Sou'wester Artist Residency Reflection

I feel very lucky to have recently spent a week in March at Sou’wester in Seaview, WA - and I’m excited to tell you about it!

I proposed to spend the week making kites with my friend Iris - something neither of us had ever done before. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve really become enamored with kites, and had an excellent time at the Kite Festival in Longbeach, WA last summer.

Additionally, I had a bolt of white ripstop nylon that was left over from a previous commission that has been begging to be used for something. So when I saw that Sou’wester has an artist residency on the coast, I realized this would be an ideal location for kite making!

I think that kites make excellent vessels and have interesting cultural histories - some of which I learned about. A kite can be a message. carrier, has been used as a sort of life saver, and in a number of weather experiments. They are also a simple joy to fly!

I had a medium degree of success - partially because the weather was not excellent and so it was challenging to do tests. I also started out making parafoils - a kind of kite without a rigid frame. I was drawn to a kite that is only sewn, but struggled to figure out how to fix these when they didn’t fly. I learned a lot about wind and mostly successfully made 4 kites. Hopefully I can continue!

Another really fun thing that Iris and I did was to add reflective elements to all of our kites - inspired mostly by their Reflective Society business. Then we took the kites out on the night of the full moon (and lunar eclipse!) and got to see the reflective stuff do its thing.

I suppose this is all to say that doing this artist residency was an excellent reset for me, and I really love getting to spend a dedicated amount of time making art, without having to consider other obligations. Especially so when I get to do it with other people! Come fly kites with me sometime!

And of course, a reminder of where you can find me in the near future:

How to Quilt a Quilt Zine

 To quilt (verb): join together layers of fabric with lines of stitching to form a warm bed covering or garment, or for decorative effect.

I am a third-generation quilter - I made my first quilt at 8 years old. I learned how to quilt from my mom, who learned from her mom. I’m proud to continue this tradition, and to share what I’ve learned through my family.

I’ve been teaching a lot of quilting classes lately and the thing that often happens with the class is that everyone is supposed to learn how to do the quilting part of making a quilt - the problem is that many folks end up behind and so are not actually ready to start quilting.

I still show my students how to do the quilting and finishing, but I realized that this would be a really valuable part to have written information to take home. So I created a zine tutorial! And now I can put it out into the world! Find it on my website here

This zine walks you through all the steps of quilting a quilt - from materials, to getting all the layers to lay flat, to making and sewing on the binding.

I hope this helps you make soft, warm objects that you cherish for a lifetime :)

2024 in Review

2025 is here…I am slightly delayed, but I do appreciate a year-in-review. I find looking back to be a really nice way to reflect and realize how much I did in a year. When it’s all happening in the present, it’s easy to feel like I’m not doing enough, or that I do a lot and then rarely notice the results of all of it.

So please enjoy this little look-back, and thanks for joining me on this little journey :)

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Studio Tour!

I moved to Portland last February, I think it’s time to share my little space here!

Growing up, my mom always had a sewing area in our house. For a long time it was our dining room. And then I went to school for Fiber Art and so obviously always had a little sewing area in my room. When I graduated I followed my mom’s lead and set up a dining room table (but in my bedroom…) for my sewing. In grad school I had the luxury of a dedicated studio space, and then after that I moved into an excellent studio space in North Philly with dear friends. I honestly don’t expect to find a studio as nice as that one again…

This is all to say that I am very used to having a sewing area or studio space of some kind, and over the years I’ve grown accustomed to a relatively large space. So when moving to Portland, I knew I needed something that could accomplish my lofty goals. Enter my basement studio!

I have a cutting table that is adjustable height, an ironing station, my industrial machine, and a long table for sewing machines or potential other needs (but who am I kidding, I’m always sewing). Ikea cube shelves hold all my fabrics, and if you ever want to buy a quilt from me so that I can free up some wall space, I am here and available!

Like usual, I will leave you with my upcoming events - the quilt class is very far in the future but they tend to fill, so if you’re interested in making a quilt with me, don’t delay! Sign up at Modern Domestic

Looking Towards Fall...

Hello friends and blog readers,

Flowers from Maple Street Flower Stand

Sunset at the rose garden

I come to you with some summer reflections and fall updates!

  • My first summer in the PNW has been full of swimming, sewing, and visits from friends and family.

  • I was a vendor at 2 big markets - Bend Handmade and Portland Pride.

  • Taught a few classes in both Portland and Seattle - we ice dyed beach towels!

This fall I am teaching a small handful of classes at Modern Domestic - take a look at what they have to offer and consider joining me on a sewing journey!

The quilt class is full but you can join me in a one-night visible mending venture, or spend 3 weeks learning the basics of foundation paper piecing (FPP)! FPP is a very fun way to get extremely precise shapes in quilting, which allows for itty bitty, detailed squares. We will learn the process and then make a pillow!

Also, I’ve got a little shop update! A few new upcycled safety vests and my full quilt coat stock have been added to the list. Check it out here . I really love making these vests and getting to add the small details to fix them up. I hope you enjoy them too. Similarly, each quilt has a little story to it, as most of the quilts and fabrics I use have some sort of connection to me. I tried to add some of those details in the listings~

Thanks for coming to my little space of the internet, and being interested in what I’m making! I’m happy to be here.