new name, same me …

I originally named my business etheldora in honor of my grandmother, Ethel, and mother, Dora.

Mom taught me to sew for Barbie and then for myself, but Grandma was my inspiration to start making aprons … I have fond memories of receiving the annual box of one-of-a-kind 1960s style aprons for our elementary school fundraiser. And now that I have moved away from aprons and accessories, it’s time to build my own history and just be me.

Dora was born in California and spent her childhood in Ames, Iowa, where she began knitting alongside her first, of many, Boston Terriers. She majored in Home Economics major at Michigan State University and in 1947, she graced the cover of the Detroit Free Press magazine. After that, she became a homemaker (not a housewife!) and raised three children in Michigan, where she passed on her love of cooking and handcrafts. In 1986, she moved to Santa Fe, where her handwork skills were legendary … she was famous in her retirement community for her handknit sweaters. I can still picture her dressed in a beautiful short-sleeved sweater with matching earrings heading to her 15-minute gym workout.

Ethel, Dora's mother, grew up in Iowa as the youngest of four children and the only girl. She learned to sew at an early age and made the high school graduation dress shown in this photo  … as well as suits for her brothers. After a brief stint teaching elementary school, she attended Iowa State, where she earned a degree in Zoology. I had no idea I was following in her footsteps.