I'm a walking cliche. It's true.
- Married my high school sweetheart
- Worked until we started a family
- Am a stay-at-home mom
- My two daughters inspire me
- Waiting to find out what I'm going to be when I grow up
- Favorite color? Pink!
If you're interested in a little more background, I did all the regular things growing up like piano lessons, Girl Guides (I'm Canadian), assorted sports (which I wasn't particularly good at) and learned to sew from my mom and aunt.
Made my first quilt when I was 19.
After earning an English degree, I realized that although it was a respectable achievement, on it's own wasn't very ... useful. So I went back to school, got a Public Relations diploma and became employable.
PR people are, however, required to communicate with the public - as in "Live at 5:00, film at 11:00". I figured out pretty fast that I'm SO not cut out for that sort of thing. I'm a total doofus on tv. So I looked for something more behind the scenes.
That's how I ended up writing computer manuals, policy & procedure manuals, training manuals, annual reports, newsletters ... That might sound like all kinds of boring, but I enjoy technical writing very much. I like collecting potentially complicated information, analyzing it and then writing, organizing & presenting it all in a nice tidy package.
Got married. Worked for a few more years. Became a mom. So happy. So wonderful. (So tired.)
When my second daughter came along I decided to make myself a pretty diaper bag to replace the ratty old second-hand backpack we'd been using. Somehow, I accidentally ended up selling handbags, wallets, pillows, Christmas stockings and lavendar sachets (all original designs of mine) at one of my all time favorite places to shop.
About a year after that I started teaching bag-making classes at a local quilt shop.
The past 10 years have been so.much.fun! I've taught many classes, made over a hundred display quilts and other things with fabric, embroidery thread, a sewing machine, started a pattern company ... oh, and wrote an embroidery book too. :)
I'm always searching for that next pretty thing I need to make. It's what I do. It's who I am.
Want to get in touch? mail@prettybyhand.com
