Hi, I'm Eleanor Stanton.

During 2020's general lockdown, I found comfort in the color and feel of textiles. Yarn, wool, floss. They all helped me take little breaks from worrying about friends and family across the country. Making toys or pretty ornaments for happy times to come kept me connected to hope. And that hope kept my heart moving forward even when everything else seemed to be standing still.

While we all tried to find hand sanitizer and masks, I started crocheting small stuffed animals from sturdy cotton yarn so they could be washed in hot water. I embroidered the toys' faces to make them safe for babies and toddlers. When children around the world started posting rainbows around their neighborhoods, I started crocheting rainbow animals.

Friends who wanted to give soft, safe, homemade toys - but didn't crochet - began to commission animals for their children and grandchildren. So original patterns naturally adapted and changed becoming unique personalized gifts.

Simple embroidery stitches on crocheted toys led, inevitably, to stitching on other materials. This cross-pollination will come as no surprise to any crafter whose "one passion" spawns another. The world of wool applique was a revelation. Before long, I was having fun designing my own patterns, using my sliding glass doors as giant light boxes to outline the "reverse side" of the pattern pieces before fusing them onto the background.

Making handmade gifts is a joyful process. And joy lifts every heart it touches. Let's spread it around!