It's now a year to this day that I opened my patchwork- and quilting-studio "Lupine". After more than 25 years as a school-teacher I decided on August 13, 2010, that it was time to put something into the center of my life that always mattered so much to me since childhood: creating something nice with fabrics.This here is one of my earliest pieces of work, as a child I glued this scene onto a wooden case, holding my toys:
So now it's one year "Lupine" and yes, I do think it's such a good and simple and important idea trying to do what the grandfather tells little Miss Rumphius: " 'You must do something to make the world more beautiful,' "... (in "Miss Rumphius", by Barbara Cooney).
In this lovely book Miss Rumphius needed a lot of time until she found out what's her way to accomplish that: she plants Lupines everywhere she can. With this story I found the name for my studio in 2010: "Lupine". I, too, needed years and years to find out that THIS is my way to add some beauty to the world, at least I see it that way: I sew things together to give some pleasure to myself and to persons who like my work. And I feel this is very similar to planting flowers.
The step from being a teacher to becoming a full-time quilter was a good one, but it changed my world entirely. I lost and found friends, money, energy, it was a constant up and down, but now I have a vague, fragile idea of what to expect in the future. From working in firm structures to forming my own structures of work (and life, that is), this was a challenge not only to me, but also to my family and friends. And it still is. Since my work is non-commercial (I work with persons on their ideas and I give pieces of my work away for whatever they wish to give me back in return) I still don't have the faintest idea how to ensure a steady income for myself. But over the last months I was so touched by what I received in return for my efforts, it always reflected the connection that was built up by working on a personalized quilt for example, and it carried me a long way in every meaning of the word.
On February 13, 2011, half a year after I started my "Lupine" studio, and despite my shaky English, I started this blog here, and I am so happy about that! This way I'm able to be in contact with quilters and quilt-lovers all over the world and I love to receive e-mails from readers! It's so important to share ideas and encouragement and this blog became a wonderful tool to do that. I wished now and then someone would write a comment here and would help to make this whole thing more sparkling and "colorful"! :-)
So, for now, I can only say that I'm very curious what will happen in my second year of working in my "Lupine" studio, and I'm very happy about everyone who appreciates the warm touch of an indivual quilt and shares that joy, with his or her family and friends, or with me in my studio or on this site.
