This month's feature is one of Atlanta's own, Shankevia Mitchell known as Shan. I first connected with Shan over Instagram and was excited to find out that she also lived in Atlanta. Shan lives here with her husband and three children and recently turned her passion for beautiful upholstery and love of woodworking into a full time business which is perfectly paired with the name Sawdust and Fabric.

Shan's journey began many years ago when she returned from San Diego, California, where her husband was stationed after his tour in Iraq. She and her husband had one child at the time and were settling into civilian life. That all changed when they returned to Georgia; Shan completed her degree in Human Relations and Biblical Studies. Now, a mother of three and homeschooling she began searching for new ways to incorporate hands on activities into her children's curriculum. After a trip to her local big box store she purchased a woodworking kit and that is what lit the fire for her. While her children did not take much interest in assembling the projects, Shan did!

Upon her return to Atlanta in 2010, one of Shan's first purchases was a new home. Shan purchased an artist's table from a second store. Without any prior knowledge or experience with refurbishing, she stripped the once covered in paint table with a sander. While it had a short life as a dining room table, it now serves as her husband's desk. They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home and with the need to take her newly found skills to the next level, Shan tried her hand at completely building from scratch. Her new home did not have enough counter space and like any good maker we fill in the blanks with our skills. With only a jig saw and table saw, she constructed a massive 6' x 3' island based off a photo she saw online. Shan recounts how difficult it was to move each piece into the house after staining the base and top in her garage shop.

In the past three years Shankevia has been the brains and hard work behind Sawdust and Fabric, a business that lends itself to a successful outlet that allows her to share an experience with her customers rather than just selling a product. There is a high level of intention that goes into her work. "It's more than reproducing an idea in someone's head." She ensures that she has a clear understanding of her client's needs and determines how they can create a piece that works effectively and efficiently. Shan emphasized the importance of adding value to a home with her work that will last twenty years and beyond. Sawdust and Fabric has many arms. Not only does Shan construct furniture, but she also upholsters and reupholsters it. Her range extends from custom headboards and ottomans to footstools and more.

Her workspace is varied and unique. All of her woodworking takes place in her garage shop; which houses her table saw, miter saw, jigsaw, circular saw, bandsaw, reciprocal saw, and two scroll saws. It is great to have two workspaces to run your business from. The "Fabric" side of her business all happens at The Reverie. The Reverie is a 3600 square foot co-working studio exclusively for female makers, designers, artists, and dreamers. Here, Shan and her associate have a dedicated work space to house her upholstery equipment. This is the ideal location for client meetings and visibility of her work. Her workspace contains tools of the trade; a vintage button maker; which I had a chance to try out, a sewing machine, webbing stretchers, and an air compressor just to name a few.

While Shan is thriving in her endeavors she humbly admits she is on the path to learning more about different wood species and increasing her tool arsenal. She mentioned a recent project that did not go according to plan. During a visit to Carlton's Rare Woods and Veneers, a local supplier of exotics, she spotted a few boards of blue pine with a beautiful grain pattern. After working to turn the boards into cutting boards, she concluded the wood was too soft to be durable and sanitary for cutting boards. She then decided to use them as serving boards by adding a round indentation for small serving bowls by creating a space for them with her Dremmel.

In the next year, Shan's ultimate goal for her work is to expand to the commercial side. She hopes to have her custom furniture and products rented by production companies, real estate agents, and venues. Shan admits to being a talkative person and plans to start a podcast in the future to suit her outgoing personality as well as publishing more video content. As she increases her lumber knowledge she has a desire to work with walnut and other hard wood species in order to appeal to higher end clientele.

Her advice to those just getting started in woodworking is "Don't stop, keep going, don't sweat the small stuff, and learn from your mistakes. Be confident in your craft."

You can learn more about Shan on Instagram at @sawdust_fabric, Facebook, Pinterest and her feature in Voyage ATL.

You can check out Char's website at https://www.thewoodenmaven.com/ and follow her on Instagram at @woodenmaven.