Pinjinsa            by Sigrid Wynne-Evans   Pinjinsa is one heck of a delightful lady! We "met" over several emails. She needed a little help in getting her files ready for offering them on Bead-Patterns.com. Luckily, we were using the same programs, and I was able to be of some help. Through that beginning, we shared some laughs, and gained a lot of respect for each other. We even bounced pattern ideas using her Gussy pattern, and my Dee Dee pattern. Some of our ideas, we never put into beadwork....we just got too wild. If you haven't seen Pin's "Gussy" series, you must! I am sure you will find a "Gussy" that you can relate to.

Sampling of Pinjinsa's Gussy Designs:
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Born in Ohio, Pinjinsa grew up in the small town of South Solon and London. She and her husband, Mishikin Nogkwa, live outside of the town of Bellefontaine, Ohio in the middle of the woods with their constant companions Sadie and Sammy.

Pinjinsa is blessed with 15 children, 10 grand children, and 2 great grand children, parents that are still very active as are both grand mothers.

Pinjinsa retired from the 'outside work force' in 1997. Her new 'day job' is designing bead patterns and quilt patterns, planning the garden, canning and making jellies, sewing clothing, playing with the Pups and just the normal things an "old retired Granny Grump" does.

Pinjinsa says that she has always loved beads! As a little girl, she played dress ups with jewelry, designing doll clothes with scraps of fabric and beads. About 20 years ago she started beading with patterns. To this day her favorite type of beadwork is appliqué, because "with applique the only limit to designs is the limit you place upon your imagination!" Pinjinsa's favorite pieces are shown on her website; a dance shawl, belt pouch, knife pouch all in the Woodland theme and all of which have been gifted to others. Out of all the beadwork she has done over the years, all she has left are her wedding clothes and jewelry. The rest has been gifted to others or beaded to be sold at shows over the years.

Sampling of Pinjinsa's Designs:
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Pinjinsa's biggest joy concerning designing is being able to take the pictures in her head and placing them to pattern form and sharing with others. She says; "I don't know if beaders realize how very happy I am to see their works of art emailed to me. That is such a jolt of happiness that it is hard to express. The second biggest joy is to know how many people have really enjoyed Gussy and have requested her in different situations."

Pijinsa's influences as she designs include "the 4 legged and the winged ones are my heartfelt loves for designing."

Sampling of Pinjinsa's Designs:
Click on an image to view the pattern.
             

When I asked Pinjinsa if she had any disappointments in beading, she answered; "My biggest disappointments with beading is knowing that my hands will not withstand the hours they use to, but when you get older you figure out how you can use them to their advantage, not you wants".

Work space is a problem for Pinjinsa, as it is for many of us, she has a 19x13 foot room cram packed with computers, beads and fabric...and has run out of space! sigh..."I usually take the MAC laptop to the living room couch and sit all day and night designing. I have spent up to 19 hours at a stretch designing patterns...making anywhere from 1 to 12 patterns a day. I picked up my beads this past week after 6 months and found that I still have a bit of a problem with the thumb, shoulder and elbow but hopefully I can get back to creating soon."

Pinjinsa has realized many of her goals in the past 2 years by being able to put to computer and book format some of her designs. Her next step will hopefully be to actually bead again.

Pinjinsa's Books:
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I asked Pinjinsa; "What has been your biggest personal (not necessarily bead related) challenges, and accomplishments?" She answered; "to have never shamed my parents, to have the love of my children and to live long enough to have met and married Mishikin, to have met so many wonderful people through the past 50 something years and know that some of them are still only a phone call away".

Pinjinsa's final words of encouragement; "Take each day and have fun! I figure as long as beading and sewing remain fun and not work I have more than most people can ever hope to achieve, for when the joys of you are made into work then you have lost the gift of imagination and freedom."