I am a quilt artist and teacher living on Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest. Quilting has been a very big part of my life for over 20 years, and I have been teaching classes since 1997. In About Ionne, you can learn about my quilting history (or ‘her-story”), and my textile art. Visit my gallery for a look at some of my work/play. (Something that is so much fun to do should be called “play”.)

I particularly love helping students to be more confident in their use of colour. My colour workshops are always popular and I have taught many different variations of them, recently including classes on basic design principles.

Please visit my workshop page for more information about my classes and my teaching schedule.

Happy New Year to all of you- and to quote a recent email from a friend- “May 2008 be the best year of your life!” It’s a year of new beginnings and new resolutions- as always- and so I hope some of your resolutions last longer than some of mine! I have come to the sad conclusion that when it comes to chocolate I have no “won’t” power, but lots of “will” power. I give up.

Many thanks for all of your great comments about the book,  “Color for the Terrified Quilter”. I really am pleased that students find the classes to be of some help! Sharon and I are happy to hear those comments. Sharon has a new book on machine appliqué in the works, so please have a look at her website- listed on the “links” page.

Our blueberry plants are all in bed for the winter, and despite the berry picking being pesky, the crop was a good one. Winter on the West Coast is usually mild, but wet. We’ve already had some snow and freezing weather, just enough to remind us that it’s winter and this is Canada. I live in an area that supports large flocks of trumpeter swans every winter. It’s great to see many dozens of these large, beautiful birds fly over our fields every morning and evening to and from their feeding and resting grounds. As my daughter and I walk in the evenings, we are starting to recognize individual voices in the groups. Most often they fly low enough that we can hear the wind whistling in their wings, and when the sky is gray, the swans glow white against the clouds. Wonderful! I have a few ideas sketched out for a quilt. Well, maybe more than a few…..