An Intro to Black Women Stitch

An Evening with the Founder, Dr. Lisa Woolfork

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Dr. Lisa Woolfork, Founder of Black Women Stitch. Dr. Woolfork, a fellow at Wellesley College, appeared at Just Book-ish, a new bookstore in the Fields Corner section of Dorchester, Mass.

Despite the rainy weather, several people convened at the bookstore for a talk between Dr. Woolfork and Dr. Kim Parker, Director of the Crimson Academy at Harvard University. The talk discussed Dr. Woolfork’s current work at Wellesley College, Black Women Stitch, and how she began her sewist journey.

Dr. Woolfork immediately got my attention with her welcoming personality, friendly nature, and dynamic attire. She wore a dress she had sewn using fabric designed by a Black surface designer, E. Bond. Part of the black and white dress was covered with swirly lines named after poet, writer, and feminist Audre Lorde, and the other part of the dress was covered with words such as “creativity” and “imagination.” Woolfork had created the dress and the leggings she wore to the event.

Woolfork provided resources during her talk. She mentioned “Gather Here” in Cambridge, Mass, as a place to find fabric showcasing E. Bond’s designs and other black designers. E. Bond has a website showcasing her work. Her website is https://ebondwork.com/. She just released her latest work entitled “Lineage.”

Woolfork prefers machine sewing over hand sewing. She mentioned it only took 30 minutes to create the leggings…