The Livelihood Of Bernie and Patti Tappel

Visiting the Tappels as part of the Missouri Folk Arts Program community scholars workshop and field trip in the Jefferson City area last November gained me a deeper interest in both quilting and blacksmithing. The project is funded by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and through a Folk and Traditional Arts Partnership Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Bernie and Patti Tappel graciously hosted our group through a tour of the house and the shop. The Tappel home is filled with country charm, homemade objects for every day use, tools of their trade and products of their own making. 

The beauty of their craftsmanships showed in the ease with which they create the many quilts and metalworks and in the household goods including soaps and canned goods that they make as gifts, to sell and to use.

The forge

I was fascinated by these tools and how easily Bernie made the work look

Gigs are one of Bernie's mainstays

Steam rising from the coals

ABC's and Sunbonnet Sue - always a classic

Patti at one of her many sewing machines

One of Patti's many beauties

Pinwheel design in lime greens

Miniature quilt square to become wearable art

A work horse of a machine