Talents

Our natures and talents can inspire and urge us to create. Sometimes, however, there are too many pushes and pulls which can lead to a state of stasis. Being multi talented is not easy: it can be very distracting. Trying to make a living from one's creativity can further complicate this. Market trends, cheap imports, giving up one's own choices to make something more affordable, more trendy, more saleable all can make it less yours. Less yours is less fun, less fun leads to burnout. Burn out is hard to feed to your children.
I'm thinking of a friend who is going through a situation right now. I hope it resolves itself. Breath deeply, recharge, enjoy the leaves.

Some Prettier Hats

I endured a back injury in late 2010. In true Canadian fashion, I slipped on ice. That was it. A quick slip and my life has been thrown completely out of whack!

I have a few slipped discs in my back that cause me pain. Some days it is quite severe and on others I can work away happily and comfortably. When discussing my back issues and my job as a dressmaker with my Doctor, he told me to stop the heavy work. He said: "No more embroidered Irish dresses, no more wedding dresses, nothing heavier than a hat." Well, I took him literally and have been taking millinery courses at college since then.

Here are two from last term. The first is a sinamay pillbox covered in black sequined lace with a handmade silk flower detail and French netting trim. Below that is a small bridal hat. It has a buckram base, covered with a woven tubes of silk chiffon and some more handmade flowers and netting.

These are some flowers and headpieces in progress. I love how pretty (albeit disorganized) my studio looks when I am making flowers.

Hat in wool felt and satin

This hat is made from buckram, satin , wool felt and a lot of paint.
There are also some grommets on there.