I love teaching. Especially teaching people who are ready to experiment. I learn something from each person in the class. I love to see the variations that people come up with. We have so much fun comparing notes, trying new things and letting ourselves travel unknown pathways. My Miami class had some really skilled and creative folks in it. They were a joy to watch.

The At Play in the Garden of Stitch workshop presented by Partners for Art + Design in Miami

The Miami workshop organized by Abbey Chase of Partners for Art + Design was in an exquisite historic church. The light was fantastic, the stitchers enthusiastic.

Here are some of the things I learned from my students.

When filling a square with stitch, play with different patterns that repeat. Let your imagination go wild.

Let your stress be released. Nancy called this her divorce.

If your tension isn’t working right, go with it. We all loved this bearded back.

Consider fringe. Use fabric that already has texture.

If your pig needs wings, find some and add them to your composition.

Celebrate color and pattern. Let your edges be active.

Your work does not need to fit into a rectangle. It doesn’t even have to be a rectangle.

A beach can become a vase. (Turn this one 90 degrees clockwise and you can see what I mean.)

I am thankful for all the time I spend with my students. Each session brings delight and discovery.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May your turkey be moist and your potatoes buttery.

The stew is simmering on the stove.

This year is different. We won’t be gathering in person. Instead we chose a food swap. Each household will be making some of their favorite foods and sharing it with the other households. We have vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters, dairy-free and gluten-free family members so we threw out the standard menu for Thanksgiving. I am making a curried garbanzo vegetable stew. My niece made red-bean mochi cake, my son is making his signature deviled eggs and my daughter-in-law is making stuffed acorn squash. In the kitchen there is a bread pudding beginning to take form and I have heard rumors of homemade mac and cheese. Pie is on the menu, of course (thank you Miles and Megan).

It might not be the most coordinated menu and some may choose to scatter the makings across several days but the bounty is glorious.

We have fun at our holiday meals. Years ago I bought some catering tablecloths and fabric markers for our Christmas dinner. Each table setting got a marker to play with. The result has become a tradition. These cloths show children growing up, a scorecard for a family card game, references to Batman movies and phrases of hope. There may be some gravy stains but we don’t worry about those much. Most of all they show our love. They will travel with the food this year. And I will need to get some new ones.

What makes your holidays special?

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Wishing all of you a healthy and delicious Thanksgiving day.

We live in challenging times on a miraculous planet. And I am grateful for that.