Original Sewing & Quilt Expo Faculty

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Groups & Guilds

Expo Faculty – Spring 2009 When you take classes at Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, you're treating yourself to the very best: passionate designers, best-selling authors, industry insiders and creative pioneers. Whether they arrive from around the globe, across the country or just around the corner, their classes are a memorable part of a satisfying Expo experience.
	Katie Bartz Eagan, MN Katie has the reputation of being an adventurer and an inspiring entrepreneur. She has a successful computer consulting business and is a sought-after educator in both the technical and sewing worlds. Her Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems and passion for sewing gives her the ability to understand the creative and technical needs of people in both industries. Katie likes nothing more than to share her knowledge and build confidence in everyone she meets. Katie’s life experiences and enthusiasm keep students involved and entertained in her classes, which provides a great environment for learning. Katie has recently co-authored a book and enjoys publishing articles which showcase her embroidery software, sewing and computer abilities. She also enjoys producing instructional CDs and DVDs and has recently been invited to assist on the set of the television show “While You Were Out”. Katie is a licensed Martha Pullen Instructor, Certified Pam Damour Drapery School Educator, and is a Sulky Certified Educator. To put it simply, Katie loves life and enjoys sharing her warm spirit! www.kjbartz.com
	Bobbie Bergquist Quilters Treasure Rindge, NH Bobbie is a quilt maker who strives to keep things simple quick and fun. She was the inspiration for Quilters Treasure, whose goal is to give quilters an artist pallet. Bobbie wanted to make a stained glass quilt and found nothing available to meet this need. Her husband Joel created fabric which has inspired her and many other quilters to expand their creativity. Among the new and revised techniques include “Stained Glass Quilts”; “Appliqué for Cheaters”; “Quilt-As-You-Go”; “Marbling on Fabric”; “New Ways to Use Tsukineko Inks”; & her latest “Instant Stained Glass”. Starting May 2008 Bobbie introduced a new class “Painting on Silk & Cotton with Rocco Paints”. She also continues to share with her class how to make perfect mitered corners on bindings, how to make all blocks the same size and other quilting tips. She has taught in 38 states including Hawaii, and conducts workshops and seminars at many quilt shows, guilds & shops. www.quilterstreasure.com
	Brian Bergquist Quilters Treasure Rindge, NH Brian is an experienced trainer, formerly in the Telecommunications field. He entered the family business with a natural evolution from painting fabric to using it in stained glass wall hangings and is now a quilt maker. His skills as an instructor have allowed him to absorb information and format it into an easy-to-learn manner. Brian has appeared in three segments of Quilt Centrals’ series, “A Family in Quilting” He demonstrated his unique technique of Hand Painting Marble Fabric for Quilters Treasure. Brian also shared the techniques of how to make a stained glass butterfly, a method that reduces sewing by more than 50%. His quilt “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” traveled the country in 2006-2007 with “Men of Biblical Proportion” Brian also participated in formatting Quilters Treasure’s newest techniques Among the new and revised techniques include “Stained Glass Quilts”; “Appliqué for Cheaters”; “Quilt-As-You-Go”; “Marbling on Fabric”; “New Ways to Use Tsukineko Inks”; & Bobbie’s latest “Instant Stained Glass”. In addition to his painting, he teaches workshops and names each new fabric offered by Quilters Treasure commercial print, of this uniquely beautiful fabric in 54 delicious colors, now available in multiple yard pieces. www.quilterstreasure.com
	Debra Bohn Husqvarna Viking Independent Educator Clemmons, NC Over 30 years ago, Debra started sewing when her young daughter wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll for Christmas. You couldn’t buy one anywhere so Mrs. Claus got busy and took a class on how to make the doll. It was love at first project! For the last 15 years, she has been teaching sewing, embroidery and embroidery software across the United States. While she is accomplished in many sewing techniques, her obsession is embroidery and embroidery software. She has attended many training sessions through the years and is familiar with most brands. Debra has been published in Creative Machine Embroidery and Through the Needle and is a contributor to Keeping the World Sewing and VSM Software Club. Debra’s classes are designed to help embroiderers take the mystery, and misery, out of embroidering. She shares her sewing successes and her failures, with samples and anecdotes, with her students, who are glad to know they are not the only one who makes mistakes. Debra’s philosophy for teaching is that her students have fun while learning and she tries to help them realize that there is potential in all of them. www.sewpracticaldebra.com
	Barb Callahan Barb Originals Venice, FL Barb designed and constructed one-of-a-kind garments using her label Barb Originals and sold them at art shows for almost 25 years, alongside her antique linens, buttons and trimmings. After years of hearing customer requests for patterns and instructions for these very wearable items, she decided to accommodate them. Today Barb travels the U.S. sharing her expertise in using vintage linens, buttons, hankies, trimmings and more to create stylish, flattering and easy-to-make clothing and accessories. She holds a bachelors degree in education and a masters degree in administration and counseling, and has also attended classes at FIT in New York. Her articles have appeared in Threads, Sew Beautiful and her company’s newsletter. www.barboriginals.com
	Diana Cedolia Independent Educator, VSM Group Dunedin, FL Diana was born and educated in England and has lived in the U.S. for 27 years. She is especially fluent in embroidery software and shares this expertise in many ways, but her true passion is the serger. She has organized and led several successful serger clubs in Florida over the years, and more recently has won prizes for her work at various Husqvarna Viking Conventions, mostly for her serging inspirations. She frequently contributes to various serger books. www.husqvarnaviking.com
	Melanie Coakley EmbroideryFX Chattanooga, TN Melanie is President and Owner of EmbroideryFX located in Chattanooga, TN. Nineteen years ago she stopped travelling for a nationally known sewing machine company and started a commercial embroidery business from her home. This quickly evolved into a retail location spcializing in custome logos. She had created embroidery for high profile customers as well as local business. Her experience brings her to educate others interested in complete embroidery experience: techniques, products and digitizing. She is a contributing writer for trade magazines, and a frequent speaker for industry events. Her degree is in textiles and art from the University of Georgia. She has enhanced her embroidery experience by offering products used in the commercial embroidery industry to home embroidery enthusiasts so that they too can create beautiful embroideries! www.rnkdistributing.com
	June Colburn June Colburn Designs II, Inc. Largo, FL June's odyssey began in 1973 with itchy feet and a Master's degree in library science. While working for international schools, June's motto, "Have sewing machine, will travel" led her into adventures hunting for fabrics in souks, bazaars and temple sales from Quito to Paris, Istanbul to Singapore. Talking with the people who wove, dyed, embroidered, sewed and sold native textiles influenced her life. The exquisite kimono fabrics of Japan defined her creative direction. June's work has been featured in many exhibitions, collections and design shows. She shares her knowledge and love of Asian textiles through lectures and classes. www.junecolburn.com
	Bernadette Coppola Janome America Mahwah, NJ Bernadette is an educator for Janome America, and has taught 1600P on the Gracie Co frames at the 2007 Janome Institute. She also teaches classes on the Memory Craft 11000, Memory Craft 6600, and 350E. Prior to joining Janome America Bernadette owned and operated her own quilt shop and has been published in various quilt magazines including The Quilter Magazine. She has traveled the United States promoting Janome sewing machines and the love of creating sewing/embroidery projects.
