The Old Becomes New

One weekend last March my friend and I visited Studio by the Tracks – Homewood, a satellite of the Irondale studio, where artists display and sell their wares. This organization sponsors artists with autism spectrum disorders, providing socialization and materials, as well as a means to earn income. Artists receive 60% of the sale of their work.

The shop is a lovely little house-turned boutique that has just recently opened, and we’d learned that a three-woman pop-up show was going on, sponsoring artists who had donated work to the studio. It was a beautiful day, and we decided to get out and show some love.

The atmosphere was bright and sunny with colorful pieces lining the walls and filling tables and racks. There were handmade scarves and canvases of sun prints, hand-crafted hot pads, and beaded skirts. Small pieces of art and large.

And then I ran into this display. It caught my eye because its creator is an artist after my own heart. I’ve often tossed a beautiful item of clothing out because it no longer fit, or I couldn’t get the mustard stain out, or some other such reason. And with that, I’ve often felt I was letting go of an item of beauty. Surely I could make a cloth napkin or a curtain out of it.

Here, the artist has done more than think “surely I could…”. Caren Matukas gives old wool sweaters new life by carefully selecting the fabric, then creating stuffed animals out of her finds. She uses corn eco-filling to fill the creations, making the piece completely nontoxic. Plus, they are just adorable.

It was hard to choose, but this little guy went home with me and then on to his new home with Wesley, our first grandbaby. I felt good about giving this completely non-toxic treasure to him.

To become a member of Studio by the Tracks, click here and sign up or visit their Facebook page. These folks are truly helping to make the world a better place.

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