In 6^th grade my friend’s mother made her a skirt. I was shocked that people and not “machines” made clothing. Her mother let me guide a piece of paper through her sewing machine making a long line of needle punctures. I was in love. For my 11^th birthday I asked for and received a sewing machine and taught myself to sew. Before graduating from college I was designing and making gowns, doing alterations, making suits, draperies and slipcovers.

 

I was always interested in art and was led away from pursuing it as a major in college because my parents told me, “You can’t support yourself with art”. I minored in art and learned how to use many media for self-expression like pottery, acrylics, pen and ink, jewelry making, photography and sculpture.

 

I sewed clothing throughout my life and in the 80’s, my friend told me she had made a quilt in a day. I bought the book and started making traditional quilts. In 2005, I took two classes at my state’s guild conference from Pamela Allen and experienced an artistic epiphany. I have been an avid art quilter and surface designer since then.

 

What drives me creatively is color and texture. I love fibers for their textural sense: soft, coarse, thick, and open weaved. I love colors for the way they elicit such strong feelings in me and I find the excitement of unexpected outcomes, the serendipity of creation, in surface design. I get inspiration from the coast of Maine and daily contact with the world around me. I enjoy “making” art and teaching classes in surface design. I have been in juried and regional shows and have pieces in private collections.