Pillow Talk: What's Wrong with My Sewing?

by Craig Conover

Perfect for fans of One Day You’ll Thank Me and Capital Gaines, the star of Southern Charm and cofounder and CMO of Sewing Down South reveals how he turned his passion for sewing into a profitable enterprise and a fulfilling life, while also taking us behind-the-scenes of one of Bravo’s most popular shows. As a young boy sitting at a sewing machine in home economics class, Craig Conover had no idea that this hobby would one day change his life for the better. Growing up in Delaware, Conover experienced cruel bullying and suffered from severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. But while law school in Charleston seemed to provide the direction he needed, Conover spent years searching for meaning and passion in life. The chance to become a cast member on Bravo’s Southern Charm promised to provide that. Though the show gave Conover a shot at fame and fortune, it also offered destructive temptations that fed his insecurities. As the show increased in popularity, he sank deeper into self-doubt. Unable to take control of his life, Conover quickly lost his job, his girlfriend, and his motivation. Then, at his lowest point, Conover turned to his passion—sewing—and slowly pulled himself out of the spiral. A chance phone call from an old friend gave Conover the support he needed to turn his hobby into a business. Soon after, Sewing Down South was born and became an overnight success, with Conover launching a multi-state “Pillow Party Tour,” being featured on HSN, and opening a retail store in downtown Charleston. Now, Conover reveals the full story of the drama that swirled around him on the show—both on screen and off—and how it led to the founding of Sewing Down South. He also talks about how he was able to turn his passion into his work and reclaim the direction of his life and what lessons we can learn from his experience.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Pop Culture

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2022

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drinking game alert: every time Craig refers to himself being a celebrity, take a sip of your favorite drink!

[Kalee Donofrio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this one as an audiobook. I love Southern Charm so it was fascinating to get the behind the scenes scoop! I didn’t realize how philanthropic Craig was as that does not make it on the show. Even tho he’s fallen off my favorites list the last year due to his antics on Winter House - this gives you somewhat of an inside look to his personal mental struggles and how he has worked hard to get to where he is now.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't help it, I love Craigy! It was nice to hear his backstory and what the cameras don't show you on Southern Charm. He's pretty open, but there's also not a lot to dive into and no SC gossip.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was... surprisingly enjoyable? And while it wasn't a huge tell-all or anything, it's one of the only Bravolebrity books I've read that really discusses the show in-depth and fills in gaps between what we see on TV and what is happening peripherally/in the off-season.

[Collin Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of Bravo - this is one of the more better written books by a Bravolebrity. It has just enough behind the scenes of the show to keep you engaged, with a great balance of personal stories. Definitely recommend if you’re a Craig fan.

[Megan Robison · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Craig and Southern Charm then this is a must listen.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Craig so much! A favorite of mine on Southern Charm I was really looking forward to this book. This was more than just SC And Sewing Down South, it’s an honest look at life. I did not expect to cry so many times during this.

Trigger warning: child neglect, death, natural disaster aftermath and casualties.

[Sydney Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be generous with my four stars for Craig. I liked him reading to me in the car. He referred to himself as a celebrity a few too many times. And no chapters about Paige??

[Sabrina Hardin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining enough audiobook for a car ride

[Shannon Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta love Craig’s delusional a*s 😆

[Madison C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would only be ⭐️ if I didn’t love reality TV Craig …appeared so cocky in this book

[Gabrielle Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished 10 seasons of southern charm in 3 weeks so felt like I needed some more Craig in my life lol but this was maybe worst celeb memoir I’ve ever read. Was basically just a summary of the show/repeatedly calling himself a celebrity/jumping all over the place. Merp

[Kassandra Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Bravo Fan and fan of the show Southern Charm when I saw that my library got this book I quickly snagged it. I love memoirs and getting to hear the deeper backstory to someone’s life. That was exactly what we got in this book learning more than what the show could share about Craig’s journey to starting his own successful Pillow business and overcoming his own personal struggles with ADHD and mental health. Craig to me has always been a very likable and relatable character on a show that’s full of many things that are the exact opposite in Charleston.

I really liked hearing the honesty in his story and heart behind what he does. I think it’s a testament to how dreams especially as an adult can shift and change and that sometimes it’s a really rocky, unforeseen road that leads us to where we need to be. I also think it’s very hard to come to many of the conclusions he has when you have fame and wealth constantly pulling at you and to allow yourself to be humble enough to learn.

It is definitely not a memoir for everyone but for fans of Southern Charm or Bravo it’s a fun listen! I definitely enjoyed it as one of my final books of 2024!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars-

I appreciated learning about the Southern Charm gossip; however, I couldn’t get past how Craig sounds like he’s yelling at you in the audiobook—no thanks. And I thought we’d at least hear something about Paige, but nope—she's only mentioned in the acknowledgments, and it's just one sentence. Hmm, interesting. That said, I was intrigued to finally hear him explain his relationship with Naomie and how their dynamic had its highs and lows. It takes a lot for someone to take accountability like that.

[Jennifer Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who hasn’t read PILLOW TALK, I highly recommend it! It’s very well written and engaging. Craig writes about his childhood in Delaware, his move to Charleston, and touches on how he became involved with Southern Charm. This is not a Southern Charm tell-all, and honestly, I think that’s what made his book so compelling. Craig opens up and is brave and vulnerable, sharing about challenging times in his life with bullying, addiction, and breakups. His story about founding Sewing Down South is inspiring. Despite having a dream that many people in his life initially didn’t support, Craig persevered, worked hard, built a team, and is now co-running a successful business that continues to grow. PILLOW TALK is a great read for fans of Southern Charm as well as anyone who has a dream or business idea but doesn’t know how to take it to the next level.

[Ashton Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened as an audiobook that was read by Craig and I was so pleasantly surprised. He didn’t share an major bravo secrets but I did love hearing his backstory so many things we didn’t see on the show.

[Stephanie Carollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craig has been my favorite on Southern Charm, I finally got around to reading this book. I enjoyed hearing the background context of things that happened on the show and in his personal life. I also love how his business started from a passion and it is an inspiration to start something from a passion. Great book and easy read!

[Italia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio book and I absolutely loved it. Craig's ability to look at himself from all sides and to acknowledge where he is wrong and show compassion to those who have not always shown him the same grace is lovely.

[Lauren R McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done Craig! Loved learning more about your journey outside of what the cameras showed us, and how your successful business came to be. Looking forward to cheering you on in whatever comes next!

[Brooke Kula · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally obsessed lol

[Ryan Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proud Bravo fan. Tandem listened to whiny ass Craiggers with my wife

[Rachael Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been a Craig stan and really enjoyed this!!

[Jessica Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the background and insight into Craig’s story but it certainly wasn’t groundbreaking

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely surprised by Craig and how he over came the spot light.

[Andee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Craig! So glad he proved the boys wrong.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t my favourite memoir, but for any Southern Charm fans, it gave a lil behind the scenes!

[Add me on Storygraph hilaryshelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bless.

[megean · Rating 3 out of 5]

take a shot every time you read “more on that later…”

I think I need a break from celebrity memoirs who have someone else help them write their story.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craig the celeb

[Allie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Southern Charm fan and big Craig fan !!