Sewing and quilting has been a part of my life for many years….although my long-arm business only began late in 1997.  As long as I can remember, I have collected and created in all matter of media.   My parents provided a great support for me in my creative endeavors…our whole family always making something…whether it was a mess, or building a house!!    I graduated from Michigan State in 1964 with a degree in art.  As an art teacher in California, my interest in quilting began in the 60’s, and in the early 90’s, when my sister introduced me to rotary cutters and mats, I knew I had found a great way to create art with fabric and thread.

I love wildly colorful quilts and using humor whenever possible, which is most of the time.  Getting students to see that quilting should be fun and creative, freeing them from obsessive perfection, and just encouraging them to  “play” gives most quilters a view of this art form that many have been afraid to see.  That is why I try to make my classes a supportive, stress-free, and creative environment.

After starting my long-arm business, I also began to teach quilting, which I especially love.  I have taught in various shops in Connecticut, Washington, Manhattan, and also at the Nashville 2003 show, Houston 2005, and Innovations for machine quilters.  My self-published book on Dazzling Doodle Designs has been well received, and teaching machine quilting workshops for long-arm quilters and home machine quilters has been very rewarding.   With the introduction of Handi-quilters and such, the opportunities for machine quilters seem boundless.  I believe we are standing at crossroads of a whole new world of quilting.  I am very privileged to quilt for Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy, Sarah Nephew, Joan Shay, Karen Combs, Linda Poole, Terry  Martin, and Marilyn Doheney, and recently Freddy Moran.

Quilting has been a fabulous experience.   I have made many wonderful friends and many opportunities have opened up to me.  The world of quilters is a most loving and supportive group no matter where they are.  I still take many classes, as I love to learn new techniques from the many wonderful teachers available in the Pacific Northwest and any place else I happen to be! 

We all learn from each other---student and teacher alike.