Betsy Ross -- American Entrepreneur and Patriot

Like schoolchildren across the USA, I've always believed that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. I thought of her as an inspirational fiber artist. Historians report that this iconic story about sewing stars and stripes is not fact, yet I do still hold Betsy as an inspiration in my fiber art career. 

The way I see it, this legendary American woman lived a life worth emulating! Having outlived three husbands in a war-torn country, during which time she gave birth to seven daughters, Betsy was strong and independent. She ran a successful upholstery business, and became a symbol of patriotism throughout America and across the centuries. Kudos to Betsy!

I like the part of the Betsy legend that has been passed on by her grandson, William J. Canby, that his grandmother taught George Washington how to make a five-pointed star with a single clip of her scissors!

My flag folk art in progress at Nestle And Soar

Do you believe that Betsy was the kind of American woman you would have enjoyed knowing as a friend? I'll bet she had great stories to tell! All of the political intrigue surrounding her husbands would have been an interesting topic over lunch. Having husbands in leadership positions, one who was a swaggering pirate-type rascal, sounds lively to me! Raising seven daughters, mostly on her own while running a business, sounds like the life of a woman who had high self esteem and strong leadership skills herself.

Many American homes will be decorated with our flag this month, and being a member of the Folk Art Society of America, the decorative use of flag images is a favored artistic source in my work as a fiber folk artist. Like the Betsy Ross I have imagined for all these years, I sew my flag-inspired items using tiny hand-made stitches---1000's of them! I have the calluses on my fingers to prove it. I hope that my efforts as an American woman, wife, mother, entrepreneur and artist leave a legacy that my kids and grandkids will be proud to pass on for generations to come! 

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Fiber Art for your Walls

Every wall has a story to tell. Are your walls white and empty? Does your current color theory include any shades you didn't even like in the 1970s? Or, maybe your colorful home is ready for a fresh addition? Adding unique art to your walls is a super-quick and satisfying way to wake up your walls. Being brave about adding color to your home can begin with a small leap of faith.

We hear it all the time that adding sparkle to a room's decor is the "cherry on top" when it comes to decorating. The accessorizing phase of decorating can certainly be a lot of fun, but sparkling elements are not required. For instance, wall art does not need to be shiny, under glass, or loud any any way to add the spark your room deserves. Textiles are a great example of a sparkle-worthy item that lends interest, emotional impact, contrast, and style to your home. [Original fiber art wool tapestry, Winter Sunset, 2012, Georgianne Holland.]

As you select wall art made with any artistic medium, keep in mind the 60-30-10 guideline for color in home decor. Your selected dominant color should take up around 60% of your room's space. Choose a secondary color and use it in about 30% of the room. Your pops of color choices can then take up the remaining 10%. These percentages seem to make for rooms that are both well balanced and relaxing. It is even said that keeping the darkest tones near the floor, medium values of your colors on the walls, and the lightest shades near the ceiling of your room also add to the balanced results. [Inspirational room is a Jodi Cook design.]

Once you get the overall colors of the room set up, adding art to the walls becomes an easier task. The overall colors in my home are tans that lean toward gold, a chocolate brown, and a soft robin's egg blue. In individual rooms, I have added interest by decorating walls with some pops of orange, and in other parts of the house, a bright apple green. I have taken my basic scheme from nature (no surprise there, I suppose) and I do use a variety of textile arts in my decor: hand-stitched quilts, a beloved embroidery made by my mom, and needle felted wool in warm earth tones. I love using textiles as decor because they add a warmth and satisfying texture that helps me feel cozy in every room of the house!

Some of my favorite pops of color in any room of the house are the people who share that space with me! They are the true works of art that I value. I predict that you are a work of art yourself and don't particularly want to have a home that is cookie-cutter in any way. I love using one-of-a-kind textile art in my home because opening my home to others is a great joy of mine, and folks seem to enjoy walking from room to room, looking for unique, hand-crafted items in an exciting range of colors and textures.

How would you describe your favorite wall art of all time? I would love to hear from you. Visit the Nestle And Soar wall art collection today to see my ever-changing collection of fiber art for the wall.

