I think of myself as an ‘accidental’ artist.  I have no formal training in the arts, but, thanks to the interest in the arts my parents shared with me, art has always been an important aspect of my life.  I taught myself to sew in my teens, which began my love affair with sewing garments and decorating my home.  For a number of years I also pursued a serious interest in collecting and restoring vintage sewing machines.  I was a late comer to the quilt revolution in the nineties, and still a hobbyist when, in 2006, a friend dragged me, kicking and screaming, to participate in a postcard challenge on the internet.  One postcard using art techniques combined with stitching and quilting and I was hooked!  I continued to experiment and learned to ‘play’ again, like a child, taking risks, experimenting with various artistic techniques and joining the Studio Art Quilt Associates.  No longer a hobby quilter, I gave myself permission to be an ‘artist’ and began serious work in my ‘studio.’  I had found my raison d’etre, creative fulfillment through the exciting new art quilt medium.