Helen Benninger

Scarborough, Ontario

Born in Toronto in 1950, Helen was always fascinated by her mother's and grandmother's Singer sewing machines. She watched her mother take large, flat pieces of fabric and cut and sew them into beautiful three dimensional garments. By the age of 10 she was sewing herself. After completing a Dramatic Arts degree at the University of Waterloo, she returned home to her mother's Singer, but on receiving her very own sewing machine as a graduation present she set out on her own, first teaching high school dramatic arts, then sewing costumes at various Ontario theatres. In 1998 she began to enter her quilts and garments in art and quilt shows, winning several national awards. She is now pursuing her art full time.