	Louise Cutting Cutting Line Designs Winter Park, FL Thread’s newest contributing editor and the spokesperson for Rowenta Irons in garment construction, Louise Cutting is the designer of Cutting Line Designs patterns. She created the One Seam Pant© with over 38,000 patterns sold to date. The instructions have been quoted as the best in the pattern industry. She was the owner of Fabric Collections, a designer fabric store in Winter Park, FL. Louise was the Fashion Design Department Head at Prospect Hall College and Art Institute and taught Interior Design at Marymount College. She has appeared on Sew Much More for HGTV, and America Sews with Sue Hausmann. Louise has written articles for Threads, Creative Machine Embroidery, and Sew Beautiful. Her pattern designs have been featured in Sew News and Handwoven magazines. She is an internationally known speaker on sewing and design. www.cuttinglinedesigns.com
	Carol Cypher Port Ewen, NY Carol is a fiber artist and teacher working primarily with feltmaking and beadwork, known for her provocative pairing of the two. She is the author of three books: Hand Felted Jewelry and Beads, 25 Artful Designs; Mastering Beadwork, A Comprehensive Guide to Off-Loom Techniques and How We Felt. Her work is shown in museum and gallery gift shops, magazines, and several books on fiber art, color, jewelry and design. She is one of the bead artists featured in a Japanese bead art book titled The Art of Beading Stitches. Lesson 11 in the JALD beadwork certification program is her design. She divides her time between studio, writing, and teaching workshops nationally. In 2008 her teaching schedule takes her abroad to New South Wales and Victoria in Australia and Osaka, Tokyo and Kobe in Japan. Her interviews and technique demonstrations are aired on PBS, DIY and HGTV television networks. www.carolcypher.com
	Pam Damour The Decorating Diva Champlain, NY Known as "The Decorating Diva”, Pam offers professional drapery workroom training to the public and the trade. A regular on HGTV and the Discovery Channel, she generously shares her 20+ years’ experience as a sewing professional. Pam travels the US and internationally, offering programs that include a professional Drapery School, bringing trade secrets to home sewing enthusiasts, trunk shows packed with sewing methods and one-day home décor sewing workshops. Sewing retreats and teacher certification programs are held at her family’s home (a log cabin) on Lake Champlain at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains, and her home based interior design business flourishes, thanks to the teamwork of her dedicated staff. www.pamdamour.com
	Mickey Depre Oak Lawn, IL Mickey was introduced to the world of Fiber Arts by her own personal “grand masters” at the age of four. Grandmothers, great aunts, aunts and her mother filled her days with cloth, needles, yarn and such. Textiles have always fascinated her from vintage to current and her taste has always been ALL! Sewing in general, mending to garment making were never a chore…but when she pushed beyond traditional quilt making she found the road less traveled was greatly inviting. Mickey enjoys sharing her love of fiber thru lectures and workshops. Her workshops mix technique instruction with individual creativity and always a giggle or two. www.mdquilts.com
	Shelley Doyal Blue Flamingo Designs Geneva, FL Shelley has been a life long seamstress. She has a degree in Fashion Merchandising and surrounds herself with fabric, patterns and sewing machines. Along with being a sewing machine and quilt shop owner, Shelley conducts classes in embroidery software, basic sewing and quilt construction. Shelley is also a Certified Educator for Wild Ginger, a computerized software pattern drafting program. She recently formed Blue Flamingo Designs, a new pattern and sewing information company with her sister. She is a member of the American Sewing Guild and the Sewing Educator Alliance. Shelley enjoys working with her husband, remodeling her Florida home and of course sewing, sewing and sewing. www.blueflamingodesigns.com
	Eric Drexler Sulky of America Port Charlotte, FL With over 25 years in the sewing industry, Eric Drexler has developed a wide spectrum of expertise. As a senior in High School in 1983, Eric started working in Joyce and Fred Drexler’s Sewing Center as their sewing machine mechanic. Over the next 15 years he went on to become a Teacher, Manager and Co-owner until the business was sold in 1998. For the last 10 years he has been a full-time employee of Sulky of America during which time he has become more heavily focused on his creative side, while continuing to indulge his passion for sewing machine repair. Free-motion artistry has been Eric’s other life-long passion ever since he was inspired by Joyce when, at age 10, she first taught him the technique. He has made numerous large and small works of machine art, some of which have been featured in Sulky Books and at Trade and Consumer Shows all over the country. Through his association with Sulky of America during all the years of its existence, he has had the pleasure and honor of being inspired by some of the world’s greatest creative sewers and quilters. For the 10 years of its existence, he managed the Sulky Challenge and was responsible for its appearance all over the country. Eric loves life and he loves to teach and share his exuberance for creative sewing. He is passionate about inspiring students of all ages so they can discover and enjoy a lifetime of creative fun. His infectious smile and warm humor put everyone at ease and ready to learn. He is widely sought after to teach and share his contagious enthusiasm at Consumer shows, Sew Exciting Seminars, Guild Programs and, more recently, on PBS shows. www.sulky.com
	Nancy Fiedler Janome Dwight, IL Janome Educational Coordinator Nancy Fiedler has been teaching sewing techniques for over 20 years. You have seen many of Nancy’s designs in Janome Digest and www.Janome.com. She has also been a contributor to Creative Machine Embroidery, Designs in Machine Embroidery, and Clotilde’s Sewing Savvy. Nancy specializes in embellishment techniques utilizing the features and accessories of Janome sewing machines and sergers. She writes and designs in her studio in Dwight, IL.
