Hello my stitching friends,
I write to you a little over two weeks after my dear mother, Rebekah, went home to be with the Lord. Many of you know what a long and difficult year it has been for us as she battled cancer. I ran the online store for her while she was undergoing some of the most difficult treatments a person can endure. It was not the Lord’s plan to keep her with us, and He took her home on April 19th, 2022.
You can view her obituary and a link to the recorded funeral service here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/chesterland-oh/rebekah-smith-10718637
Some of you may have been wondering about the future of this business. I have considered carefully what the best future for it and myself might be. I enjoyed working with mom and all of you, but this work was not my dream. As much as I have enjoyed my time doing this, I do not wish to carry it on without her.
For the time being, we are closing things down. It does not mean that Rebekah’s patterns may not be available in the future, however, our family needs some time to think through what that might look like, and it’s not a high priority for the coming months. We are all in need of rest and time to grieve.
Just because Rebekah’s patterns are not currently being published does not mean that the copyright is now public domain. It is still illegal to copy any of Rebekah’s patterns or use her designs for anything other than personal use. This means you cannot sell a piece you made using her designs (even if modified), use any of the photos or patterns in any way without express permission from the Smith family. We now hold the copyright to all of Rebekah’s works. I know that copyright and use can be very confusing, and that is why I wanted to make sure things were clear for you all.
With all of this being said, the website will stay up even though the store site is down. I am leaving up the free patterns, so I hope that people continue to enjoy those. The email account will be closed out on May 13th, and the website will be connected to an account for basic inquiries, but it will only be checked intermittently. Any inquiries regarding orders must be sent (via email--I will not be able to respond to comments on this post or social media messages) before May 9th. If you have failed to download digital patterns or are missing something from an order, I will not be able to resolve those issues after May 9th.
It has been such an honor to serve all of you and assist my mother in sharing a love of creativity and needlework with the world. We made so many wonderful friends on our travels and in class. I will always think on those times with great fondness. I wish each of you the best, and hope that you continue to stitch and treasure Rebekah’s designs as much as I will. She had a brilliantly distinct style, influenced with respect by those who came before, and changed the way so many of us thought about wool appliqué.
~Kelsey Anilee Smith
