I’m Melissa Q., the sewer and designer behind A Happy Stitch. I am a sewing instructor, handmade clothing advocate, thrift store shopper, feminist, textile lover, and a creativity activist. I believe we are all capable of building a more mindful wardrobe. I am also the mastermind behind The Espadrilles Kits, which I sell through my Etsy shop. It still amazes me that it’s possible to make your own shoes!
In 2015, I joined my love of sewing with my passion for social justice and stopped buying new clothes. My intent was to counter the waste and conformity of fast fashion with the radically simple idea that I can make or thrift for all my clothes. My mindful wardrobe aims to bring attention to the ecological damage and human cost of the fashion industry by abstaining from participation in a conventional marketplace. Since that time, no new clothing has come into my closet and I’m happy to report it is damn easy to create a wardrobe of your own design and surprisingly, joyfully revolutionary. It’s exciting to continue that journey as I make my own espadrilles and help others make their own shoes, too. Read more about it here and here.
CREATING A MINDFUL WARDROBE
- I believe in the power of making. Within our two hands is the power to bring into the world whatever stunning, funky, lush, spare, devoted, or radical vision we might have and in doing so we make the world a richer place. If my humble stitches can make magic and comfort, encourage sustainability, decrease pollution and fight the exploitation of global workers then anything is possible.
- I want to live in a world where beauty, humor and design meet courageous, creative hands and together they make beautiful babies.
- I refuse to accept the rules written by the fashion world with its designated colors, sizes and shapes. I believe that armed with sewing machines and creative joy there is the potential to bust through into a glorious world of radical love. Love of ourselves, the planet and all the humans.
COME CREATE WITH ME!
- APRIL 27, DROP FORGE AND TOOL, Hudson, NY ESPADRILLES WORKSHOP
- MAY 10, MAKER GENERAL, Longmont, CO. ESPADRILLES WORKSHOP
- JULY 14, Collaboration with SPOONFLOWER, Freeman’s Creative, Durham, NC, ESPADRILLES WORKSHOP,
- AUGUST 3, Pop-Up Workshop with D&H FABRICS, at FostrCollaborative, Washington D.C. ESPADRILLES WORKSHOP
- AUGUST 4, STITCH SEW SHOP, Alexandria, VA, ESPADRILLES WORKSHOP
I’m available to teach across the East Coast region and beyond. Together we can make shoes, explore creativity and build the skills needed to create your own wardrobe. If you are a group or an individual interested in booking me to teach, please reach out to ahappystitch{at}gmail{dot}com for an updated course list. Watch this video for an introduction to my teaching philosophy.
MY WORK
I’m proud to have my work published by BUST and Mollie Makes magazine and to work as an ongoing sample sewist for Cloud 9 Fabrics. I have taught sewing to students across New Jersey and have collaborated with a variety of sewing professionals including fabric companies, pattern designers and prominent bloggers including Michael Miller Fabrics, Betz White and Andrea’s Notebook.
Find me elsewhere
- While She Naps – The Pattern that Changed my Life
- Crafterhours – The Twill Tape Apron
- Sew Mama Sew – Half-Square Triangle Making and Designing
- Michael Miller Fabrics blog – Glitzy Travel Bag
BE IN TOUCH
It’s an honor to hear from people. Email me @ ahappystitch[at]gmail[dot]com and be sure to add yourself to my newsletter list!
DISCLOSURE POLICY
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact ahappystitch[at]gmail.[dot]com. This blog accepts a limited number of products, sponsorship, or other forms of compensations and abides by word of mouth marketing standards. I believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence my decision to review content or present posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.
I am compensated to provide an honest opinion on products, books and services. Even though I sometimes receive compensation for posts, I always give honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that when I link to something on Amazon if you click on it and buy something from Amazon, I get a few cents. Really, a few cents. So, if you want to do that it would be real nice. But, I strongly encourage you to first check with your local bookstore and support them first and foremost. I am also an affiliate for other companies I believe in including Hey June, The Confident Stitch, Craftsy and Creativebug. Thanks for supporting a small business!
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