Memories to Heirlooms

I was lucky enough to purchase one of Jenn's cat ornaments to honor my cat, Lenny. She is incredibly talented and delightful. A resident of Lititz, Jenn has been doing gourd art since 1999. Her beautiful work features her love of nature and Celtic art. Beyond her art, I love that she is a teacher and even has a how-to video on her website.  When I told her I can't draw what it is in my head she assured me I could. She repeated what I have heard from every good art teacher - the more you practice, the more you learn your subject and the better you will be. Thanks for that encouragement, Jenn.
If you don't see her at a local craft show, you can always look at her work on her website or purchase some through her Etsy shop.  

When you look at this hareloom, what do you see? A cute bunny, right? But if you know the story behind a piece, you will see much more; Grandma’s sewing glasses, held by my baby necklace, Dad’s Cornell vVarsity jacket, Mom’s Christmas PJs, and so much more. This bunny tells a story about my life and the people I love. When I create pieces for clients I am keenly aware that they see my work through this filter of love. No one will see it the way they do - making it very important that I do my best to honor the treasures with which they entrust me.
Have a story you want help telling?  Contact me and we can get started.

The first Bearloom I made for a total stranger was the Barton Bear.  Mrs. Barton found me through a mutual friend for whom I had made a Bearloom of family pieces for a baby shower gift. She wanted one for her first grandchild and sent a piece of fabric, patch or other memento from about 20 family members. I loved the challenge of positioning each piece into the bear but, hard as I tried, they just would not all fit. Since the soon to be Grandpa was an avid golfer, I decided to make a golf bag out of the remaining pieces along with a set of clubs made from wood dowels and Fimo clay.  

The Bearloom was presented at the baby shower which turned out to be great timing since the baby was born prematurely. The new mother spent her days at the hospital and at night rocked the bear until her child could come home.  

Mrs. Barton contacted me again when her twin grandchildren were expected. The result of our collaboration was two Bearlooms that had bags to hold some of the treasures they like to carry. Each of the Bearlooms came with a Story Starter booklet that identified each piece and, for some, a story or quote from the person who sent in the piece.

A Bearloom, Hareloom or Careloom is a great way to pass down stories and make a family connection. Want to share the fabrics of your family with someone special? Simply contact me so we can get started!

I purchased quilt rulers on a whim but had yet to really use them. When I started making blankets for children being detained at the border, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to learn to use the rulers, honing my skills while helping others.  Win! Win!

As soon as started, I realized that I should have purchased the self stick disks that keep the rulers from slipping.  Rather than head back to the store 45 minutes away, I went to the local hardware store, home of solutions. I purchased double stick tape and shelf liner and was able to make all the rulers slip resistant and still gift most of the shelf liner to the clerk at check out!  Woo Hoo!

There was a definite learning curve to using the rulers. I watched an online video and wore nitrate gardening gloves for a better grip. (Can you guess where I got them?) The blankets provided plenty of practice.

The rulers help to create a good variety of patterns in much less time than using a stencil. I am thankful my "playtime" with these new tools could benefit such a worthy cause. 

Do you have a friend that you have known for years; through  their children’s births, through good and hard times? I have several. The children of one of these families  made me an adopted aunt. I have been to birthday and Christmas celebrations, summer picnics and weddings. Through this I got to know their extended family including their Sasha, my friend’s father. 

Their Sasha made a career of the Air Force. It was there he met is match, a registered nurse, also in the USAF.  Sasha and MomMom were a match made in heaven and tough and nails.  It prepared them to raise their five children in the service, where they were stationed all over the world.  

Sasha retired from the Air Force June of 1971 as lieutenant colonel. He was a hospital administrator in the Air Force and continued that career in civilian life. 
​He was kind, funny, bright and honorable.  I loved kidding and talking with him.   After he passed, my friend asked me to make 10 pillows from his dress uniform, over coat, dog tags and medals for the men in the family.  Once I could bring myself to cut, it became a remarkable experience. Each pillow was unique but on each one I placed his monogram and made a pocket to hold a card that listed his honors. 

I feel blessed to be able to use my talents to help tell his story and make something so special for the family. I believe he would have been happy and honored with the results.
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If you have items tucked away for safe keeping, we could work together to create heirlooms that you  live  in your home and the homes of people you love.  Contact us and we can start a special tribute.

The Blanket Project @ArtDivision.com is a program that welcomes anyone to knit, crochet, tie or quilt blankets for children at the border. When I heard about it I could not wait to participate. I started searching for the perfect quote to embroider on each blanket in an effort to provide a bit of extra comfort to the recipient. I settled on:

Next I translated it into Spanish and and embroidered it on a patch for each quilt.

All that was left to do was sew.  I only had to buy a few yards of fabric; the rest came from my in-house stash.  It was fun to combine fabrics into colorful quilts. I even found some finished quilt tops that my sister in-law, Sue, had given me. Each was  divided to make 4 quilts! Sue also contributed by paying for the shipping.  We were both happy to ship off 16 blankets!  

The other day I received a handwritten thank you note from Dan MCleary, founder of Art Division, saying the blankets would be distributed to children living shelters in Tiyuana, CA on October 12. I struggle that we are living in a time when we would be separating children from their families, so it is nice to have something tangible I can do to help beyond calling my representatives in Washington.

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a wonderful program, with a focus on exercise, wellness and community for cancer survivors. This program was life changing for me, so I created this quilt and donated it to be auctioned to benefit the program. The winner of the bid asked to be anonymous but throughout the year I received the same letter several times (see below) until the other day when the bid winner presented to me in person.  It makes my heart happy that the quilt was so meaningful to a fellow survivor and that their purchase supported the program that benefited both of us.  The chain reaction continues.

