Launch of Flora & Fiber

A year ago I retired from my almost 4 decade healthcare career.  I truly enjoyed my years as a nurse and nurse practitioner and I honestly believe it to be my life's calling.  While I remain a nurse/nurse practitioner, those endeavors will be mostly of the volunteer nature - Free Medical Clinic, mentoring, presenting . . . not to say I won't do consulting work if offered big bucks!!! ;-)

There were many reasons for my decision, but one of them was that I wanted to try my hand at something new - something I could create . . . own . . . manage.  So, I took 2016 to be the year I explored the possibilities.  Being a lifetime learner, this was a fun project!  What I found is that I really enjoy fiber arts - specifically weaving, spinning, dyeing and the such.  I bought a 4 shaft loom and a spinning wheel, planted a dye garden, surrounded my studio with yarn and fiber, set up an area in the barn for a dye area, joined a local spinning and weaving guild, and voraciously consumed online and print articles and videos about the subjects.

I then pondered, so what do I do with this new found knowledge and skills?  I could just quietly enjoy "retirement", but that's not really my style.  As I told everyone when I resigned from my job, it wasn't really retirement, but the time for a second career. 

So that brings me to today.  For the past month, I have been preparing for the launch of

Flora & Fiber is an artisan fiber arts studio through which I will offer a simple, fun approach to preserving and creating handcrafted traditions. My desire is to provide inspiration, education, and products that spark others to pursue their own creative passions.

So that's the fancy description, now the practical.  I have set up this website with a blog to provide content about the fiber arts.  There will be tutorials, projects, fiber arts news and information, and related book and product reviews.  There will also be occasional meanderings into gardening and farm life around the Green Pastures Farm.  (heads up - baby goats due any day!)  Coming soon, I will be opening an online shop here on the Flora & Fiber website offering handcrafted items as well as products for you to use in your handcrafted creations.  I have affiliated with Louet and will also be a retailer for all their products.

A large part of what Flora & Fiber is about is sharing what I learn in my fiber arts journey.  I want to do that in a way that is comfortable and easy.  I was asked to describe my brand personality in a paragraph and this is what I wrote:

Flora & Fiber is a fun loving woman who simply enjoys learning about and doing fiber arts (weaving, spinning, dyeing) wearing comfortable clothes & drinking her morning cup of coffee. She looks for practical and reliable projects that are relaxing and easily shared with friends. 

This website and blog will be a mainstay in sharing inspiration and education, but I also am working with Skillshare, an online learning community.  I have created my first class there and I'll provide information about that in another post.  I also have plans to do some local workshops here at Green Pastures Farm for those of you within driving distance of Prosperity, SC.  

Speaking of workshops, I will be presenting at the SC Garden Jamboree 'Let's Go Native!' on Friday, April 21, 2017.  My workshop is "A Rainbow in Your Garden", an overview of plants that can be found and grown for dyeing fabrics.  Participants will be dyeing a beautiful silk scarf.  

So that's Flora & Fiber.  I hope you will join me and enjoy this journey.  You can subscribe to receive ongoing posts and updates by email either using the subscribe button below or in the sidebar.

And, I would greatly appreciate if you would pass this on to other family members or friends who you think might be interested!

Thank you!