I have always loved working with different fabrics and am creatively inspired by textures and the feel and character of cloth. Both my parents were artists, so I was reared in a creative environment. My mother was also a wonderful seamstress and taught me as a child how to sew and knit. At first I made my own clothes, then purses and pillows, and eventually quilting and appliqué. I love to design totally unique pieces, first selecting colors and fabric, then enhancing the design with intricate stitchery and embroidery. My wall-hangings are designed to be heirloom pieces that will endure from generation to generation, much as a quilt would, often telling a story, through special fabrics and design, of those who requested the design to display in a home or office.

As a toddler, my mother made me a down-filled child’s pillow. I loved it, because it was just my size, and it became a comfort “lovey” for falling asleep. Many babies and children are “silk feelers” and love the feel of cool silkiness against their skin, particularly their faces, and hands. When I became a mother myself, my daughter loved this feel, and I made her a pillow and a “lovey” doll out of satin, silky-feel fabric when she was just a baby.

Now I’m a grandmother, so I made “shoulder softies” and “snuggle buddies” for my grandson. (Grandson Aden is pictured at left with his silky ‘shoulder softie’ cushioning his head against grandpa’s shoulder, while he holds his ‘snuggle buddy’, which is appliquéd with a horse head [his mommy is an equestrian].)

He loves them so much, that he now possess many. People who see these pillow-like cushion companions ask for them for their children, and I’ve been making them every since. (The shoulder softies are flat and firm, so they don’t present a choking hazard like a pillow might.) The smaller ‘snuggle buddies’ have ears, tabs for the owner to rub as they sooth themselves and quilted faces of bunny, puppy, or kitty for a special ‘Snuggle Buddy’ friend.

I have continued to create things out of cloth over the years. Now, with my children grown and out on their own, I have returned to this art form with renewed interest and enthusiasm. Not only do I enjoy designing custom wall-hangings, but I get special joy making shoulder softies and snuggle buddies, a silky treasure to comfort a baby or small child.