She lived in West Orange, New Jersey.

Unfortunately, this was all I could find.

https://westorange.org/DocumentCenter/View/9286/January2022Minutes-HPC

"Commissioner Feeney announced that Phyllis Ficarotta passed away in December. He noted that she had been one of the earliest appointees to the commission in 1992, served several terms, then rejoined the commission in recent years as the Llewellyn Park representative. He commended her deep knowledge of West Orange history, her persistence in promoting various designation reports, and her long-term commitment to advancing preservation in the Township. Commissioner Feitlowitz noted her special interest in advancing projects that benefited Main Street and observed that our current designations owed much to her efforts, constituting an important part of her legacy."

https://www.google.com/search?q=Phyllis+Ficarotta+&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwij646DmIWCAxW_IWIAHUCmBGUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Phyllis+Ficarotta+&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1C6A1i6A2CTBmgAcAB4AIABTYgBhgGSAQEymAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=yL0yZaPnOr_DiLMPwMySqAY&bih=798&biw=1920
(a few book covers)

https://www.amazon.com/sewing-without-pattern-little-craft/dp/B005LECVSY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1697824296&refinements=p_27%3Aphyllis+ficarotta&s=books&sr=1-1#customerReviews
(three customer reviews of "Sewing Without a Pattern")

From "Contemporary Authors":

CAREER

Good Housekeeping, New York City, associate art director, 1965-71; King Features Syndicate, New York City, author and illustrator of column "The Leisure Craftsman," 1972--. Assistant art director for Pharmaceutical Advertising, 1963-65. Assistant stage manager for International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Theatre. Guest and demonstrator on more than a hundred television and radio programs. Spokes-person for Ivory Soap 100-year birthday soap-carving contest; also involved in Elmers' Glue contests.

WRITINGS:

Self-illustrated; edited by brother, Noel Ficarotta; published by Bantam, except as indicated:

A Hundred One Gifts You Can Make at Home, 1968.
Sewing without a Pattern, 1969.
A Hundred One Children's Gifts You Can Make at Home, 1970.
Children's Parties, 1971.
Making It with Leather and Beads, 1971.
Sewing Tricks, 1971.
Sewing without a Pattern, Sterling, 1971.
How to Make Stuffed Animals, 1973.
The Complete Treasury of the Decorative Craft, 1973.
(Under name Phyllis Fiarotta) Phyllis Fiarotta's Nostalgia Crafts Book, Workman Publishing, 1974.

Self-illustrated books, with Noel Ficarotta, under names Noel and Phyllis Fiarotta; published by Workman Publishing, except as indicated:

Sticks and Stones and Ice Cream Cones: The Craft Book for Children, 1973.
Snips and Snails and Walnut Whales: Nature Crafts for Children, 1975.
Pin It, Tack It, Hang It, 1975.
The You and Me Heritage Tree: Children's Crafts from Twenty-one American Traditions , 1976.
Be What You Want to Be, 1977.
Confetti, 1978.

Zippers, Snaps and Flaps, Van Nostrand, 1983.

Cups & Cans & Paper Plate Fans: Craft Projects from Recycled Materials, Sterling, 1992.
Music Crafts for Kids: The How-To Book of Music Discovery, Sterling, 1993.
A-B-C 1-2-3 Craft Book: Make a Cloth Book of Exciting Learning Toys, Sterling, 1994.
Mobiles & Other Paper Windcatchers, Sterling, 1996.
Water Science, Water Fun: Great Things to Do with H2O, Sterling, 1996.
Papercrafts around the World, Sterling, 1996.
Great Experiments with H2O, Sterling, 1997.
The Colossal Book of Crafts for Kids & Their Families, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1997.
Great Experiments with Light, Sterling, 1999.

Contributor to popular magazines, including Woman's Day, Family Circle, and Essence. Art editor of Good Housekeeping Family Christmas Book, 1963-65. Illustrator of children's stories for Western Publishing.

SIDELIGHTS

Phyllis Ficarotta told CA: "Although I was born in Connecticut and presently live in New Jersey, I will be eternally a New Yorker. I have an intense love affair with this, the greatest city in the world. "I have a passion for everything that is connected with my precious life, and I reject very little. "My philosophy of life was summed up by Fred Flintstone of cartoon fame, saying, as he emptied a quart of milk on the floor, `I laugh at spilt milk.' "My extreme loves, my mother, father, brother, tacos, Mexican trees of life, opera, my house, landscaping, colors, and The Grinch That Stole Christmas keep me busy. My extreme dislike, DYING."