She graduated in 1958 with a BS in Public Health and an RN from the University of San Francisco, and worked as an operating room nurse.
[1] Her works included paintings, weaving, pieced clothing, and art quilts.
Her quilts were known for bold colors, and black and white checkerboards or stripes, and unusual titles such as It's About Beets & Perfume and Non Fat, Low Cholesterol, Chemically Enhanced Frozen Dairy Dessert.
[2] Porcella founded Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. in 1989[3] and served as its president for 11 years.
[9] Porcella was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame (Marion, Indiana) in 1998 and was awarded a Silver Star by the International Quilt Association.