Tapping the source

Recently an early tobacco card of a Red Breasted Woodpecker caught my eye.
I was captivated by both the painters composition and use of color. I now have the complete set of 30 antique Imperial Tobacco cards (circa 1900). They celebrate illustration in ways that are reminiscent of the past. As an artist I cherish this sensitivity. As a designer I try to bring these ideas into the present.

The Woodpecker is a potent symbol for me, it conjures up the idea of tapping the new energy of Spring. Though it's not always visable to the naked eye, life is emerging everywhere. In fact prior to Easter my girlfriend saw one of these birds in her backyard, here is a photo . William and I love birdwatching, as of late we have had some wonderful experiences. In our garden we have a bird bath. It is the local water pub for the small birds to drink, bathe and have fun in everyday. It's presence is a great addition to our garden. I look forward to those moments again. If you love birds here is a great site
for information.

The last several weeks have been tough as I came down with a debilitating cold. It has been two years since my last cold, it also was around this time of year. At first I didn't slow down and created a fun set of Flower power corduroy patio cushions.

Then I lost my voice. For three days I was silent and drained. I had some body nurturing to do. Rest gave me a moment to regain my strength and ponder my inner self. I had extra time to observe life around me and to reflect upon some trying relationships within my own life. We all carry patterns that at times haunt us.

My break from routine allowed me to examine a life long pattern of questioning my acceptance by others. Our relations with other people are built on believing people understand and love us for who we are. We are fortunate that we get to select our friends, but we do not get to choose everybody in our life. Some people are chosen for us. They are the ones that push our buttons and test our self worth. Their acceptance, or lack thereof , can create comfort or conflict within us. It is the latter that has offered me more insight lately.
I have come to accept that not all people can
celebrate who I am.
We are all on our own journey of self approval and we are all at different stages. To acknowledge this is to release one from the self doubt that resides from our perceived thoughts of others towards us. I believe now that the things people see in others which they have not yet attained for themselves, can create barriers for deeper relationships to grow. By acknowledging this, I can let go of my struggle and tap into my source. I will accept these relationships where they stand, without expecting the emotional change to happen. I know this will bring me a greater peace with these people in my life. Letting go can lead to a new beginning. That is one thing the Spring season offers us, a fresh start!

Now what does all this have to do with HATS? Acceptance of ones appearance is the key to enjoying the most out of life and the key to enjoying the wearing of a hat. We are unable to change our birth right of looks. Our genetics have been given to us without choice. It is only when I accept my face in the mirror am I able to celebrate it. There are many people that visit our shop and say they are not Hat people. I understand deeper what that comment means.

We were gifted last Thursday, to see the Stars on Ice by my brother Jeff and his family. It was an exciting evening out at the Air Canada center. Kurt Browning was a sight to behold. His ability on and off the ice reveals the exceptional talent this individual has. Every performance on the ice was breath taking. I hope one day he visits us at Gwendolyne Hats as he would look amazing in our Tibetan design. Now having seen his live performances that evening, I have officially become another a Kurt Browning fan!

My cold is on its last legs and I am very grateful for the lessons this journey opened me up to. All is well, and I am once again busy creating some new hats for wonderful people.

Embrace simple pleasure

These last winter weeks have been very challenging and exciting as I have produced a new winter hat design that will surely bring many new smiles to my customers. My best design work has always been created in the season to which the hat is best worn. Recently my new design "The Nadia" was perfected. The construction of this hat requires a lot patience because I create the band design with hand sewing. Over the years I have grown to enjoy hand sewing. When I stitch I become one with time, I become grounded in the present, and do not feel the need, to hurry. My concentration is rewarded by the beauty of the furs butting up against each other.

Akin to hand sewing is knitting. Twenty years ago I worked in Romi Wools, a yarn shop here in Toronto. If you ever have a chance to visit, I truly recommend you to go there one day. Romni Wools is a knitters paradise here in Toronto. When I worked there, it was my Moms generation that kept the craft alive. Today with the renewed interest, a whole new generation of knitting is becoming established. Knitting collectives are popping up all over our city. I am thrilled to see this movement.

