avocation: n. An activity taken up in addition to one's regular work, usually for enjoyment; hobby; labor of love.

Sewing is my thing. My music.

I love taking lengths of fabric, cutting them into pieces, then joining those pieces to make an object that it never could have been without my intervention. I have to sew to express myself, just like some people have to teach or preach or write.

If I didn't let it out, I would explode!

Someone, upon hearing that I sew everything I wear, said "Wow! I'll bet you save a lot of money doing that." Well, no. I probably spend *more* money sewing my own clothing. It's not about saving money or about having clothes. It's about expressing myself, following my muse, and inspiring others to use their sewing as a creative outlet.

A life-defining moment occurred when a co-worker asked me if I was an artist. I am. Yes, I am.

The website is divided into 4 main areas and was initially devoted to old sewing machines. I still have many machines, but they require living space and I no longer seek them. Today I concentrate on using my machines as tools to create clothing, accessories, worship banners, and increasingly, cloth dolls.

Gallery - Photos of family, machines, and sewing projects.

Machines -Antique and vintage sewing machines--some of this stuff has been here for *years* so links and references might not be up-to-date. As I take new photos, they'll be found in the Gallery.

Inklings - My blog. Articles, opinions, freebies, ramblings--updated more or less daily

Linkings - Web places to visit. The links vary according to my interests at the time.