This quilt celebrates my 10-year quilt-iversary! First, it’s a nod back to my very first quilt which was a rail fence quilt. Quilt Mama Jeannane Walker said, “Come on, give it a try!” Second, the quilting is a throwback to my first quilt class, which was free-motion quilting taught by Elizabeth Hartman at QuiltCon 2013. And thirdly, it documents my realization of how the quilt making process has been therapeutic during times of joy and sorrow. When life goes off the rails, there’s no going back. I’m thankful quilting will always move forward with me.

W: 49in. H: 47in.

Year Completed: 2022

Techniques: Improv piecing, Free-motion quilting

During the height of the pandemic, I was spending enormous amounts of work hours on Zoom and I often wondered how that impacted my brain. During my “brain breaks” I would sew improv bits and one day I realized they looked like little zoom windows. By combining these bits with some other improv patchwork, I Click here!decided that this quilt showcases what I feel characterizes My Brain on Zoom.

Dimensions: 41 in. x 41 in. ish

Year Completed: 2022

Techniques: Improv piecing, Hand quilting

This quilt is symbolic of tree rings which reflects the beautiful “tree rings of life” of my Grandmother Marge who lived to be 99 years young. I started with a gallon sized bag of scraps leftover from another quilt. I wanted to investigate the question, how many times will I go around before the scraps are gone?

Dimensions: 36in. x 36in.

Year Completed: 2021

Techniques: Improv piecing, hand quilting

Using two different rhombuses, I used improvisation to combine the shapes and colors by making different units and figuring how to fit them together. While this quilt is an irregular figure, I wanted the end result to have elements of symmetry. With all the irregularities these past few years, slowly hand piecing this quilt reminded me of how important it is to achieve a sense of balance and symmetry within one's heart and home.

W: 35in H: 37in

Year Completed: 2020

Techniques: Improv piecing, hand piecing, hand quilting

While working on this quilt, I noticed that one block looked like it was fading into the background. Building on this idea, a beautiful shape started to become prominent in the center. The more I designed this quilt, the more it reminded me of the life changes I’d been navigating. It’s easy to fade into the background or let your dreams grow faint like some of these quilt blocks, but when we keep our passions in front and in focus no matter what adversity comes into play, we start to develop a Radiance and Resilience that will never fade away.

L: 71”

W: 60”

Year Completed: 2018

After taking Tara Faughnan’s Double Wedding Ring class I started to discover an affinity for solid color combinations. While working on that quilt, I saved every scrap trimming because I knew they needed to find their way to a new home. They came to life in Heart of Gold using Yoshiko Jinzenji’s shadow appliqué technique I learned in her class at Quiltcon 2015. The multi-colored scraps represent imperfections and varied experiences that we bring to our hearts - sometimes messy and jagged, but when brought together with care and kindness, we nurture a good spirit and cultivate a Heart of Gold.

Size: 39" x 50"

Year Completed: 2017

Special Notes: This quilt was displayed at QuiltCon in Pasadena, CA from February 22-25, 2017.

Started in Sherri Lynn Wood’s Get Your Curve On class, I used improv curves to wrangle this quilt together. For my color inspiration, I closed my eyes and imagined that I was about to embark on an ocean cruise through the Mediterranean sea. I opened my eyes and started combining colors in different ways to reflect this feeling.

Size: 52" x 61"

Year Completed: 2016

Special Notes: This quilt was displayed at Capitol of Texas QuiltFest in Austin, TX from September 28-30, 2018.

This quilt top began on a rainy morning with the sun peeking through the clouds. I wanted to challenge myself to piece huge improv curves using limited amounts of fabric and only relying on my estimation skills. Trusting myself to make decisions on the spot, I love how the wedge strip piecing on the top curve became a part of the puzzle. The title is descriptive to not only what I saw through my studio window but how the design process felt that day.

Size: 72" x 80"

Year Completed: 2015

The Austin Modern Quilt Guild had a funky fabric challenge in which one yard cuts of secret funky fabric were distributed randomly. We were instructed to create a quilt using this fabric, and all of the quilts were to be donated to a local charity. I used bias tape Appliqué with my funky fabric and came up with this design. 

Size: 48" x 60"

Year Completed: 2016

Special Notes: This quilt was donated to the a children’s shelter in Austin, Texas via the Austin Modern Quilt Guild.