People sometimes ask me what took me so long to actually sell my work and start a business? The answer, as with most things in life, is complicated.
I’ve been absorbed and immersed in fibre most of my life, from a very young age. Learning sewing, embroidery, and knitting before entering the double digits in age. None of it was very good, mind you, but I had the rudiments taught to me by my paternal grandmother. She was an excellent seamstress and needlewoman, often winning prizes for her work.
As I entered my teen years I drifted away from fibre, encouraged by a school system that felt I was “matriculation” and didn’t need to learn to sew or create art. I balked at the latter. It was in my teen years I took up painting. My interest continued into my 30s.
But I kept coming back to fibre… My grandmother taught me to tat lace as a teen. My mother bought me needlepoint patterns and supplies. I continued to embroider and sew. I learned cross-stitch. I attempted my first quilt at seventeen. It’s still unfinished! I did finish the quilt for my first baby’s crib though.
When I had my first child I learned to hook rugs. That was 30 years ago now. I hooked rug and painted side-by-side for some time. We moved and the paints were put away. The rug hooking too.
Our new community had a wide variety of fibre craft opportunities. I took up quilting…
And finally settled on rug hooking again about 16 years ago. From the beginning I knew I wanted to design my own work. I also knew I didn’t want to just hook wool fabric. It creates beautiful work, but it just wasn’t me. And so the experimenting began…

“Family Reunion” – wool yarn, wool fabric, beads, wire, silk thread, cotton threads, polyester thread, rayon thread.
And I took up spinning…
I was happily hooking along one day at the annual local fair, demonstrating, when a man came up to me and started asking about my work. By the end of the conversation he wanted to know why I had not become a juried member of the Saskatchewan Crafts Council. It was the first time I’d heard of the Crafts Council.
It took a few years, but finally I decided I was ready to take the plunge. I applied to be juried in and was. That was 2 1/2 years ago. Since then I’ve had a lot of fun learning the ropes of having a craft business. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long!
It seems like yesterday I was in the “upper room” of the Affinity Gallery in Saskatoon having my work juried. I look forward to many more years of fun and learning in this business.
A big shout out to all the people who have helped and encouraged me along the way. Both online and in real life. Without you I would not have had the courage to try and have a craft business. 🙂
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. Hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing! 😉
You’re welcome! 🙂
Very nice write-up! It’s funny, I used to think I was the only one out there who always liked crafting/arts of some kind, and always had to be doing something with my hands (Besides my mother and grandmothers, that Is!) They taught me sewing, quilting, crocheting, embroidery, knitting, and needlepoint at a young age. With the Internet and blogging, I realized that I haven’t been alone, there are lots of people out there like me. I love seeing your work and enjoy your blog.
Thank-you for your kind words. 🙂 You are definitely not alone! 🙂