We take the time to search out the best in the industry, introducing you to exceptional designers, best-selling authors, creative thinkers and visionaries. Taking classes at Original Sewing & Quilt Expo adds to a memorable and satisfying Expo experience! 


Donna Babylon
Westminster, MD
More Splash Than Cash Decorating
Donna Babylon’s enthusiasm for teaching sewing and decorating is unmistakable through her many books, patterns, television appearances, and seminars. She formed her own indie publishing company because she wanted total control of her destiny (and she hated attending 8 a. m. meetings). She publishes books and patterns under her brand, More Splash Than Cash®. Her entertaining seminars reflect her personable, easygoing manner as she shares her practical and budget-friendly approach to DIY decorating. www.MoreSplashThanCash.com

 
Debra Bohn
Clemmons, NC
Husqvarna Viking Independent Educator
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

Mark Boos
Palm Coast, FL
Sew & Quilt Shop
Mark is an authorized Gammill technician and has been working with quilting machines for two years. In addition, he also completed factory training for Brother and Bernina machines. Mark has been a “tool man” since he could hold a screwdriver and has an extensive mechanical background. His career began with training in the marine industry, with seven years of experience in South Florida. Upon moving north to the Palm Coast area, he entered the auto industry with an additional training and six years of experience. Mark completed certifications in electrical, a/c and diesel to name just a few. Mark not only knows how to repair longarm machines, he is proficient in the operation and use of both hand-guided and computerized Gammill quilting machines. www.sewandquiltshop.com


Barb Callahan
Venice, FL
Barb Originals
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
 
Colleen Casey
Marietta, GA
Some Art Fabric
I knew I would be an artist at an early age – I need to make things. Throughout school I excelled at all creative endeavors and decided to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. After college I moved back to Atlanta and began a career as a fine artist. In '98 I started teaching high school art, so I could share the joy that art brings me. Now I teach, parent and create art as time permits. I feel that everyone should be able to create and I use my time and talents to help others find joy in art. www.SomeArtFabric.com
 
 
Diana Cedolia
Dunedin, FL
Independent Educator, VSM Group
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
 
 
Vickie Clontz
Rockwell, NC
Annie's Keepsakes
With 40+ years of sewing experience and a Bachelor of Science degree in Clothing Design, Vickie's passion for creating keeps her busy designing patterns for her company Annie's Keepsakes, teaching, holding workshops and programs for guilds, and winning ribbons for her Wearable Art. Her projects have been published in numerous magazines such as Create & Decorate, Quilting Arts, Crafts, Crafts 'n Things, and Giftmaker. Vickie specializes in wool and felting and encourages everyone to get their "daily dose of fiber". www.annieskeepsakes.com
 
 
Melanie Coakley
Chattanooga, TN
EmbroideryFX
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
Largo, FL
June Colburn Designs II, Inc.
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
 
Barbara Crawford
Gladstone, MO
Crawford Designs
Barbara Crawford is a nationally recognized instructor for dolls, appliqué and needle felting as well as a leader in the pattern industry. Barbara teaches at guilds, quilt shops, expos, and The Creative Living show on PBS. She is one of the leading experts in the US in Needle Felting and creating jackets and coats using sweatshirts and wool felts. She has popular appliqué patterns to embellish, and along with her own patterns, she has several patterns in McCalls. Barbara started out as a doll designer and has a popular Sculpt a Santa  in a day workshop. She has published books on needle felting wearables, along with single patterns and new techniques that are being incorporated in all the needle felting books and has many articles and projects in Sew News and the SQE Professional magazines, Quilt Magazine and Designer Needle Felting: Contemporary Styles, Easy Techniques books from Larks Books. She holds workshops on “up cycling” and creating or restyling your wardrobe along with everything else in your closets. Barbara has a degree in Art and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. She keeps up with the new trends that come out in the sewing world to enable her to offer fun classes that adapt the trends, which includes the practical sweatshirt transformations. www.crawforddesigns.net
 
 
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
 
 
Pam Damour
Champlain, NY
The Decorating Diva
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
 
 
Eric Drexler
Port Charlotte, FL
Sulky of America
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
 
