I was born, raised and married in Michigan, then spent 22 years following my military husband all over, even in other countries, have been to even more countries aside from his career. I really enjoyed living in housing because it was an international community where I could meet interesting women from so many different cultures, and trade craft lessons with them too. After retiring from the military he spent 10 more years in the reserves and for over 20 years now, we have been living in NW Florida.

I have seldom ever worked for money...more volunteer work than anything else. Money doesn't usually motivate me, or impress me. But there are exceptions to every rule. Meeting a Millionaire with holes in his jeans who shared what he had...now that impressed me.
People motivate me, children and animals do as well. Kindness, generosity, patience, those are some of the things that impress me. I am just philanthropic in nature, and have always been.

Have been to colleges and universities since I was 15, and still don't have even an associates degree...too many moves, and no one told me I had a time limit to achieve that first degree or none of it counts...so while I am smart in some areas, I am dense in others. Oh well, I enjoyed the classes, and still know what I know. But it would have been nice to leave the legacy of a higher education for my descendants to see.

I love family history, and I think of myself as a family historian. I mentally use my arts and crafting as a way to relate to my ancestors...and my travels as a way to understand what they went through and their loneliness at leaving their families behind, or at being the older ones left behind...

We have four adult daughters, and currently eleven grandchildren. We have only ever been married to each other.
We have four horses (2 Morgan's, 2 Ponies) and two dogs (1 cocker spaniel-poodle mix and 1 Mastiff).

I grew up in a multi-generational home on a large farm.
I had a needle and thread in my hand before I was old enough to attend school. So while I learned how to do some of what I do from my ancestors, I have also taken classes, and studied several libraries worth of books...when you move over 9 times in 22 years, you have access to lots more libraries.

To relax, I do hand work..marking by hand with a pencil, cutting with scissors, pinning and sewing by hand, hand applique, hand quilt...slower paced, piece-ful and peaceful...and often listen to quieting music while I sew...or design.

I am also having to learn how to do machine work.
I am not a perfectionist, but I do believe in doing my personal best, and that when I find I am not pleased with the quality or look of my own work, I need to figure out how to make my best better. I want my work to lay flat and for the points to meet and touch when they are supposed to. So far I can not do that by machine.

I am not a high productivity person.
I am also not so great at organization, staying on task, or only working on one project at a time, and working to completion.
Its more like a juggling act...and "what do I feel like today", unless it is a gift with a time line...and then I force myself to budget in time, and set more rigid goals. But the work itself is less enjoyable to me that way.

I do have one good long term quilt/doll making friend, and she is helping me wade slowly into the world of machine work.
It's hard to keep friends when you can't drive and can barely walk. She is willing to come to me, no matter where I may be, including various hospitals.
I work well in groups (they can motivate, and inspire, plus help me to set a goal of how to surprise them for the next time we meet) and particularly enjoy making quilts to donate to others...if you have read the book "The Quilt Maker's Gift"...I rather feel like that about my quilts. Let those with money go buy one. But when I donate, I like to do it quietly...While it can feel great to be the one giving, it can feel humbling or embarrassing to be on the other end of the donation.

I took a drawing class while in college in 2005. What I discovered was that my brain is wired rather like Picasso...I see what everyone else sees, but somewhere between my eyes, my brain and my pencil, the object I am trying to draw sprouts extra stuff that no one else sees, not even me. So my work did not produce anything I really wanted to claim...nor encourage me to think I might someday be designing beautiful applique designs of my own...the other students saw things that were interesting in my work...a pregnant woman with 5 bellies and numerous left legs, while her arms showed marching penguins, and waving flags...bizarre.

So I stick pretty close to patterns other women draw up, and traditional blocks I can customize somehow.
I can do a traditional quilt that looks just like it ought to.
That is what computer generated images from quilt programs enable me to do, or books with patterns I do not have to enlarge, and magazines...but in my dreams at night are all those Picasso style tops that make me restless and want to take on these new machine skills.

My sewing room is in shambles thanks to Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis of 2004 & 2005. Now my fabrics that I have left are stuck in big bins too heavy for me to handle (I am disabled), and my family puts my work at a low priority compared to other needs, like fixing the horse fences and repairing the roof so it does not leak, putting up new siding etc. We are a do it yourself type family...and they too juggle projects.

Some day I will have a sewing room customized so I can handle smaller tubs or bins of fabrics, and get back to work.
My husband has set aside the room for me, and it has walls, windows, and a roof, but no heat or air conditioning...and it's 3 steps down to get in there. So for now I work on much smaller stuff...in my bedroom. More baby quilts, lap quilts and wall hanging size stuff. Good thing I enjoy working by hand.

I hope this was good enough for an introduction...oh, one more item. My teenage live in grandson is the one showing me how this computer stuff works. I have known how to type for decades, have used the Internet to do research on family history for a long time...but You Tube quilt lessons, Face Book, and this Message Board ...they were new to me. He has earned another quilt...wants a space design that is "more mature" than what is out there on the market. So my quilt making friend is introducing me to a set of books in her personal library by Louisa L Smith...and has my grandson ever got grand ideas now... :-)

Mary Ellen
Cantonment, Florida

Welcome, Waving from Indiana, USA

Hello and welcome from SW Iowa. Glad to have you here. I love your quilts and your quilting is awesome.

Welcome form Louisiana. Beautiful Quilts.
Great quilting.

Hi and welcome from Lakeland, FL. I feel like I know sew much about you in just a short amount of time. Glad you joined us and you'll have fun!!
Beautiful quilts!

Hello and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! You will love it here , everyone is so wonderful :thumbup: Ask any questions and you will receive the answers and if we can't get you the answer you will get great advice :lol:

Love you quilts

Hello Mary Ellen, what a story! You could be a writer! A very big welcome from Australia, Therese

Welcome Mary Ellen, so glad you joined us.

Hello from Perth, Western Australia. Thank you for sharing your story and your work.

A big welcome from Ireland - so glad you found us, and at least we can provide some continuity if you are still going to be moving around.