“I am a former school teacher and present quilter/teacher/show off. I grew up surrounded by fabric, in Kirk Austin’s Fabrics in Parsons, KS, our family store. Between my two sisters and my mother, there were nearly always two, sometimes three sewing machines set up in the dining room along with an ironing board and other sewing related items. In 1980, a group of my friends, along with myself, took a “quilt as you go” class in Fort Scott. I loved every minute of my time spent, except the joining the back when the blocks were done. I eventually took over teaching the class and soon became a quilt teacher and have made a whole bunch of quilts in the last almost 50 years. I am a very enthusiastic quilter and in the six years since my dear sidekick passed away, my love of designing, creating, and quilting has kept most of the blues away. I can’t imagine what people do if they don’t have a burning passion for something and mine is anything to do with quilting!”