winners! and a little more about amy

I realize I should have done a little Q&A with Amy with the giveaway post, but I'm not always on top of things like that. I think we would all like to know Amy a bit better and find out more about these lovely photographs! So without further ado.... (yes, I'll get to the winners!)
photo by Justin Hackworth

Tell us about your family.
My husband, Justin, and I have two darling boys, ages 5 and 3. Being married to Justin is truly joyful—we laugh and laugh together and he’s a great friend and companion. Our boys are shake-your-head-in-disbelief adorable, bright and beautiful kids at whom I just marvel.

How long have you been doing photography?
I’ve been taking pictures since I was 14 or 15, with various levels of commitment and skill. I’m married to my best teacher, which is great fortune.

What kind of camera do you use?
I shot the thread with a Canon 10D, a hand-me-down from Justin. I used close up rings on a 50 mm lens.

How did you come up with the concept for these particular photos? ie: where did you get those great spools?!
These spools are a little inheritance from my Granny. I just love them. The process of photographing them revealed more than I had seen before, which was really fun. I mention this in the Etsy shop but, for example, I hadn’t realized how many spools of the same colors she had. She must have had an orange dress (and a teal one, and a blue one) that kept losing buttons, and she must have bought matching thread only to come home and find two spools of orange already in her hall closet. I imagine that’s how it must have gone because that’s something I would do. How else would you collect so many of the same colors? I also loved seeing these really beautiful contemporary colors in thread that was 30 or 40 years old.

Can we expect to see more?
I’d love to do more. I scored some beautiful vintage Christmas ornaments at a garage sale last year and I’d love to make great photographs of them . . . we’ll see if I can pull it off.

You like to sew and quilt too - what's your favorite thing about sewing? Your favorite project that you've completed?
Mmmmm, my favorite thing about sewing is the act of creation. I realized this when I was a teenager, working on a plaid skirt or something, that what I loved about this process was the element of creation. I believe our desire to create comes from our connection to God, our divinity, and acting on those divine desires is powerful and important.

A favorite project that I’ve semi-recently completed is a Kaffe Fassett quilt called Patchwork Gridlock. It went through a few revisions over the course of a few years, but I’m very proud of it. I haven’t posted it on my blog yet, but this is some good motivation. I’ll get right on that! Check back, ok? I’m planning to hand quilt it, inspired by a project in Joelle Hoverson’s Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, a beautiful book.

What are some of your other creative hobbies?
Writing, reading and music. The creative endeavor I spend most time on right now is parenting.

What inspires you creatively?
Being outside is really calming and creatively nurturing for me. I find little moments of creative inspiration weeding in the yard, working in our garden, hanging out with my kids at the park. Maybe it’s fresh air . . . I don’t know, but it definitely works. I’m also really inspired by pattern and shape; I love textiles, of course, and great art. Anyone doing really great work inspires me because it reflects a commitment to consistently, deliberately engage in a craft.

Books like Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit are also great inspiration and motivation.

How long have you been blogging? I love your insightful posts.
Thank you, ma’am. I finally started blogging last summer, motivated by my friend Molly’s blog (jacksonparkcity.blogspot.com). Her little girl passed away just a few weeks before her second birthday, and Molly’s blog was such a beautiful record of her daughter’s life and the joy she brought them. I wanted to create that sort of record for my family.

I had also long been inspired by great craft bloggers and great writers . . . so my blog is a little of everything--very little, I’d like to post more. I’m working on it . . .

Thank you so much, Amy! It's great to get to know you better! This was really fun, I think I need to do it again - anyone want me to interview them???


Now, on to the winners! I always feel a little dread choosing the winners. I think it's just that I don't have enough to give to everyone and then I feel sad for the people who didn't win. But, hey, two of you did win!



#40

Stephanie said... 40

oops, forgot to add that i'm a subscriber! great blog!

4:20 PM, July 22, 2009

good thing you remembered or someone else might have won!

#50

Taya said... 50

I would love the spools # 4 so fun my sewing area is my girls play room too and I have it decorated in bright colors this would be perfect in there. I am a follower too.

11:52 AM, July 23, 2009

I feel your pain - my sewing corner is also in the playroom!

Ladies, expect an email from me! And everyone else, next time, there will be a next time! Besides (at the risk of sounding cheesy) if you are creating beautiful things and enjoying life you are already a winner!

And, you can always go and buy some of your own at Amy's shop. :)