I'm Margaret Cherre, the artist behind Second Wind Jewelry & Weaving. I do all of the designing and weave every scarf and create every piece of jewelry by myself, working in my home in rural upstate New York.
Handweaving is my latest passion. I love working with a wide range of fabrics, experimenting with colors and textures, widths and lengths, weaving patterns and methods. I like to make handwoven scarves that are warm and cuddly and others that are lightweight and dressy. As you'll see from my Handwoven Scarves page, I'm already adding new fibers, and plan to expand to organic yarns in the near future.
I love to use a variety of gemstones and precious metals in my jewelry, combining them using both coordinating and contrasting colors, patterns and textures. I rarely make more than 10 pieces of a single design and gemstone, ensuring that you are purchasing a unique and high-quality piece of jewelry. I also create many of my own clasps, adding yet another artistic detail to necklaces and bracelets. When needed to complete the design I intend, I also make my own earwires or posts. I consider my work wearable art, and approach each new design from that perspective. My work ranges from lightweight and delicate to chunky and funky; my only limitation is that the final piece must please me and be of high quality.
I have been working in various media - from knitting and crocheting to sewing and macrame to gardening and home decor - for more than 40 years, most recently adding handweaving to my repertoire.
The name of my business - Second Wind Jewelry & Weaving - comes from four facts:
- I started this business later in my life, when I got my second wind,
- I do all my weaving on a vintage, handmade floor loom that I brought back to useful life, imparting its second wind,
- I use vintage beads and other components whenever possible, giving them their second wind,
- and virtually all my jewelry packaging, which I also make myself, is from recycled materials, again giving them second wind.
I love to learn new processes - from enamelling to metalsmithing, handweaving to web design - and then to incorporate them into my designs, my work, and my life. I feel free to play with materials, processes, and media, often in unusual ways.
I strive to make my work reflect my multiple interests, from personal adornment to environmental consiousness, and to combine grace and beauty, playfulness and quality. |
