As a child, I cherished the moments spent with my grandmother, who introduced me to crafting. With no children my age around, I did what she did, and she crocheted. I was able to crochet before I could even read or write! The afghan I created during those extended stays with my grandmother, though a bit wonky as you would expect from a five-year-old, holds a special place in my heart.
I can still remember hearing my grandmother on the phone tell my mom that I was "good at picking my colors." I remember the pride and joy of doing something that pleased my grandmother. I embarked on a self-learning journey, mastering more than just a granny square. I delved into the art of knitting and honed my sewing skills in my home economics class in junior high school. The memory of the blue velveteen shift dress I crafted still fills me with pride and accomplishment. As a teen and young adult, I often sought solace in my hobbies. I always had a needle and thread at hand. It became my anchor, offering comfort amidst the chaos of family life, knowing that I could create something that was not only pretty to look at but useful. While I could never get formal training in the arts, I kept crocheting, knitting, and learning other fiber arts. I used that time and practice as my meditation. It also helped increase my income, as I could occasionally sell some creations. Over the years, I taught myself to do everything I could with a needle and thread. This included tatting, embroidery, or what they now call slow stitching, and jewelry making. I've made many custom wedding gowns and ice skating outfits for competitions. I've also designed swimsuits for many of the early breast cancer survivors to cover scars and help hide the fact of missing breasts. After retirement, I joined The Artisan Depot Gallery in Cowan, TN. While I never considered myself an artist, I did know how to use Facebook to market and advertise our events and show dates. As a volunteer, I took on the role of PR person. I began attending the Wednesday Morning group we call Art Wednesday to gather information about events and things happening at the Gallery to post on Facebook. Everyone was so willing to share knowledge about their different art forms. I have learned so much from all these knowledgeable artist in these gatherings, which increased my confidence. Because of those Wednesday morning gatherings I've lost all fear of trying new things. During the summer of 2020, I had my own scare of breast cancer. I had surgery, chemo, and a couple of hospital stays. Because of lockdown, I had to do all that alone since they would not allow anyone in the hospital or treatment center with me. It was a scary time. I used what I had learned about meditation and my strong faith in a God who cares to help me stay calm and focused during that time. My faith provided me with the strength and hope I needed to endure the treatments and the isolation, and planning new crafting projects gave me something else to focus on. I had always wanted to learn the skill of free-motion machine stitching. So, on the days I was too sick to get out of bed, I lay on my back staring at the ceiling and envisioned myself doing this art form. When I could sit up without being sick, I watched YouTube videos. I imagined myself doing what I saw them do in the videos. When I was finally well enough to sit at a sewing machine, I practiced this new art form. It was amazing how easy it was to do after practicing all those hours in my imagination. Free-motion machine stitching is now my preferred art form. You can see some of my free-motion machine-stitched creations at the Artisan Depot Gallery. Lately, I've been busy making purses and vessels from paper and fabric, and I have some of my creations there. I hope to see you soon. Please visit us at the Gallery on any Art Wednesday we're there from 10-12, or attend one of our workshops, it could be good for your mental health. PS I just got my 41/2 year checkup and I'm still free of cancer and pretty healthy, so there is lots of hope not just for me but for all those that must deal with this dreaded and hateful disease. I'm doing my happy dance.
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