About Me

I have been sewing since I was 8 or 9. I grew up on a dairy farm in northern Minnesota and was a 4-H member for many years. Back then clothing wasn’t quite so cheap, so in order to have clothes that were somewhat in style and fit, I would make them. I remember once taking my county fair “winnings” and actually purchasing a jumper for school that year, thought I was big time!

Quilting and my sewing has been a journey. My mom and grandmother used to “quilt”, “piece and tie” quilts with the neighbor ladies to give to charity or to house fire victims. I must have shown some interest, when my grandmother died while I was in college, found among her things were some “Dahlia” petals and a pattern from the “Farmer” magazine with my name on it.

I am fortunate to own a Q-20 and I love to get to the point where I can sit down and quilt it. I am not very good, but I do enjoy my Q and the challenge! I don’t know that I have a bucket list, actually, I am easily side-tracked! The internet is a wonderful thing, but probably gives me too many ideas! Valli Schiller is my idol! She has fantastic classes and I have learned so much from her! I took Valli’s Quilting on the Half-Shell class and finished the project. I hung it in the hall outside my condo door and I received so many compliments, it was a great feeling!

I have been doing the Kid’s club classes the past few years. I enjoy coming up with projects that children can do, and feel successful, but also having them make something that is useful and they can be proud of. I love to sew and I love to teach, the children who have taken my classes are so much fun. I taught music for over 25 years and I enjoy combining my love for sewing and education.

I am a member of a quilt group at church. We have made quilts for a local foster agency to send each child off with a quilt and pillow case when they move on to their next placement. We also participate in an “Alternative Christmas” store during advent where we sell items we have made and the proceeds go to tutoring children on the west side of Chicago.

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota. I was the first grandchild to attend college. I graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from a Junior College in Brainerd, MN. I met my husband there while we were working the summer theatre program, he was the tech director and I was the costumer. Somehow he talked me into marrying him, and I went on to finish my Bachelors of Arts in Music Education at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. We moved immediately after I graduated so Ken could go back to work as a stagehand at Goodman Theatre. So that is how I got here from Minnesota and we are still married after more than 45 years. We have lived in Oak Park for 40 years and raised 2 children. I taught Elementary music for over 25 years in the Oak Park Schools. I play the recorder with a group of former colleagues and direct an Early Music Festival in early June where we teach and play many early instruments. We recently moved to a condo in River Forest where one of the rooms is ALL MINE! I am fortunate to have a Q-20 as well as a Bernina 780 and 440, and totally enjoy playing in my room!