My Story
I’m a quilter. I’m a fiber artist. I’m a painter. I’m a recycler. I’m a lover of color!
When people ask, why do you quilt? My answer is usually I love color, I like math and it brings me joy to make things people cherish. I’m a former engineer who focused on environmental remediation and regulation, so yes, I like math. Quilting is all about the math…whether it is a traditional quilt, a top of randomly placed triangles or an abstract improv quilt, if the math doesn’t work, the quilt top won’t square up. And then there are the fabrics….the colors, the textures. A quilt is a keepsake made with love that warms both the body and the heart.
When I started Made to Order by Maria , I did so with a mission to help fund the quilts and other keepsakes I make to donate to children and adults with cancer or other long term
illness. It became apparent to me, that my mission was also to capture memories. The joy it brings to help others capture their memories through a tangible item is how I came to focus my small business on making T-Shirt Quilts, Clothing Memory Quilts, Family Trees and Memory Bears. Each item I make is ‘to Order’ and customized to my client. We work together to capture the essence of a loved one’s life where the end product is a cherished keepsake.
While that engineer is fully embedded inside…I also inherited a love of all things artistic. Which is why I also take the time to address that side of myself. I love to create, to try new things and develop my own processes. I like to combine paints, textiles, fibers, recycled papers, hand stitching and machine quilting to make unique art quilts, fiber sculptures and original fiber art paintings. I predominantly use reclaimed and recycled materials in my pieces. I accept commissions for custom artwork and have had many pieces accepted into local Juried Art Shows.