How did we meet?

 

Fati: Roxie and I met several years ago, however during that period in each of our lives we were on different paths and therefore the alignment of our lives didn't allow for the connection or opportunity to really become acquainted as we are today. Our college years involved friends and agendas which didn’t mesh at the time. As fate would have it years forward and as our desires and lifestyles became more parallel we fortuitously met through a mutual friend who invited us to have lunch together to discuss our pregnancy experiences. We were very pregnant during this period in our lives and were pretty much preoccupied with many other things and anxious to give birth to the babies. Therefore initially during our preview meeting of what was to unknowingly become the relationship we have today I departed the lunch meeting still unaware or dare I say clueless of the full potential of our relationship. I had not enough time during that brief period to realize Roxie's true personality, interests, likes, and dislikes and how much we had in common far beyond two mothers on the verge of giving birth.

 

Roxie: Much of my sentiment is identical to Fatimah’s as to the situation, circumstances and lack of knowing the profound potential of our friendship. I was employed during the time we got together for the pregnancy discussion lunch date which virtually only lasted an hour. My greatest take away was when I learned that Fati and her family had moved into a new home near where I was living. I sensed excitement as if subconsciously I knew there was a new friendship in my life about to blossom! We both had children the same age, but what I didn’t realize at the time was the dynamic and powerful synergy that our two lives would cultivate as a result of our rendevous! I just knew that I was very much looking forward to meeting with her again.

 

How did we start?

 

Fati: Due to the demands of motherhood it was an unbelieveable two years later that we finally decided to meet again at the local public library for our children's play dates. I remember looking forward to getting to know her better, as there was a vibe of positive energy about Roxie that was unforgettable! I think what impressed me the most about her was her aesthetic prowess. She exuded a natural and innate flair for fashion with her impeccable style and color coordination; from her beautiful pink lipstick which perfectly suited her flawless complexion to her matching headdress that blended with her outfit right down to her footwear! The image of her style and flair etched in my memory indefinitely.

 

That beautiful pink lipstick against her gorgeous complexion is still fresh in my mind. We began to discuss beauty products and health treatments. The stage was being set, not only for a bonding friendship but for a synergy of a powerful and timely connection which would lead us into the partnership we have today! Soon I began to share with Roxie my then hobby and love of being a seamstress. I conveyed my strong desire to sew and make DIY beauty products as a means of saving money and smart economics. I’ve always been quite frugal by nature and gifted with this ability. I just love the ability to create clothing equal to, if not better than the ones I see in the retail industry. And as an added bonus, I can create while implementing my own unique fabrics, enabling my imagination and creativity to dictate

 

Roxie: Oh my goodness! Yes, I recall wearing the pink lipstick. After getting to know Fatimah, our friendship has been a tremendous blessing in my life. Upon my first visit to her home I couldn't help noticing her sewing machine on the table. I can remember from my childhood how I’d always wanted to learn how to sew using a machine. I grew up watching my late mother sewing clothes, but unfortunately the opportunity escaped me due to her passing away. Still getting to know her, I was not sure if she’d be willing to teach me how to sew. Thankfully she was sweet enough to show me how to use the sewing machine. Immediately I became so infatuated with this new craft that I’d even sleep overnight at her home for the sole purpose of learning how to cut patterns and other related skills. I was not only realizing a lifelong dream, but I also soon discovered how utterly relaxing and therapeutic being a sewing hobbyist could be.  It became life fulfilling and boosted my inner confidence. Once I understood the basics of using the sewing machine, I was unstoppable! As a result I now spend endless periods of time buying fabrics online and collecting patterns.

 

Fati: She got a dress form before I did! But after sampling her dress form, I decided to make my own dress form after I realized how much it made my fittings easier! Let me tell you something about Roxie. She has an amazing artistic eye for fabrics. She comes up with cool design ideas for all the fabrics she chooses. I often find myself saying, “wow I never thought about that!” I oftentimes ask her for advice when shopping for fabrics online. 

 

 

Where do we look for our creative inspiration?

 

Fati: I often look for my creative inspiration from online clothing stores and a variety of magazines, not limited to fashion magazines. I also read home décor magazines for color palette and texture ideas for our sewing projects. They have amazing design galleries to take our inspiration from. They cleverly evoke certain moods just using right combinations of colors and designs. We are constantly broadening our sources of inspiration from packaging design to the natural world.

