About Me

Where I Come From

When I think back to where I come from, I remember my mom making Halloween decorations out of construction paper when we couldn’t afford the store bought ones. I remember that she made my sister and me matching blue plaid Easter coats when I was about 6 years old.

I remember my Grandmom Pellegrini ever-so-patiently teaching me how to crochet and read music and taking me to ceramics class with her.

I remember my Grandma Jost always having a summer garden bursting with raspberries and currants and zinnias and all kinds of deliciously green & colorful things. I remember she made a killer pork roast and the best dill pickles and her famous Blueberry Buckle.

I remember a time when most women cooked and sewed because it was expected of them, and oftentimes it was necessary to make ends meet in a family with just one breadwinner.

Maybe we don’t have to do those things anymore. But maybe now, we just want to.

Where I Am

I like to cook and sew and make quilts. I like to paint pretty pictures. I like to browse in cool shops, lurk in interesting museums, and loiter in book stores.

I enjoy a good, warm, comforting cup of tea. I do my best thinking while I’m lying awake in bed at 3 a.m. when I’m supposed to be sleeping. My life is busy, and it’s far from what I imagine to be perfect. Sometimes it’s all I can do to get a meal on the table that is not served on paper plates (and many times, it is served on paper plates).

And I am becoming more and more comfortable with the fact that that is OK. I have finally figured out that perfection is an illusion which keeps us from enjoying what’s right in front of us, right at this moment. I don’t want to waste another moment of my life worrying about whether or not everything is just right. I just want to appreciate and enjoy the little things, because life is a great bundle of little things.

I am truly starting to believe that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

Where I’m Going

. . . But I still struggle with perfectionism all the time. I wonder if I’m doing enough, if I’m doing my best, if I’m following the right path….

We know that we are not perfect, and we accept that our lives are busier and more chaotic than June Cleaver’s. But we want to discover the creative person inside of us. And we find that we need to express our creativity in simple and practical ways. Whether we are making a snugly quilt, doing some fun and easy crafts with the kids & grand-kids, decorating our homes, making a quick & yummy treat “just because” or a fabulous meal for a special occasion, or just enjoying and appreciating the beauty around us, we are all creative.

I believe we’re all creative beings, created by a very creative Maker… of us made in His image, and we each reflect a unique facet of Him.

I believe that you don’t have to be an artiste, or a chef, or a professional photographer to live a creative life.

So that is who I am. This is what I do:

I am an artist and illustrator. I design fabric and quilt & sewing patterns for the quilting industry.

I write and illustrate books featuring creative ideas like quilt patterns, craft projects, and recipes.

I have a website called The Art of Home where I share lots of my ideas with you. Because home is the perfect place to indulge our creative urges…

My name is Jacquelynne, and I just like to make stuff.

Come along with me, I’d love to “meet” you!