Susan completes most of her work at her home of 30 years in Colorado Springs, Colorado
"WORN-A-BIT"
The first time I stepped into the “Worn-A-Bit” at the end of the High Bridge in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the age of 13, I knew I would be forever in love with rags that became my riches. I spent hours trying to explain to my mother the reasons why these used clothes had become a necessity in my life and that I needed to wear them in order to express myself and help the needy people in this world. She thought they represented the fact that our family was poor and did not have enough money to cloth the seven of us in what she described as the “proper” way to look when leaving the house and going out into the world.
Later in life, my mother discovered the beauty in the thrift stores and the “worn-a-bit” style shops. She became a frequent shopper with a particular style that made her clothing look like it was bought at exclusive shops all around the world.
My sisters and I always had outlets to occupy our time by sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, cutting jeans and adding patches to cover up the blue. My sister, Tricia, became the fiber artist in the family and learned this nuno-felting technique in Bend, Oregon. She shared her expertise with all of us and we have expanded the process by using any natural fiber from Thailand, Beijing, Peru, and all of the Goodwills, Arcs, Salvation Armies, and thrift stores in the United States. The roving, which is unspun wool, comes from a farm in Bend, Oregon.
My love of fiber, along with my love of “up-cycling” have come together to allow me to make wearable art and spread the energy of mixed materials from all over the world. The work satisfies my need for color, texture, physical exertion, and the spirit of my passions to come together.
Susan Stevens