I was grew up in Northern Indiana on a farm so my early years were filled with crops, cows and pigs. Most of my time was spent with my Grandmother who quilted, crocheted and made most of my clothes including this matching outfit one year for Easter.
Being a farm kid, I was active showing livestock and being in 4-H and FFA. This experience allowed me to develop a strong work ethic, taught me time management skills as well as business knowledge I still use today. I received the highest member award possible through the FFA which was the American Farmer Degree.
Like many farm kids, my goal in life was to become a veterinarian ... but chemistry and I didn't along. So I ended up with a B.S. in Animal Production and a M.S. in Agricultural Economics both from Purdue. I then worked for Purdue for 15 years before starting my own business in 2006 and as they say the rest is history.
Today I describe myself as an author, designer and teacher who loves being crafty.
Growing up in a family of “makers”, I’m a proud DIY / MIY enthusiast. I always have at least two or three or more projects going at the same time. My current favorites include sewing & quilting, refinishing antiques, chalk-painting and photography.
When I changed careers from the academia / corporate world and started my business Masterpiece Quilting LLC where I was a sales representative and certified trainer for Gammill / Statler. My business evolved to specialize in long-arm quilting, show quilts and custom-made memory quilts.
In 2012, I submitted my first design to a magazine for publication. It was accepted and my calling was found that day! Since then I have sold over 50 designs to publications and fabric companies. I’ve established myself as a leading author and instructor for creating with sentimental textiles with my top-selling book “T-shirts, Memories & More” along with DVD’s on T-shirt quilting and Restyling Vintage Quilts.
I love to doing video work. It bridges so many gaps and let's me teach people 24/7/365 without either of us having to leave the comfort of our studios. Plus videos are a lot of fun and I get to work with so many amazing people!
I would love to learn more about you. Please feel free to leave me a comment about what inspired you to become a "maker".
And if you want to keep up on all my crafty adventures, please follow along on Social Media. I'm on IG @masterpiecequilting or at Masterpiece Quilting on Facebook.
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