January 25, 2012
Check out this video clip from our Ghana 2011 trip, featuring a short interview with Kwasi Asare, a master weaver based in Accra, and Lisa on TV-3 news. The clip discusses the role of kente production in today’s economy and efforts to garner government support of the industry. It took place during our kente presentation and workshop. Join us next time – our Textile and Craft Tour of Ghana takes place in Fall of 2013!
Note: At the beginning you will see the old school network color test appear ; ) — stay tuned and the video will begin in a moment! ; )
Thanks to Dento Mills for arranging media coverage for our event!
January 5, 2012
Congratulations to Toni Campbell for winning a set of CE books in the Vogue Patterns 2011 Holiday Giveaway! Toni, your books are on the way – have a happy and creative New Year! (did you miss your chance at the Giveaway? Check out our deal on the CE Library and get ready for a more creative 2012!
November 3, 2011
Just received the current newsletter from the United Way in Ghana, who helped to arrange our visit to the Manya Krobo Queenmothers Association. The article outlines our visit and the hope that we’ll be able to connect with these women in creative and meaningful ways in the future. 
The Association helps children who have become orphaned because of HIV/AIDS, and assists young women in enterprises such as batiking and beadmaking. The Krobo region is known worldwide for its beadmaking tradition.
October 9, 2011
Move over, beads, my new fiber art embellishment of choice is WOOD! Woods and natural fiber fabrics blend beautifully, whether you use a select tree branch as a unique hanging rod, incorporate small twigs, or attach a wood mask made in Ghana for added depth and dimension. So I was thrilled to find an artist during our recent Ghana tour to create a batch of masks for all of my Cultured Expressions friends to experiment with, too… Available in four styles, just $8.95 each! Enjoy, and be sure to send us a picture!
September 4, 2011
Just got my confirmation for the upcoming Kuba symposium at the Textile Museum in Washington, DC, October 14-16, 2012! That means I have to make a new Kuba bag to show off there, to help promote my December 3 workshop, the Kuba Bangle Bag. Maybe I’ll pull one of these from my stash & stitch up a simple but effective tote…
September 2, 2011
Check out the lineup of quilt-related activities coming to the Newark Museum this fall! Exhibits, film screenings, discussions, and workshops, including my African Mosaic Quilt workshop, taking place on Sunday, October 30! I’m planning to attend the Member’s Reception on Tuesday evening Sept 13, hope to see you there, too! — lisa
Another first for 2011 – introdcing CE’s workshop debut at the Textile Museum in Washington, DC! I’ll be teaching my Mudcloth Covered journals, and a new class, the Kuba Bangle Bag, in honor of the Museum’s upcoming exhibit on Kuba cloth. Contact the museum to register!
August 3, 2011
Cultured Expressions won rave reviews at Quilt Odyssey in Hershey, PA , July 28-31, 2011! The staff and attendees were warm and welcoming, and sales were brisk. Customers enjoyed our selection of 7″ Jacquard Batik Sampler Packs, fat quarters, yardage, and oh, the strip bundles! Plus, the show served as the intro for our new CE Patterns, including the Color Block Batik Bag, MoonScape quilt and Batik UpRising quilt. They’ll be on the website in a day or two! Hanging out with me is Maryland-based fiber artist Kweli Kitwana, owner of AfricanAmericanFabrics.com. She’s modeling a piece of batik that made a perfect shawl for her outfit. — lisa
June 30, 2011
I finally sewed my McCalls 5660 Hilary Duff mini dress in linen, to wear to Blues Alley in DC this past weekend. I really liked the collar construction method. I underlined the entire dress in a very lightweight fleshtone fusible interfacing, to prevent pocket, facing and seam allowance show-thru. Planning to do another in BLACK linen, lengthening it to just above the ankle. But first I need some pants…and I need to Africanize this dress by replacing the zipper pull with an Adinkra pendant, so even though the threads are all clipped, I feel like it’s not QUITE done yet ; )
June 18, 2011
During Cultured Expressions‘ recent Quilter’sRetreat in Negril, I discovered the creative rush of fabric postcards, inspired by the local scenery at Jackie’ s on the Reef. The postcards go together fast, with fusible raw-edge applique (my favorite).
I see why they’re so addictive ; ) stitching up beautifully on my Janome Sew Mini, a nice little machine that weighs just ounces and fits into a tote bag easily, so it’s like the toy poodle of sewing machines, but more durable than you’d expect. So back to the postcards, I did 6 during the retreat, in between my massages, our fabric shopping trip, a visit to Rick’s for drinks and a view of the cliff divers, and a couple of other distractions. All in all, a great retreat, but next year I’ve already planned to make it 6 days long instead of five, so mark your calendars – APRIL 25-30, 2012!!
