It's July Already!

Happy 4th of July!
What happened to June? I guess things have been hopping around here....I just realized that I didn't post anything at all last month.

Two important events occurred last month....I sent my son off to Argentina for five months for his study abroad program through the University of Oregon (the plan is for him to seriously improve his Spanish but I think the study of women & the tango are also on his list) and..... my article about my hooked carpetbags was published in Rug Hooking Magazine. It's so exciting to actually see it in print, especially in an issue that's full of other great articles and photographs. I feel honored to be in such good company. So, as you can see, June was a big month!

Preparing for & writing the article was a wonderful learning experience which has given me a new respect for professional writers. The time involved, even before sitting down to write the actual article, was substantial. Researching traditional carpetbags, making a number of test bags to come up with the best design, drafting the final flat pattern, to say nothing of hooking and constructing the three bags featured in the article, took about six months of off-and-on work. Thank goodness for those flat pattern drafting classes I took in college & the Japanese clothing designer I studied with when I lived in Japan. But, most especially, thank goodness for my friend, Denise, who hooked the Revolution Carpetbag when I was down to the wire with deadlines and having a panic attack!

It was a surprise to find that the most challenging aspect of writing the article was finding the right words to describe what my hands just "do". Having been a professional seamstress & soft-furnishings designer for many years, I generally spend time planning a project at the outset & then just work away, often listening to an audio book to keep my mind active while my hands work. Putting step-by-step, concise instructions down on paper (or laptop screen, actually) was a totally new experience.

But, it's nice to know that one can continue to develop new skills, even when you're on the down side of your fifties!

Hope you enjoy the article and yes, I miss my son, but I'm so proud of him for having an adventuresome spirit and a willingness to learn about other cultures.
May your 4th of July be filled with loved ones and appreciation for the fine country we are all a part of...