As a cancer survivor, I wanted to give back to a program at the Lancaster Family YMCA which has been instrumental in my recovery. My solution: make a quilt to be auctioned online in​ October to help to raise money and awareness for this remarkable program.

Diagnosis and Support
I used mottled gray fabrics with flecks of gold because cancer, at best, is a dark cloud, but I was lucky to have many gold flecks shinning through. My family showed through example how to battle cancer and support people going through it. I knew I was facing a fight but having this love and support, knowing that much more was available if I choose to reach out, was gold. 

CaRE/LIVESTRONG
Purple was the color of my YMCA CaRE program and the touches of silver represent the brightness it brought into my life. Cancer taught me that life is too short to limit yourself. It made it easier to walk into a class with total strangers and take on exercise that I had not done for years. This class was a game changer for me, pushing me to do more and want more in my life. 

Freedom
Classic blue calico reminds me of freedom. It is very stressful to feel you have the imperative to fix the wrongs of the world. Cancer gave me the freedom to step back, focus on my health and decide how I will choose to "leave the world better than I found it."

Mindfulness
This fabric reminds me of the night sky and because of where I live, I have to remember to look up to see the stars. The two mindfulness classes I took at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute were enlightening. I still have to be mindful, to be mindful. . . but I don't mind!

CaRE to Continue/LIVESTRONG
A darker purple was the perfect choice for CaRE to Continue because the program was such a rich experience. Ours was the first class allowed to continue with CaRE after the first round. It encouraged me to keep pursuing fitness, it bonded my friendships and inspired me by the people in each new round of classes.

Service
CaRE members gather occasionally to make mastectomy pillows for the patients of the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute. We mark them with "Peace, Courage, Heath, Hope" and attach inspirational tags so they know they were made by people who have been there. It is a great way to give back.

Gratitude
"Kermit" has forever linked the color green to gratitude for me. Mom cared for me; my "Other Mothers" were at the ready to listen/do; my neighbors looked after "my boys" and home; my friends supported me in perfect ways; my medical team was outstanding; and my trainers were supportive. I am truly blessed.

Joy
I took a year to find myself. I hung out at the Y, played with pottery and stained glass, enjoyed time with Mom, family and old and new friends, cuddled the cats, noticed stars and butterflies, and took time to breathe.

Peace
Yellow fabric represents light and "namaste" means "The light and love in me honors the light and love in you." Yoga introduced me to this word and I try to live it each day by seeking out ways to honor others: shaking the hand of a veteran, holding a door, sharing a kind word. Little things are not little.  Namaste.

Love
Orange is my sister/hero's signature color and she  has always been an amazing example of love in my life. Through cancer, I have strengthened bonds with my loved ones and have gotten to know remarkable people who have enriched my life.  Through it, I am more keenly aware of how love abounds in my life.  There are much easier paths to discovering love and I pray that no more must follow this one.

Hope
This is the only fabric I didn't already own and I went to at least three stores to find it. Its colors and design speak to my path as I move on.  I see endless possibilities and for the first time I feel I am actively crafting my life. Life is good.

The Design
In the quilt no circle stands alone forming an interlocking chain reaction. It is significant that the links of the chain that connect all others are:

• YMCA
• Mindfulness
• Centered
• Gratitude
• Joy!

​ I "donut" know how that happened, but I love it!

Kristen Ellsworth Applebee was my student in 7th and 8th grade home economics, and she participated in my after school gingerbread house building. She is second in a family of 6, each of whom is remarkable, kind, creative former students. Their mother was soon to become my teaching partner, and because we were so different, we made a good team that was a real benefit to our students. Eventually, I was made an honorary Aunt and have been connected to the family ever since.

cKristen now teaches Art at the Georgia Academy for the Blind. Did you catch that? She teaches Art to visually impaired students! That statement alone is mind-boggling, but if you check out Kristen's Blog you will be really impressed. It is an excellent resource for any art teacher, parent, or crafter.​

So, I was not surprised to hear she was selected in the top 10 for Georgia Teacher of the Year (GTOY) and was later chosen as National 2019 Outstanding Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments! Woohoo! As soon as I heard about the GTOY, I headed to the grocery store and filled my cart with our native foods; Hershey, Dove and Wilbur chocolate. When I realized that by the time it got to her in Georgia in May, it would be a delicious puddle, back on the shelf it went and I settled on making her piece of stained glass instead.​

On her blog, I found two pieces of student artwork that would translate to stained glass well. Of course, I asked Kristen if she would like me to do this and which would she prefer. Her response was, "Yes, please!" and she chose the butterfly. I was excited about the challenge of the butterfly, but when she explained that it was a group project and done to honor a student who had passed away, it seemed a perfect way to honor her dedication to her craft. She also discussed the size she wanted because, of course, she wanted to hang it in her classroom.

 Design in hand, I headed to Rainbow Vision Stained Glass in Harrisburg. Lynn, the owner, is always so helpful, but when I explained what I was doing, she went above and beyond. She gave me a one and half hour master class on how to design a stained glass piece. Her help dramatically improved the quality of the end piece, and I walked away with skills I will use over and over again. I can't thank her enough.

Stained glass comes in many colors and textures. It also varies in clarity from glass that allows light to shine through to totally opaque pieces. More than anything, I wanted to give her students the chance to see this piece, so I choose glass that allowed as much color to come through as possible. Rainbow Vision had a great selection of beautiful glass that would do the trick!

The finished piece turned out great, and I got to give it to her in person when she visited this July!

Congratulations, Kristen! You have always been an outstanding teacher in my book, and I am glad you are receiving the recognition you deserve. You are truly a blessing to your students and always help them to fly!