Introducing LOLABEAR's Needleworkatorium. A fiber studio in Squirrel Cottage

Squirrel Cottage is the name of my home based business.

It represents two key features of my slowly but constantly evolving desire to live my passion of needlework.

"Cottage" refers to the "cottage industry" - especially that of the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 1800s.

 Cottage industry items are distinctively unique, individually crafted and often a personal statement of their creator.

"Squirrel" comes from the delightful creatures (yes! - they DO scamper!) that run around my yard, up my trees and over the large wrap-around porch of my home.

I have the pleasure of living and working in a Victorian home - proudly built by local carpenters, builders, and other craftsmen  in 1898. 

The Arts and Crafts Movement, now experiencing a much-needed revival,  rejects the negative and destructive economic, societal and political effects of industrialization and advocates craftsmanship, skill, creativity and personal statement.

Social critics and others of that time (like William Morris, John Ruskin, Phillip Webb ) felt that pride in craftsmanship had been sacrificed in the process.  

One of my beloved writers of all time - Oscar Wilde - quipped that Americans ". . . love art, but do not sufficiently honor the handicrafts-men".

I've chosen to market my creative needlework on ETSY.COM - a wonderful collection of online shops created by like-minded independent craftspeople.

Please visit my shop at lolabear.etsy.com to see my ever changing collection of creative needlework