Heart-Felt Wool Applique
Her grandmother's quilts were brought out for special occasions. Her dad could fix anything and in fact made all their kitchen cupboards. Her mom was always making something, from candles to cookies to clothes. So it seemed natural for Lorinda to grow up valuing creativity and making things with her hands. She sewed, knitted, and embroidered before discovering quilting in the late '70s. While it was an art she knew she would take up one day, it took a push from a friend who wanted to exchange quilt blocks by mail to finally get her started. The quilt she made from those blocks is still in the frame! It is the process she enjoys more than the finished product. After teaching in a variety of elementary school settings and teaching substance-abuse prevention to people of all ages, Lorinda turned her teaching skills to quilting. She joined a guild in 1982 and was soon presenting programs and teaching workshops for the members. She has been teaching outside her guild since the late '80s with her partner, Jo Fifield, including a wool workshop at the American Quilter's Society Quilt Show in 1998. Having moved twice in the last two years, she now teaches solo, as well as writing, designing, and working part time in a bookstore. Lorinda enjoys original design, bright colors, and the folk-art look. She often combines applique with pieced work. Having begun sewing by making her own clothes, she frequently applies her quilting skills to clothing design and decoration. Her clothing and quilts have won many awards at local shows.