In 2003 on Memorial Day weekend, my dearest friend and crafting bestie, Barbara Perry and I decided to try our hands at quilting. We both had substantial collections of silk ties that we had found in thrift stores. We opted for modified crazy quilts—and we were off! We spent many weekends at Barbara and Fred’s home in Monticello, NM, about an hour north of Las Cruces, and between us I bet we made about fifty quilts of various sizes, in different patterns. We scouted out the best deals on fabric, especially at stores that were going out of business. And we tried out every quilting gizmo known to womankind.

In subsequent years I shifted to wall hangings, satisfying, but much less labor intensive. Most recently I’ve made improvisational pieces, using appliqué, beading, embroidery, and big stitch quilting.