About the PowerQuilterI have always done handwork, since the age of 7, but it was on a trip to the Ohio Amish Country in the US in 1992 that I discovered the beauty of quilts. I saw a quilt in a store and said, "I can do that!" I bought the pattern (which I still haven't made) and never looked back. From then on it became my first prioity to learn every aspect of quilting, from color and fabric to hand-quilting pattern design. When I discovered that most quilts I liked incorporated some applique, I took a course, and that started me in a direction I never thought I would go, since I don't like to hand-sew. Most of my designed quilts now have some applique in them. After learning applique, I became interested in Hawaiian and Tahitian applique techniques. Although the first piece I did was a bit intimidating and took me two years to finish, it was the start of a long friendship with the form. When my husband and I bought some land and built a home in Fiji I had a natural spot to showcase the Hawaiian and Tahitian quilts I had done. In the past few years I have expanded that knowledge to include design and also Cook Island Tivaevae styles. My teachers through the years have included (but are not limited to) Marlene Peterman, Roberta Horton, Mary Mashuta, Gwen Marston, Anita Shakelford, Donna Ward, Sue rasmussen, Joe Cunningham, Jeana Kimball, Mary Ama, Pepper Cory, Dierdra McElroy, Pat Sloan and Jodi Barrows, and not necessarily in that order. I have also been fortunate to count many professional quilters as friends throughout the years. I started teaching around 1996 in Southern California, mainly technique classes, with hand applique being my specialty. In May 2005 I became certified to teach the Square in a Square ™ ruler system and am the only certified teacher in New Zealand and Australia. I enjoy showing my work and often apply to be njuried in to international shows. Just having the honor of being accepted in to the shows is a thrill, and getting special recognition is an added bonus. A number of quilts have been published and a couple of patterns have evolved from the success of these quilts.
1998 - AQS Paducah - "(How I Spent My) Summer Vacation" 1999 - Road to California - "Victorian Rose" ( Judge's Choice) 2000 - IQA Houston - "Steps to the Altar" 2001 - East Coast Quilters Alliance - Victorian Rose" (Honorable Mention - Hand Quilting) 2001 - East Coast Quilters Alliance - "Steps to the Altar" (Judge's Award) 2001 - IQA Houston - "Wedding Lotus" 2002 - Maine Quilts - "Vintage Blooms" (3rd Place) 2002 - Maine Quilts - "Wedding Lotus" (3rd Place) 2005 - Auckland NZ Quilt Symposium - "Tree of Life" and "Sue's Quilt" NON-JURIED SHOWS AND AWARDS 1997 - Valley Quiltmakers Guild - "Victorian Rose" (2nd Place) 1999 - Ventura County Fair - "Escher Does Amish" (1st Place) 1999 - Ventura County Fair - "Amish Study #1 (Honorable Mention) |