reinvention: behind the scenes #1

Welcome to my new series:  "a behind the scenes" peek into the writing and creating of my new book reinvention-sewing with rescued materials. I always love hearing the back story or gaining insight into someone's process. I thought you might too, so I documented bits and pieces over the past year and am so happy that I can finally share it with you. You know I'm patient, but this was a long wait!

It was just one year ago, in April, that the first of three photo shoots took place. The spring session was done entirely at my mother's barn. I love being behind the lens, but I still have so much to learn. I wasn't up for being the designer, stylist and photographer for my first book.  And although I shot the cover and opening image (yay!), I knew I would need to seek help for the rest. In order to create the images that I wanted, I called upon my sister in law, a professional from down in NYC, Deborah Donenfeld. She's been snapping pictures of  my children since birth, so I was intimately aware of how she sees the world through her lens... how she tells stories with her photographs.  I just knew that she'd be able to do that for each project in reinvention.

Deborah's ability to chase light and evoke emotions with her play on shadows is just what I hoped would help capture images with soul and sensitivity. Stitching with found and rescued materials deserves to be honored that way. So she would take this...

and turn it into this... the opening to the burlap chapter. I believe a humble stack of coffee sacks has never looked so soulful, nor inviting. Makes me want to run and get my needle and thread!