My friend Carolyn Barnett has made her passion of knitting a very big part of her life. She inspired me to begin this blog last August. Here we are last summer at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.

In life and business today the drive for quick solutions, and short cuts are celebrated and awarded by our contemporaries. There is a higher financial return for this sped up pace. I believe we carry this mentality into our lives. We validate how good the day is by how much we accomplished. Are these ideas sinking into our consciousness? Are we aware of the residual thinking patterns we create when we incorporate those thoughts into our lives on a regular basis? Is this torch being passed onto our children? In the Thesaurus some synonyms for consciousness are: sensibility, carefulness, mindfulness, recognition, and regard. These words best describe the experience I have when I hand stitch. They also describe for me a way of life that would allow our lives to be filled with great joy and gratefulness.

It is a good to embrace the simple pleasures of life, to slow down, and absorb the unfolding nature our life is directing us by. Our minds will get filled with a greater positive feeling to carry us throughout the day with the recognition of our abundance. I will add that when I place myself in this awareness, I experience a greater physical, emotional and spiritual sensation throughout my body.

I highly recommend the book You can heal your life by author/healer Louise L. Hays.
I recieved a copy for my birthday this year from a dear friend. I read a chapter once every morning till I finished the book. Her words were so positive and insightful about our thinking patterns. The book lifted my spirits even higher and gave me new tools to use for personal growth. Like the hats I make for people, this book is a keeper to use and read many times over. Instead of passing it along, I intend to cherish this book gift and inspire others to get a copy.

Investing in our future

For the first time in many years our cold winter weather didn’t began as per the usual in December. It was not until the first week of January that we realized how unusual it was.

Our conversations about the weather now became focused discussions about climate change, polar ice caps, flooding, and extreme weather. The images and stories we began seeing and hearing, made us think more about our present world.

Twenty years ago they knew how important it was to create renewable energy. I enjoyed many courses about our environment. The Energy course was one of the most informative. Fossil fuel research, forecasted a twenty year consummation to exhaust all the known and undiscovered deposits. So if their predictions were correct, that would mean our fossil fuel clock has run out. Right now, more than ever, as individuals we hold the key to change. When we live with a sensibility for our world and its' inhabits, we can reshape the existing destructive path into a healthy one.

The money that leaves my hands has the power to support my neighbors, support my city, support my country, and the most importantly support my values.

My friend Jane recently said to me, "spending money is the same as voting". We get to decide how each dollar is spent.That in turn, supports something to exist. I am voting for a world that will inspire us to live in harmony and respect mother nature.

My partner and I live in the core of our Toronto city. Where ever we walk, there is so much vitality. We do all of our shopping at small local stores. The opportunity of selection, community, and freshness makes Kensingston Market a special place for so many. If you ever visit this part of the world I encourage you to visit our shop and then walk north along Spadina into our Chinatown. Continue walking another block north to St. Andrews, where the Cat on a chair sculpture by Shirley Yanover and David Hlynsky signals the middle of the market. Walking west you will experience the many flavors that the market has for you to discover.
As you can see by this photo, you have to look up 5 feet to see this charming artwork.


Here along Baldwin St. we met a girl celebrating that first snowball of Winter. I don't know where she found that much snow to make a ball as large as that. I do know that ambition has a way of making things happen. Even though she looks a little shy in this photo, she was pleased that I saw her creation and allowed me to take this shot.

This January our shop had the buzz of customers. We met so many wonderful spirited people. In the studio, I had a very focused creative period. The new Snowflake design collection, was challenging and exciting at the same time. Here's a moment catching a some of them in their building process.


They are finished now and in our shop next door. I am glad we took this picture, for process is a beautiful thing.

We are all experiencing one form of process everyday we live. Right now we are celebrating Winter and our lives.



Here's a beautiful moment looking out of our building, as the sun is going down I captured it's reflection onto a tall downtown building. I often snap photos of this vantage point. This building was built in 1890. It holds great inspiration for us. Every day I am grateful for my bounty. I enjoy sharing it with you one day at a time!