today is for celebration....

Tonight I was invited to a very special intimate open house for a young and exciting designer I have been privileged to witness her growth as a fiber artist. I met Anna Aschenbeck years ago when I was working in the LCA gallery. She began her road to discovery at my Alma mater ...Kent State. Anna was fortunate to work the last four years Elizabeth Rhodes who is the director of the Fashion School at Kent State University. Elizabeth inspires and models the appropriate work ethics and has created industry partnerships with fashion retailers in New York, Italy, and an exchange program in Hong Kong. Enrollment rose from 300 to over 1,000, raised millions for the fashion school and increased academics required of the school's students. Anna has studied abroad in Italy and created at least 12 maybe even 14 design books and her portfolio from her children;s wear line that enabled her to be chosen by Kolh's headquarters in Milwaukee starting next week. I was blown away by the professional quality of her craftsmanship and the attention to details Anna has developed including screen printing, machine textile knitting designs, and employing natural fabrics like bamboo cloth and fiber reactive dyes. I will include some photos of her finished garments but they do not her work Justice. Anna also works with Amy Butler during her summer breaks and has been published in Amy's child patterns in her latest publication. No one succeeds alone and Anna has a wonderful family where her Mother and Father supported her adventure from day one. I do love Kohl's for their quality and durability in their clothing lines for adults and children. Now we will just sit back and look for Anna's creations in the near Future. Congratulations Miss Anna...you are Wonder Woman and I am inspired to have known you!!!
I planted in my tiny garden today and believe me Summer has arrived in Newark. I worked in my p.j.s with my Jegs yellow baseball hat to guard against the sun's rays but I have to admit that I did not want Ken to take my photo. You all will all have to use your imaginations and Smile. I am working late tonight because I feel that I am behind in my scheduled deadline but I just have to keep one stitch after another. I bleached another zip-lock bag of buttons in the sun today and tomorrow I will rinse and dry in the sunshine. I am very excited by the rusty elements on some of the buttons and who knows where they will guide me. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart