Learn more about Jill Tarabar and JiSTdesigns:
I’ve spent alot of years trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. I’ve always been “crafty”, sewing and knitting for as long as I can remember. Designing and creating my own clothes and for my family, I even crafted my own wedding gown. After graduating college (with a degree in Government and International Relations no less) I found a job in a craft shop at our local mall while looking for a “career”. There I learned the craft of stained glass in order to teach and sell supplies.I soon met my husband, Marty. We married and moved to follow his job opportunities – every 6 months for a time – until landing in New Jersey in the mid-80’s. Stained glass was something I could do anywhere – and it made a wonderful gift.
The beginnings of an actual business…
During that time, I was able to develop a line of boxes and picture frames that I created (while my 2 young children were napping or at school) and sold to a chain of retail gift shops on the east coast. I was suddenly in business!
All the while, I continued to knit and sew, enjoying the softness of the fiber in comparison to the sharpness of the glass. Healing fingertips always presented a challenge when knitting!
In 1990 we moved to our present home in Chalfont, PA. After continuing for a time with the wholesale production of gift items, the business drifted away as times changed. Once my children were in school full time, I went to work as well, earning a paycheck, becoming a graphic designer by day and a crafter by night!
As years go by, I’ve concentrated on stained glass craft at times and more on knitting, felting, spinning and weaving at other times. But glass is a part of me and for years I’ve been hoping to find a way to combine the two crafts into one.
Recently I discovered knitting with wire which presented me with a great opportunity to combine knitting and glass… who know where this will lead!
Hi Jill,
I received your name from Alan Sheinberg, we both work with the Bucks County Jewish Coalition and will be having a Jewish-Israel festival on June 4th at BCCC
would love to invite you to be a vendor and come sell your wares
I do have your email and will send you some addiitonal information
looking forward to hearing from you
Hi Eve, thank you! I have to check the date but would love to learn more. Please email that to jill@jistdesigns.com. And thank Alan for me! Jill
Hi. Could you give me the pattern for the nubby green cotton Simple Knit Triangle Shawl with the traveling leaf design? Thank you.
Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you but I will be working on that pattern next. My *pesky* day job has ended and now I’ll have time to devote to writing patterns plus creating stained glass and wire knit jewelry for my etsy shops! Stay tuned! Jill