Patti was raised as a nature loving tomboy on Rainy Lake in NW Ontario, Canada. Growing up fully immersed in nature, she has always felt a powerful connection and commitment to her natural surroundings. From an early age she was encouraged by her naturalist father to explore her environment. Through the mentorship of her artistic mother, she began to interpret those experiences through a variety of media. The end result is reflected in her work which includes wildlife pillows, quilts, and art.

As a Biologist, Patti feels an obligation to create responsibly by using upcycled and earth-friendly materials to create her products. Her wool wildlife pillows are created entirely from upcycled wool clothing... what was once a skirt or blazer is repurposed into an accent pillow. Felted wool sweaters are transformed into mittens and gloves, giving them new life and purpose. Patti prefers using sustainable yarns such as wool, bamboo and locally produced llama and alpaca to ensure her impact on the environment remains balanced while she creates hats, scarves, fingerless mittens and other seasonal apparel popular in Colorado.

Her love of interior design and desire for all things to be multi-functional were the inspiration which lead to the creation of home décor products such as comfy throws, quilts and accent pillows. Most recently, she has started experimenting with wildlife photography as well as water color and hopes to offer some of her original artwork at the upcoming shows.

Patti also makes and sells a variety of gourmet jams at local venues. You can find her delicious jams by looking for jars with “bearing” a Northernlodge label. Hint: look for a bear on the label.

In addition to being a member of the Black Forest Arts and Crafts guild, Patti has enjoyed being a member of Etsy since 2008, and invites you to visit her shop there - https://www.Northernlodge.etsy.com.