miniature clothing project
This is an artistic collaboration with Dr. Robert P. Keefer as an homage to his wife Nancy.
I selected this pair of pajamas because they belong to my wife, Nancy Konopka. Nancy loves pajamas, and she enjoys these because the material is soft and warm (she loves to be warm). Nancy loves sleep in general, but especially when wrapped in warm flannel pajamas. Every time I see them, they remind me of how much pleasure she gets from them. Nancy hasn't missed them yet, as she has many pairs, and these had worked their way to the bottom of the stack.
Nancy is, simply, the best person I know. She is thoughtful, kind and caring, a person who is always thinking about the other person, and her actions might affect them. Nancy always wanted to be a scientist, and she succeeded in this, becoming a Medical Technologist, and constantly working to insure accurate diagnoses for the samples under her care, and that every patient gets the proper blood for a successful transfusion. She often must work almost as a detective would, figuring out clues that will lead to the proper answers. As a laboratorian, she strives for perfection in her work, and succeeds to an astounding level.
Nancy is an artist. She has worked in many different areas, including Pisanki eggs and water colors; however, her first love is clothing. Nancy sews as much as she has time for, and has even made me shirts, as well as dresses, skirts and blouses and so on, for herself and our girls. Nancy sewed her own beautiful wedding dress. Recently she began turning both vintage ties and the sleeves of old discarded sports coats into hand bags. I wait in happy anticipation to see her face when she first sees her white and blue ‘cloud’ pajamas in miniature; I know that she will be delighted, and as a seamstress herself, will understand.
Nancy is a wonderful mother, raising two delightful daughters who she taught to be strong and independent, daughters who are successfully making their way through the world (one now an RN, the other on the Dean's List in an architecture program).
Nancy is my best friend. I can't imagine life without her and I thank my lucky stars every day that 28 years ago she chose to marry me.
Collection of Dr. Robert P. Keefer and Nancy Konopka Mount St. Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
2009