	Annette Fly Janome of America Tampa, FL Annette's passion for all things sewing began in grade school. She worked for 6 years as an RN, then stayed home to raise 5 children with her Air Force husband Ron. While traveling the world and living overseas, she took advantage of classes and inspiration available in many varied locales in Europe and the Middle East. Her sewing background includes classic tailoring, knits, theatrical costumes, smocking and heirloom sewing, home dec, quilting, and machine embroidery. Annette currently teaches classes at Keep Me in Stitches in Tampa, FL. She has developed several popular patterns for children’s items and a variety of innovative tote bags. Her passion is to make good design available for the home sewer, with thoughtful yet simple construction on projects that make the statement “unique and handcrafted”, but never “homemade”. Annette now proudly states that her occupation is “professional seamstress, designer, and sewing teacher”. She says, “There are so many wonderful features on machines these days—I love to show students how to get the most from their machines—to really use them as the remarkable creative tools they are”. Plans are in the works for national distribution of Annette’s unique designs. www.Janome.com
	Catherine Gentile Button Box Quilt Shop, Inc. Wellesley, MA As a Quilt Shop Owner, Teacher and Artist, sewing has been part of Catherine's life forever. Trained at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, she started as a graphic and fiber artist then grew to love quilting. Her quilts and garments have been top winning entrees in Pfaff Sewing Machine competitions and have been seen in Creative Magazine. She is a Martha Pullen Certified Teacher, a Pfaff Certified Instructor and Owner of Button Box Quilt Shop & Sewing Center for 13 years. Although many of her courses are for advanced color and technique, teaching beginners is her first love. Teaching a student to sew is giving them a life skill, making them love to sew is the teachers real reward. It is wonderful to see the delight and amazement when someone realizes she really can create. From teaching Adult Ed Fundamentals of Sewing, Garment Sewing for Quilters Who Hate to Make Clothes to Advanced Sewing and Software Techniques, her object is to make sewing, embroidery and creativity fun. www.buttonboxquiltshop.com
	Belinda Gibson Bernina USA Aurora, IL Belinda started out in the Heart of the Ozarks sewing samples for all the sewing stores in the area. Coming from a sewing family, she worked for the local Bernina store for over 19 years as manager. She also taught classes at her church, helping ladies learn to use their machines & perfecting their sewing. She has been published in several area Newspapers. She loves all kinds of sewing but especially likes doing Art to Wear, garment embellishment & appliqué, garment construction and Home Dec. Belinda, her husband and their black poodle, Charlie are avid Harley riders and they enjoy getting away on her days off to enjoy the beautiful Ozark Hills. www.bernina.com
	Diane Gloystein Sulky of America Lincoln, NE A love of beautiful clothing and a desire to create unique, one-of-a-kind designs led to a lifelong love affair with fashion, fabric and fiber arts. A sense of whimsical imagination is found in many of Diane's creations. Her position as a National Educator representing Sulky of America is the fulfillment of a dream which offers her the extraordinary opportunity to inspire students with a myriad of sewing techniques, surface design and embellishment possibilities. She travels extensively teaching and presenting seminars across the country, where her high energy presentations, incredible array of inspiring samples and infectious enthusiasm are met with rave reviews. Diane is a featured artist with her quilted Fiber Bubbles jacket in Sulky's newest book, Quick & Easy Weekend Quilting with Sulky. www.sulky.com
	Karen Grof Happy Apple Quilts Safety Harbor, FL Karen began quilting almost 30 years ago with an appliqué baby quilt for her daughter, Katie. With an art background and training in drawing and painting, she enjoys creating original designs. Karen now has her own pattern design company, Happy Apple Quilts. She writes patterns with beginners in mind so extra details are added. Karen believes quilting should be easy and fun. She likes to complete a project quickly because there are so many more she wants to do! She enjoys sharing techniques that all quilters can enjoy. www.happyapplequilts.com
	Cynthia Guffey Baton Rouge, LA Cynthia has owned a fabric and design studio bearing her name in Baton Rouge, Louisiana since 1983, and her designs have been worn everywhere from the opening of the Met to governors’ inaugurations to Acapulco. Her fitting and sewing expertise is derived from a mathematical background, and her constant search for the simple and the obvious. And although her precise sewing techniques are not short-cuts, she saves you time by helping you get it right the first time. She shares her effective, practical and simple fitting and construction techniques with students throughout the United States, offering seminars and workshops filled with information that results in beautifully fitted, custom-look clothing. Cynthia’s design philosophy involves creating lines that multiply opportunities to fit and enhance a figure type. www.cynthiaguffey.com
	Janet Hampson The Woolpack Littleton, MA Janet learned to knit and crochet as a child from her mother who is still knitting at age 88. Her knowledge of fiber is extensive, not only from her knitting experience, but as a 4-H family. Her daughter, Lesley, has been raising sheep almost twenty years and has won many championships. After a career in human resources, Janet followed her passion and joined a major yarn distributor and learned the wholesale side of the business. Today, she is owner of The Woolpack, a full service yarn shop with classes and workshops for all levels and catering to the needs of crocheters, knitters, and fiber lovers. You can find wool roving, silk caps and quilt bats made from fleece from her daughter's flock at the shop as well. In addition to teaching at her own shop, Janet also teaches classes at local elementary schools and adult education programs. Join one her classes – unwind your mind, soothe your soul and knit yourself silly. www.woolpackyarn.com
	Lorraine Henry Conselle Institute San Diego, CA Lorraine is a Conselle specialist in fashion sewing, fitting, and alteration with 28 years’ experience as a custom dressmaker/tailor and adult education teacher. She holds a degree in Clothing and Textiles from Brigham Young University. Lorraine is a master at deception, showing ways to use line, shape, color, and fabric to create simple "tricks" that make one appear taller, shorter, thinner, or wider – looking more like you want to be seen. Lorraine travels the country for Conselle offering seminars on wardrobing, fitting and alteration procedures. www.conselle.com
