Sharon took her first quilt course in the basement of a house twenty-four  years ago.  Being a single mother of three small children and embracing a new career at the same time, that first quilt took about ten years to complete.
Constantly challenging herself with new ideas, Sharon loves to learn new methods for any form of quilting, applique, and embroidery.  Classes at Quilters By The Square in Goderich included free motion quilting and an introduction to “Buggy Barn” quilts, which quickly became a major focus for Sharon, with further inspiration provided through classes from Quilts and Calicos in Exeter.  Since then, primitive quilt style has been one of her true passions.
To facilitate the purchase of her Bernina embroidery machine several years ago, Sharon sold her motorcycle (and her husband’s as well!).  This led to a series of classes on machine embroidery from Creekbank Sewing Machine Shop near Conn.  At Creekbank, Sharon has become a regular instructor herself, with machine piecing, wool applique and embellishing stitches.
From machine embroidery, Sharon explored her love of primitive quilts by taking classes from Kim Diehl, Lisa Bongean and Sue Spargo, including the Spring Needlework Seminars in 2012 and 2016 at the Grand Hotel on Makinac Island, and Stitch in Jordan Station near St. Catherines.  Lisa Bongean’s “Primitive Gatherings” quilts, which feature traditional blocks embellished with wool and various types of yarns and threads is a wonderful example of where Sharon’s interests and talents have led her.  Combining her love of texture and colour with traditional, primitive and whimsical themes, Sharon has used embellishments to enrich basic designs, in the process, creating a niche for herself as a teacher in the true traditional style of quilters sharing skills and passion with other quilters.
One of Sharon’s most recent passions is machine quilting.  She has  had the opportunity to take two days of classes from long arm quilter Linda Hrcka –“The Quilted Pineapple” and with Judy Madsen – “Green Fairy Quilts“.  It has yet to be determined what Sharon will sell in order to obtain a long arm quilting machine.
From ultra-modern to centuries-old hand methods, Sharon has embraced them all, but her heart and major passion is and always will be with primitive style hand embellishment and the traditional and modern look this achieves.