Although my formal art training is in paint, I prefer the tactile quality of textiles as a medium of expression. Cloth is with us throughout our lives, a constant presence that touches us, both literally and figuratively. Our very first experience following our birth is that of being wrapped in a cloth; as preparation for the grave, we are wrapped in a shroud.   I choose to work by hand because I love the feel of the needle and thread through cloth, and I like to feel the way the cloth is responding to stitch. I think of the process of stitching as a quiet conversation between myself, the needle and thread and the cloth itself. The act of piecing scraps of cloth together is a metaphor for the way our lives are composed of brief moments joined together. I also think of the many women before me who have sat quietly and stitched, either for duty or for pleasure. I prefer in general to work with natural materials - linen, cotton, silk, wool - and I remain mindful that these were once part of living organisms. I try to remain respectful to the cloth, to the process and to tradition.