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Episode 67: Mary Grabenstatter, Needle Sharp – The worst of times, the best of times

Join us for this up-close and personal conversation with Mary Grabenstatter, owner of Needle Sharp. Mary grew up in Buffalo, NY and after college at Boston College where she studied French and film, she worked as a freelance assistant editor in documentary film for two years before beginning a job at Barnes and Noble. In 2017, she left her job and moved back to her hometown to start Needle Sharp, a sewing subscription service that provides monthly boxes for garment sewists. She says that with many ups and downs, the past five years have been the hardest and most rewarding of her life.

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Episode 66: R’Bonney Gabriel – If Not now, When?!

Crowned Miss Universe in 2022, twenty-nine-year-old R’Bonney Gabriel has not only made her mark in embracing her culture, but she has also led notable efforts as a lead sewing instructor in a non-profit design house in Houston which is dedicated to using fashion as a force for good. This is her remarkable story of her childhood, learning to sew and her swift journey to winning the Miss Universe title.

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Culture Sew&So Culture Sew&So

Episode 65: BERNINA University – 2023 – Sharing the Joy

Join us in Dallas TX to experience all the fun and excitement of BERNINA University 2023 – BERNINA’s annual dealer conference where new products are introduced; dealers attend educational seminars and old friends gather to share their sewing and quilting adventures. Plus, this year, meet Yaya Han – internationally renowned cosplay personality and namesake of the new bernette 79 Yaya Han edition.

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Culture Sew&So Culture Sew&So

Episode 64: Courage + Cosplay = Yaya Han

Join us for this special, in-person conversation with world renown cosplay designer Yaya Han, recorded In Dallas, TX while launching her eponymous sewing machine the bernette 79 Yaya Han edition. She is kind and gracious and her story is one of courage and love of cosplay.

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Culture Sew&So Culture Sew&So

Episode 60: Jedimanda – My Life in Cosplay

Join us for this intimate, in-person conversation with renown cosplayer Jedimanda. Hear her tell in her own words about her passion for cosplay, what she does when NOT doing cosplay and how she feels about the cosplay community. She is confident, talented, and deeply committed to the cosplay culture!

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Culture Sew&So Culture Sew&So

Episode 58: Meeting Black Sewists Where They Are

Six amazing black sewists join us for this open conversation about where they’ve come from, their work today and their hopes for tomorrow. Recorded in-person at QuiltCon 2023 in Atlanta, this episode will give you never before shared insight into the lives of women who are committed to a better future for all. These women are mothers, professionals, quilters, sewists, activists…and each has a part and voice in the furthering of their community. Their experiences are vast, as are their stories, their opinions and their work.

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Episode 52: Brooks Ann Camper - A Wrinkled Dress

Owner of Brooks Ann Bespoke, LLC. Brooks Ann Camper is a former professional costumer on Broadway. Today, she has her own couturier bridal wear business, and blogs about her behind-the-scenes process as well as how to create custom designs for the at-home sewists. Her blogs have been featured in Seamwork, Threads magazine, Huffington Post, and People Magazine.

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Culture Sew&So Culture Sew&So

Episode 51: Carina Gardner - The Art of Dreaming Big

Founder of Carina Gardner, Inc, Carina has an MA and PhD in Design from the University of Minnesota, where she also taught design for four years. She designs fabrics for Riley Blake and has several digital shops for her circuit silhouette and sublimation crafters. Her brand can be found on everything from dishware, home décor and wallpaper to jewelry and sewing patterns.

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Episode 50: Sue O’Very - Living the Dream

Owner of Sookie Sews and founder of Sookie B Academy, Sue O'Very-Pruitt, aka Sookie, has been in the sewing industry her entire career. She is also a twice-published author, notion inventor, a BERNINA and bernette Ambassador and the Embroidery Software v9 expert for BERNINA.

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