About me

Hello, I’m Rachel. My middle name is Louise. My family called me Louise until I went to kindergarten, where my mother enrolled me as “Rachel” and didn’t adequately explain this to me, which was confusing. I have been Rachel ever since (and sometimes still confused). My interests include lots of crafts (too many hobbies), environmental issues, healthy cooking and lifestyle, and, of course, my family.

I love making stuff that gets used: quilts, pot holders, aprons, bags, knitwear, toys, etc. Once I made some horse panniers, blaze orange, for my husband to use on his annual hunting trip. It took me a month of intensive work to make four of them, and I dreamed in orange. They turned out so well that my father in law gave me flowers. Here are the mighty hunters and their homemade horse panniers:

 

I made the slip cover that has been on our living room couch for twenty-some years. It is worn now, like the Velveteen Rabbit, and I still love it. Here are the grandchildren enjoying the couch:

 

 

I made a double wide sleeping bag for the bed in our truck camper, with the sheets attached to the inside with velcro strips. It is warm, comfortable, and makes it easy to make the bed, which is a problem in a truck camper, due to the small space. I also made a quilt to go on top of the sleeping bag, perfect for napping. I have had some epic naps in the truck camper, listening to the rain on the roof, snuggled under a warm quilt. (Does that make you want to go camping?) The design for that quilt was taken from the tiled kitchen floor in our house. This is the sleeping cabin of the truck camper, all ready for nap time:

I like seeing my projects in use. I like making gifts for others to use. I like being able to make what I need. Usefulness and my own aesthetic are what drive my designs. I hope you find something useful here, and apply your own aesthetic.