We’re thrilled to announce our new newsletter series: Meet the Maker. There is no better way to start than with our beloved cofounder Laura!

Harmony began almost 13 years ago with the wonderful mother-daughter collaboration of Laura and Rachel. In the years since, it has blossomed into a larger creative community than they had ever imagined.

In this post, we focus on Laura, and her artistic inspirations, recent comforts, and creative prowess!

 What role has creating played in your life?

“You know, it’s kept me sane, that’s kind of a big one. And I think that’s because having had a lot of children... it was something that didn’t get undone the minute I did it. You know, like mopping the floor or cleaning a bathroom. It was tangible.”

Laura has started working with ceramics, creating beautiful things spanning from buttons to vases. This is a form of creating she learned recently. She says, “It has been rewarding, and it is fun to think that you can still learn things at my age.”

“It has been a self esteem booster, a connection for me, a sanity thing, and I just really don’t know where I’d be without creating things.”

Where do you find creative energy?

Laura's creative energy has stemmed from her love of fabrics. She loved Laura Ashley fabrics that were coming out about 40 years ago, and in the time since, she has noticed fabrics becoming more and more beautiful.

“Luckily I don’t like everything or that would be a problem for me. But I do like a certain number of things, and that’s where I get my creative energy.”

Laura also has been noticing that she gets creative energy from her daughters and granddaughters. Sharing that interest has been a motivator and a source of connection.

Fashion and creating clothes for yourself can be a part of forming personal identity. Laura says,

“It is a fun way to identify yourself, to yourself!”

What brings you inspiration?

“I love folk art, I also love modern stuff. I love Scandinavian style, and so I’m not sure that really translates into sewing but it certainly does into knitting. Now that I’ve done colorwork for a while, I just feel like, 'why not just do it?' It’s easy as plain knitting and the possibilities are just so endless.” 

“It’s not creating things from the ground up always, but there is still so much latitude. And it gives you that same creative feeling.” 
 

Where do your creative roots lie?

“I have skills from my mother, definitely. She sewed all of our clothes basically. She knitted too, and I learned in about 6th grade and made a sweater under her care. I also have to say that my dad was really an artist. He was in a creative field of architects and engineers for campuses. He always had a very definite sense of taste and just whatever he saw kind of affected him. So I feel like I got it from my parents!”

Where have you been finding comfort recently?

“In reading, in making good food. I have just learned how to do sourdough bread and I tell ya, Bread and Jam for Frances, and for Laura! Anyway, I think that is a comfort food. A fun thing that we love to do, David and I, is watch masterpiece theater on PBS. I think my family comforts me when I’m around them, because they are very accepting of whoever we are and it just feels good to be around them.”