Elizabeth Mini
"Gems of Wisdom"
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| (Photos by Patrick Fraser) |
I have had the best of many worlds, achieving the knowledge of new food, fabric, fashion and music. My crowing moments have been awarded by having gained the wealth of friendships – jewels in my crown.
In conceiving my hat, I thought about the richness of faces I have encountered. My exposure to many cultures has enriched my life.
African fabric I purchased in the Bahamas became the “blackboard” for my Batik faces. I started my beading in January and completed it in April. Because some of my faces were cut on the bias, I sewed them on to the hat using “Sashiko,” in which “little stabs,” are made by pulling a threaded needled through pieces of cloth in even increments. This method dates back to the 1600’s in Japan. Stitching on my faces would keep the fabric from eventually sagging, after the hat was assembled. I used two layers of buckrum between the African fabrics to provide stiffness and support. I sewed the buckrum layers together to avoid shifting and then hot glued the circle.