As the final post in our Black Creatives to Know series, seamstress, DIY expert, Spoonflower ambassador, and rainbow-obsessed Nefertiti Griggs is sharing her favorite Black sewists who use their talents to inspire and bring artistic vision to the community, one stitch at a time. Ranging from makeup bags to shoes, there isn’t anything these ten makers can’t create with a needle and thread.
Meet Nefertiti Griggs, Owner of The Corny Rainbow
Nefertiti Griggs
My name is Nefertiti Griggs of The Corny Rainbow. I’m a color-loving sewist, designer, and stylist who believes that the clothes we wear bring out the energy we want to present to the world. I have enjoyed sewing since childhood and found sewing and creating as healing and therapy in my adult life. I love to inspire others to think outside the box and feel more confident about making bold statements with their wardrobe.
My fashion and style is bold, colorful, and edgy–I strive to stand out in the crowd. I’m mostly drawn to make high fashion DIY looks. I love blazers and suits, but lately I’ve become quite obsessed with athleisure/activewear.
Unfortunately, for quite some time Black sewists in the maker community have not been represented equally. We are a rich culture and history in the creative space that deserves recognition for our contributions to this community. I support many Black sewists for these very reasons and I believe that when one shines, we can all shine together.
Meet the Featured Sewists
Jaimie Black
Instagram
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Jaimie is covered head to toe in creative abilities. Not only does Jaimie sew clothes, but she is an awesome shoe maker. Someone shared her post and captioned “she made the shoes too!” and from that moment on I have been amazed by her talent.”
Sierra Burrell
Website | Instagram
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Sierra lives in my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Her energy reflects a beautiful soul that is not only talented at knitting and sewing, but she also shares patterns within the sewing community that are inclusive in their sizing and are plus-size friendly.”
Miranda
Instagram
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Miranda is a super talented sewist and knitter who is also very friendly, funny and supportive. She is based in the U.K. and has such an energetic and bubbly personality.”
Raven Maureen
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Raven caught my eye a couple of years ago when she had an Etsy shop and sold clutch bags, makeup bags, and glasses cases. I saw her for the amazing, talented, and friendly person she is and we became sisters—the rest is “herstory.”
Julian Collins
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Julian has colorful creations and many many sewing machines. He is passionate about his craft and is a very talented sewer. I am thankful for our friendship and have learned a good bit about vintage sewing machines thanks to him.”
Faith St. Jules
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Faith grabbed my attention with one of her blue looks a couple years ago, sharing about her personal journey from time in the army. She continues to inspire me through her loving personality and her ability to motivate others.”
Erica Bunker
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Erica has been in the sewing community for quite some time. She is what I like to call my favorite auntie. Her talent, skills, and style speak for themselves. What I like the most about Erica is her authenticity and realness. She is also very supportive and beautiful, inside and out.”
Jasmine Chandler
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Jasmine and I were both competitors in a sewing contest and afterwards I learned that she is also a fashion design instructor. I love her edgy style and the fact that we are both a part of the tall women sewing crew. Jasmine is very knowledgeable and shares lots of sewing and design tips, books, and even pattern drafting skills.”
Mack The Tailor
Why this sewist caught Nefertiti’s eye:
“Mack has a beautiful story. While I would love to tell it, I urge you to go check it out yourself. She is a self-taught designer who also has a humbling spirit and love for creating. She not only inspires others, but she gives back to her community in so many ways. I have really enjoyed watching her journey and I know others appreciate her too.”
Thank you for sharing these amazing sewists/designers! Very inspirational.
Fantastic people, and amazing designers/sewists! Great good luck to all!
Inspiring sewists!!!
I’m just wondering if your article stated 10 white sewists to follow if people would state that’s racist?
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for your question. The intent of the piece is to celebrate Black History Month by honoring and acknowledging the amazing work of some of our Black community members, like Nefertiti. We are proud of the opportunity to highlight creatives that may have been historically overlooked and are truly delighted with the positive response our efforts have gotten so far. As part of our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts we leverage different awareness months throughout the year to partner with community members in highlighting makers who identify with the awareness being celebrated. You can see past features here and please be on the lookout for future articles celebrating the community.
Best,
Amy
Spoonflower
Beautiful work and so fun!
Thanks so much for sharing this post today. I needed some creative juices and this totally hit the spot. I can’t wait to learn from and get to know these extremely talented makers.
Are you going to be creating similar articles and series for sewers from other ethnic backgrounds too? Equality dictates that no one ethnic background should be given favourable treatment over others.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your comment. The intent of the piece is to celebrate Black History Month by honoring and acknowledging the amazing work of some of our Black community members, like Nefertiti. As part of our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts we leverage different awareness months throughout the year to partner with community members in highlighting makers who identify with the awareness being celebrated. You can see past features here and please be on the lookout for future articles celebrating the community. We are proud of the opportunity to highlight creatives that may have been historically overlooked and are truly delighted with the positive response our efforts have gotten so far.
Take care,
Amy
Spoonflower
I love this feature of very talented sewists. Will you be featuring other culture exclusive sewists as well? White, Indian, Asian?
Hi Danna,
Thanks so much for your comment and we’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed Nefertiti’s roundup. As part of our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts we leverage different awareness months throughout the year to partner with community members in highlighting makers who identify with the awareness being celebrated. You can see past features here and please be on the lookout for future articles celebrating the community!
Thanks again,
Amy
Spoonflower