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From a very young age my creativity was influenced by my mother. I clearly remember the hours of joy spent painting and drawing at my art easel she bought me, the many hands on activities she planned for my Girl Scout troop and living and using the art she created. Being a stay at home mom in the 70s and 80s, she needed a creative outlet. She is a doll maker, photographer, vintage collector, sewer, painter, ceramic artist, fiber enthusiast; the list could go on. She continues to inspire and create the most wonderful art quilts, dolls and ceramics.
I made my first quilt in 1992. I was home for the summer from college and announced to my mom that I wanted to make a quilt. She dug out a book (she has a book for nearly everything), Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel, pointed to the circa 1970 avocado green sewing machine and let me figure it out. With a cautionary "this old thing jams up on me all the time" she left me to my own devices.
I continued to make full size quilts for several years trying out a variety of blocks and patterns and all the while gathering up quite a stash of fabric.
In 1994 I completed a bachelor of arts degree in Art History from Gustavus Adolphus College located in the lovely town of St. Peter, MN and promptly landed a job as a sales associate in a mall (reality bites). As I navigated life through my 20s I moved around the world and back to the mid-west. Over the years I have gathered an eclectic employment background from retail sales to college registrar, guest relations for a hotel company and a front desk manager to an archaeology lab assistant. All the while wanting something different and working on a Master’s in Business management. In 2003, I found my dream job as Grants & Contracts Officer with the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
My quilt designs have migrated to art quilts and wall art. I have had the pleasure of having my work displayed regionally and nationally and been commissioned to create a few quilts. I received a best in show at the 2008 North Dakota Quilters’ Showcase for my Bead Crazy wall quilt.
I have a passion for fiber and continue to stretch myself creatively and enjoy what life may bring every step of the way.
