Girl’s Day with Carolyn Friedlander

 I stay at home with my kids and well I am a home body. I don’t get out often and do things with my friends. I don’t have many close friends that sew so when I want to do something sewing related I usually do it by myself. I LOVE being alone… I thrive in alone time but sometimes it is so nice to get to hang out with a friend. A new friend. A friend who sews. A friend who happens to have her own fabric line. I say that last because, well, she is so much more than that. Who am I talking about? Well as the title of this post says…. Carolyn Friedlander. We chatted on the podcast and we found out we don’t live far from one another. I actually go close to where she lives to visit my mother in law often. We agreed to meet up the next time I was in town and I was so excited. This doesn’t happen for me very often. I made sure the kids had plans with my husband and his family and I met up with Carolyn. I had never actually met her but I wasn’t nervous. AT ALL! I knew she would be cool to hang out with. I knew we could talk about this community and industry I am so enamored with.

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I sat in my mother in law’s car and waited on her. I had gotten a really cool feed sack from my local friend who does the Florida Wildflowers. I knew this would be something cool to make into a bag and give to a fellow Floridian. I showed my husband before I left and realized I had forgotten to close the inside seam where I turned the bag right side out. Yea so awesome on my part:) I hadn’t had time to take pictures before we left and I sat in the car and took a couple of snapshots of it. I know they aren’t the best but you get the picture of it. A feedback front, a vintage back with a pocket, striped handles, and a super bright yellow interior. We are the SUNSHINE STATE so I had to put a loud yellow somewhere. I really loved the bag and hated to give it up to be honest. It was so cool and so original.

She pulled up and I hopped in her car. I gave her the bag which had a vintage dress she had said she wanted on instagram. We immediately started chatting like we had known each other forever. I love that. I probably talked about my kids way too much but that is my life. I am in a season of balancing being a wife and mom with a new business in the sewing industry/community. She didn’t skip a beat and we chatted about so much. It was so much fun. We headed to Plant City to a very cool fabric store but first we ate at the coolest little restaurant called the Corner Store. Seriously the best food and atmosphere. I wish I could eat there right now!

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We then headed over to Inspire Quilting Co. OH MY GOSH! I had the best time. I had talked to the hubby about it for so long and how excited I was he was so awesome and gave me some major spending money for fabric. I was so excited. I don’t get to go into a quilting store often and feel so relaxed and inspired. I wasn’t running after my kids, I didn’t have to go home in a hurry, I didn’t have to do anything but have a good time. I was in heaven. The ladies that run Inspire are sisters, Lisa and Lynn. They knew Carolyn as did most of the people there which is so cool. I can’t wait to share their shop more with you guys. I will because I will be going back soon and I will make a trip to visit them I am sure.

Oh and I begged Carolyn to stand by her botanics line and let me take a picture… she wanted to kill me I am sure. LOL I was having so much fun and she was so cool. It is so cool to shop with someone who gets what you do. We chatted about what lines we loved, what we would make with certain fabrics, and what was new that we hadn’t really thought much of until we saw it in person. Anyone else like that? If you see it in person it often makes you like it more and more. It is the feeling and petting of fabric that really gets me. It inspires me. It makes my creative juices start flowing.

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This was my haul from there. I actually got a good bit of some Jennifer Paganellli for dresses for me and the girls. I picked up some honeycomb by Heather Ross for a gift for a friend who just gave me some raw honey from their hives. One of Carolyn’s prints to make a shirt for me. a really cool Maia Ferrell print. I will share more of this one soon. Inspire Quilting Co. was a fabulous shop. I am trying to get them to put their awesome clearance room on instagram. And they have an online shop coming soon.

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It was one of the best days. I had so much fun. We went to a reStore and another fabric shop. It was pure bliss for me. I really treasure Carolyn because she shares her knowledge so openly with me. I love being able to bounce ideas off of her. I love that she really has a vision and we talk about it and I get to talk about Modern Sewciety. I loved that she complemented me on how well I researched her so I would have good questions on the podcast. I really take pride in this venture and it is people like Carolyn that make me want to make it even better.

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I ended my day with a smile on my face. It was so much fun and I will treasure it forever. I have prayed for so long about Modern Sewciety. I have prayed to use my talents in a way that will inspire others. I have prayed a long time about the future and the present. I see God working in my life and I have to say I am so blessed. My prayer that night was one of many thanks.