About Me

 

A native of Washington state, I've lived in California since arriving here as a bride in 1974. My husband, two sons and I moved to the desert over 30 years ago and, although I grew up surrounded by water and green, I've grown to love the more subtle beauty of this dry climate.

I brought my sewing machine to college with me and made my first quilt in my dorm room. Since discovering the joy of creating art quilts, I've never looked back and fabric is still my favorite medium. I'm all about playing with whatever is on hand, so my quilts often include paint, ink, paper, bits of this & that — basically anything that works for the piece.

Collecting all those "bits" does come with some interesting storage challenges — not to mention sparking more creative ideas. Many treasures find their way into handmade art journals and other paper projects.

And there's always something else catching my imagination. In 2025 I hauled out a box of denim that I hadn't played with since the 1990's and started making bags. I was determined to use up every possible scrap. Who knew that it takes more than an hour to completely deconstruct a pair of jeans! I had so much fun making bags that in 2026 I launched Eco Chic  which is dedicated to upcycling, reusing and repurposing as many materials as possible. You can learn more about the process by clicking here.

If there's one thing I know about me, I will never stop looking at materials of all kinds and wondering, "what if...." Oh — and one more thing. I find time every day to do the things I love. It's the best way I've found to get through the rest of whatever life throws at me.

Barry and I are still married, still best friends, still disagree about almost everything except what movie to see — and wouldn't change a thing. Our sons are grown men now and have their own lives — which makes the time we spend with them even more precious.