Last Saturday's Handmade Crafternoon was full of fun and creative comradery, thanks to all of you who joined us and thanks also to our talented and friendly Modern Women of Sewing who shared their thoughts about what inspires them and how they turn what they find at the Library into stunning designs, patterns, illustrations, and more.

A few highlights for me were learning about how artists from Louise Bourgeois to Agnes Martin inspire Denyse Schmidt in her quilting; finding out how Heather Ross uses the Library's Digital Gallery to make one-of-a-kind fabrics at Spoonflower (you MUST see her amazing Library Skirt, made from fabric printed with a historic illustration of NYPL's stacks!); and seeing how Liesl Gibson turns to Anni Albers, historic children's books (like these, these, and these), and vintage magazines in her search for inspiration.

From wee German flower illustrations to surprisingly lovely golf magazines, from French fashion to New York Beauties, and from old issues of Needlecraft to the latest from World of Interiors, the room was brimming with creative ideas and inspiration.

This event capped our fall season of Handmade Crafternoons, and I'd like just one more time to thank all of you who made the series such a success. I hope that you've had as much fun as Maura and I have had this fall, getting to peek at Library collections, listening to inspiring guests share skills and stories, and keeping your hands busy making stuff too. I wish you all the happiest of holidays! Please keep an eye out for the details of our Spring 2010 series of Handmade Crafternoons--coming soon!