Spotlight on Rashida Coleman-Hale
Jun 19th 2020
Today, we would like to continue to share and celebrate one of our incredible Black creators in our industry- Rashida Coleman-Hale! During this time of unrest and conflict, we want to amplify the Black voices in our industry and all the incredible work they do. Please enjoy the designs and creations from Rashida's fabrics and art.
"A founding designer at Cotton+Steel fabrics, Rashida Coleman-Hale has been making things ever since she can remember. Sewing is a gift passed on to her by her mother, grandmother, and grandfather, who was a tailor. Rashida studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Not sure if fashion was her calling, she traded her sewing machine for a computer and worked as a freelance graphic designer. Her passion for sewing was rekindled in 2006 after the arrival of her first child, and she began the blog I Heart Linen to document her re-born creative life and her life as a stay-at-home mommy." - Sewtopia
A full-fledged member of the sewing and quilt community, Rashida’s favorite thing about her industry is the connections she’s made with her fellow sewers and designers. “It’s the warmest, nicest community,” she says. “They’re so welcoming and supportive… I was so shy at my first market, and they instantly made me feel comfortable and included.”
On Her Tools...
Rashida draws on a family tradition of working with thread and needle – her grandmother was an avid sewer and her grandfather was a tailor in the West Indies and taught her most of what she knows about sewing. “When my grandfather passed away, my grandmother gave me all of his scissors and I still use them to this day,” she explains. “I think about him often when I sew.”
Her Advice For Creatives...
Ruby Star Society is all about togetherness and supportive collaboration, and Rashida is a huge proponent of getting into the community: “Find a local fabric shop, then get online and find a group. You can learn a lot on the internet, but there’s something about interactive, in-person collaboration that is so special.”
Her Muse...
Harkening back to her multicultural upbringing, Rashida’s greatest muse is the Japanese language. “I just love how it sounds; it inspires me so much. The words themselves, how you pronounce them and the flow – it’s music to me.”
On Her Passions...
“Creativity in all its forms is what I’m passionate about,” Rashida says. “Just being able to create is such an awesome thing, whether its writing, or making things or playing with color.”
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