"Come Into My Garden" 22 in. by 32 in. traditional hooked rug, recycled wool
I hope over time to explore the links between a work such as this and my calling, hat-making.
Much of my work is repetitive handwork. I earn my living sewing hats from fabric I reclaim from discarded tweed jackets. Each of my hats takes a day and I have made more than 500 of them. Thus I am given, over and over, a practise of mindfulness. Since my body knows the way of the hat so intrinsically it is easy to drift away. And I do; some of my best ideas and insights come as I work.
At the same time, I want each hat to embody Spirit, to be the best I can make it, to grace the head of its future owner. To achieve this I must be fully present for each stitch. So each day I dance between the soothing lull of familiarity and the attentiveness this complex process demands. I have grown in response to this tension.
You can see more of my work at Upland Hats
Roseallee