America is not like a blanket - one piece of unbroken cloth,
the same color, the same texture, the same size.

America is more like a quilt - many pieces, many colors, many sizes,
all woven and held together by a common thread.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson

I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t fascinated by woven cloth, patterns and the sensual textures imbedded in cloth. Each spring of my youth a trunk filled with summer wear was opened. Like a cornucopia, it was filled with delights. It held a pink and white quilt, soft and smooth to the touch showing years of loving use. I held it close and each night slept with it until once again it was time to return it to the trunk. I noticed letters passed back a forth between my dad and uncle with small swatches of cloth attached to the top. Little did I know at age five how these seemingly small events would affect my life-work.

Women and men down through history have used cloth as a protective skin, as architecture, for rituals and for personal expression. Quilts hold the stories of their makers as well as the people who continue to care for them. Some quilts get completed years after the original inspiration. Sometimes portions of a quilt are left in their uncompleted state. They become sacred treasures. Through quilts I feel connected to women and men throughout history who share my passion for personal expression.

I feel fortunate to live in a botanical wonderland. A wealth of native plants flourish in these primeval Blue Ridge Mountains. My studio is flooded with wonderful light. From my window, my ribbon flower gardens and the mountain ridges seem to dance together in ancient rhythms. It is through my connections with the landscape and organic materials that I experience nature and the cycles of life.

I work in an intuitive manner. Like the Jazz musicians whom I admire, I improvise, always searching for a sense of movement and balance. Drawing with scissors, I cut fabric shapes and apply them to a layered surface until they are in harmony. Moving with the rhythm of my needle, stitches and images appear giving a new voice to each piece. Machine and hand embroidery, beads and other found elements add texture and depth. I work until the piece feels complete. This body of work is about process, relationships and hope.