Marilyn Chaffee creates fiber art which is an outgrowth of her life-long love of quilts and textile design. Rooted in her early training in printmaking and applied design, her body of work spans a period of over twenty-five years. She is drawn to the repeated patterns and colors in her surroundings and is always seeking to create new and satisfying fiber constructions to reflect her personal vision.

Over the years Chaffee's work has appeared in Fiberarts Magazine, Quilt National, Quilting Arts Magazine, in numerous books and on the cover of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. It has been acquired by both public and private collectors and has been exhibited widely both in the US and Europe.

In her most recent work Chaffee is layering and stitching pigmented gauzes in a fragile interplay of overlapping pattern to create a unique tactile surface. The viewer is invited to come closer to investigate the frayed threadwork , the soft edges, the intricate stitched surface and the gentle tangle of semi-transparent fabrics.

Chaffee's early work centered around traditional patchwork and large wall quilts, but her more recent pieces use more experimental techniques and a smaller format. The diminutive scale offers an opportunity to explore surface design, fabric collage techniques, expressive stitching, and more informal compositions.

With a BA in Studio Art and an MA in Graphics and Design, Chaffee has spent many years as an art educator. In her earliest work she explored a variety of fabric techniques including weaving, batik, appliqué and garment design. She began quilt making in 1980 at the beginning of the quilt renaissance that coincided with the Bicentennial celebration. Enrolling soon thereafter in a series of seminal workshops with the innovative quilt makers of the day, Chaffee moved ahead to explore the expressive possibilities of the medium using non-traditional techniques and materials.