I was introduced to fiber arts by my mother, who repurposed thrifted clothing into extravagant
embroidery pieces and boiled vegetable scraps into natural dyes in a big pot on our kitchen stove.
As a young child, she'd call me into the room to thread needles for her, then allowing me to choose
glass beads from large plastic bins full of dividers that we kept on an industrial shelf with a sheet
hung over it. I'd carefully embroider these beads onto fabric to make primitive dolls with sparkly eyes.
A couple times a year, my grandmother would drop off a heavy red box. Opening it revealed our family
sewing machine, the hum of which was both frightening and comforting.
As an adult, I came to know my mother-in-law through the bright floral dresses she sewed for herself in
the basement of my spouse's childhood home. Her English was limited (though not nearly as much as my
Chinese), but her personality hone through every handmade garment. A pattern designer and seamstress by
trade, she was blessed with an artistic eye and meticulous precision in her craft.
Regretfully, my mother-in-law passed away in December of 2024. Staying in her home in the wake of her
funeral, I felt drawn to carrying on her love for sewing and garment-making.
*All my fiber art is crafted from recycled and thrifted materials.
