I was born and grew up in Oklahoma, but spent my professional career as a librarian in Texas, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, New Mexico, Georgia, and Florida. I was a Latin American & Caribbean Studies specialist, so I had the good fortune to travel to the region for work. I speak Spanish and Portuguese. In 2020, I relocated to my hometown, Oklahoma City, and just retired in December 2024.
I took a beginning quilting class in 1982 and fell in love with working with fabric. I found the place where I could cultivate the creativity that my work life didn't provide. I started with traditional quilt blocks but turned to making my own designs. Armadillos are my primary design motif! I still turn to traditional patterns that speak to what a new project wants to do. I have a fear of sewing machines and do all hand piecing and hand quilting. I enjoy trying surface design techniques like sun printing and, more recently, printing fabric on a gelatin plate.
I still love to travel and am dedicated to attending the Quilt National exhibit in Athens, Ohio, every 2 years. The Houston Quilt Festival and a return to Brazil (the Carmen Miranda Museum has finally reopened!) are definitely on my bucket list.
