Valerie at the International Quilt Market in Houston

I own two quilting related businesses.  Aside from White Picket Fence Quilts, I have owned a Longarm machine-quilting business since 1994.  I teach and lecture on various topics related to quilting.  I am also an NQA certified quilt judge (see my website at: http://judging.azboman.net), and I am qualified to judge Masterpiece quilts (there is no certification).  Aside from quilting, hobbies include gardening, canning, home decorating, genealogy, camping, birding and Geo-caching.  I also belong to several local groups that play MahJongg, Canasta, Pinochle and other games.

I share my home with my amazing and supportive husband Dean.  We have pet goats Mollie and Buster, and laying hens Henrietta, Maxine. Gidget, Gwen, Ruth, Flossie and Ethel.  I have two married daughters (Ashley and Courtney) and two grandsons (Mitchel and Cameron). We garden and can on a large scale, and are able to grow exotic plants such as raspberries, apples, peaches, melons, etc.  When I classify these as "exotic", remember that we are in a desert!

I love being busy and am always curious and interested in experiencing and learning new things.  I have traveled often over the years.  Favorite trips have included exploring old cemeteries and courthouses in the Midwest, as part of my search for my family history.  I have always felt that there are never enough hours in a day!