Stitch Please

The Making of Black Magic Leopard

Episode Summary

In today’s episode Lisa is joined by Queenora Irvin and Janine Lecour, the makers of Black Magic Leopard. Black Magic Leopard is an amazing fabric that looks like leopard print from a distance, but when you get close up, it is actually images of Black folks in natural hairstyles. It was designed by two Black women: Queenora who saw an optical illusion, and Janine who made that optical illusion into reality. They discuss the creative process, collaboration with other artists, and seeing a project through from the initial idea to the response from the community it was made for.

Episode Notes

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Queenora Irvin

Queenora Irvin is a fabric designer and owner of Queenora Renee Fabrics, offering small batch custom inclusive fabric to home sewists and small businesses that center Black people, our community, and our culture.

Janine Lecour

Janine Lecour is an Atlanta-based digital pattern designer who loves to design vibrantly colored, exuberant patterns. Mixing bold pattern motifs with eye-catching color palettes, she strives to create a whimsical art experience. Something that gives the viewer a sense of joy and optimism.

Lisa Woolfork

Lisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.

Insights from this episode:

• The origin story of Black Magic Leopard fabric and all of the considerations and details that went into the design
• Tips for reaching out to artists for commissions, sharing your vision while still giving the artist room to breathe life into the design
• The response from the Black creative community to the gift of Black Magic Leopard
• Gaining the courage to reach out, ask questions, and collaborate

Quotes from the show:

• “Creativity is in steps… You can just wake up one day and be great, but that’s not the norm. You have to work at it.” – Queenora Irvin, Stitch Please
• “When the idea came across [for Black Magic Leopard], I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that makes total sense.’... I don’t always get them very quickly, but I saw this one pretty quickly and it just became a matter of how do I take the standard shapes, me understanding different hairstyles and textured hair, and how do I use particular ones to translate this overall look. I feel like it came together very fast.” – Janine Lecour, Stitch Please
• “It really does feel like I’m looking at a community; I’m looking at a group of people who have affinity and relation with one another. The diversity… their skin colors are different, their hairstyles are different, some of the textures seem a little different from the other… the detail really pays off.” – Lisa Woolfork, Stitch Please
• “When it comes to creativity and artistry and putting it out there, you really are putting a piece of yourself out there.” – Queenora Irvin, Stitch Please,
• “I think that there has long been a need for some equity around who gets represented on fabric, just like who gets represented anywhere.” – Lisa Woolfork
• “Enjoy the process. Enjoy where you are now... I think sometimes we look to where we want to be with such anticipation… just enjoy where you are, and it will make the journey so much more fulfilling.” – Queenora Irvin, Stitch Please

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Lisa Woolfork

Instagram: Lisa Woolfork

Twitter: Lisa Woolfork

Queenora Irvin 

Website: Queenora Renee Fabrics

Instagram: Queenora Renee

Facebook: Queenora Renee Fabrics

YouTube: Queenora Renee Fabrics

Pinterest: Queenora Renee

Janine Lecour

Website: Janine Lecour

Instagram: Janine Lecour 

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.