Along with probably 99% of the US population, I have heretofore been unaware that February is National Embroidery Month! I had the flu about a month ago, and was all snug and cozy on the couch in front of the fireplace with, gasp! idle fingers. Embroidery seemed like something doable between coughs and naps.  So while poking around on the internet for inspiration I learned about embroidery month and was prompted, with this as justification, to share an old fondness for this ancient art in the form of free classes and (ta da!) a blog post!  You won't be surprised that embroidery is making...

It feels like we are sneaking into someone’s private closet as the big door is unlocked and the lights switched on. Debbie and I stand in awe to be privy to walk among the rows and rows of hanging racks and shelving that line the costumes and textiles storage room at the Western Reserve Historical Society. Debbie browsing the historic textiles at the Western Reserve Historical Society.   Hanging on these racks are the precious garments once worn by the famous and not-so-famous of Cleveland: President Garfield’s dressing gown, Ellen Wade’s wedding dress, an afternoon dress worn by Elizabeth Mather in the 1930s…as...

A few years ago for Christmas I made my boyfriend a scarf. A lot of work went into this scarf. I bought a drop spindle to spin wool roving into yarn, but hadn't quite picked up on the technique, and so my yarn came out very thick. I collected a sackful of acorns off the sidewalk and received a fair amount of strange looks, smashed them with a hammer and tried not to be too grossed out by the wormy ones.They soaked in water for a few days with some rusty thing and I dyed the yarn to what I...