 
Karen Erickson
Snohomish, WA
Home Fashions U
Karen’s passion for sewing began at 10 years old, taking apart used clothing and using parts for patterns. During high school in 1971, she was awarded Home Economics Student of the year. In the 70s she pursued studies in photojournalism, and in tandem found herself teaching for Art Craft Needlework Co at home parties, plus assisting her customers in how to sew their completed projects. In 1986, Home Finishing by Karen a (home based professional sewing workroom) was born, sewing window treatments, pillow, bedding and slipcovers for customers. In 1999, when 75% of her business had evolved into slipcovering she morphed the business into Slipcover America Inc. and started a networking forum for slipcover professionals. Karen’s world has evolved into being a fulltime educator whose passion is dedicated to home décor, interior fashion and sewing. She has joined forces with Claudia Buchanan and together they have created Home Fashions U “dedicated to home décor interior fashion”. Karen hosts a radio podcast “Home Fashions U Blog Talk radio” and produces newsletters, DVDs, CDs and continues to write articles for various print magazines and online publications.
 
 
Rita Fishel
Chillicothe, OH
Creations Sew Clever
Rita Fishel is a professional seamstress with a degree in Clothing & Textiles and certification in Free Motion Embroidery and Thread Art. She’s alsew the author of the AQS book, Mystery Quilts. For the past 18 years, as Goddess, Queen Mother of Creations SewClever Quilt Shop in Chillicothe, OH, Rita has alsew been a professional quilter, teacher and speaker with a specialty in FUN. Rita loves to work with beginners and with those who quilt for the joy, the friendships, and the memories. Join Rita for one of her relaxed, fun classes and stitch yourself a memory! If you ever find yourself in southern Ohio, be sure to stop and visit her and her crew at the old funeral home now known as Creations SewClever. They’re dying to show you around!
 
 
 
Cathy Gandy
Alpharetta, GA
Baby Lock Education Consultant
"Variety is the spice of life," says education consultant, Cathy Gandy. She takes pride in her sewing background which boasts of working in fiber art, teaching classes, retail selling, and fabric buying. When that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, she occupied her time spinning and weaving. Her finished samples include tapestries, rugs, baskets, and garments. As a hobby, Cathy really enjoys machine appliqué for quilting and creating her own designs using the Baby Lock software products. Whether it’s garment sewing, home décor, quilting, or heirloom techniques, her creations express her love of the industry. Sharing her ideas, talents, and knowledge with sewing enthusiasts everywhere is what gives Cathy the most pleasure. www.babylock.com
 
 
Michelle Gillmartin
Reno, NV
Brother Education Consultant 
Michelle Gillmartin is a member of the Brother International Education team. At the age of 20 she opened her first business-30 years later she retired never having had a boss until now! She has been sewing with a passion since the age of 8 and seeks to promote the love of all venues of creative needle arts through teaching; machine embroidery and unique garment details are her specialties. She is a three time National competition winner. When not traveling with Brother she pursues her sewing obsession in Reno, NV. www.brother-usa.com/homesewing
 
 
Diane Gloystein
Lincoln, NE
Sulky of America
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
Safety Harbor, FL
Happy Apple Quilts
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
 
 
Kothy Hafersat
Oxford, CT
Certified Husqvarna Viking Educator
Kothy has been sewing for more than 25 years and possesses extensive experience in teaching, sewing machine sales, and design. She is founder/owner of Kothy’s Kreations, a pattern and embroidery business. Kothy was a quilt teacher and sewing machine instructor at a local quilt store in Connecticut. Her love of creating with fabric and sewing machines started at an early age as she learned to sew with her grandmother. Over the years, Kothy expanded on those basic skills, refining and experimenting, and now brings her varied and innovative design talents to her works. In the recent years she has expanded her creative knowledge to the computer, and has enjoyed teaching people just how exciting and fun the new software is. Kothy enjoys sharing her many innovative techniques with other sewing enthusiasts, and continues to teach quilting and sewing throughout the United States. www.kothysews.com
 
