Meet Hope Brasfield, author of Satisfying Stitches
What’s your favorite queer space?
My favorite queer space in Knoxville has got to be South Press Coffee (@south_press4coffee), an incredible sober space located in South Knoxville, Tennessee. Not only do they have incredible coffee, but they also do so much work with our local mutual aid groups, have a freestore in their shop where members of the community can grab whatever they might need (fresh and shelf-stable food, water, even Plan B!), and host a ton of incredible events for the community. I am such a huge fan, I’m so lucky to live in a place where this sort of space exists!
Who in the queer community inspires you right now?
Where do I even start! The first person who comes to mind is a dear friend and fellow fiber artist based in Texas, Jessica Gritton (@jessgherkin, JessGritton.com). Jess is an incredible artist who creates beautiful, intricate, “I can’t believe that’s fiber” type pieces documenting trans joy, resistance, and activism. Living in Tennessee, I feel so much solidarity with what Jess is up against in Texas, and her work inspires me deeply.
What do you hope readers will get from your book?
People have described my book as useful and beginner-friendly, and I am totally proud of that! At the same time, what I most want people to take from my book has nothing to do with embroidery, but rather the idea that you can find corrective emotional experiences in totally unexpected places. For me, that’s been embroidery. For you, it might be something totally different: art, friendships, writing, etc. There are so many different ways to experience a shift in our inner emotional lives, improve the way we experience and interact with others, and heal parts of us that needed “correcting” in the first place.
Hope Brasfield is an embroidery artist, designer, and teacher. She has a master’s degree in applied psychology. Originally from the Gulf Coast of Alabama, she now lives in east Tennessee. Website: Hopebroidery.com Instagram handle: @hopebroidery Facebook: hopebroidery
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