As a young girl in East Texas, I remember, fondly,wandering into the neighborhood fabric store just to look at all the pretty fabrics...very pretty
stuff...little did I know then that I would be the impassioned quilter I am today.
My serious introduction to quilting began in 1989 by happy accident. My husband's assistant wanted me to take a quilting class, but I had no desire to do so.
After a couple of weeks my husband, Nick, asked me to please just go take the class to get his assistant off his case. So, off to class I went. I immediately fell in love with quilting and remain passionate about this art form, to this very day. I think I've learned a lot and I trust you'll love what I am producing now in art
quilts.
I found that as a life-long Army wife (not easy), quilting gave me something that I could take wherever the Army sent us, be it in the United States or
abroad. Quilting, I should note, gave me a bond with women from many other countries. In the international community, it seemed that everyone, no matter what nationality, wanted to quilt. We spent 6 years in Belgium. During that time I was lucky enough to teach quilting at the SHAPE (SHAPE =
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, in Belgium)International Arts and Crafts Center. I taught many classes and had students from Hungary,
Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Switzerland and many others. I had students in my classes who spoke very little, if any, English from a couple dozen other nations. Not speaking English, however, did not prevent them from learning how to quilt, and quilt well. Quilting, it seems, transcends national and cultural boundaries. It was a learning and enriching experience for me, and I grew as a quilter as a result of teaching these classes. I am convinced crossing cultural boundaries enriches all who do. For the last twenty years I have considered myself a "contemporary" quilter. I constantly try out new techniques; sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. But I never give up.
I must say, I have a passion for flowers. I have discovered that appliqué enabled me to have gardens year round.
My quilts have shown at the Gildner Gallery in Cheboyan, Michigan. Mackerel Sky Gallery, East Lansing, and Christmas Rocks in Houston, Texas.