	Debbie Homer Jenny Haskins Products Knoxville, TN Debbie is the Jenny Haskins Products Division Manger for RNK Distributing. She started sewing as a child in rural Idaho where she sewed her own clothes and learned all facets of home décor and quilting. Life took Debbie through a series of successful professions while she raised her three children, but she has now returned to her first love of sewing and made it her ultimate dream career. Debbie’s approach to teaching Jenny Haskins’ techniques is laid back and entertaining for people of all levels of sewing. You will never again feel intimidated when you look at beautiful creations. Debbie’s classes will challenge those with years of experience while inspiring the novice to believe in their own gifts and talents. www.rnkdistributing.com
	Mickey Hudson-Sandoval That Seam's Fine Nashua, NH Mickey fell in love with the art of sewing at a young age and sewed for herself and family members. After years of sewing and figuring things out for herself she was determined to learn correctly and signed up for a beginner sewing course. When she finished the course, she was hired as a teacher. Mickey was now on a new career path, and has been teaching and working in the sewing world ever since. Mickey is a Certified Islander Sewing Systems instructor, and is known far and wide as the “shortcut queen”. Those who see her work are amazed at how little time it took her to get such professional results. Her greatest reward is watching her students’ excitement and confidence grow as their sewing skills develop and improve. www.thatseamsfine.com
	Kathy Kansier Ozark, MO Kathy is a quilt making teacher, show judge and AQS Certified Appraiser. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she holds a B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin. Her mother taught her to sew at age four and by the time she was five, she was stitching simple embroidery projects. Her father’s stories about “The Old Days” placed a love of history in her heart, and her passion for needlework, quilt making and history has endured throughout her life. Her favorite technique is hand appliqué and her award winning quilts include dimensional work, embroidery and beaded embellishments. She also enjoys rug hooking, basket making and creating cross stitch designs. Kathy frequently travels to teach quilt making at guilds and shows. She has taught at the AQS Show in Paducah, the International Quilt Festivals in Chicago and Houston, The Appliqué Society Shows in Sacramento and Tampa, Road to California and recently at a major quilt festival in Brazil. Her classes include hand and machine appliqué, crazy quilts, underwater scenes, hand quilting and edge treatments. In 2001, she was a nominee for the Teacher of the Year Award, sponsored by the Professional Quilter Journal. In 2008, she was awarded the prestigious Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship for Quilt Teachers (sponsored by the International Quilt Association & Market). Kathy is also one of the national teachers sponsored by Bernina of America. She writes regular articles for the Applique Society Newsletter under the heading Quilts Up Close. Kathy’s self-published patterns and books are available on her website. www.kathykansier.com
	Deb Karasik QuiltMavens San Franscico, CA Deb’s infectious enthusiasm, warm smile and easy going teaching style are just some of the attributes that have earned her a large following of students. Knowing that paper piecing, setting curves and perfect spikey quilts challenge some students, she’s made it a personal goal to not only see to it that all of her students understand the process, but actually end up enjoying it! Relatively new to the quilting world, Deb has only been actively quilting since the fall of 2000, when her daughter told her she was pregnant with triplets! If that wasn’t incentive enough to jump into quilting, what is? But in this relatively short time, Deb has gone from a beginner to a quilt designer, an accomplished author, teacher and award winning quilter. Deb teaches extensively throughout the country, is currently finishing up her second book for AQS, and still manages to maintain a full time job in the interior design industry. www.quiltmavens.com
	Joyce Keske Baby Lock USA Fenton, MO www.babylock.com
	Judy Kessinger FitNice Louisville, KY Judy started her career owning and operating a small retail fabric store in Louisville, Kentucky. She traveled nationwide holding seminars for Hancock Fabrics for over 25 years. She also designs and creates costumes for national and international figure skaters. With the encouragement of family and friends Judy started a new business combining her art of teaching and fitting into the development and production of two patterns – one for Tops and one for Pants. Once you *FIT* the pattern, an entire wardrobe can be created. Sewing with just two patterns definitely takes the STRESS out of seamstress. For the last year she has developed her website into another teaching tool for her “Sewing Sisters” to learn new and fun ways to use the two patterns. Judy has appeared on various TV shows showcasing her patterns and her methods of fitting. She is presently giving classes and seminars nationwide at various stores and teaching for ETA Dallas 2009. Judy is a proud member of the American Sewing Guild. Judy has been blessed to have touched the lives of countless women, teaching them the tricks of looking trim and feeling fantastic by simply fitting themselves properly. www.fitnicesystem.com
	Shirleen Kistner Vintage Yarns Lambertville, MI Shirleen opened Vintage Yarns – knitting with a new twist in 2004. She enjoys teaching at the shop and making her own projects. Embellishment and accessories make projects look special and details are always the most important part. Bead and knitting go hand in hand with beautiful edges, trims and jewelry. www.vintageyarns.com
	Carol Klammer Norwich, CT Carol has been sewing since she was a little girl. Even beyond college sewing was her outlet for many fun, functional, funky and thrifty creations. Quilting and sewing, especially if it involves recycling some unique and unusual fabrics or garments found at a thrift store, is what she’d do all day, every day if she could. Carol's adventure with yoga began in 1990, and led her to earn an initial yoga teacher’s certificate in 1996 from Kripalu, and a 500 hour certificate through the American Viniyoga Institute in 2004. She currently offers about 12 classes each week: community classes and special classes for prenatal and senior groups in Southeast Connecticut. What she finds is that yoga offers all of us the chance to slow down, and to take care of our bodies during any of the activities we want to pursue. Hours of enjoyment in sewing, knitting or quilting do not necessarily have to end in sore muscles and joints or achy backs. What a difference a little regular movement can make! Carol hopes to show you many simple movements that will strengthen your body so you can more easily sustain your work. You can learn how to safely stretch and release tension if it does arise. Above all you should leave her sessions feeling GOOD! Carol’s twelve-plus years of yoga teaching have taught her a lot about how to help you fine tune what your body needs to stay more relaxed and happy. www.ahhyoga.com
