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

Building Value in American Handmade Fine Craft

I wrote this article for ArtsyShark, a wonderful resource that inspires artists to build better businesses. I encourage you to visit ArtsyShark and see if any of their resources will be of service to you.

The concept of fine craft, as well as fine art, I think we can all agree, include words like excellence, standards, and quality. When I hear of a master-crafted item, I think about something out of the ordinary or beyond the usual.  I think of an object that inspires awe.

My background in American-made craft began in the mid-1970s when I was part of the team that published Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine in Colorado. Much of my workday saw me helping people focus their love of sewing and playing with color into either a serious hobby or a legitimate profession in the quilting arts. The flourishing quilt industry of the 70’s was yet another cycle of the growing love affair Americans have had with handmade soft goods for the home that, if not master-crafted, were at least laboriously made with great love and attention to detail.

My mom, Bonnie Leman, who was the founding editor of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, helped her readers improve their quilt making skills, and encouraged them to seek out that awe-inspiring result. She also invested heavily in helping them believe in the value of their handmade fiber arts. This resurgence of improving excellence across an ever-growing body of quilt makers in America was in full swing when big-box stores like Sears began importing bed quilts from China. I observed that anyone who had ever attempted to create a quilt knew that these quilts were not inspiring, they were heartbreaking. In a commercially-driven attempt to profit on the growing demand for quilts in American homes, the value proposition of these objects as an art form was trashed, at least temporarily.

It was interesting for me to observe at this time that the women within this industry, who had spent the past 10-15 years helping one another grow in their expertise as fiber artists, be put in the position to belittle the quilt-making efforts of other women in China. 

My own value system was challenged by this “us vs. them” mentality. I also observed that the glut of these cheaply made quilts made an economic impact on professional American fiber artists, as well as specialty fabrics stores and entrepreneurs across the United States. In fact, I suggest that the fiber arts in America as a broad class of industry are still recovering.

Now that the Internet has so drastically changed the way that people shop, imports into our neighboring stores is only one part of the supply chain. Professional fiber artists in every country have had to learn how to promote the value of what they make to the entire world.

So what can artists and craftspeople do today to both build value and express the value of what they love to make? 

• Concentrate on the absolute value of your creation. For professional fiber artists, that includes quality materials, expert finishing techniques, and professional-quality photos. We sell not only an object, but we sell how that object makes our customers feel.

• Recognize both your expertise and your vulnerabilities. Speak to yourself in terms of valuing your artistic life. Treat yourself with respect at all times. Additionally, reach out to others. We can be the support other artists need on any given day. This can take the form of emotional support, being a collector of their work, and as a supporter of the arts.

• Balance competitive energies with consensus-building. When I market my fiber folk art, I have to both remember and forget that I do not compete with the soft goods sold at Target. I am aware that my customers have a wide variety of choices, so they will likely know about the $9 pillows at Target, but my ideal customer is not interested in filling her home with cheap imports. Instead of thinking about competing on price, I build consensus and community as part of my marketing efforts. I proudly express the quality of what I make and I seek to have that message resonate with my “just-right” audience.

•  Use the power of the Internet to express the benefits of supporting wholesome, handmade fine craft, in America and beyond! This effort helps the individual artist as well as it helps the entire arts community. We can work together to create awe-inspiring results, and this adds to the healthy future of our beloved creativity!

I would love to hear what your experiences are of buying or making craft and how you see the value of handmade items in your part of the world!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Color or Craftmanship in Needlework: Which is more important?

Robin Pillow by Georgianne Holland

The pursuit of simple elegance in hand-stitched needle arts is an important part of my life as an artist and business woman. I often find my most satisfying expression of fine craft skills as I fill my entire worktable with piles of colorful wool roving, wool crewel yarn, and sketches of lovely birds! Creating unique textiles, like my line of Bird Pillows in the Nestle and Soar studio, is my joy and my work. Isn't it lovely to have both joy and work fill the same spot in life?

Many of the eco-chic pillows I make showcase birds that come from my whimsical imagination, and others are my needle-felt depiction of real birds, like the Western Tanager or every one's favorite Bluebird. I am a devotee of the iconic bird drawings and paintings of John J. Audubon, so some of my designs are meant to pay tribute to him as well as the fine artists who were his apprentices during his artistic adventures. Are you a fan of Audubon? Do you have a favorite bird that always catches your eye in art and fine craft designs?

Tree Party Pillow by Georgianne Holland

The process of needle felting birds, trees or any living thing is an energetic and exciting process! There is always an eagerness when I assemble all of the colors and materials I will be using for a project. Even after many years as a fiber artist, there is a passion for the process because I'm actually holding the colors, feeling the texture of the fibers, and laying them down layer by colorful layer as I work. There's a lot of physical energy that goes into the fine craft of needle felting, especially work that is done by hand...I have never tried to use a felting machine. I'm sure it would speed up the process and perhaps make me more productive, but I'm not convinced that the passion for the art form would be honored.

Western Tanager Pillow by Georgianne Holland

If I were to name the single most important element in the process of making limited-edition art pillows, I'd have to think long and hard between choosing COLOR or choosing CRAFTSMANSHIP. Because I work with forms found in nature, the coloring of most elements in my work are standard-issue blues, greens, and shades of brown. I can absolutely be the "bringer of zing" when I work with the brightest yellows, oranges,and purples that are part of male birds we all long to welcome for a visit. So while my color choices may be somewhat predictable, I believe they are still an amazing part of the joy that becomes stitched into these textile forms. I certainly feel great with the color play, and I hear that enjoying the pop of color that these pillows bring to my client's homes is great fun!

Would you agree with me that craftsmanship is the binding element that sets a family heirloom apart from a one-season, somewhat disposable room accessory? While the on-trend colors of interior design change over time, the impeccable quality of workmanship in a handmade textile is the kind of quality that makes a handmade item a family treasure. Many people also love the lineage of items that were loved by their family in years past, items like quilts or tailored clothing come to mind. The Western Tanager Pillow I've made began as a pristine vintage hankie that was hand embroidered and tatted in the 1940s by another woman who loved the needle arts! I've re-purposed that hankie into a sweet pillow that marries my love of Audubon art with my desire to make a new family heirloom that will bring a graceful note to a special family home.

What is the single most important element in the process of your creative endeavors? I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne