Do you watch Project Runway?  I’m sure a lot of you reading this have seen at least a few episodes, if not every season.  Have you noticed with some of the designers that they excel with the challenges, but when it comes time to design their collection it’s a disaster?  I’ve noted this pattern frequently.  It’s like their creative brain works better when they are constrained by the parameters of the challenge.  And conversely, when they are given a big budget for fabric and the freedom to design whatever they want, it’s just a big mess.  Maybe it’s because when t ..read more

Hello Everyone. I know it’s been awhile since I last posted, but I’m still here! My friends sometimes call me a turtle. Not only because I tend to work slow and steady, but also because I have been known to retreat into my shell. A close friend who used to live next door to me would joke that there were periods of time when all he would see of me was my forearm pushing the door open to get my pizza delivery. Funny and true. I have a very good reason for retreating lately. I’ve been nurturing an idea. I don’t know about you, but when I have a creative project that is newly born, it needs lots ..read more

https://www.featherstitchavenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ohsillyme_final_vert.mp4 Hi guys!  Welcome back!  The kids are back in school and I can get my head together just enough to sit down and compose this blog post.  Wahoo! Today I want to talk about a good friend of mine.  We’ve known each other now for a long time and this is how our friendship began.  On our very first coffee get-together, she told a story on herself that I will never forget.  She said that she had recently had a morning that she woke up full of confidence.  She looked in the mirro ..read more

When you hear “the Oscar dress”, you think red carpet.  In this case, I’m talking about a different Oscar.  I’ve named my dress for Oscar Wilde and stitched my favorite Wilde quote around the hem of the dress.  To understand why, I’ve got to tell you a story.  I must warn you that some of this post is dark, but if I’ve done my job, hopefully it will make some sense when you get to the end. Many years ago, I was lucky enough to be able to study at Trinity College in Dublin.  Having already earned my BA in psychology, I was at Trinity to do some graduate work.  I h ..read more

Do you watch Project Runway?  I’m sure a lot of you reading this have seen at least a few episodes, if not every season.  Have you noticed with some of the designers that they excel with the challenges, but when it comes time to design their collection it’s a disaster?  I’ve noted this pattern frequently.  It’s like their creative brain works better when they are constrained by the parameters of the challenge.  And conversely, when they are given a big budget for fabric and the freedom to design whatever they want, it’s just a big mess.  Maybe it’s because when the sky’s the limit, the choices ..read more

Hello Everyone. I know it’s been awhile since I last posted, but I’m still here! My friends sometimes call me a turtle. Not only because I tend to work slow and steady, but also because I have been known to retreat into my shell. A close friend who used to live next door to me would joke that there were periods of time when all he would see of me was my forearm pushing the door open to get my pizza delivery. Funny and true. I have a very good reason for retreating lately. I’ve been nurturing an idea. I don’t know about you, but when I have a creative project that is newly born, it nee ..read more