	Debby Kratovil Quilter By Design Atlanta, GA Debby brings her background as a high school math and English teacher to the world of quilting. She is such a prolific quilter that she has been dubbed the "power quilter" by her quilting friends. Her hundreds of published articles about quilts, easy techniques, and how-tos have helped thousands of quilters discover an easier way to approach a wide range of projects. She has been Special Projects Editor for Quilt Magazine for 14 years, along with sewing and designing for various fabric companies and publications. Her published works include Bold, Black & Beautiful Quilts (AQS, 2004), two quilt block a day calendars with Accord Publishing, and the brand new perpetual Quilt Block a Day Calendar published by Martingale. Her most recent venture is "The Calendar Girls" quilt shop program where she will provide a free quilt pattern a month to participating quilt shops beginning in 2008. She is an enthusiastic teacher who especially loves the "aha!" moments with her students. She freely shares tips, tricks and techniques to make quilting a real pleasure. www.quilterbydesign.com
	Debbi Lashbrook Bernina USA Aurora, IL Debbi started sewing at the age of nine and pursued her love of clothing design, and textiles by receiving a Masters degree in textiles and design from the University of Illinois. She taught at the University nine years before moving to Texas. She continued to teach at several fabric stores and managed the Bernina Sewing Center in Plano, TX for five years before joining the Education staff of Bernina of America. Her specialties include garment construction, pattern drafting and fitting, and BERNINA Embroidery and My Label software.
	Cindy Losekamp Sew Artfully Yours Cedar Grove, IN Cindy is the creator of several Signature Series embroidery disks for Cactus Punch and CEO of Sew Artfully Yours, Inc. Cindy's skills take machine embroidery to new heights in creativity, and along with embroidery, she is also the creator of a myriad of other machine techniques. She is the designer and author of thirty-one books, and has been teaching and inspiring people to sew and create for twenty-one years. There are no boundaries in artistic pursuits when it comes to her books and classes. Everyone is encouraged to transcend to a higher level of creativity. www.sewingart.com
	Linda McCuean New Galilee, PA Linda is a professional quilt judge certified by the National Quilting Association; quilt maker, teacher, lecturer, and longarm quilter. She has been involved in quilt making since 1978. In 1998 Linda moved from hand quilting to longarm machine quilting. Her work has been highly awarded in national and international shows. Her work has earned numerous best of show and machine workmanship awards, including the 2006 grand prize in the $100,000 Quilting Challenge. In 2007, Linda became a member of the Master Quilters Guild when The National Quilting Association awarded her quilt Bella. Masterpiece Quilt status. Many of Linda’s quilts have been featured in books, magazines, and calendars. Linda and her husband, Don, live in New Galilee, PA.
	Sandy Miller Cutting Line Designs Orlando, FL Combining her lifelong love of sewing with her career of teaching high school and college English, Sandy brings expertise and enthusiasm to her sewing classes. She has taught for several years at Fabric Collections in Winter Park, FL and two branch stores, where her classes ranged from beginning to advanced garment construction, as well as tailoring, heirloom sewing, and free motion stitching. Now she is the first sample maker for the patterns from Cutting Line Designs, where she also edits the pattern instructions. In addition, she has edited Cutting Out – Adventures in Applique, Expert Tips and Techniques for One-Seam Pants© I and II, and Expert Tips and Techniques for Fine Sewing IV from Cutting Corners Inc. www.cuttinglinedesigns.com
	Kim Montagnese AhHa! Amherst, OH Kim began playing with fabric and sneaking the use of her mom's "forbidden" sewing machine in the early 70s. Long before great fabric or creative classes were available, Kim was forced to make it up as she went along. She came to love the look of hand appliqué, but lacked the patience. Fortunately, a series of mistakes led to the method she uses today. Students love the "no curved piecing"," inside out" and "quilts that keep on giving" concept of quilting. Kim loves the AhHa! moment students experience and has felt privileged to share the fun for the past 15 years. Kim's quilts have won many awards throughout Ohio, been displayed at the Denver International Airport as well as private collections across the country and also featured in Art Quilt Calender. She is a member of Lorain County Piecemakers, Studio Art Quilters Association and Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, and is proudly associated with Pear Tree Gallery and Ginko Gallery. http://colorzmyworld.blogspot.com www.peartreegallery.biz (Mixed media purses and journals) www.cottoncandyquilts.com (Patterns) www.interweave.com (Piece in Cate Pratos book Mixed Media Self-Portraits) www.martingale-pub.com (Two quilts in Leigh McDonald's book Adventures In Circles)
	Tammy O'Connell Peacock Patterns Muskego, WI Tammy brings together beauty, form and function in Peacock Patterns, her new line of garment and accessory designs. Her first series, Jitney Bags, features practical totes and purses with an individual flair. Tammy is a nationally known sewing teacher, HGTV series guest, clothing judge and past ASG Chapter President, and was awarded the "Sievers School of Fiber Arts Award" for her outstanding creative and innovative use of fabric and design. Her passion is to revive exquisite sewing techniques from the past and interpret them in distinctive modern designs, helping students create their own sense of simple elegance. www.peacockpatterns.com
	Ellen Osten Sulky of America St. Petersburg, FL Ellen has been sewing and teaching professionally for over 30 years. She is the co-author of several books and the creator of a unique line of patterns, Sew...What's New. Ellen has been with Sulky of America, Inc. since 1988, and enjoys traveling throughout the country giving lectures, demos and hands-on classes. She enjoys teaching all skill levels, and instructs in many subject areas including free motion thread painting, computerized embroidery, pattern fitting, design and color. www.sulky.com
