Before September closes out, I’m popping in with the latest guest in the What’s in Your Sewing Bag Series: Brittany from Lo & Behold Stitchery!
I believe our quilty paths crossed when we both participated in Amy Sinibaldi’s Sonata blog hop. Brittany made this gorgeous Snow Cabin Quilt and I’ve been following her ever since! This is why I love participating in blog hops as you not only get to support your favourite fabric designers but also get to play with new textile goodies and you get to meet other talented makers in the community.
Brittany has a way of combining modern designs with an elegant whimsical touch. An absolute fav of mine is her Art Deco design.
I’m excited for you to get to know Brittany and see what notions she loves having in her sewing kit!
*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
INTRODUCTION
Introduction – tell us a little about yourself! How did you get started on your quilting journey?
Hello! My name is Brittany Lloyd, the quilter & designer behind Lo & Behold Stitchery. I started quilting in my grandmother’s memory & it’s turned into an enormous passion of mine! I’m a nurse by trade, but I’ve always had a creative, entrepreneurial spirit thanks to my granny. I truly believe my creativity was sparked & nurtured by her. While I never had the chance to learn to sew or quilt with granny, she created many quilts on her own….which were later passed down to me, along with all of her sewing notions, including her 1970s mint green sewing machine.
At that point, I never had the desire to sew or quilt (I didn’t even know how to turn on a sewing machine), but I felt almost a magnetic pull to this unknown craft, as it felt like it was the *one* skill that we never tackled together. This was my chance to connect with her memory and learn something new in the process. I knew nothing about this mysterious craft, but the learning process proved to be both fun and therapeutic. I quickly taught myself the skills necessary to create my first quilt, which happened to be a memory quilt using my favorite of Granny’s blouses.
Since then, I’ve released 20+ quilt patterns that are in both paper and digital format that offer a wide range of skills and designs. My husband, Peter joined the Lo & Behold team full-time in the Spring of 2020. His roles include shipping, distributor fulfillment, bundle assembly, and bookkeeping. He also keeps us fed, so I am very thankful for that. 😊
Wow, what a fun creative discovery you’ve been on, Brittany! I love how personal your journey has been with the connection back to your granny. It’s amazing how the people in our lives can continue to influence us and it serves as a great reminder to follow our passions and curiosity as we never know where it will lead to or who it might help!
SEWING BAG
What kind of sewing bag do you have? (e.g. did you make it? Buy it?)
My sewing bag is actually handmade by our Community Manager Kara! Before Kara came on the Lo & Behold Stitchery team, we had connected on Instagram and a little later on, she became a pattern tester for me. At the time, she was making small zipper pouches for local markets & I picked out a favorite for holding all of my sewing notions!
I love when a sewing bag is handmade by a fellow maker! It really adds to the enjoyment of using the item as I find it sparks memories of who made it! I like to refer to this as the circle of joy.
ALL-STAR ESSENTIALS
What are your all-star essentials? Your tried-and-true must-haves that you can never run out of?
I always carry some small scissors, my leather Clover thimble, thread, and a needle book. I’ve tried many different thimbles, but the leather thimble by Clover is always the most comfortable! It softens with use and ages beautifully. 😊
I couldn’t agree with you more, Brittany! The leather thimble* is my go-to as well precisely because it softens and molds to your finger over time. I also love how it patinas as it ages.
FAVOURITE ITEM
What is your favourite item in your kit? Why?
I would say that my hedgehog (or is it a porcupine? I suppose that would make more sense!) pin cushion is my favorite because it’s just so adorable! I found it at Micheals one day a few years ago and named it Pinny. 😊
Adorable is right! It’s so fun having cute sewing notions in our sewing studios to brighten our day!
SURPRISE ITEM
What’s one thing we’d be surprised to find in your bag?
I cannot live without Burt’s Bee’s Lip Balm! The Original* scent is good, but the Pomegranate* is my absolute favorite! I have at least one tube in every room in our house, not to mention on the coffee table, in my sewing machine drawer….I always have to have some. It might be an addiction. So, I suppose it’s no surprise that it’s also in my sewing bag. 😊
Yay! You’re in good company, Brittany! There’s a few of us makers (Karen, Jenny, Elizabeth, and I) who can’t live without lip balm in our sewing kits and around the house too! Dry lips are the worst. Plus, I love how it can be used as cuticle cream in a pinch.
QUILT KITS WILL TRAVEL
When do you find yourself using your kit the most? (Travelling, on the sofa, attending sew-ins?)
Before we moved to our little mountain town in North Carolina, we were always finding time to travel to the North Carolina mountains. I often would hand-stitch bindings on quilts while Peter drove, so it was most often in the car! Now, most days you can find it next to my sewing machine or on the coffee table in our living room.
Oh, I love sitting and hand sewing while looking out at nature. It combines two of my loves: nature and hand quilting. The mountain views you share in your Instagram stories are spectacular!
TRAVEL MEMORY
What’s your favourite travel memory with your sewing bag?
Every year I go on a fishing trip with my dad & can almost guarantee that I’ll bring some sort of quilting project! I love using our down time at the beach to connect with him while working on some slow stitching or designing a new pattern.
That sounds blissful, Britanny! What a lovely tradition to have with your dad 😊
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?
Tell people where we can find you?
I’d love to connect with you on Instagram (@loandbeholdstitchery), Facebook (Lo & Behold Stitchery), or through email (hello@loandbeholdstitchery.com). Feel free to visit our website www.loandbeholdstitchery.com for free tutorials, patterns, and curated fabric bundles!
Thank you so much for participating in the What’s in Your Sewing Bag Series, Brittany! It’s been so fun getting to know your quilting journey a little more and seeing what notions you can’t live without! I just love that we twin on our love for lip balm 😉
For more What’s in Your Sewing Bag fun, check out these guests:
- Claire from Made Just Sew
- Chery from Cheryl Arkison
- Kathleen from Cowden Quilt School
- Elizabeth from Quilter’s Candy
- Megan from Megan Nielsen Patterns
Happy quilting!
xo
Shannon
PS don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out on any future WIYSB guests!
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Brittany and Pete are really warm and lovely people. They inspired our first trip to Black Mountain. I have several of her patterns and they are all well-written and beautiful. Ive made four nightingales to date!
Oh, I love hearing that, Debe! It’s so fun when you find a pattern that you love making and it keeps calling you back for more 🙂