I love textiles. I love the patterns. I love the textures. I love the interaction of colors.
My grandmother was a seamstress. She sewed clothing for years in what could only be considered a sweat shop. Then her brother-in-law opened a tailoring shop in the small town where I grew up and eventually, she helped him out in the shop designing and sewing the most gorgeous dresses. She was much much more than a seamstress. She would bring home leftover buttons from the shop - the most beautiful buttons I have ever seen. (I was 10 years old) And she would sew me a dress or jacket and I would sew on the buttons. Oh, I felt so important.
As I got older, I tried my hand at sewing, but it never held my attention. I even tried quilting, but the sewing machine was just not my friend. I satisfied by artistic cravings with knitting and needle point and all sorts of crafts while my own children were young.
Then I found beading. It was those tiny seed beads that first caught my attention. Before lampworking glass in the flame.
I started to take some classes to learn looming and off loom stitching. And guess what. Those beaded endeavors reminded me of fabric. I could stitch them together in all sorts of patterns and colors.
And when I learned silversmithing I made hand crafted clasps to enhance the bead work.
The styles and patterns are endless and there will never be enough hours in the day to finish all the ideas floating in my mind.
See more on my website.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend
It’s hot dogs and potato salad for us, and a dip in the pool.
I have to clean out my inbox with the gazillion sale emails. I am overwhelmed. But I will recommend one item and it’s on sale this weekend. First of all, you need to know that I stopped using grocery store detergent 20 years ago. Grocery store detergents can be harmful to the environment due to their chemical composition, non-biodegradable ingredients, and packaging waste. Many detergents contain phosphates, which can lead to algal blooms in water bodies, harming aquatic life. They also often include brighteners and other synthetic chemicals that persist in the environment. Furthermore, the plastic packaging of these detergents contributes to landfill waste and potential leaching of chemicals into the soil and water. So, I turned to environmentally friendly alternatives. For the past 5 years I have been using products from the Laundress.
And the product I am in love with is Beauty Sleep Laundry Detergent. Wash just your sheets and pillowcases in it and then come thank me!
Thanks for being here.
Louise x