I have been a singer all of my life. Musical theater and opera tell stories through costuming and scenery as well as words and music. I also ran a gallery and supported artists for many years. The arts are at the core of my life.

Although I started sewing at a young age, making many of my own clothes, I had a different focus for this project. It was fun to look through my stash of family heirlooms, articles that belonged to my grandmothers and my mother. In the process, I relived memories.

As I worked with the hat, handkerchiefs and doilies I selected, I wondered about each piece—and what they meant to the women who cherished them. What tears of joy and sadness are forever frozen in their fibers.