Textile Art & Fine Craft
Let every heart prepare him room. Some years, preparing room is as simple as changing the sheets in the guest room. Other years, the room has been renovated. But this is a year that requires an empty space. The tree is decorated. Presents are wrapped. Packages are shipped. I need this empty little stable with its one … Continue reading Advent Interlude 3
Do you choose a full apron made of a cheerful print with good pockets? Do you prefer this half apron made of upcycled fabric, with extra long ties and good pockets? Do you want an apron like mine, an apron much-loved through use? … Continue reading What Makes a Good Apron?
This is my year of listening. On Mondays I post a quotation from my collection, words that resonated the first time I heard them, and which continue to resonate. That is a plan for listening which I share with others. I also have personal listening that is about discovery. What am I hearing? I started … Continue reading A Year of Listening: to What?
Recently I had three craftsmen in my home installing a new heating / air conditioning unit. Their comments on the amount of visible fabric generated conversation about craftsmanship, the joy of problem solving with mind and hands working in concert. In a few moments we affirmed each others' vocations. Many years ago, an employer told … Continue reading Affirmation: A little Salt
I like being in that place between work and play. It is not a blurry, ill-defined place for me. It is where my imagination is happy, and often, productive. I create games that make my work more playful. And I have a new one. It is called "I own it; I use it." It is less … Continue reading Using Stuff to Get to Enough
This summer marks the 50th anniversary of my learning to sew. I learned to sew because I am a farm girl. It was an essential part of the education, as was cooking, gardening, and gathering eggs. The first seven years of sewing were painful and tedious to me, because I wanted to be reading or … Continue reading A Simple Stitch