Saturday, April 28, 2018

Charlotte Patera

I found a nice framed print of this poster, below, at a thrift shop a while back.
At first, when I spied it from across the room, I thought it was the crewel, but then upon closer inspection I realized it was a print.
 I remember the cashier making a comment something like "Well, that sure is a nice frame, but I don't know about the picture."
Now I ask you: what in the world is wrong with some people?
 For one thing, um ...  nobody asked her.
 I was buying it, so obviously I wanted it for some reason, right? Like gee - maybe because I LIKED it?!
 Do you think, maybe?
Oh - and the frame is nothing special at all. It's just a plain frame. Whatever, lady.
Her comment was unwanted and not at all appreciated.
Because I think it's completely fabulous.
Anyhow, when I got it, I knew nothing at all about who "Char '74" was, because my print does not have that information at the bottom, that you see, above. I guess the person who framed it had cut off the bottom to fit it into the frame.
A Stitching Exhibition?! At The Nut Tree?!
We used to LOVE going to the Nut Tree, back when were kids.
 Well, I surely do wish I'd been able to see that exhibition back in 1975; it must have really been something special.
Some time later, I found a partial photo of the poster when I was looking through my copy of "Vintage Craft Workshop", a great book authored by Cathy Callahan, who used to write a wonderful blog called "Cathy Of California", that I loved reading. The book is outstanding - you can find it on Amazon.
(I also found an article about Cathy on another blog, "While She Naps" - you can find it here.)

I kept looking up information, and I was so surprised to discover that Ms. Patera had actually lived close to where I grew up!
I'm sad to say, she passed away one year ago today.
You can read her obituary here.
 Oh, how I wish I had known she lived in Cameron Park!
Because I would have loved to have had the opportunity to meet such a talented  stitchery artist and author!
 Honestly, I would have tried to call her or something, because maybe I COULD have met her - maybe I could have even seen some of her beautiful work, in person!
I also discovered that I already owned one of her books, when I saw the cover, I recognized it immediately, and went and found it on my book shelf.
I have written before about "The Applique Book", back in this post.
(Please go back and have a look; I think you might enjoy seeing some of her fabulous designs!)
And I had even written a post about one of her designs four years ago - The Artful Artichoke (click here to go back and read about it).
She authored other books, too, including some about Mola techniques, and this one, "Cutwork Applique":
And here are some examples from that book:
 The "Sun Symbol":
 And a gorgeous dress:
 Now I want that book, too, of course!
I'll find myself a copy, you can bet on it.
You know, I am not much of a needlework person, nor a seamstress, but I so greatly admire the talented women who are, and were, and all of the beautiful items they create/created with their handiwork.
And I just wanted to write a post about Charlotte Patera, so that if you have never heard of her before, perhaps if you come across one of her books, or see a photo of  her work, you might now remember her name, as well.
What a talented lady she was.

6 comments:

Diane said...

Very interesting! Great print too!!

Tina Dawn said...

What great designs, very colorful! Love T

Tami Von Zalez said...

She did live so close.
Funny, I never get comments from volunteers like that one.

Sunnyana said...

My first glance at the beautiful crewel work I immediately recognized it and before I read your description I remembered it had something to do with Nut Tree. Years ago I actually saved a picture of this to my computer under needlework ideas. I don't remember where I found it but I know it had something to do with Nut Tree. I remember going past Nut Tree on a few family vacations in the 70's but we never stopped. I did stop there a couple of years ago to eat at Panera. It took forever to get in and out of the parking lot so I wasn't too impressed with the "new" Nut Tree.

Phyl D said...

Der Heidi Ann,
There should be a "Jessica Fletcher" award for your brilliant detective work on finding out who was "Char'74" - this colorful poster is a great 1970s find and such a wonderful and interesting blog entry!

Cyndy said...

Oh my goodness! I still have family a little further up the hill from Cameron Park! It would have been so awesome to have known this artist was in an area I visit regularly.