| I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not interested in fibers. As I young girl, I was always thrilled when my father, a clothing wholesaler, brought home swatches of fabric samples that I made into tapestries and clothing for my dolls. My first sewing machine was given to me while I was still in grade school. I took sewing lessons and made my own clothing for many years.
Having lived and traveled extensively outside of the USA, I have built an extensive collection of baskets, textiles, weavings and other fiber arts. For several years, I focused on molas (colorful and impossibly complicated reverse appliques) made by the Cuna Indians on the San Blas Islands on the Caribbean coast of Panama. Many of the molas that I collected are currently in individual and museum collections.
As an adult, I have learned many crafts that use fibers. Quilting has been a favorite and one that I have developed to the point that I have sold my work at art fairs in Costa Rica where I lived for over twenty years. While there, I studied basketry with an accomplished weaver, and since my return to the USA three years ago, I have been taking basketry classes. Last year, I made a leap from weaving baskets to weaving gourds, something that had long interested me. I recently attended two gourd workshops in Michigan and New York State. I think I have found my true passion; I continually look forward to creating new gourds. I have collected gourds from around the country and harvested several from my own garden. I always seek to maintain the integrity of each individual gourd. I want each of my creations to reflect nature. When I travel, I constantly seek out stones, seeds, dried weeds and flowers that I can incorporate into my art. I recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica with a suitcase filled with pieces of coconut shells and unusual seeds. I love to take long walks, and I always watch for materials that I can use in my projects. I've even found some “treasures” in downtown Milford. | 