 

Roxie: Inspiration can be a fickle and tricky thing. Sources of inspiration play a powerful role in our early stages of fashion research. There is a fine line between “inspired by” and “copied”. We definitely don’t want to copy. Often when we see clothes we like, we like to make our versions of them to meet our personal sartorial preferences.

 

Fati: We share the same love for African print fabrics. I feel that they tell stories. We attempt to research the designers’ source of inspiration for creating perfect African print fabrics with brilliant color schemes, motifs, and patterns. We are in awe of them, thinking “how do they manage to keep them original and fresh!” That’s what really inspires us to keep exploring sources of inspiration.

 

Roxie: I love vintage designs. So I’ve always been fascinated with the role historical times play in fashion. We are trying to take inspiration from both modern, traditional, and historical fashion to infuse something new and fresh. When we find sewing patterns, we study the historical aspects of this design. We would counterbalance this design with more modern colors, different textures, classic patterns, African print fabrics, etc. to make it something fresh and original.

 

Fati: When we look at clothes in magazines, we like to adapt fashion designs by looking at color schemes, hoping to emulate the lines of a garment, looking at the overall scale of an outfit, and playing with fabric textures and print patterns.

 

What is our sewing background?

 

Roxie: Back in New York City, the home of fashion, I grew up watching my mom sewing my clothes for many occasions such as graduation, prom and parties. At that point, with the hustle and bustle of NYC, I did not have a chance to explore my yet unrecognized passion let alone discover my love for sewing. After my college years I began watching the episodes of Project Runway. Inspired by Project Runway I had always wanted to learn a variety of sewing techniques. But with my hectic schedule and busy family life the opportunity eluded me. Once I finally learned how to sew I knew experiencing trial and error in sewing was inevitable. In some ways it kind of slowed me down because I have perfectionist tendencies. I give Fati a lot of credit for allowing me to experience her sewing trial and errors secondhand. That’s what motivates me to keep learning.

 

Fati: I grew up being surrounded by my fashion-obsessed friends in Los Angeles. There were fashion billboards everywhere before my eyes. I grew up observing models wearing clothes in magazines. My fashionista friend and I would often go to the mall after school just for the fun of trying on clothes. She would give me fashion tips. But making my own clothes had not registered in my mind until my college best friend noticed my unexpressed passion for making clothes. She would see me watch Project Runway all the time. Yes, I am still a Project Runway junkie! She introduced me to sewing patterns. I had no idea what they were and found them daunting. I didn’t start sewing until after my college years. I was overwhelmed with schoolwork and my family life. I had one of my friends show me how to use a sewing machine. Once I knew how to use it, I was hooked! That’s why I feel that knowledge is everything!

 

What is our vision for our blog?

 

Fati: The vision of our blog is to share what we know about fabrics and our fabric selection to make unique garments and accessories. With this blog, we want to demonstrate our reasoning behind our fabric selection. We want to share the process of deciding on what fabric to choose when we fall in love with a pattern first and the process of finding a suitable pattern to use when we fall head over heels over fabrics we see online and in stores.

 

Roxie: We realized the importance of choosing the right fabric to make garments when we achieved undesired results from our projects. By experimentation we’ve learned that the wrong choice of fabric regardless of their beautiful texture and color and a cool sewing pattern can be disastrous. Poor choices equate to very unsuccessful projects! However on a positive note through trial and error, we discovered the amazing value of pairing up a fabric to patterns that make for the best outcome.

Fati: We don’t merely base our fabric selection on the properties (weight, drape, and stretch) of fabrics but also on their color and print pattern. Sewing patterns will tell you which types of fabrics the pattern is designed for, but we sometimes like to deviate from the suggested fabrics, trying something different. This blog is basically about experimenting and playing with different fabrics to get results we want. We are going for something unique that we often don’t see in stores and online.

 

What motivates us to start this blog?

 

Roxie: I have always been intrigued with fashion designs both online and in stores. I sometimes feel that certain designs could be improved by something added or removed. I have seen some designs with bad fabric or horrible designs with good fabric (what a waste of fabric). Before I learned how to sew, I had to deal with the frustration of not finding exactly what I want and ended up spending a lot of money on something I really wanted. Now that I know how to sew, I can design clothes that flatter my body while saving a lot of money. That’s the beauty of sewing. Fabric plays a powerful role in making a particular design look right. My friend Fati and I decided to start the blog to encourage the readers to give their creativity and imagination free rein in making their own clothes. We now realize that true life and happiness evokes the expression of deliberate and innovative thinking and the creation derived from that thinking while utilizing the gifts and tools which we’re blessed with! 

 

Fati: She said it all!