 
Cindy Hansen
Escondido, CA
Sue's Sparklers
Many years ago, Cindy learned to sew in her mother’s lap at that old black Singer sewing machine. She attended a neighborhood sewing circle to learn at the knee of a friend’s grandmother, many hand techniques for piece-work and embroidery. Making clothing for her pets and Barbies from the scrap rag box kept her busy until school. Junior high and high school years were a time when Cindy sewed many one-of-a-kind clothes, after looking through her favorite magazine, Seventeen, which provided inspiration for creations that no one else could buy at the local department store. Unique and different was the motto. Cindy has a B.S. in Interior Architecture with a minor in Fine Arts, which lead to a career in architectural lighting design. After leaving lighting consulting, Cindy devoted time to her family while making furniture, slip-covers, window coverings, quilts and clothing for daily use. Her decision to acquire her business, Sue’s Sparklers was a natural outcome of a continuing desire to design unique and different creations. The business provides an outlet for her graphic design talent, along with her understanding of light and its effect on people. She is always seeking to create a backdrop where people are excited and have pleasurable experiences. www.suessparklers.com
 
 
M'Liss Rae Hawley
Freeland, WA
M'Liss's Quilting World, LLC
M’Liss Rae Hawley is an accomplished quilting teacher, lecturer, embroidery and textile designer, and best-selling author. She conducts workshops and seminars throughout the world and is the author of 13 books.
 
The originator of numerous innovative designs, M’Liss is constantly seeking new boundaries to challenge her students while imparting her enthusiasm and love for the art of quilting. M’Liss continues to create fabric with coordinating embroidery collections, write books, and create patterns for many magazines. M’Liss is the quilting spokesperson for national companies. She likes to break quilting down to the basics to show students that quilting can be easy and fun at any level of skill!

M’Liss and her husband, Michael, live on Whidbey Island, Washington, in a filbert orchard. Michael is also a best-selling author and the recently retired sheriff of Island County. Their son, Alexander is a Platoon Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps, currently serving overseas, and their daughter, Adrienne, a Fire Fighter, is attending graduate school in Dublin, Ireland. Michael and M’Liss share their home with five dachshunds and three cats. http://www.quiltclasses.com/
 
 
Lorraine Henry
San Diego, CA
Conselle Institute
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
 
 
Mary Huey
Willoughby, OH
Mary Huey Quilts
With a degree in clothing and retailing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Mary fortunately became hooked on quiltmaking in the early 70's. For the past 25 years she has owned and operated Erie Street Quilts in Willoughby, Ohio, founded on an education-based philosophy. She has taught extensively throughout Northeast Ohio, offering popular workshops and lectures, and as a creative consultant for Kings Road Imports of California during the 90's, discovered a new excitement for quiltmaking through design. Mary is committed to nurturing creativity in her students by teaching workshops that challenge them to be more attentive to their personal preferences, building confidence and uncovering individual creativity. www.maryhueyquilts.com
 
 
 
Judy Kessinger
Louisville, KY
FitNice
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
 
 
Debby Kratovil
Bristow, VA
Quilter By Design
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 was Quilt Magazine’s Special Projects Editor for 14 years, along with sewing and designing for various fabric companies and publications. Her published works include Bold, Black & Beautiful Quilts (AQS, 2004), five different Quilt Block a Day calendars (Accord, Simon & Schuster, and Martingale), and her new book, Supersize ‘Em Quilts. 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
 
 
Cindy Losekamp
Cedar Grove, IN
Sew Artfully Yours
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.
 
 
Kim Montagnese
Amherst, OH
AhHa!
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.ginkogallery.net/spotlight.shtml
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)
 
 
Marty Moon
Culpeper, VA
Early Times Workshop
Owner of Early Times Workshop for 20 years, Marty enjoys quilting and doing other types of needlework. Trained by hand in very traditional quiltmaking, Marty prides herself on the technical aspects of her quilts and is passionate about passing those skills on to others. Always seeking a challenge or competition to whet her appetite, Marty grounds her ‘art’ quilts in her traditional background. You can find one of Marty’s quilts in Quilting with Manhole Covers by Shirley MacGregor. www.earlytimesworkshop.com


Nan Moore 
Palm Coast, FL
Sew & Quilt Shop
Nan (short for Nannette) Moore has been quilting for over 25 years. Her quilts have won awards locally and nationally, and have been featured in books and magazines. She has owned Moore and Moore Quilts, a longarm machine quilting and design business, for over six years. Nan is a quilt appraiser with a special interest in mid-century fabrics especially feedsacks. She is married with five grown children and has adopted and rescued five mustangs and a wild burro, along with numerous dogs and cats.
www.MooreandMooreQuilts.com
www.sewandquiltshop.com
 
