In 2006, I met the artist and musician Mary Lydia Ryan at a cozy wine bar in Ballard. She had a book with her that turned out to be a billfold. She had inherited a multitude of vintage books from a friend who challenged her to make something creative out of them. She was making them into purses. In 2007, she teamed up with fellow artist Gary Parker and not long after, they recruited me as their seamstress. Fabrics were thoughtfully selected to coordinate with each book and each flap was individually designed to compliment the artwork on the cover.