	Pattie Otto Great Copy Patterns Franksville, WI Pattie is the owner and designer of Great Copy Patterns which features ladies and uni-sex garments with an emphasis on outerwear and classic styles. She is the author and designer for Embroidery Club which meets bi-monthly in southeastern Wisconsin. She also creates Embroidery Club by Mail – a corresponding bi-monthly publication. Both clubs feature original embroidery designs and techniques with detailed full color instructions and embroidery designs on diskette. She has taught extensively over the years, with her favorite classes being machine embroidery, heirloom work, silk ribbon embroidery by machine, serger techniques, swim & action wear, and fitting seminars. Pattie has also designed and coordinated production for a small swimwear manufacturer. Having recently acquired Great Copy Patterns, Pattie is excited about the opportunity to be at the helm of this growing company. Her enthusiasm for fabric, texture, pattern design and construction is evident in all aspects of the company. Great Copy Patterns are available by mail, on-line and can be found in finer specialty and quilting stores. Pattie is a life long resident of southeastern Wisconsin. She lives in the country with her husband, Rick, and is the mother of four children. www.greatcopy.com
	Darlene Pollard RNK Distributing Knoxville, TN Darlene Pollard, National Education Coordinator for RNK Distributing, exclusive distributors of Floriani Products has become known for her love for sewing, quilting and embroidery. Darlene started her passion for all aspects of embroidering with the early home embroidery machines and in a short time became a professional digitizer. She began teaching others her tricks and solutions to everyday challenges in home embroidery many years ago. Darlene has worked with nearly every brand of sewing machine in the last ten years and has been teaching instruction classes for those machines and software since their introduction. She loves sharing her basic embroidery techniques, tips and tricks about stabilizers, sewing projects, computer software basics, and much more. Her expertise along with a relaxed personality makes her class fun, informative, to the point and creates a workshop type atmosphere. www.rnkdistributing.com
	Linda M. Poole Milford, PA Linda M. Poole lives in the gorgeous Northeast Region of Pennsylvania in a small town called Milford, known for its eclectic community of artists and antique shops. Linda has a fond passion for traveling the globe, learning from people and passing forward everything she learns to those she meets. Her laughter and humor is contagious in the classroom and lecture halls and her patience to teach is always appreciated. Linda mentors those she meets, to believe that they “can do it” and non appliquérs walk out of her class with the “I did it, I can appliqué” attitude! Linda comes from a line of artists, watercolorists, impressionists, stained glass artisans, weavers, sculptresses, silversmiths and winemakers….all things that make “Life Good!" She currently has authored Turkish Delights to Appliqué, Bended Bias Appliqué and recently, Quilted Fairie Tales for AQS. www.lindampoole.com
	Judith Rasband Conselle Institute of Image Management Provo, UT Judith holds an MS degree in fashion with decades of experience creating and refining fitting and alteration, visual design and wardrobing technology. Director of the Conselle Institute of Image Management, Judith has received the image industry’s highest “Immie” award. A consumer advocate with a reputation for excellence, she is co-author of the NEW Edition of FABULOUS FIT and Fitting & Pattern Alteration, the “Bible” in fit books. She is also the author of the comprehensive Wardrobe Strategies and Image Management Quick Reference Guide. Her articles and interviews are published in Threads, Sew News, Image Update, Shape, Glamour, Woman’s Day, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Parents, Entrepreneur, Smart Money, and more. A guest on Oprah, Good Morning America, and the Today Show, Judi is known for accurate and practical information, lively seminar presentations including Virtual Closet™ demonstrations, and contagious enthusiasm for her subject. www.conselle.com
	Mary Ray Threads Banner Elk, NC Mary has been involved in many areas of the sewing industry, from retail to custom design. She was an associate editor of Threads magazine and an instructor in the fashion design department of Bauder College in Atlanta, GA. She resides in North Carolina, is a contributing editor for Threads and a contributing blogger to craftstylish.com. www.maryraydesigns.com
	Londa Rohlfing Londa's Creative Threads Savoy, IL With 13 years of owning a retail fabric and sewing machine shop behind her, Londa switched to an internet-based business to go world-wide with www.londas-sewing.com. Her personal mission is “To offer quality sewing products with passion, individual attention, and creative suggestions as a fellow avid seamstress, teacher and designer.” After 40+ years of what she calls “normal (now boring) garment sewing”, her mountain-top sewing experiences are ‘artsy, creative sewing’. She delights in creating garments that are unique and truly one-of-a-kind. Her current ‘obsession’ is with transforming sweatshirts into wonderful, unique ‘couture’ jackets. Her techniques are shared in her ‘books’ on CD and DVD and in her ‘pattern’ Design Booklets. She is published in several sewing periodicals including Sew Savvy and Creative Needle, and will be appearing in a webisode on www.nowsewing.net in the 2 nd half of 2008. Traveling to teach and vend at guilds, shops, and consumer shows has become a new and exciting aspect of her business. www.londas-sewing.com
	Kathy Ruddy Unique Patterns Mukilteo, WA Active in the sewing industry since 1962, Kathy's experience spans five decades as a pattern designer, serger and fitting expert and Vice President of Unique Patterns, a complete solution to successful dressmaking patterns for sewing with the bodyskanner™, which captures accurate measurements of your body. Her specialty is to sew and serge fast and easy without sacrificing quality, fit or fashion detail. www.uniquepatterns.com
	Peggy Sagers Silhouette Patterns by Peggy Sagers Dallas, TX Peggy holds a degree in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising from Brigham Young University. Having drafted patterns professionally on a free-lance basis for numerous manufacturers in the Dallas area, Peggy created her own pattern line, Silhouettes, in the late 1990’s. Her patterns incorporate B, C, and D cup sizing as well as proportionate lengths, which are unique in the pattern industry. She brings no frills to the home sewing world, but instead focuses on classic designs for great-fitting business and casual wardrobes. She has been a featured guest on HGTV’s Sew Much More, and currently spends her time teaching at seminars and workshops in the United States and Canada. www.silhouettepatterns.com
	Susan Schrempf Ergonomic Advantage Aurora, CO Susan is a nationally known author and teaches silk ribbon embellishment by machine across the country. She has been an educator for YLI Corp., Cactus Punch, Embroideryarts and is currently an educator for Superior Threads. Susan is published in "Sew News" and "Designs in Machine Embroidery" magazines. Her new book is "Simple Silk Ribbon Embroidery by Machine" published by C&T.
