RICHMOND, Va. -- Brandi Johnson calls herself the realtor who sews and she's stitching her way into the hearts of people across Richmond.
Johnson has always wanted to tap into her passion for sewing. The pandemic and all its stressors gave her the nudge that she needed to make her dream a reality.
Now, she can't stop sewing and has built a local community around it, creating a Facebook page called The Lotus Sewcial Club that is inspiring women in the area.
"I will get messages that say, you know, Brandi, your positive influence in the sewing community is amazing. And it's inspired me to finish that project or start the project that I don't even think that I could do. I mean, I just started in 2020," Johnson said.
Johnson and her fiance got engaged at the height of the pandemic, so trips to bridal salons to try on wedding gowns were out of the question. Despite this roadblock, she found a vendor that shipped gowns to her home.
"But I found myself liking one aspect from this gown, another aspect from another gown. And the thought came to me, it's like, Brandi, you can do this, you can put both these together and something that fits you and is unique to you," Johnson said.
She's now almost done with the gown that she will wear at her wedding next month. Through this, she has found sewing to be therapeutic, allowing her to tune out all the stresses of the pandemic.
"It's exactly that because you go to the fabric store and you are looking at fabric and you're like, okay, this is just like, essentially a sheet. And you bring it home, you cut out your pattern and they're just pieces at that point. But watching it come together is so therapeutic. Now I just enjoy it. It's like an aha moment," Johnson said.
Johnson has made everything from wedding dresses to holiday pajamas for her family and four-legged loved ones to tote bags and personal outfits.
She tapped into a peace that she now is able to share with others. She is encouraging others to find their passion, whatever it may be, and be intentional about taking time to perfect their craft.
"I would just say, to just start, you know and try different things. There may be a plethora of things that interest you but just keep going until you find what is your hobby and what centers you," Johnson said.
Brandi's Lotus Sewcial Club will be hosting an upcoming Sip and Sew event, a class to teach people how to sew. You can rent a sewing machine or bring your own.
Click hereto get tickets for the event.
