In the spirit of the last 6 months (since I last posted a blog) I thought you would enjoy this photo of our dog. Reka is our beloved Aussie and she entertains us to no end every day, but I had to laugh out loud as I witnessed her determination to clean out the yogurt container. I had two thoughts – 1)I have felt like this more than once during these long months of life during Covid times (sticking my head in a hole has sounded good more than once!! lol!). and 2)maybe we should be more like dogs, focusing on the short term and immediate pleasures of the little things in life. Easier said than done these days, but always worth the try. Not sure how everyone is spending these long weeks. There are those who are purging, cleaning, and refreshing their environments as they look forward to ‘a someday’ of a new normal. And then there’s those who are just trying to hang on through so many changes, many of which make life very challenging and in some cases, devastating. Perhaps we are all learning about who we really are. I hope that somehow, we all come away learning to be more kind and compassionate, evaluating our values, and ready to be a united human community. More…

This is most certainly an overdue posting of a tutorial that I have promised to make since posting my pattern called Native Beauty – a tribute to the wonderful needle and handworked art used by native women over the last few centuries. It seems to me that as most of us were taught in US history, we came to believe that the European women saw the need to teach Native women how to sew as a necessary part to make them acclimate to a more ‘cultured; American life style. Unfortunately, since those early years of American history, I have come to study, witness, and realize that most native women had tremendously handworking skills – working first with quills, then adding beads, buttons, metal pieces, and – yes – even wool fabrics as they increasing came into contact with the Europeans as well as other encroaching groups. They used bone awls, bone and natural plant needles along with sinew and plant fibers, and even the find hairs from moose or musk ox for threads – many materials quite suited to the life styles that various native tribes led. They developed unique concepts of color usage and design quite often very meaningful in their world viewpoint. Some tribes developed sewing ‘societies’ with the more gifted handworkers producing works for others within the tribe. If you’ve never had the opportunity, I would encourage you to seek out a museum or historical society and take some time to look at the wonderful pieces created by so many unnamed native women. Not really so different from viewing many of the pieces of handwork we see in our own Euro-centric backgrounds – often very beautiful and quite often by a woman never named. More…

One would think that during the last 6-7 months of ‘Covid times’ that I would be caught up on my blog, product postings, personal projects, and household chores and upkeep! Well – NO NO NO and NO! I have worked on bits and pieces of all of these, and while my personal projects are half done, I am finally making an attempt to get caught up with my blog and website. During this time it has been so fun to see what others are doing; what projects they are finishing and/or starting! As an small online business of selling my wool pattern designs, I don’t get a chance to see my customers’ work as they complete any of my patterns. I miss that exchange. As a former art teacher, I so loved it when I would give the kids an assignment and then – a few days later – bear witness to all the different interpretations they presented to me. I remember telling my DH that their creativity drove my own creative juices. It wasn’t about the skill level, but the interpretation, the color and design choices, etc. That is one of the reasons I created this gallery – to inspire others to trust their own creative interpretations and to share with others, encouraging them to ‘give it a go.’

I am so grateful to have been given permission to post these two projects in the gallery. The first project is by Marie Millis who happens to belong to the same FB wool applique group as I do. She did this stunning interpretation of my Blooms In Blue pattern. I enjoy the higher contrast wools – between the background wool and the lighter center wool – and the effect that had on the blue blooms! Marie’s work is beautifully executed, beadwork and all. To say nothing of the lovely setting in which she photographed the topper would be remiss…..that gorgeous glass piece is so stunning. I’ve never seen one similar.

This second photo is by Kathy Purkiss, also a member of the same FB wool applique group. She completed her version of my Daisy Garden pattern and did a wonderful job.  I like how she spaced out the beads around the outer edges – reminds me of the little picots done in crochet or tatting.  She also left out the little curli-swirls by the bottom of the daisies….and aren’t those daisies just so nicely executed???  To top it off, that beautiful glass pear  only serves to accent the colors in the ‘daisy garden’!  I envy those pieces every time I’m digging around the house to find centerpieces with which to photograph my pattern models.

My thanks goes out to Marie and Kathy for sending or posting  photos on FB and allowing me to post them here.  I hope this encourages others to send in photos of their projects that involve my patterns.  Together, we all learn and improve our personal work.  Keep the love in stitching!