soulful sewing

I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to teach once again at Squam Art Workshops (thank you Elizabeth!). Each time I return, I learn something new about myself, as a teacher and as an individual. 

Perfection and strict rules are not my style, but I definitely appreciate and aspire to good craftsmanship... and I hope that the women I teach take some part of that with them when they leave my workshops. You see, I trust in everyone's inherent ability to work with their hands.... and I am convinced that  when they approach their creativity with deep intuition, their unique beauty will have no choice but to shine through. Guiding people through this process is an honor that I take quite seriously and am often humbled by the extraordinary moments I witness... and am woven into.

• pulling strands from the frayed edges of a father's loved flannel shirt
• stuffing lavender into organza ribbons from cherished mother's linen clothing 
• selecting tiny ruffles and mini pockets from little dresses bought in china when a new baby girl made one woman a mother
• incorporating the lace and doilies of generations before us into something for today
• rediscovering 20 year old fabric crayon drawings from children, now fully grown
• gathering and assembling scraps sent from friends all over the country to honor a sewer's birthday
• stitching on a grandmother's original singer that traveled through the woods to make it to the classroom

The list goes on... but you get the idea. On top of and next to these meaningful layers were hand stitches, pencil pleats, raw edged ruffles, stamps freshly printed... 

These scarves had it going on!