Of course there is! Blackberry Patchworks IS everybody, so there is an "us." Although I can't tell you about you, I can tell you a wee bit about what brought me to this point. I
am Phyllis Meiring, the owner of Blackberry Patchworks Ltd. I believe
each life experience gives you the tools necessary for a future
experience. Some experiences make sense and stand alone, while others
make no sense in that moment. Our experiences seem fragmented and
unrelated until we can objectively step back and see a bigger
picture....much like a patchwork quilt. In a patchwork quilt, pieces
of fabric are fragmented. Some are small and irregular while others
scream, "I'm a star!" Put the pieces together and they bloom into
their greatest beauty; it's then when they become whole. My life's
experiences, education, training, and difficulties have equipped me to
be in this place at this time here at Blackberry Patchworks. Where did
the name originate? I come from a long line of Appalachian quilters
and strong women who did more than just survive. They thrived. They
were not rich, capitalistically speaking. They were rich in
creativity, resourcefulness, endurance, determination, and love. My
paternal grandmother, from south eastern Ohio, taught dozens of women
to knit & crochet. I had the honor of learning those crafts from
her. She could sew and cook wonderful meals but I didn't get to learn
those things from her. My maternal grandmother taught me to sew then
quilt during one of the summers I spent with she & Papow. I spent
several summers with them in Zag, Kentucky on their 18 acre farm.
Mamow was also a very good cook. She was a hard-working determined
woman who was loved much by Papow. Papow was a gentle very loving man
who made me feel very loved and special. He had the most beautiful
blue eyes I've ever seen. One night, Mamow fixed the best spaghetti
I'd ever tasted and I ate like a piglet. For dessert, she fixed my
favorite: blackberry dumplin's. Nummmm...I said to her as I leaned
back in my chair with my stomach swollen, "Oh I wish I hadn't eaten so
much supper so I could eat a plateful of dumplings!" I never heard her
laugh much but she nearly blew her apron off laughing that evening. I
didn't grow up dreaming of becoming a shop owner. I always wanted to
be of some help to people so I earned a M.Div from United Theological
Seminary and a BA in Communications Studies from Wright State
University, both in Dayton, Ohio. I worked in lots of jobs/careers
ranging from library page to retail management, seamstress, clergy, DJ,
bus driver, to adjunct professor -- just to name a few. When doors
closed for me several years ago, I decided to get back in touch with my
roots and some remedial skills I had while incorporating all that I've
learned thus far. So I decided to open Blackberry Patchworks, Ltd. I
wanted to honor my Papow & Mamow for some incredible summers.
