In art school, I stumbled across images of improvised, utilitarian quilts in books and journals. These quilts were made to be used for warmth and comfort. Their functional beauty, enhanced by seemingly haphazard combinations and mismatched seams, resonated with me. These quilts were uncomplicated and unfussy, with design driven by instinctive use of materials and making do. They also struck me as deeply personal: pieced together from the fabric of worn-out dresses, work clothes, or other scraps found around the house, quilts represent a lifetime of memories and emotions. A sense of nostalgia is embedded in the craft itself, passed down through generations.

I wanted to honor the traditions of past makers while also expressing a design aesthetic true to my eclectic experiences. I exhibited my first quilts at a contemporary furniture fair in NYC, with work that channeled my wobbly drawings and quirky color sense – a perfect compliment to the slick modernism of the show. 

In the first years after opening DSQ in 1996, I worked in publishing by day, and made quilts for high-end department stores like Henri Bendel, Takashimaya, and Saks Fifth Avenue by night. Over time, I added machine-quilted designs that were spare and minimal, and worked with Sarita Handa, a woman-owned manufacturer in India to license my designs for catalogs like Pottery Barn, Sundance, and Crate & Barrel. 

In 2006, I began designing for a new generation of hobbyist quilters looking for instructional and inspirational products including modern quilt patterns, books, and fabric. Quilting has a very old and rich tradition of community, of bringing women together. Before the internet and before television, women got together for quilting bees—as they sewed, they shared problems and joys and supported each other. 

DSQ is my way of continuing these traditions by creating a space where we can all create, be immersed in beauty, and feel connected.