to know when I come on live because I pop in and out. And then I just do things at the spur of the moment. And those are actually the best.

Yes.

Those are the best projects. So my website is www.zestycouture.com. www.zestycouture.com. And on my website, if you go all the way to the bottom of the screen, you'll be able to find the other ways you can connect with me. So I'm on TikTok, I'm on Instagram, I'm on Facebook, or you just do a search and put in "African zesty couture" and I should pop up. I hope--

You do pop up.

I should pop up, right. That's a linktree that actually does spell out every way you could connect with me, to all of the social media platforms. So I'm looking forward to connecting with everyone and, you know, keep going on this journey together.

Thank you, Grace. Thank you so much for being with us today. This has been really wonderful. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate it so much for inviting me.

[Music] You've been listening to Stitch Please, the official podcast of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. We appreciate you joining us this week and every week for stories that center Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. We invite you to join the Black Women Stitch Patreon community. With giving levels beginning at five dollars a month, your contributions help us bring the Stitch Please podcast to you every week. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support, and come back next week and we'll help you get your stitch together.