![[ME!]](images/kathy03.jpg)
Dear Visitor,
This page is intended to be an informal resume. It is about me!
For the more formal version please see my resume.
Ancient History
I was born Kathy Ann Phelan on September 10, 1957. My parents Richard W. and Jean McStea later had 2 other daughters: Nancy Lynn (September 7, 1959) and Barbara Jean (December 9, 1963). We all grew up here in Washington, PA about 30 miles South of Pittsburgh.
In 1975, I graduated from Washington High School. In September, I started my college career at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. My mother was very happy about this, as this is where she had done her undergraduate work. However in my first semester I caught a case of mononucleosis and was sent home to get well. It took me 6 weeks to recover, I went back to school and managed to salvage most of my courses. However, I was socially out of step with my classmates. Muskingum is a small college and most of the social life is in their social clubs. I had missed an important time in bonding with my classmates.
For my sophomore year I transferred to the University of Pennsylvania's School of Allied Medical Professions. I was there for two and a half (2 1/2) years. I didn't finish the program. I am dyslexic. I have never been able to tell my left from my right with any degree of reliability.
I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. I met Tom Wells. We would be married in October of 1981. He was a non-ferrous sculptor. He made primarily brass and copper fountains. We moved back to his hometown of Nashville, TN. He died in January of 1983. I was 25 and devastated. I went back to school at Washington and Jefferson College. I studied art and business administration and graduated in May of 1985.
I worked for several years at Horne's Department Stores in the Visual Merchandising Area.
In 1988, I left Horne's to establish Angora Gardens for Mon Yough Community Mental Health in McKeesport. Angora Gardens is a Mental Health Vocational Program set up like a cottage industry. Angora Gardens was the first program of its kind set up for persons recovering from mental illness. We raised English Angora Rabbits in a barn that we built with help from the community. We put in Herb Gardens. We had culinary and fragrant herbs. We mixed some potpourris. We sold some Christmas trees. We renovated an 1850 farmhouse in Allegheny County's White Oak Park. The House had been vacant for years. The program won several awards for its innovation. While the program still exists I am in no way involved. I left Mon-Yough over major differences of philosophy. Our differences were causing major stresses that were hampering my own health. I felt I should leave in an attempt to keep myself from getting sick. I believe that people can recover from Mental Illness and lead productive lives in the community.
While working for Mon Yough, I got involved with the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumer's Association. (PMHCA) I was elected to the Board of Directors and served as President for two years. During this time we finally received funding and was able to hire an executive. Shelley Eppley remains in this position.
Since retiring from the PMHCA Board of Directors,1998, I have been working in my hometown of Washington, PA. I worked at Meadowcroft Museum of Rural Life as their 1830 Domestic Life Co-ordinator. I did some work for Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency as their marketing director. Both ran out of funds...
In 1994, my neice Anna was born. Her mother is my sister Nancy. Nancy is suffering from schitzophrenia. She is unable to care for Anna in the traditional sense. My parents are her primiary caregivers. Anna and I are close. She likes to visit and we like to do things together.
I am currently employed by JoAnn Fabric and Crafts. The store is located at the Washington Mall. I am the Soft-Lines Co-ordinator. In my free time I continue to explore various fiber arts. I enjoy natural dying, spinning and weaving. I do some free-lance costuming and a lot of sewing.
Recent Works
This is Sara Kepler. She was the 1999-2000 Drum Major for Washington High School. Known as the "Prexies" or "Little Presidents" Washington has a thing about history. Col. Washington was here during the French and Indian War as a surveyer for the English. This is before he became a General and led the Colonial troops against the English in the Revelolutionary War. Anyway the band has been in Red, White and Blue since I was in High School. So when Sara needed a uniform to wear we went with an female interpretation of the 1776 uniform. Her jacket not seen was red with blue lapels. Her vest is red sequins. I trimed her tricorn hat with sequins, feathers and a ribbon rosette. She choose a short straight skirt. We made one in white and another in blue. I made her uniform so that she could take off the jacket for those hot early August football games. When it got cold she had the jacket to keep her warm. I gave her blouse full in the sleeves so that band members could see her directing the band.
In January,2000, I got a call to costume two shows for the Children's Theater Class at Washington & Jefferson College. They did two shows: Androlcles & The Lion and The Plain Princess. Click on the lion's picture, Christopher Mosley, if you would like to see a photo of the complete casts. I realy liked the way the yarn wig worked on the stage. I used copper red, yellow and brown to give the wig more depth under the lights. The story is a play set within a play so I wanted to keep some cartoon aspects in the costume design. This was also local Children's Theater so costs had to stay in the very reasonable range.
Some of my recent costume work includes two of the 5 gowns shown here. Kathleen Mitchell and I did these for the 2000 Charity Ball of The Washington Hospital. The ladies shown all work in the Foundation Office. They went with an Italian Renaissance theme. I did most of the work on the dark green one with aqua and gold trim in the center and the light orange one with black and red accents. Kathleen did the purple, bright orange and pink gowns. I really liked the way the colors worked together. I think the ladies all had a wonderful time in their gowns. Each chose their own style of gown and hat. It is hard to see the details and trim.
