I have been a patchwork quilter for over 17 years, drifting backwards and forwards between traditional and art quilts.

While feeling my way through the minefield of techniques, designs and workshops, I was inspired very early by Annemieke Mein and carry my camera with me constantly and take many photos of very obscure things like the backs of air conditioning units and tractor noses in a row, I've even been known to stand on a toilet, hanging out of a little window in my wedding dress to take a photo of a rusty old tin roof of a country pub.

I have done many classes over the years with such wonderful teachers as Gloria Loughman, Jenny Bowker, Deborah Louie, Jinny Beyer, Lessa Siegele, Judy Hoowarth, Kaffe Fassett and Mary Ellen Hopkins whose techniques I incorporate in many of my quilts. There are many more and I think there is a little of all of them in my work.

I grew up in a Perth Western Australia in a home where mum always was sewing, knitting or crocheting and dad who was a jeweller was always designing something for a "customer" on a scrap of paper and I find I design my quilts better on an old envelope than any other way.

I was given a treadle machine for my 12th birthday and have been sewing ever since, my doll had the best wardrobe ever.

I really enjoy teaching and passing on my enthusiasm to others, it's great to see the "light go on" and a student run with it and I think "AH HA got her hooked".

In my previous life I worked in the printing industry covering all areas from artwork, darkroom work to running the presses.

Left the printing industry in 1990 to start a family and took over as manager for my husband's acrobatic group "The Leaping Loonies" I juggle too, not balls, I juggle running a business from home, my quilting and 2 very energetic teenage boys.

Working with fabric for me is my escapism and something I just HAVE to do.