When you grow up within
the structure of family businesses, your outlook on life is certainly
shaped differently. Our home had a revolving door that welcomed any
and all and so it was as well with the business side of our lives. My
father gave jobs to people others would not and in doing so, helped
guide many into security and stability. He gave financial aid to
others, helping them get a foothold in life. My parents have always
contributed to their community, both locally and globally. This
generous spirit has taught us to see the potential in others and in
turn, given us the freedom to be ourselves.
I believe creativity is
within us all, but some of us are luckier because it is fostered
early and continually encouraged. My earliest memories are of
painting, cutting and gluing, watching my mom sew beautiful clothes
and my grandfather and father letter signs. My dad taught me to shade
at age 5. I sewed my own clothes by age 12. With a family owned
craft, hobby and framing shop, I tried my hand at many different
medium so that I could more readily assist customers. Still, I
continued to be drawn to fabric and paint.
I did leave home and go
off to university and eventually gathered a few diplomas. In 1982 I
enrolled in a sign writing course at George Brown College in
Toronto to further develop the skills I had been gradually
honing with my Dad. I successfully ran two small sign businesses in
the following years, but still that love of fabric kept me sewing. A
marriage, a move to Goose Bay, Labrador and the birth of my two best
ever creative collaborations - my son, Gabriel and my daughter,
Simone - kept me busy. We chose for me to be a stay at home mom and I
embraced raising my children following the path my parents had laid
out. And I continued to sew. I sewed clothes, home decor items,
costumes, and gradually I started making quilts.
In order to encourage
and involve my young children in my art work, I began using their
drawings as my source of design. With only a small amount of formal
quilting training, I fused long before it was fashionable, used my
glue gun to adhere embellishments, braided, painted, dyed, and beaded
fabric creating a collection of vivid, colorful wall hangings that
showcased Gabe and Simone’s art. These remain my favorite pieces in
my repertoire.
Surface design
continues to hold my attention. I also love to photograph and often
my shots end up printed on fabric combined with fabric and thread in
a piece. I grew up near the water and have spent a huge portion of my
life in it, whether it be beach, river, pool or more recently,
“hotpots” in Iceland. You will find the ocean and all its various
accoutrements as part of or adorning my work. I will always be an
Island girl with waves and sea breezes forever on my mind.
The most recent
development in my quilting and fabric life has been the acquisition
of a longarm quilting machine. This partnership is still new but I
can see the potential and the creative freedom I can achieve as I
meld my love of quilting with my sign writing skills! I am excited to
explore this area and see where it takes me as I continue creating.
Already I am seeing myself stitching those waves I so love integrated
with script lettering as I learn to find my place in the longarm
custom quilting world.
I teach, I share, I
design, I judge, I donate, I encourage, I contribute. And
as I see my children grow into creative, successful, responsible,
community minded individuals I feel I am successfully passing on the
legacy that was given me.
I am author of a blog
called Sister of the Brush where I showcase some of my
fabric work and photographs and where I also tend to ramble just
because I feel like it! Feel free to check it and my work out and if you
have any questions or comments, please use the comment tool. I love to know where readers hail from and if they share any
commonalities with me.
Many thanks to The
Needle and Thread Network for inviting me to be part of this forum! I love WIP Wednesdays and Feature Fridays - it's habit forming!