I started sewing seriously at 13, coinciding with my first job in a fabric store. Through the years I have sewn almost everything – clothing of all kinds, household items, costumes and more. Since retirement I have focussed on developing as a fibre artist, including quilting, dyeing, felting, a learning curve helped along by great friends while I lived in Yellowknife (2012-2022). All along I have made art-wear pieces, particularly jackets; I am drawn to the simpler lines and eclectic fabric combinations in ethnic clothing. Making costumes was always an interest, but in 2015 I advanced my skills through an intensive four-month course at the Northern College of Costume in York UK. I was gratified to have a quilt show about Grasslands National Park in 2018. Recently I have moved into the direction of teaching people how to sew (hand, machine, darning, sashiko, visible/invisible mending), so they can mend their own clothes.

Email: joldersm@ucalgary.ca