Creating What I Wish Existed.

While playing on the playground, my daughter was told by a playmate of a different race that her curly natural hair looked “weird” when worn in an Afro Puffs style. My daughter loves her hair, and she was excited about how her hair looked that day. She was hurt by the playmate’s dismissive comment and the ease with which the comment was shared.

As a creative person, I use making to help process tough emotions. After my daughter and I discussed and processed the painful experience, I searched for fabric with little girls that looked like my daughter. I couldn’t find any. I expanded the search to include embroidery patterns that centered black and biracial children. Again, I did not find any.

What I found was primarily marketed to the white majority. If I wanted to use these fabric and patterns, I would have to modify them significantly by recoloring them, redrawing them, and adding texture to the hair. I did not like the idea that, if I bought them, I would have to pay to be marginalized and disregarded. To add insult to injury, I would have to work to make the fabric and patterns suit my needs.

This was a demoralizing experience, and it was a reminder that the sewing and crafting community largely ignores people of color. To fill the void that I felt was missing for my daughter, I decided to celebrate her, and our, hair. I designed fabric, embroidery patterns, punch needle designs, and a quilt pattern to illustrate and to celebrate our hair in its natural, everyday state. I made hand-cut stencils, hand-cut stamping blocks, digitally designed images for fabric, and laser- cut appliques. I decided to make happiness from that sadness to make what I wish existed.

The experience began as a painful moment, but my making with her in mind was transformative. My daughter embraces her hair, and she proudly celebrates all the projects that she has inspired from that precipitating event. She helps other students embrace their uniqueness, challenges bullies, and encourages others to love themselves despite what is said about them.

In the years since that incident, I have partnered with fabric companies, craft book publishing companies, and craft companies to use my voice to advocate for greater minority representation in these industries. I serve on advisory panels to help brands see the need to diversify and to see their audiences beyond those to whom they default.