That modest little hexagon flower represents a bold new beginning, not just of a textile project, but of my new life.
I was born with a wanderlust, which I've indulged as much as duty and responsibilities have allowed. But for some time, while cognizant of my privilege and grateful of my life's arrangements, I've been restless and bored. I came to feel that I'd been in the same place for too long and I needed to shake things up a bit.
I have ties to the Pittsburgh area, and for many years now I've been back and forth between there and Lancaster frequently. So I decided to move my main base of operations there, and do the back-and-forth in the other direction. I am very grateful that my spouse was fully on board!
We looked at real estate for over a year (we had a great and patient agent), with a longish wish list of desirable attributes, and at last we found what we wanted. So within a very short time frame, we packed up, prepped the old house for sale, and hit the road, and we are now safely ensconced in the South Hills suburbs of Pittsburgh. Our house is a modest mid-century masterpiece, just the right size, with a good vibe and good bones. Parts of it need to be updated, so it will be a work in progress for a while.
One of the big items on the wish list was of course a studio space. This chaos of boxes shows just of bit of the room. It's a good size, with windows and a door to the back garden and access to a sink. I am looking forward to setting it up and getting back to some serious work.
I've got a big bank of sunny windows in the kitchen which is making me happy. The whole house is filled with light.
My sweet and clever old boy is having fun exploring his new territory. I've got standard suburban landscaping out front, and a somewhat wilder vibe out back. Once the weather cools I will have fun tweaking and reshaping things. To the back and side of the lawn there's a sizable patch of woods that makes it feel very private.
And I have a big apple tree! It's some kind of summer apple, possible a yellow transparent, and it's been dropping apples like crazy. This gorgeous doe comes by several times a day to snack on the windfalls and nap in the shade. The yard is fenced, but she clears it gracefully with little effort. I am resigned to not growing hostas here--luckily I have a bajillion prints of them from the old house.
This has been the longest break from creative work I've had in many, many years. The hand stitching in the first photo represents my first attempts to get back into the groove, both mentally and physically. It felt good to let muscle memory guide my stitching while my mind wandered. I have a long way to go but am very excited at the possibilities. I have new trails to ride, new wild areas to discover, a vibrant city to explore, and a treasure trove of rivers and bridges to photograph. I am leaving things open ended for now and that feels like a good place to be.
