You may recognize Designer Lisa Shepard Stewart from her appearances on HGTV or the DIY Network, or you may have attended one of her fun and culturally educational wokshops on quilting and crafts. She's the author of: "African Accents: Fabrics and Crafts To Decorate Your Home", and "Global Accents: Decorating With Fabrics From Around The World". Lisa intertwines her creative spirit along with the richness of the African culture through textiles, embellishments, and craft projects. Her company Cultured Expressions carries an array of craft projects and craft accessories, and if basking in the sun, eating gourmet meals, crafting, and sharing craft ideas with your fellow sisters sounds like a great time, then you must attend one of her spectacular quilters retreat thats held annually at the enchanting Jackies On The Reef in Negril, Jamaica. Lisa shares with us the inspiration behind her love for textiles and Africa, and tells us more about her wonderful retreat.
Lisa: I learned to sew at age 12 and from then I was hooked on all kinds of fabrics, beginning with fashion fabrics, and later gained an appreciation for home décor and craft & quilting fabric, too. My first trip to Africa (to Senegal and the Gambia in 1985) was my introduction to African fabrics in particular.
Lisa: Definitely West Africa – it has the most and the richest textile traditions of the entire continent.
Lisa: I learned to sew at age 12 and from then I was hooked on all kinds of fabrics, beginning with fashion fabrics, and later gained an appreciation for home décor and craft & quilting fabric, too. My first trip to Africa (to Senegal and the Gambia in 1985) was my introduction to African fabrics in particular.
Lisa: Ghanaian people are the friendliest people in the world, and everyone has some type of artistic talent, whether it’s weaving, carving, metal casting, painting or some other craft. Even the youngest Ghanaians are fully aware of their culture, and the traditions are kept alive through ceremonies, festivals and other special events. Everyday-life is reason enough for a celebration, especially in the crowded markets during the daytime and the clubs at night. I also love the ability to pull off on the side of the road and shop for a piece of batik, adinkra or kente. Artwork is available any time, any place, and treasure-hunting in the Arts Centre in Accra or other markets is always a highlight of the trip.
Some of my best memories would be our audience with the king of Ghana, meeting with so many artists through Novica.com, the company that invited me to go to Ghana the first time, visiting Cape Coast, the sacred grounds of the slave trade, and spending hours in the markets in search of textiles, crafts, and adventure. Bonding with the people I now consider my friends is the best part.
Lisa: I have more than one ; ) and I’ve narrowed them down to the ones I wrote about in my first book, AFRICAN ACCENTS: Fabrics and Crafts to Decorate Your Home”. The book features mudcloth (its traditional name is bogolan), adinkra, korhogo, kuba fabric and kente. All are from West Africa, except the kuba, which is from central Africa. If I were forced to narrow it down further, my TWO favorites are mudcloth and kuba. I’m drawn to the earthy colors and coarse textures. To me they symbolize classic, enduring style. I also love the fact that each piece is hand crafted, so I feel a connection to the textile artists even though we’ve never met. Note that our toll-free phone number is 1-866-MUDCLOTH!
Lisa: I first visited Jackie’s on the Reef in 2001, to unwind after writing my second book and some other stressful events. I thought it would be the perfect backdrop for creative activities, the ones you really can’t immerse yourself in at home between ringing phones, unanswered emails, etc. So I discussed it with Jackie Lewis (the owner), and she agreed to try it. The first was a general Creative Retreat, where participants made self portrait dolls, mudcloth covered journals, and embellished trinket boxes. From there, I developed a Quilter’s Retreat. Each retreat combines creative classes with revitalizing spa treatments, gourmet food and the company of like-minded individuals. It’s a really unique experience!
Lisa: I like Djema Imports(www.djemaimports.com) and Kaarta Imports, both located in Harlem, NY. And of course, CulturedExpressions.com…
Lisa: Without thinking about it too long, I guess I have a favorite for each category, like my favorite quilt project is the African Mosaic style, favorite accessory is the Kuba Handbag, favorite home dec accent is the Korhogo Bulletin Board, favorite craft is the Mudcloth Covered Journal.
Lisa: The fabrics, and the people that weave, stamp, embroider and batik them, are my inspiration. It’s a creative challenge to take what they’ve created and transform it into yet another thing of beauty.
Lisa: More publication of projects and information in various forms. For me, career goals and personal goals have always been closely aligned, so life in general will continue to be a motivating force in the business. Cultured Expressions will continue to be a reflection of my personal interests.
Lisa: Within the sewing/quilting/craft industry, I’ve built a niche around the African fabrics, but I’m always mindful of the fact that I can be pigeon-holed by people in the industry as “Lisa who does the African stuff”. So I continue to seek out “non-ethnic” freelance projects fairly regularly, just to remind the industry of my versatility. Recently, I wrote an article on 1930’s reproduction fabrics for a vintage quilting magazine – subject matter about as far removed from mudcloth and kente as possible! It’s important to strike that balance between specializing and focusing on a niche, and earning a reputation as a “one-trick pony”.
Being the first in the industry to address African textiles in a do-it-yourself project book, I never really experienced resistance to my work. In fact, the “novelty” of the subject matter earned African Accents the Primedia Award of Excellence in the sewing books category in 2001.
The challenges I’ve faced haven’t been based so much on my being black and/or female, but were the same challenges faced by any entrepreneur in a creative setting: focusing my attention on a single idea when so many are in my head; time management; being able to hire help and give up some of the “control” in the business, things like that.
Lisa: I’m looking for tips myself! Readers, please send tips to lisa@CulturedExpressions.com!
Lisa: “Everything I Need Is Within Me”
Lisa: The large majority of my kits and the projects in the book are designed for all skill levels, from beginners on up. I don’t believe in the term “non-artist” and part of what I love about my work is introducing people to their creative sides, especially those who don’t think they even have creative sides. African fabrics are so dramatic on their own, it’s easy to achieve beautiful results with even the simplest projects.
Lisa: Whatever you are pursuing, be very aware of the power of your thoughts and intentions. The things you need to achieve what you want are in abundance and the way you think is what draws them to you, whether it’s materials, the right people & opportunities, time, space, etc. It sounds cliché but is very true and has been proven to me over and over again, both in business and in my personal life, which, as I said are closely intertwined anyway. Continue to have fun in what you’re doing, and keep everything in perspective!
Visit Lisa's website to purchase some unique embellishments and craft projects, and to find out more about her retreat at: www.culturedexpressions.com.
