Hello, hello! Exactly 12 months ago, this little book made its way into the world. And when I say world, it has turned out to be very literal — Shibui is now (or will soon be) available in 10 languages! So far I have received the Dutch, German and Thai versions, and it’s so fun to see the slightly different treatments in terms of cover layouts and sizes. Polish, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Czech, Serbian, and Chinese are the other translations at this time. My mind is utterly ... Read more
Kogin Embroidery Class with Tatter!
Hello my friends! And just like that, it’s mid-September. How did summer simply…evaporate? How are you? June through early September was jam-packed in a good way, and tomorrow I drop off my 20-year-old-not-so-little-kid for her junior year of college. Once I return to Seattle in a few days, I’ll be diving into several fun projects! One of which is my upcoming class for Tatter. I’ll be teaching a Sashiko technique that’s rather under the radar called “Kogin,” which is essentially ... Read more
Embroidered gifts
Hello, hello! Last weekend, I quietly celebrated my fifty-fifth birthday. 55! What a milestone! Am I the only one who thinks the fifties are awesome? Surely not. What a treat to have lived over half a century. I received the sweetest handmade gift(s) from K, which included a heartfelt card and Sashiko-embroidered bookmarks among other thoughtful things. That girl knows how to make her Mama tear up. But she’s no longer a girl, really — in a few weeks, she will have her own milestone ... Read more
From Then to Now + New Creativebug Class!
May is a month that inspires a lot of reflection for me. 14 years ago, I was fired from my corporate job and it changed the trajectory of pretty much everything: my career, my relationships, my health. It wouldn't be farfetched to say that it was the catalyst I needed to become a totally different person. Okay, that all sounds needlessly dramatic but it's true. As I hoisted dumb bells above my head for my daily strength training regimen after a quick yoga session yesterday, I marveled at this ... Read more
April Tatter Class
Ah…April. The cherry blossoms are waltzing in the winds here in Seattle and my allergies are alive and kicking too. The pollen app tells me that Birch, Ash and Juniper are active right now, and I suspect that Birch is the main source of the symptoms. Fortunately, the snuffling and sneezing seem milder this year. I should be allergy-free by April 30th, the day of my next Tatter class! I’ll be guiding folks through the slightly lesser known version of Japanese Sashiko Embroidery called ... Read more