Hi! I’m Summer. Wanderer, gatherer and maker.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve moved through the world with curiosity and wonder. My Gram taught me to wander slowly and pay attention to the natural world. Each spring, a new pair of wellies would appear as if by magic, and together we would head out to see what was awakening beneath the melting Michigan snow. Boxes of crayons and pads of paper encouraged me to draw what I discovered along the way.
Over the years, my wanderings carried me farther from my Gram’s garden and woodland—to new landscapes, faraway places and bustling cities. My creativity wandered too, growing from childhood collections of pretty rocks, feathers and flowers into a lifelong love of textiles, natural dyes, stitching and art inspired by the natural world. Although some things haven’t changed: my pockets are still usually filled with stones, feathers, shells and other tiny treasures at the end of a walk.
For most of my adult life, I called Virginia home. On a small farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a flock of merino and rambouillet sheep gave me the perfect canvas for exploring natural dyes, fibers and textiles. I began hosting workshops at the farm, sharing my love of hand-dyed yarn, stitching and making around the table. Those gatherings planted the earliest seeds for what would eventually become Wandering Craft Retreats.
Today, I call the UK home, surrounded by the landscapes that have inspired so much of my creative life. My work has evolved into a blend of textiles, mixed media and contemporary weaving, incorporating natural materials, collected fragments and found objects—little traces of place and story gathered along the way.
And I’m still wandering.
Through Wandering Craft Retreats, I have the joy of bringing kindred spirits together to explore beautiful corners of Scotland and England—to wander old paths and wild coastlines, gather inspiration, make art, share meals and stories, and experience the particular magic that happens when creative people come together in a beautiful place.
What began as a dream of creating a lovely place to connect, create and make lasting memories has become something even more wonderful than I imagined.
I’d love for you to wander with me.
Your Wandering Crafter,
Summer