Earthworms in the Rain: ‘Rääächen wermer kriiechen’ – a life in craft – is a heartfelt tribute to the creative journey of Frieda Petter, compiled and commentated by her daughter Sylvia Petter. This unique publication captures the essence of Frieda’s life-long dedication to craft, weaving together her personal history, artistry, and philosophy. Rooted in her humble beginnings in Thuringia, Germany, where she gathered scraps of fabric and threads to create, Frieda’s story reflects the resilience and creativity nurtured through resourcefulness and love for the earth, symbolized by the earthworm’s enriching journey through the soil.

Divided into three thematic sections — “Bits and Pieces”, “Embroidery and Paintings”, and “Waste Not, Want Not” — the book explores Frieda’s embroidered works, hooked rugs, paintings, and innovative repurposing of everyday materials, such as cigar boxes and wool remnants. Richly illustrated and accompanied by personal anecdotes, it offers insight into her craft as a way of life and a source of enrichment for herself and those around her.

The book also features an annex with magazine articles, clippings, blog postings and Frieda’s collaborative work on Australian plant dyes and knitting patterns, underscoring her contribution to sustainable craft practices. A compelling blend of biography, art, and practical inspiration, this book honours Frieda Petter’s enduring legacy and invites readers to embrace creativity with resourcefulness and heart.

By the author of Austr[al]ia, and Backburning Redux.

Sylvia Petter was born in Vienna and grew up in Australia. She graduated from the University of New South Wales and studied translation at the University of Vienna. She began writing fiction in the early nineties  and was taught by Timothy Findley and Peter Carey through the Humber School for Writers in Toronto. She has been featured at conferences of the Society for the Study of the Short Story in English in New Orleans in 2002 and Alcala de Henares, Spain, in 2004. She was an active member of the Geneva Writers’ Group where she participated in workshops with Susan Tiberghien, Isabel Huggan, Thomas E. Kennedy, David Applefield, Peter Ho Davies, and Lee Gutkind. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from UNSW 2009. She co-organised the conference on the short story in English in Vienna, 2014 having attended that biannual conference since 2002 and until 2025 in Killarney, Ireland.