Happy Sunday, y’all. It’s another fun time with me at the front porch, which is what I’m calling my essay posts these days, which you’ll see on Sundays. I started this email as a voice memo, which you can listen to below, and then afterward, read my more edited thoughts!
I took a moment to record the audio version after I’d just gotten done Instacarting. For those of you who were wondering well, how does the sausage get made over here at Kristen Jeffers Media these days?
I Instacart when I don’t have any big contracts, especially since the big contract’s moving away. But I would like to try to figure out how to exhibit more of my graphic design and art. I don’t think I have it in me to crochet for people, but I would like to one day have art in a gallery. More on that in a moment.
So I was having so much fun at the Frederick Fiber Festival on Saturday, April 27th. I forgot to take pictures of me having fun with everybody, but it was really good to see of course the Hayes’s and their booth and then meet the family of Black Purl Magic and of course see the lovely Cesium Yarn truck that I haven’t included a picture of here.
I stuck to a strict budget. So I picked up a little gauge winder off the Cesium truck, and then I picked up a mystery skein from Wool and Vinyl, which I’ve walked past every Frederick Fiber, but never stopped in.
I was just really impressed and really thrilled there were more food vendors this time around and a whole demonstration tent. I think I technically snuck into the festival. I mean, you know, it is what it is, uh, but as usual, Frederick Fiber making that drive even though it was pouring rain and it was cloudy and I wasn’t feeling myself, it was a good day.
But let me talk about a really good day. And that was Friday, which is where the photo opening this week’s post comes from.
I knew as soon as I saw Joyce Scott’s picture pop up at the March Creative Mornings, Baltimore, that I would be getting back in the car again, waking up early again, and driving up for this lecture in April, which was yesterday. And it was just a bearing of witness. I really did think looking at her, I saw myself in 30 years after I figured out my visual and performing art, after I figure out my body of work.
It was just delightful to get an opportunity to take this picture with her. She is a daughter of the great migration of Carolinians that moved North in the thirties. I moved myself North from North Carolina in 2015. Mask down on request in an empty room but for a good reason. To compare noses and see just how related we might be. But also another great opportunity to get more into the Baltimore creative scene, and see if it will in fact become home again.
Finally, Les and her brand new mint green sewing machine Janome Arctic Crystal are doing well. I’m really glad pillows will become her craft thing. And that we could easily pick up this machine from the Seven Corners JoAnn in Falls Church as soon as we got back from Frederick. It has a walking foot in the box. It has a buttonhole in the box. It has 15 stitches as well. It has a 25-year warranty.
Um, if something breaks on this thing, it’s either going back to Janome, or it’s going back to JoAnn. And then I’ll just play with my little Singer. Which is still a good machine, but I no longer feel that pressure for my machine to work perfectly.
And finally, finally, this week on the podcast, I had a wonderful time talking to Derek Moore and comparing my own notes about developing an urbanism interest while starting as community development and communication majors. And I scorched DC Chinatown and the fact that its actual Chinese folks have no grocery store and barely any restaurants left that speak to and truly honor the Asian community. Listen below on your favorite podcast platform.
Or listen to all the episodes and check out the show notes here —
And, don’t forget that at noon Eastern every Monday, you can ask me anything!
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Until next time,
Kristen