	Emma Seabrooke Sew KeysE, Inc. Islamorada, FL Emma Seabrooke is a certified Palmer/Pletsch pant and fit instructor. She trained with French Couture for years and took many fashion design courses in college while obtaining her degree. Emma loves sewing with knits and has designed clothing patterns for them. She has perfected the best styles for all sizes, especially “well-endowed” ladies. Emma is an active member of the Home Sewing Association, and believes all her students can achieve clothing that looks and fits beautifully. She offers patterns, notions and fabrics that apply to her classes for sale.
	Jean Sohn Creative Memories Norcross, GA Coming from a family where making photo albums was a tradition, Jean began helping her Mother and Grandmother compile family photo albums at a very young age. She continued to assemble photo albums throughout the years in simple and effective albums. After retiring from a corporate career she began sharing her love of preserving the stories and memories of photographs in safe and meaningful albums by teaching classes and working with customers on an individual basis. Jean’s classes are personalized, covering traditional album making and the latest in digital albums technology. She targets the beginner who needs help with sorting and organizing through to the experience album maker who needs fresh ideas. www.mycmsite.com/jeansohn
	Connie Spurlock Sew Wonderful Dreams Coeur d’Alene, ID Although she didn’t even learn to sew until she was over 30 years old, Connie used her background in marketing and education to develop Sew Wonderful Dreams, a pattern design company. Fifteen years ago the company focused on craft patterns, while today the emphasis is on quilting and education. About her company she says: “We believe the best marketing tool we have is to educate. Everyone can learn but the way we learn is variable. Our classes are designed to help you learn in a way that will be most beneficial to you.” www.sewwonderfuldreams.com
	Kathy Stachowicz Baby Lock Education Consultant Sanford, FL Kathy is a creative needle artist, designer, and author who comes to Baby Lock with an extensive teaching background in sewing machines, sergers, and hand needle arts. She encourages sewing enthusiasts to be creative with fun and easy embellishment techniques. Kathy has received awards for her wearable art, specializing in surface design and fabric manipulation. Kathy co-authored two books full of fun fiber and rich textured techniques, contributed to Sulky of America’s Concepts book series, and was published in Australia’s Machine Embroidery magazine. For 11 years Kathy has shared her knowledge and expertise while working as a freelance educator for Sulky of America and she is thrilled to bring those same skills to the Baby Lock Education team. www.babylock.com
	Jennifer Stern J Stern Designs Manchester, CT In 2000 Jennifer began designing garments and digitizing her own original embroidery designs for wearable arts fashion shows, winning awards along the way. In 2007, she had a fashion show featuring her first collection of original designs – jeans, tee shirts, tops, skirts, pants dresses and jackets – which are now patterns for home sewers. Jennifer's patterns feature easy-to-follow directions with lots of illustrations. Her new adventure is producing instructional videos to go along with her patterns as well as classes on DVD and a series of videos on fitting and creating new styles from her basic patterns. Jennifer is also a contributor to Threads’ Magazine and Craftstylish.com (published by Taunton Press). www.jsterndesigns.com
	Jim Suzio Pittsburgh, PA An independent motivational sewing speaker and highly sought-after instructor in the U.S., Canada and Australia, Jim is a self-taught sewer with a passion for learning how things are made (and how to make them better). His simple, clear and direct approach to embroidery software has resulted in his most popular series of classes and workshops ever. His numerous television appearances on America Sews with Sue Hausmann and Canada's The Big Breakfast Show, contributions to The Ultimate Serger Answer Guide and articles featured in Sew News magazine all feature his innovative and unique style. Jim lives and creates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Betsy and their daughter, Meri Katharine. http://betsyelle-ivil.tripod.com/index.html
	Jolee Tarbell My Cozy Cottage Charlottesville, VA With degrees in Home Economics, Business, Education and Art, Jolee has been a teacher, quilt and needlework shop owner and designer of needle arts and quilt related clothing patterns. She is a member of the Studio Art Guild and American Sewing Guild. It is a thrill for Jolee to share ideas with sewing enthusiasts across the country. She'll soon be presenting her publication Fit to Be Tied and continuing to teach classes with all who share her love of fabric artistry. www.mycozycottage.com
	Chris Tryon Baby Lock USA Fenton, MO www.babylock.com
	Nelly Vileikis Aurora, OH Nelly’s colorful, playful personality encourages students of all levels to reach beyond their normal limits and her goal is for her students to take their newly learned skills into future successes. With an advanced degree in math, a voracious appetite for quilting and a passion for teaching, Nelly is well on her way to becoming a world class quilting artist and teacher. She willingly shares her talent with her students and encourages each to take their knowledge to the next level. Nelly is an accomplished quilter who has won numerous awards in local as well as national competitions. For over ten years she has taught in several quilt shops, at many Quilt Guilds throughout North Eastern Ohio, Quilting Get-A-Ways and private classes. She is also a designer. Confidence building instruction, mixed with great attention to detail, not to mention a whole lot of fun adds-up to great classroom experience for those who sign up for her classes. www.artelasquilts.com
