Dena Dale Crain

The driving need of a trained designer to make and improve human creations informs my work. I look for easier, faster, and better ways to make an object beautiful or meaningful. Inevitably, the designer's favorite question, "What if?" arises, and new work comes from the answer. I recently returned to the basics of textiles as patchwork, revisiting the inherent nature of cloth and its properties. Each piece reveals some hitherto hidden aspect of my experience, of my soul. Each represents time spent in pursuit of an idea. Whether involving a theme, image, or construction method, my explorations have more to do with the inner mind than outward physical or intellectual surroundings. As I satisfy myself creatively, ideas arise for how new insights can help others. I teach what I do successfully to others through articles, ebooks, lectures, and classes. My most sincere hope is that what I do and teach others to do enriches the lives of all concerned.