I can barely recall a time when I didn’t have a needle of some sort in my hands. I was raised in South Africa, in a family and a culture that encouraged and practiced handwork and grew up surrounded by seamstresses, needleworkers, knitters, and a woodworker. I learned from them, sewed my own clothes at an early age and went on to teach home economics to high schoolers. 

I became a quilter when I came to live in the US of A but my passions were divided between the kitchen and the sewing studio. I was a partner in a specialty wedding cake business and I also owned a small fabric import business for a while but I missed the time to create quilts and teach. Eventually stitching won out and I have happily taught classes in quilt-making for over 20 years in all.

I enjoy every opportunity to teach - sharing a skill that fosters creativity, brings such obvious enjoyment to the students and that results in an enduring product is simply a privilege and a joy. I endeavor to enable my students to put their own stamp on their quilted creations and try to coax out the latent talent for design that many of us don’t know lies within, all the while teaching solid construction techniques for the lasting legacies our quilts may become. 

 My quilts are usually grounded in tradition and some are are free form designs. I rarely know what the outcome of a quilt will be when I begin -  I prefer the mystery as the quilts grow, change and evolve towards a surprise ending. The planning happens in progress and is what keeps me interested and excited in the process.

My book “Simply Dynamic Sampler Quilts” was published by AQS in 2010 and honors the classic tradition of sampler quilts. Showcasing a “next generation” of sampler quilts with a contemporary flair, it invites the reader to explore a variety of techniques, whilst creating quilts with a personal element and a unique design layout.