The Final Design Preview

Ladies and gentlemen, we've come to the end of the design previews for Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace. 

For this final design, I thought I would pay tribute to the person who started it all here in the U.S. - Susan Koerner Wright - yes, the mother of the Wright Brothers. We don't hear too much about her for a few reasons: (1) she left behind relatively little in the way of writings (as compared to her husband and children); (2) she was overshadowed in many respects by the aforementioned; and (3) tuberculosis took her at a relatively early age. 

Nevertheless, she was a remarkable woman for her time. Heck, she'd be a remarkable woman today. Educated, married slightly later than her peers, she gave birth to seven children (two died in infancy), knew her way around most things mechanical, yet still managed a household (much of the time on her own) filled with precocious, inquisitive children whom she encouraged at every turn. She left us not only five children including her two most famous sons, but also a daughter who went on to graduate from Oberlin. 

Of the few photographs remaining of Koerner Wright (and we're fortunate to have them!), she is always shown wearing some sort of collar, so I decided to assign to her my own interpretation of this Victorian fashion staple, with a twist:

Fur Collar + Pin in honor of Susan Koerner Wright,
the mother of flight here in the U.S.

My interpretation includes a simple bead-encrusted motif pin that acts as a fastener, and of course I used the wonderful Lion Brand Romance faux fur yarn for the collar.

Both of these pieces work up very quickly, and the collar only utilizes two skeins of Romance. I can envision this accessory pair easily going from day to evening.

While I'm not certain if Koerner Wright ever owned any collar with bling or fur, somehow I think she'd approve.

This concludes the end of the design previews, but not the end of the designs, or some other previews. We'll be taking a Christmas break here at Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace central, but come back on 12/26 with the first of several test stitcher spotlights. Not only were they instrumental in getting several of these designs into tip top shape, but each stitcher brought their own unique personality to the recreation of the design which, I hope, is what everyone who purchases the book will do.

For now, I wish everyone a happy holiday (no matter which you celebrate), filled with light and warmth and cheer.

Until next time ...