Katherine Shaughnessy is one of my very favorite people in the new craft scene. She's one of those artists who creates such wonderful stuff and then you find out that on top of her talent and general fabulousness she's also really nice. She's not just faking it, she's the real deal!

Well, I thought I knew Katherine until I heard this great podcast from CraftSanity, and I found out there is so much more to know. She and her husband were featured in an issue of Readymade a while back because of their pioneering lifestyle out in Alpine, Texas (near Marfa). Now they have chickens and a baby and her husband manages the new public radio station.

If that's not enough for one lifetime, wait until you hear about how they spent a year and a half driving around the country in a van living wireless and freelancing. Before that, Katherine was artist-in-residence at Central Michigan University--yeah, I know, a bonafide artist in our midst!

Anyway, it's a fascinating listen and should leave you wishing (like I do) that she'd just hurry up and write a book about her life already. Who knows what the next chapter will be? In the meantime, check out her current book, which could teach Martha Stewart a thing or two.

Above photo: Katherine getting a kick out of candidate for Governor of Texas Kinky Friedman.
Below: A few of Katherine's gorgeous crewel patterns (available online at Wool and Hoop).