Memory is quite literally the foundation upon which I create. I rework used, discarded items into functional objects that improve our quality of life: housewares such as place mats, dish towels and napkins; wearables such as aprons, t-shirts and baby clothes. I find the vast majority of my raw materials at thrift stores and estate sales near my home, such as bolts of old fabric, sweatshirts, drapes, shower curtains and bed sheets. They're endlessly fascinating, these materials, coded with their own history, priceless information transmitted by other people, other experiences over the decades. The stories inherent in these recycled pieces speak to who I am as a person and an artist; they talk to me, sitting there on the thrift store shelf, telling me their stories, letting me know what they want to become. I cut them, refashion them, work around their patterns, sewing likes with likes, reveling in the contrast of color and texture.

My work is utilitarian, intended to be used, and through its use, to create new memories. Daily interaction with high-quality, handmade items elevates our everyday experience, making our condition of living that much better. I don't make my art to hang on a wall, or on a coat rack: it’s to be worn, to be dirtied, to be cleaned and to be cared for. This connection to the item itself honors the spirit in which it was made and the memory of the process. And then after it has reached the end of its usefulness I hope it can be recycled, that it can become something else.