"I was fortunate to have a grandma who was a master with fiber, needles,and thread. For Christmas at about age 5, she gave me a kit to make a braided octopus! Hmm...Why do I remember that? At about age 7, I decided to make my own doll dresses so I took my twenty five cents allowance and bought a piece of green cotton. I laid the doll on the fabric, pencilled around her, then began to cut what I thought would be a lovely dress. I was disappointed that I was not allowed to use her sewing machine but that did not stop me! I managed to thread a needle and hand-sew her dress. My fascination with fiber began. I made lots of clothes and eventually did lots of sewing for my homes. 

In 2007, I joined the Valley Fiber Art Guild in Green Valley, Arizona. I learned to knit,

Rincon County Beaders & Braiders

paint fabric for quilts, needle and wet felting, bead weaving, and Kumihimo. With our community outreach project in 2009 we taught two types of braiding to kids at our local library. The guild now has an annual event teaching all of the sixth graders in one day, and incorporating braiding history.

My two passions now are beads and braids! They are what I focus on exclusively. I love to use braids as necklaces for my bead embroidery and weavings. It is great fun to just experiment with the beaded braids. It's a good idea to do a bit of braid and if you are happy then keep going; if not, try again. And always keep notes.

 I now teach Kumihimo in my summer travels and weekly when in Tucson. My next adventure will be to learn the Marudai."

Thank you Cathy!