About the Artist
I quilt to make art that reminds us a better world is possible. Quilts have the power to connect us to the earth and to each other, creating beauty and strength in our communities. Every person interacts with cloth, making it a perfect bridge for many people into the art world. Patchwork quilts are an iconic art form that have long been undervalued as “women's work,” thus I engage in textile work as feminist practice. As a white woman who lives on the land of the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend Oreille people, I feel a deep responsibility to make reparations and unlearn colonial ways of being. Using my quilts, I reach back to my ancestors in love and look forward to the better world we can create. My textile work reminds me to live with reciprocity, both to my community and to the earth herself.
Every quilted object I make is completely unique. My work includes quilts of all sizes, along with quilted apparel and goods. I create wearable and practical art that is an accessible part of everyday life. The quirks and imperfections in my work ground it in the time and place in which it is created.
I work from my home studio in Ronan, Montana. The shapes, colors, and textures of the landscape thrill me. I am intrigued by the curves and shadows of the Mission Mountains. My work begins with inspiration from the land. Using natural dyes connects me to the ecosystem in a visceral way. The soil in which the dye plants grow, the water in which I dye fabric, and the cast off fabrics found at my local thrift store work together to create the final product.
As a “community taught” artist, I have learned from many wonderful sewists and quilters through my personal life and the online quilting community. I hand quilt all of my pieces, using the same stitching as generations of quilters. Each piece begins with the material. I work with found shapes or choose fabric specifically for its texture or color. My use of upcycled fabrics, natural plant dyes, and hand stitching means that no two pieces are the same.