Janet has been sewing since childhood, mostly garments and home décor items. She started this part of her journey about ten years ago, making quilts for cover and comfort. Uninspired by traditional quilt patterns and coordinated fabric bundles, she wanted more interesting quilting adventures. Facing a pile of fabric scraps and pieces trimmed from other projects, she asked herself “what if I...?”. That day, her journey took a happy turn into improvisational quilting, and she never looked back! 

Making random blocks (or segments, as she likes to call them) with no real end in mind, exciting new compositions emerged. She loved what she was creating. More importantly, she loved what she was becoming—a Fabric Mixologist.

Aisha Lumumba said, “I had no idea that quilting was an art form, as far as I knew-it was simply what my people did to keep warm.” After struggling to find her own style Ms. Lumumba strives to create artwork that gives a glimpse into the life and history of African American people. Ms. Lumumba now proudly says that she creates art that reflects the human experience through the lens of African and African American lives.

Shereece's journey into the world of quilting and crocheting began in 2010, sparked by a sense of boredom. Living in a new, small town, she sought ways to connect with others and found an opportunity through a local program that introduced her to crocheting. It wasn't long before she was reintroduced to quilting, this time learning the "correct" way to do it. As she traveled and navigated through her daily life, inspiration for patterns started to flow, influenced by the sights, sounds, and experiences around her. Now, she is excited to share those unique designs with others and pass on the skills she has honed over the years.

Krystal Taylor is the Owner of Fitness Is NOT A Game, a dynamic Health & Fitness Coach, author, and speaker on a mission to empower women to break free from fad diets and achieve sustainable health and fitness. With over a decade of experience, she's helped hundreds of people transform their lives with personalized meal plans and workouts that fit busy schedules. Krystal believes in the importance of developing healthy habits that last a lifetime and is a firm believer that anyone can reach their health and fitness goals by adopting a balanced lifestyle, not following fad diets.

Tisha Thorne, the co-owner of Sew Creative Lounge, is a seasoned and certified sewing instructor with over two decades of teaching experience both locally in the Washington DC area and across the nation.

A native of Washington DC, Tisha's deep-rooted passion for sewing has driven her to educate and inspire students of all ages. Her dedication to spreading the art of sewing is not just a profession but a lifelong calling. 

In 2014, Tisha, in partnership with Cecily Habimana, co-founded Sip and Sew DC, a groundbreaking venture that seamlessly merged the joys of sewing with a social and interactive experience.

LESINA MARTIN

Carrie has been teaching Beginner Sewing 1 at Sew Creative Lounge for four years. 

For more than 25 years, Carrie has been making dance competition costumes and has won several awards. In 2019, she made costumes for the Morgan State University Marching Band Foxxy Dancers who wore them in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Today Show. 

Carrie learned to sew from her grandmother, who was a home economics teacher and sewer. She loves sewing with stretch fabrics and her favorite garment to make is a kimono.

Aisha Lumumba said, “I had no idea that quilting was an art form, as far as I knew-it was simply what my people did to keep warm.” After struggling to find her own style Ms. Lumumba strives to create artwork that gives a glimpse into the life and history of African American people. Ms. Lumumba now proudly says that she creates art that reflects the human experience through the lens of African and African American lives.

Janet has been sewing since childhood, mostly garments and home décor items. She started this part of her journey about ten years ago, making quilts for cover and comfort. Uninspired by traditional quilt patterns and coordinated fabric bundles, she wanted more interesting quilting adventures. Facing a pile of fabric scraps and pieces trimmed from other projects, she asked herself “what if I...?”. That day, her journey took a happy turn into improvisational quilting, and she never looked back! 

Making random blocks (or segments, as she likes to call them) with no real end in mind, exciting new compositions emerged. She loved what she was creating. More importantly, she loved what she was becoming—a Fabric Mixologist.

Lesina Martin was born and raised in Detroit, MI. Her love for fiber arts began as a young girl when her grandmother taught her to sew and crochet. Years later, in college, Lesina found use for both skills in creating costuming for African dance. This led to her interest in African textiles and symbolism. Today, she incorporates this knowledge into her continued studies on African culture.

Lisa is a writer and fiber artist, and the owner of CulturedExpressions.com, where she promotes the creative use of African textiles for sewing, quilting, home decor and crafts. After successfully running her business online for 17 years, Lisa opened CE's first studio location in downtown Rahway, NJ in December 2017. Here, she offers a curated selection of fabrics and embellishments, plus events and lots of creative inspiration, whether in person, online, or virtually.

Krystal Taylor is the Owner of Fitness Is NOT A Game, a dynamic Health & Fitness Coach, author, and speaker on a mission to empower women to break free from fad diets and achieve sustainable health and fitness. With over a decade of experience, she's helped hundreds of people transform their lives with personalized meal plans and workouts that fit busy schedules. Krystal believes in the importance of developing healthy habits that last a lifetime and is a firm believer that anyone can reach their health and fitness goals by adopting a balanced lifestyle, not following fad diets.

When Cecily Habimana was just a young child, she would often watch her mother sew clothes for the family. She was fascinated by how her mother could take a piece of fabric and make something beautiful out of it. This early exposure to sewing ignited a passion in Cecily that would stay with her for life.

Now, Cecily is the co-owner of Sew Creative Lounge, located in Mount Rainier, Maryland. At Sew Creative Lounge, Cecily and her partner Tisha offer children and adult sewing classes as well as a nation-wide membership program for sewers and quilters. 

Cecily has been featured in several publications and blogs including The Washington Post, Washington Express, American Express website and Chicago Tribune. Cecily has also appeared on Fox 5 News and NPR. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and her MBA from George Washington University.