"My grandmother taught me to cross stitch when I was in elementary school. It wasn't until my early adult years that I really dove into needlework on a regular basis. Something about the methodical process of needle and thread turning x after x into a piece of needleart was soothing to me.

When my husband and I lost our firstborn son at birth, needlework was a tool in my healing process. I stitched late into the evenings, working to process my grief. The more I stitched, the more I yearned to create my own designs. I experimented with drawing patterns, and choosing fabric and fibers to complete the pieces. I was hooked.

My contacts in the industry who were supportive of my work encouraged me to publish my designs, and sell the leaflets in needlework shops. So, in 1994, my first patterns were published under the name Heart in Hand Needleart."