We are very excited to have guest instructor Lisa Taglia at our studio to teach a mending class inspired by Japanese boro. A generic translation of boro means "too good to waste", and dates back to the nineteenth century and into the twentieth when the Japanese rural poor only had access to homespun cloth made from hemp and flax, and also limited to only a few colors of dye, indigo, grey, brown and black. Said farmers would be involved in planting, taking care of, and harvesting the planets that would then be turned into fibers for fabric, and dyes. There were no trips to the store to get new clothes for the kids when the weather turned cold, you imagine, every piece of fabric was very valuable, and used as clothes, until it could no longer be worn, then turned into futon covers and floor rugs and passed on through many generations. A stark difference to the disposable lifestyle we have become accustomed to today.

That said, bring in your favorite pair of jeans, a shirt, or whatever you've been meaning to mend, and Lisa will teach you how to mend it . This class is for all learning levels, and will be held on Earth Day, April 22nd from 9:00-12:00 pm. Keep your favorite clothes alive a few more years, it'll make you happy, and the earth happy too.

It’s nice to have something fun to look forward to when Old Man Winter has been an unwelcome guest for far too long. Yesterday I registered our family for the Milan Spoon Gathering in Milan MN. We are looking forward to this annual event in the midst of spring. A long weekend of sitting next to about 200 carvers of all different skill levels from all over the USA and from across the pond, is definitely something to look forward to. The spoon carving event happens May 31-June 2. We hope to see some of you local carvers over there this spring.

If you’d like to attend a spoon carving class to work on specific skills, you can make it s a five day affair. which is what I’m doing. I’ll be headed out a few days before my family to take a spoon carving class with Jane Mickelborough from Brittany, France. This is a wonderful opportunity to take class with a wildly talented woman, and my first course that is instructed by a woman, which also makes me very happy.... and a spoon carving class so close to home!