Biography

BIO



I love to create hand made things. I’ve been sewing since I was 10 years old. My mother sewed most of my clothes and that of my sisters and I wanted to do that too. I loved going to the fabric store and purchasing fabric and a pattern to make something just how I wanted it, in a short time for a small price. Frugality comes into the picture often, “I could make that for practically nothing!” Sewing clothes led to sewing purses, upholstery, crewel, cross stitch, decorative painting, macrame, crochet, whatever I could make.


In the seventies with the bicentennial of the United States there was resurgence in quilting. I have always been fascinated by old things and quilts were something of the past that I could recreate, again at a much lower cost than purchasing antique quilts. The bonus of being able to use them and make them whatever colors I wanted was also enticing. The problem at that time was that fabric was made for clothing, not quilting.


After having my children and being a stay at home mom, my free time was focused on a variety of artistic outlets, dabbling in Rosemaling then watercolors. I ended up teaching Rosemaling for a short time and selling my Rosemaling and watercolors for awhile. When I went back to work part time there was a dry spell in my creative life. Eventually I focused more on quilting again. From traditional quilting which I did off and on for 25 years (that can’t be! I’m not that old) to art quilting was a matter of wanting to try new things, new materials available, the speed of machine quilting and probably most notably, my secret desire to be an artist when I grow up.

In 2005 I joined a small art quilt group as an off shoot of our local guild. We named our group “Against the Grain”. This small group of less than a dozen women challenged me to be more creative and pull things out of me, rather than a book or a pattern. I took as may classes as possible to increase my knowledge and exposure to art quilting.


In 2006 I entered two art quilts in our local guild quilt show. I entered them both in the art quilt category and received first and second place and got a coveted “Best Machine Workmanship” ribbon which covered all category of quilts at the show. I was floored and ecstatic. My quilting friends encouraged me to enter bigger shows, which I did. To my surprise I was not only accepted into these shows but won more ribbons. The icing on the cake was in 2007 when I entered these same two quilts into the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, the mother of all quilt shows. Not only were they both accepted, they both received ribbons. Since then I have branched out and enjoy entering art exhibits as well as quilt shows.


I love art in all forms, I love making art, viewing art, meeting artsy people, learning about art. Since I was a very small child I’ve loved to make things. My favorite part of Captain Kangaroo was when he got out his shoe box and made things from construction paper, paste, tape and crayons. I can still remember the sound his scissors made, “krrk-krrrk-krrrk.” I guess you had to be there.

Currently I am working at creating a body of work.  My plans for the future are to look into gallery representation,  to teach and lecture.