During my 26-year career as Executive Director of the Hull Lifesaving Museum, I found respite by using my hands, outside of work, to make. I had grown up watching my mother make any and every thing with her magical hands, so I took my love of fiber for granted. 

At age 50, I began dying fabric, using ancient wrapping, twisting, stitching, pleating, and clamping techniques called Shibori to infuse color and design onto cloth. I was an instant addict. Soon, I was learning additional surface design techniques - painting on canvas, cotton, and silk, removing color, printing, and image transferring - while hungrily absorbing lessons from inspiring teachers and friends at the Haystack Mountain School of Craft, in Deer Isle, ME. Bamboo socks, silk scarves, and t-shirts offer straightforward palettes for these techniques, while art quilts provide the satisfaction of fearlessly cutting into lengths of hand-dyed fabric and sewing them back together. Over time, I’ve discovered not only that the work has something to say, but that I can guide the process to express an idea or evoke a feeling. Each element of a quilt speaks, to the other parts of the work, to the viewer, and of the maker. Color, pattern, piecing, size, and the magical quilt line all contribute to the narrative. My joy in quilt making is discovering and revealing a story in a way that feels whole, but also creates anticipation for the next chapter. 

A native of Washington DC, I have lived Hull in since 1980. My husband and I feel very lucky to have found this remarkable place, poised between the sea and sky, to raise our three children and live with our dogs.