BIOGRAPHY

Ione was born in Southwest Minnesota but moved as a young girl with her family to Northern California. After traveling half way around the world while her husband, Doug, was in the Navy they settled in the Pacific Northwest

Quilts have always been a part of her heritage and her passion. In 1991 she started working in the longarm machine quilting field and began Brickhouse Machine Quilting in 1994.

Having shared quilting techniques and her knowledge with friends and family, she began teaching quiltmaking at Tacoma Community College, Gig Harbor/Peninsula Center in 1993. She also teaches at Quiltmaker Getaways at the Pacific Ocean and at annual summer Getaways at Diamond Lake, Oregon. She has several programs she presents as a speaker to Quilt Guilds.

Ione has been an instructor at Machine Quilters Showcase in Illinois for several years. In 2000 Ione was invited to be an instructor for the newly established Longarm University in the Seattle Area and is still an instructor there. She was an instructor at the Inaugural INNOVATIONS, a Machine Quilting Conference in September 2002, and continues to teach at the conference each September.

Ione was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in March 2005 and spent her energies in 2005 going through the treatments that will help her beat this “Bump in the Road” and then... its back to quilting!

As the quilting excitement returns in 2007, Ione’s machine quilting focus is turning to several volunteer organizations, Comfort Quilts – Gig Harbor Quilt Festival – Harrison Hugs and American Hero Quilts.

Teaching and encouraging quilters to follow their dreams continues Ione’s dream also, what a great profession to be part of!