We just moved into an old farm house on a river with an ancient walnut orchard (I'm highly allergic to walnuts, but have no plans of eating any...so no matter!). The property came with a rabbit, a stray dog, a herd of altered cats and two lovely, fat sheep (that the previous owner literally sheared the day before we took possession, throwing the fiber away ): no joke she tossed it). I am a huge hobbyist! I sew, up-cycling with a passion! I've ... Read Full Bio »
We just moved into an old farm house on a river with an ancient walnut orchard (I'm highly allergic to walnuts, but have no plans of eating any...so no matter!). The property came with a rabbit, a stray dog, a herd of altered cats and two lovely, fat sheep (that the previous owner literally sheared the day before we took possession, throwing the fiber away ): no joke she tossed it). I am a huge hobbyist! I sew, up-cycling with a passion! I've been doing it with skill since I was 7 (the year, Mom 'forced' me into sewing 4H). That same year I learned to knit from two different people using two different style (thanks Nana and Mom) and picked up a little crochet. My cousins and I got big into macrame a couple of summers later. When I was 11/12 I got my first camera. I did all the stitching things off and on through high school, grew up and put it all aside for awhile. In my twenties I sewed and painted mostly. I fell in love with recycling/up cycling, nontraditional paper crafts, mixed media, collage, decorative painting...was obsessed with chairs! When my kids were born I started picking each of my old loves up again. I love to create and design.
I have done art in my kids classes for the last 8 years. This is my final year. I've taught 28 kids to take body measurements, design and finalize a sewing project (in thirty minute art blocks with only 3 sewing machines). Another Mom and teacher and I collaborated in teaching twenty 3rd graders to knit, in similar art blocks. Last year I taught 30 students (40 minute block :)) to weave, combining their mini weaved squares into a rug that we auctioned at our annual school charity event. Love the kiddos, most of them I've known from age four some of them younger being sibs of my older sons classmates.
I take pictures every day.
A mere month and a half ago I had been doing at least one of my hobbies everyday. Moving into a new place while preparing another for renters has stolen my creative time away. I am itching to get my studio, nearly the size of a two car garage, put together so I can release these ideas from my overtired brain! The old 'studio' was about 9'x10'...
I am planning to get back to my farming roots by putting in a heritage garden with my boys, teaching them to preserve. Now if I can just get all of this tedium out of the way. :)
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