A Fiber Artist Raises Money for Haiti

The following is a copy of a blog post by my friend, Susan Italo. If you are interested in her offer of one of her original jackets in exchange for a donation to Doctors Without Borders in support of the Haitian people, please contact her directly at her blog (wildonionstudio.wordpress.com).

The devastation to Haiti is unimaginable to most of us, the Wild Onion household included. As an artist, I have racked my brain trying to figure out what to do to help. After 911, I made 10 quilts to send to various agencies to comfort those affected. For the people of Haiti, it seems to me that what is needed is medical attention.

I am offering an original Wild Onion Jacket, with the entire proceeds to be donated to Doctors Without Borders. If you would like to buy this jacket for $175, please email me. I will accept a check, made out to “Doctors Without Borders” in the amount of $175. I will pay the shipping to you. We all win– you get to donate to a worthy cause, and so, in a way, do I. Plus, you get an original Wild Onion Jacket to wear or give as a gift!

Here are the specifics: this is an original Wild Onion Jacket, created with love from 100% cotton fabrics, quilted with 80% cotton, 20% poly batting for warmth, stability and cuddliness. The easy fit jacket is a size Medium, fitting a size 8 – small 14; the length is upper thigh, to cover the derriere. Machine wash and dry– how easy is that!

Fun with Painted Shoes

Today, after our regular Fibervision meeting, several of us stayed to experiment with painting shoes. We were led by the intrepid Linda Cassirer who leapt right into the joy of shoe painting after seeing Margot Silk Forrest and her book Sassy Feet! featured in the Dharma Trading Company newsletter. Linda generously shared her paint, her observations in the first few pairs she had painted, and her goal in apparently wanting to paint everything in her home which is currently in a neutral color. A couple of fellow Fiberettes had seen Margot at the Wearable Arts Connection meeting last year and were inspired by her, so knew we were in for some fun. Too bad Lucilla and Susan I. couldn't be there with us today.

The top photo is the group result of our afternoon (you can double click on the photo for a better view) and the second and third photos are the shoes I painted. Mine started out with plain black leather uppers with a very dull light jute for the wedge covering. In our enthsiasm, we forgot to take "before" photos. These shoes were provided by fellow artist, Anne Braddock, who found a couple of pairs of shoes at a second hand store that just cried out to be transformed and brought them along. I won't be wearing them because they are a smidge too small for me and she won't be wearing them because they do not fit her definition of comfortable.

Anybody interested in a pair of hand-painted, size 9 wedge shoes with a 4" heel?