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RAPID RIVER - Throughout the course of 90 years, there isn't a lot Dorothy Banchak hasn't done.

While residing in the Chicago area, Banchak worked for F.W. Woolworth as a seamstress, at M&M Mars putting the finishing touches on Milky Way bars, at Zenith soldering coils for televisions, as a precinct captain for the Democratic party... She was also a lounge performer.

Infused with a zest for life and curiosity to match, Banchak left Escanaba after graduating in 1937, and headed to Chicago. She never looked back until she returned in 1991.

Even after returning to Rapid River, Banchak hasn't slowed down. She is a member of the Rapid River Quilters Guild.

"When I was younger, I hated sewing, but my first job was as a seamstress making counter covers for F.W. Woolworth in Chicago," she said.

As for quilting, Banchak said she has been making quilts since around 1989 and has created more than 30. Currently, she has 27 completed quilts in her home.

"I create quilts for people on consignment, which makes it easier to part with them when they are complete," she said.

Banchak said if she was creating a quilt herself, it was more difficult to part with because of the amount of time and creative energy spent completing the project.

"Quilting today is not just making blocks like in the past; quilting has evolved into an art, featuring landscapes and flowers," she said.

Banchak said when she first started quilting, she had taken a class. The instructor, however, did not like the creativity she (Banchak) was putting into her quilt patterns.

"It was either her (the instructor) way or no way," said Banchak. "What was upsetting to our instructor, was the other people in the class were coming to me asking where I found my inspiration for the quilts I was creating."

Banchak said when it comes to creating a quilt, there is no end to the creative measures or applications that can be utilized.

Everything from decorative lace on fan quilts to block quilts featuring a piece of heavy lace - the only limitations, according to Banchak, is a person's imagination.

"One of the quilts currently on display in the bedroom of the Sand Point Lighthouse is one I created," she said.

Banchak said having one of her quilts on display in the Sandpoint Lighthouse was a great honor, as her grandfather had worked as a lighthouse keeper not only for Sand Point, but also for the light houses on the Stonington Peninsula.

"My mother was born while my grandfather was assigned to the Peninsula Point Lighthouse on the Stonington Peninsula. My grandfather was assigned throughout his career to all of the lighthouses in Delta County," she said.

In addition to creating quilts, Banchak also worked with stained glass, at one time having her own gallery in which to showcase her creations.

When Banchak moved back to Delta County, she brought all of her stained glass equipment with her intending to reopen her gallery, however the toil of bending over a grinder to cut and shape the glass became more difficult, leading her to sell her equipment.

"I still have an urge to cut glass and make a stained glass hanging for a change of venue, I think that desire will always be there," she said.

Before selling her equipment, Banchak created one piece depicting a lighthouse, while another is a depiction of a wood nymph.

Another creative avenue taken by Banchak was the creation of porcelain dolls.

"Making a porcelain doll can be time-consuming. I took classes for two years from Lillian Page learning how to carve the faces so they would look life-like," she said.

Banchak said the first step in creating a porcelain doll was pouring the slip (liquid porcelain) into a mold for the dolls head.

Once the slip had solidified, then the eyes and other facial features would be carved into the molded head.

"During this stage, although the head was solid, it was still very fragile. ...We had to be extremely careful not to press very hard while cutting the facial features, otherwise it would shatter," she said.

She added once the facial features had been cut, the piece was then placed into a kiln where it was fired.

"After the head was removed from the kiln, then the next step was applying a light coat of paint or tint. The piece was then returned to the kiln to be fired once again," she said.

The process, according to Banchak was repeated after each coat of paint was applied. She said if she was to work on a piece every day, it could be completed in a week to 10 days.

"However, most people would not want to work on a piece everyday, so for most of the pieces I would say it takes between three weeks to a month from start to finish," she said.

Banchak said that if she had her life to live once again, she would not repeat some of the decisions she made, but noted it's our decisions that make us human.

"It has been a wonderful journey reaching 90, and I hope I am around for a while longer," said Banchak.