I was sitting on the floor, cutting out a pattern, listening to the Love To Sew podcast. You know, how we do.
Episodes 25 and 26 back to back.
That part is important. They had Caz talking about Sydney Frocktails, then Jennifer of Workroom Social, who is my #1 sewing community inspiration. Jennifer’s mantra of inclusivity as something requiring an action, not a passive ideal, is EVERYTHING. I haven’t been to any of her classes (yo, I’m west coast) or her camp, but I devour anything she says, ever. If I ever find myself childless for a long weekend and with some cashflow, I’m going to her camp.
So I’m sitting there, on my floor, wishing the Pacific Northwest had a Frocktails event….then I thought “I know how to do events….I’ve done them professionally for years…I can do this…” and I jumped up and bought the portlandfrocktails.com domain and started the @portlandfrocktails Instagram before I could chicken out. (Then my husband promptly went and fixed the site for me because he’s WAY better at it and that’s why it actually looks good.)
I’m proud to say, only 2 months later, tickets are now live for the inaugural June 30, 2018 Portland Frocktails. We have the most amazing local and national sponsors. We have a Selfie Station with a professional photographer! We have catering for a full dinner, incredible door prizes, and more. The Pacific Northwest sewing community has risen up to meet my Portland Frocktails challenge.
Why am I telling you this here?
Because I started here. Well, I started on my mom’s kitchen floor not understanding the madness of cutting something up and putting it back together…but having a blog made it real. You made the Love To Sew podcast have an audience, and those two ladies gave me permission I didn’t know I needed.
It’s our community of sewers, designers, knitters, and creatives that pushes me. It’s my mom, my husband, my kids, my Portland Modern Quilt Guild, and my friends, online and IRL, that all made me believe I can do this.
Thank you,
Becky aka sewbeckyjo on IG and blog, and NOW Portland Frocktails.