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

10K Walks with my daughter and a wise dog

Laura and Amina

I have been enjoying the summer with Laura and all the outdoor activities she encourages me with. We have been known to walk two 10k's each week (about 6 miles), without the need for an organized event, which allows us the opportunity to take her little dog Amina along with us. It is funny to watch Amina scamper under each passing tree, plopping down into the shaded grass, and look up at us like, "You're seriously going to keep walking in this heat?" Using dog logic, we would all plop down into the cool grass and catch our breath. Instead, I keep using my trainer's logic and try to walk faster and farther.

Laura and Me, 1990

I enjoy walking uphill much more than down...my knees hurt a lot going downhill. I am seeking out the perfect 6-mile walk that includes only flat surfaces and uphill climbs (and a bathroom with drinking fountain). Logically, this means I cannot walk any "out-and-backs", but instead need to find a circular path. Come to think of it, walking in circles doesn't sound logical, but maybe it mirrors life that way? Is it an illusion to think that life is a straight line beginning at birth and ending at one's final bow? In my way of thinking, life is more like a circular path where we keep getting the opportunity to revisit and revise our choices. And if we are lucky, that path includes a few shade trees to plop under along with our loved ones as we enjoy the scenery and catch our breath. I hope your path through life today is simply amazing!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Nestle and Soar Studio was blown up!

Clear ping-pong table by dumping method!

You may be warming up a plate of leftover stuffing with gravy, but I interrupt that deliciousness to report that my studio is unrecognizable...the Thanksgiving party descended upon it last night and now...everything is in disarray!

My largest horizontal work surface is my beloved ping-pong table, and wouldn't you know it, some of the young men in my family needed to be reminded that they cannot, and never will be able to beat me at ping pong. (Well, except for my husband, who has wicked back-spin, so I let him win...that is more of a strategic alliance ;)

Grandpa and two grandkids before the smack-down

So, the twelve Bird's Eye View pillow tops I carefully embroidered last week got moved onto the top of the filing cabinets. The Forest Walk needle felt is now sitting on a windowsill (eek!), and all the chairs we own (slight exaggeration) are in the middle of the room. [Seems as though the peanut gallery needed to have a seat to withstand the brutal ping pong smack-down they were made to witness.] That is only the tip of the iceberg. I am talking about a serious mess here!

I think it is important for WOACA (women of a certain age) to display the cat-like reflexes that still can be called upon when need-be. At least, I get a kick out of it!

It is good to be The Winner!

I will head to the studio to put things back to rights, and I think I will write a serious creative to-do list before I allow myself a second turkey sandwich. WOACA also understand the purpose of healthy rewards for good behaviour!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy black Friday! Did you know that Etsy.com is hosting a wonderful shopping extravaganza this weekend, and you won't even have to get out of your pajamas to buy Christmas presents!!

Georgianne (aka The Winner)

Encouraging Words

They don't look like they need any more encouragement!

How often should a person hear encouraging words? Is it needy to want to hear them every day? What is so hard about giving encouragement? When is encouragement sincere, and when is it manipulative? Hmmmm.

I would like to hear encouragement more often than I do, and I suspect others feel the same way. As a self-employed person, there is no annual review. As a mom, my kids are raised and living life large on their own (see evidence photo), so I don't get the chance to say "You can do it!" as often as I once did. And don't get me started about my cooking! I am married to a man with a healthy appetite, and if food could be described as edible, he's happy. So when I take a lot of time preparing a meal, he's just as happy as when I plop a bowl of cereal in front of the guy!

Maybe I need to think about this encouragement thing in a different way. Encouragement is not really like praise, which is a complement. Encouragement is more like telling someone that indeed, they do have what it takes, even in this time of uncertainty or struggle. Perhaps I don't hear encouraging things often these days because, frankly, my life is pretty set and simple. The hills I climbed in the past, when I care to look at them, are a vista in the distance. My daily life (with that easy-to-please husband) is comfortable and healthy. Being self-employed is a blessing in so many ways, and if I really want to hear how I'm doing, it is easy to look at things, like my customer's feedback or my checkbook.

I still enjoy being encouraging to others, however. And I'd like to be that for you. Whatever is a struggle for you today, know that if you take a moment to reflect and center yourself, you do truly have all the talents and required personal power to make it through. I send you a pat on the back, a thanks for that great meal, and a job-well-done! Pass it on!

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne