A dropped plate rarely leads to much more than broken glass and a lot of sweeping. But when Mike’s wife Wilder found her favorite 1906 china plate shattered on the floor, he set about remedying the situation. His solution: turn the plate’s remnants into handmade pieces of jewelry. Thus was born (half of) “As the Crow Flies and Co.”
“I spend a lot of time scouring secondhand stores for unique antique plates I can turn into jewelry that creates miniature, wearable stories,” says Mike. “It's impossible to tell where the plates have been – who stared at them in their childhood while eating dinner. While many date as far back as 100 years, their past lives are a mystery.”
The other half of As the Crow Flies was born when Wilder took up sewing to supplement her daughter’s wardrobe. A textile lover, she uses old patterns and new, appealing cotton fabrics to create vintage-inspired dresses, skirts and pants for children. Stories are the key to both halves of their work, from Mike’s plates to Wilder’s fabric.
“We live in a house jammed with china and other vintage finds in West Philadelphia,” says Wilder, “teaching our children the beauty of history and making, learning about others and everyone’s unique experience.”
Come see As The Crow Flies on June 15 from 10AM – 4PM at McConkey’s Market in Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA).
