My Hands Are Always Busy
Some people create with pixels. Others with paint. Me? I create with fiber, fabric, and wood. My hands are always busy — knitting warmth, stitching color, and building dreams you can actually live in. (Yeah...I built my own house!)
Creativity, for me, isn't tidy. It's a bit wild — it tangles, wrinkles, and sometimes tracks sawdust through the living room. Every project is an adventure — part engineering, part art, part "let's just see what happens." Whether I'm piecing a quilt, knitting mittens, or painting wooden ornaments, I'm chasing that same feeling — of turning an idea into something real. And when it all comes together — the quilt, the mitten, the house — it's pure magic. Or even when it doesn't work out, I'm already entertaining the next idea. Because this is how I move through the world: making, building, living creativity out loud.
What can I say? I'm Susan — a maker and a dream builder: and this is how I make the world a little more colorful with fiber and fabric. I'm a 74-year-old "Nana" to four teenaged grandchildren, and yes, I have pink hair. :)
I am a retired professional graphic designer with a BFA in Fine Arts and have been sewing and creating needlework for more than 65 years. My mom taught me the basics of knitting, crocheting, and sewing when I was very young, but I am mostly self-taught. Over the years, I have earned the coveted title of TKGA Master Hand Knitter, became a Craft Yarn Council of America certified knitting instructor, and completed the Crochet Guild of America Master of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques program.
As a perfectionist by nature, I hold myself to very high standards. If I am not pleased with the final outcome of a project, you won't find it in my shop. All of this means you can expect a well made product — one that has uniform stitches and with all of the loose ends securely woven into the work — that has been created with pride from high quality materials.
How did the name Barking Dog Designs originate? The name is a spin-off from Barking Dog Graphics, the name of my graphic design studio, which was named in honor our cocker spaniel, Georgette. In her role as the official receptionist and greeter, she woofed and eagerly wagged her tail at everyone who came to the door.
At the suggestion of my youngest daughter, I became an Etsy seller more than eighteen years ago.
To go to the shop home page, click here:
www.etsy.com/shop/BarkingDogDesigns