	Cheryl Weiderspahn Homestead Specialties Cochranton, PA Cheryl Weiderspahn is a respected award-winning seamstress, an accomplished designer and an entertaining teacher, speaker and author. Her background includes 36 years experience of over 2,200 extensive custom orders from her successful home-based sewing business. She founded Homestead Specialties Pattern Company in 1996 from her drive to awaken the dormant creativity in sewers across the country. She now travels about once a month to teach, vend at sewing expos, and give programs and fashion shows of her innovative original designs. Cheryl’s philosophy of garment design is that after you spend your hard-earned money and precious time on a project, it should open up a world of wearing pleasure. Cheryl works hard to bring you designs with multiple wearing options without sacrificing style. Make just one garment, and then choose from dozens of different ways to wear it! She is widely known for her vest worn 48 ways. Imagine having a new look every time you go to your closet! Her original designs have been featured on the cover of Pfaff Club magazine; in Lark books; in Sew News, Sew Beautiful, Craftrends, Designs in Machine Embroidery, McCall's Quilting, and Quick and Easy Crafts magazines; in Creative Machine and Total Embellishment Newsletters. Cheryl has been a guest several times on "Kay’s Quilting Friends" TV show. Her patterns have been carried by several distributors and in over 600 U.S. shops and several foreign countries. www.homesteadspecialties.com
	Sue Wilson Huron, OH The Quilt Yard Sue’s quiltmaking took a radical turn when she attended one of Betty Cotton’s very first “Cotton Theory” classes. Sue was instantly hooked on the reversible, dimensional quilts that resulted, and laid aside 25 years of traditional quilting to pursue Cotton Theory with a passion. She began working for Betty Cotton in 2007, and frequently accompanies Betty as a teaching assistant or in the Cotton Theory booth at quilting shows. When she is not with Betty, you will find Sue teaching Cotton Theory classes to quilting groups across the country. Sue’s students frequently remark on her patience, her knowledge of Cotton Theory, her enthusiasm, and her ability to help them achieve success! Once quilters have studied Cotton Theory with Sue, they frequently want to learn more. She is certified as a Premium Cotton Theory teacher by Betty Cotton. www.quiltyard.com
	Dini Yan Momo-Dini Embroidery Art Demarest, NJ Dini is originally from Beijing, and along with her sister Momo, is a recognized artist in China. Their paintings have won awards in both China and international competitions. As a professor of Fine Arts at the University of China, Dini taught at the Fine Arts Institute of Northeast Normal University. Dini and Momo design and digitize embroidery patterns for their company, Momo-Dini Embroidery Art. Their designs merge the different cultures of the East and West together to give the embroidery new life and energy. Dini and Momo blend the best of art and technology, and their goal is to produce the best designs with the highest standards and quality. www.momodini.com
	Gail Yellen Gail Patrice Design Glastonbury, CT Gail’s original design sweatshirt jacket classes have been a consistent favorite at Manchester Sewing Machine Center in Connecticut where Gail has taught a variety of techniques for the past 7 years. Gail Patrice Design began when a gallery owner in Maine carried these designs as ready-to-wear jackets and sold out the collection each season! Gail has created a pattern line of jackets and is developing a series of DVDs to include her favorite design and embellishment techniques. She is an active member and the Manchester Neighborhood Group leader of the CT Chapter of the American Sewing Guild. Gail holds a BA in English and Dental Hygiene. www.gailpatrice.com
	Hope Yoder Designs by Hope Yoder, Inc. Sarasota, FL Hope is an author, designer and sewing instructor who specializes in heirloom sewing. She loves to incorporate traditional heirloom techniques and machine embroidery into romantic ladies’ clothes and accessories. She has written two books entitled: "Embellished Heirloom Treasures" and "Victorian Dreams Heirloom Shirt". Hope has created a new series of machine embroidery CDs called "Heirloom Embellishments" which features heirloom techniques that are re-created in the embroidery hoop. Her work has been featured on the cover of Sew News, Designs in Machine Embroidery and Clotilde’s Sewing Savvy magazine. She also writes for Australian Machine Embroidery, Creative Machine Embroidery, Sew Beautiful and House of White Birches. Hope travels the country teaching hands-on-workshops helping ladies discover how to “Romance Their Wardrobe” using her special techniques. www.HopeYoder.com
	Debra Youngs Art U Wear Schoolcraft, MI Debra Beadles Youngs, founder of Art U Wear, is a quilt and clothing designer living in Schoolcraft, Michigan. Debra began sewing at age 10 and soon began to develop her own patterns. Two years later, at age 12, her grandmother, Mary Beadles, taught her to quilt. Quilting soon became her passion. After 17 years at home to raise her children, she discovered that she had accumulated over 30 queen-size bed quilts, several twins, and hundreds of baby quilts. Art U Wear is a by-product of her love of quilts and the fact that the sleeves are too short on most “store bought” jackets. Debra lectures and teaches her jacket techniques at workshops across the country. Her work has been published in Wearable Art 1900-2000, a Schiffer Book for Designers and Collectors. Her designs have been featured in Bernina Magazine and Love of Quilting magazine. Debra has also appeared on two PBS quilting shows. She remains active in her local quilt guild and is currently enlarging her studio to house a sewing school for children. www.artuwear.net

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