Quilting Biography:
Sandra is a top internationally awarded and recognized Master Applique Artist and is known for her masterpiece quilts that showcase her unique illustrative approach with hand appliqué and hand embellishment techniques. Combining an art background with years of working with textiles and fibers, Sandra creates stunning Artisan quilts that are both art and traditional in style with breathtaking quality.
Her work has consistently won major juried national and international awards including numerous major national Best of Show awards as well as the RJR Best of Show Wall Quilt at the AQS quilt show in Paducah and two Master Awards for both Art and Traditional categories at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. Her work is included in the permanent collections of two national quilt museums including The National Quilt Museum.
Sandra has also appeared on three PBS specials and The American Quilter television program. Sandra and her quilts have been published in many sources worldwide and is the author of the book, "Hand Applique with Embroidery" published by AQS in 2010.
Sandra has taught at the
- American Quilter's Society Show in Paducah,KY,
- The Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy in Williamsburg, VA,
- Empty Spools Seminars Asilomar in Pacific Grove,California
- Road To California Quilter's Showcase Ontario, California
- The National Quilting Association Show in Columbus, OH,
- Dixie McBride's Quilter's Escape on the Northern California Coast
- Hudson River Valley Art Quilt Workshops, New York
- and at other guild venues around the country
Sandra is also an experienced fiber arts and quilt judge with in-depth knowledge of technique and art principles. National/International quilt show judging experience includes The Road to California Quilt Show and Conference and The American Quilter's Society (AQS) Des Moines quilt show.
Statement
I am passionate about the traditional American quilt, and that unique style is always reflected in my designs. I fell in love with the original elegant applique quilts of the Baltimore Album period and the famous Emporia, Kansas era of Rose Kretsinger and Charlotte Jane Whitehill. These ladies of the past have had a profound impact on me and my approach to quilts and their design, as well as defining for me true artistry and craftsmanship when applied to the traditional art of quiltmaking.
I design and create one of a kind hand applique quilts that remain true to the original definition of a quilt with careful attention to detail and workmanship, which is essential to the overall success of the final quilt and its visual impact. I believe there is something very comforting about a quilt beyond the tactile materials used in its creation. It is my hope that my quilts convey that feeling of comfort when viewed by others.
