Kim McMillan’s Handbags and My Vintage Hankie Scarves at the Bedlam Farm Open House

I decided to make some Vintage Hankie Scarves to sell at the Open House.  I haven’t made any in a long time, but I had a box filled with hankies that different people have sent me and it seemed like a good time to put them to use.

So Friday I designed five  scarves.  I planned on bringing them to Kim to sew, but asked her first if she had time.  I know she’s been busy at her job at the Cambridge Co-op and I know she wants to have some of  her felted bags to sell at the Open House.

When I first met Kim I knew she was the perfect person to sew my potholders because she told me she didn’t make any original work.   She sewed for other people or followed pre-made patterns.  Then, a little over a year ago, Kim started making felted handbags and purses.  And they were her own hand stitched designs and they were original and beautiful.  Kim’s been sewing in one way or another for most of her life, and she’s really good at it, a professional.   And now, she’s unleashed that other part of herself, the part that creates, not according to what someone else does, but what she wants to do.

And slowly, one step at a time, Kim has let the artist in her emerge and is selling her work.  So when she told me she couldn’t sew  my scarves because she was working on some of her felted bags to sell at the Open House, I was disappointed that I’d have to sew the scarves myself, but even more, I was happy for Kim.   Because as much as I value the work Kim does for me, I’d much rather her be doing her own work.  And if she has to make a choice, I’m glad she isn’t denying the artist in her.

So Saturday afternoon I sewed together my Vintage Hankie Scarves.  It didn’t take as long as I remembered and on my Viking machine (which I didn’t have when I first started making scarves) they were much easier to sew.

So now, for the October Bedlam Farm Open House,  I’ll have some of my Vintage Hankie Scarves to sell and Kim will have some of her new handbags to sell.  And that’s good for everyone.