I began quilting in 1985 when I
wanted to make a baby quilt for my first child. My
neighbor down the street was an accomplished
seamstress and quilter. She invited me to join in
the local quilt guild. The guild met in the evenings
those meetings soon became my "night out". Our quilt
bee met every Tuesday morning, the wonderful ladies
that I met there were more than happy to have me
come to the meetings, baby in tow…even though for
most of them, their kids were in high school and
college. I did finish the baby quilt and went on and
made a lot more quilts.
At that time I was living in Houston, TX, so
naturally everyone in our guild would go to the
Houston Quilt Festival. The first year I attended
was when it was still a relatively small quilt show
having just moved from the Shamrock Hilton Hotel to
the new Houston Convention Center. I went every year
for fourteen straight years, except for one year
when I was too pregnant to fly! Each year I took
classes from all the great quilters. I worked hard
to learn new techniques. We eventually moved to New
Jersey, but I still flew down for the "Festival". I
joined a new guild in New Jersey and I began to
teach others how to quilt, passing on the craft. I
worked both as an instructor and part-time as the
Education Coordinator at a local store.
In 1994, we had the chance to move back to Texas.
I was thrilled. We settled back in a neighborhood,
close to where we were before and I was re-united
with my old guild and bee. I began to work for the
local quilt shop. I started out as an instructor,
teaching classes on tessellations. We tessellated
leaves and fish and even the State of Texas! I
taught other classes as well, on everything from
beginning quilting, making perfect 1/4" seams,
advanced piecing and more. I even ran a kids
quilting camp in the summer. I also worked in the
shop part-time selling sewing machines, ordering
patterns and helping other quilters decide on the
colors and fabrics for their new quilt.
My husband's work moved us to Virginia in 2000.
Our house sits out in the woods with few neighbors
around. I was lonely and missing my friends in Texas
so I wanted to go back to work. G Street Fabrics was
looking for a Director of their Education Department
in Falls Church. I fit the bill and took on a
full-time job. It was exciting. I did not have time
to teach, but I got to hire all the teachers and set
up workshops with National Quilt and Sewing
instructors. Unfortunately, I had to leave that
position when it became apparent that my fifth
grader was having some trouble adjusting both to the
move and to missing mom. Around the same time, my
dad became very ill and my mom needed help in caring
for him. They lived in Delaware and I began to
commute back and forth on weekends.
Now, I belong to a wonderful group of quilters
here in Virginia. I am a member of the Fairfax
Quilter's Unlimited and I attend more than one bee
within that group. These ladies are my inspiration
and my lifeline. At bee we talk of family things, as
well as quilting. Within the Fairfax QU, I have
volunteered for various board positions. For two
years I volunteered as the publicity coordinator for
the Big QU Quilt Show held each Spring. This show
draws over 5000 quilters, and the publicity job was
very important. I love meeting and working with all
of the talented quilters in our group.
I have missed a few Houston Quilt Festivals
recently, due to the caretaking and eventual loss of
my elderly parents. It has been a tough few years.
My own children have grown with the oldest taking
flight and going off to college. I find that I have
more free time now, and I am available to teach
workshops and lectures at local guilds. I have
started DreamCastle Quilts, a business where I
coordinate quilter's retreats. At the retreats, I
offer my own workshops and classes, and create
custom quilt retreats for small groups.
Please browse my website and look at my workshop
and lecture offerings and at my retreat cottage in
Wenona, Md.
For more information