 
Laura Murray
Minneapolis, MN
Laura Murray Designs
An enduring passion for transforming fabric with color, texture and design has led Laura Murray to a career as fiber artist, author, business owner, and instructor. Her award winning art quilts have been exhibited widely for the past 14 years in juried and invitational quilt and art shows. More recently, Laura's attention has turned to wearable art, and she particularly enjoys creating unique fabric by enhancing vintage kimono panels with dyes and paints. Her company, Laura Murray Designs, can be found vending at large quilt and sewing shows across the country featuring unique fabrics and products for quilters, sewers, and fabric artists. www.lauramurraydesigns.com
 
 
Tammy O'Connell
Muskego, WI
Peacock Patterns
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
St. Petersburg, FL
Sulky of America
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
Franksville, WI
Great Copy Patterns
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
 
 
Karen Pharr
La Veta, CO
Karen Pharr Studios
Karen is an award winning quilter with quilts shown in both Quilt Shows and Art Galleries. Karen uses nature as her main inspiration for her work. As a national teacher, pattern designer and art quilter, Karen loves to help students develop new fun and creative techniques which they can apply to their own quilting style. A yes you can attitude flows throughout her classroom so everyone can create while having fun and learning new techniques they can take with them and apply to future projects. www.karenpharrstudios.com
 
 
Darlene Pollard
Knoxville, TN
RNK Distributing
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
 
 
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
 
 
Londa Rohlfing
Savoy, IL
Londa's Creative Threads
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 appeared in a webisode on www.nowsewing.net in October 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
Mukilteo, WA
Unique Patterns
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
Dallas, TX
Silhouette Patterns
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
Aurora, CO
Susan is a nationally known author and teaches silk ribbon embellishment by machine across the country. She has been an educator for Superior Threads, Cactus Punch, Embroideryarts and is currently an educator for YLI, Corp. 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. She appeared as the featured guest online in series four of The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson.
 
 
Emma Seabrooke
Islamorada, FL
Sew KeysE, Inc.
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. www.emmaseabrooke.com
 
 
Allen Smith
Tampa, FL
Janome Educator
As a young man Allen learned to piece charm quilts on his grandmothers’ treadle machine, thus establishing his passion for textiles. His interests have grown and evolved over the years, and is evident in his placing several times in the Sulky Challenge with original thread based dolls, the way he plays with color in traditional designs, how he creates art quilts and the development of his original quilt patterns. In 2001 he graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Interior Design. A self proclaimed “batik-a-holic”, Allen notes “there is no wrong color combination for any quilt as long as it appeals to you! www.janome.com
 
 
Connie Spurlock
Coeur d’Alene, ID
Sew Wonderful Dreams
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
Sanford, FL
Baby Lock Education Consultant
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
 
 
Carol Steinbrecher
Boulder, CO
Conselle Institute
Style Solutions, LLC
Carol has been sewing since she was a little girl and hasn’t stopped since. She learned home décor and window coverings from her grandmother but has stayed with her love of fashion construction and wardrobing. She is founder and president of Style Solutions, LLC, an image and fashion management services firm and is known at home as “the local what not to wear girl, but nicer”. She specializes in alterations of Ready-to- Wear, fitting techniques & fashion pattern alterations, wardrobing, personal styling and image services. Carol is an affiliate of the Conselle Institute of Image Management and a member of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI), the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals (ASDP), and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. She is also an Independent CAbi consultant offering a line of famous designer women’s clothing.
 
Carol received her BSN from the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh and worked in the oncology nursing field and hospice for 15 years. In her free time, Carol loves to hike, cross country ski, movies, spend time with friends, travel and shop. She totally believes chocolate is one of the basic food groups and that at least 25% of every day should be fun!
www.conselle.com
www.stylesolutionsllc.com
 
 
Jennifer Stern
Manchester, CT
J Stern Designs
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
Charlottesville, VA
My Cozy Cottage
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
 
 
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
 

Kelly Wise
Palm Coast, FL
Sew & Quilt Shop
Kelly has been quilting for 11 years and has been a longarm quilter for nearly 9 years. Kelly’s quilting has been featured in vendor booths at Quilt Market, in books, and in magazines. Kelly’s background is technology and education. The step to computerized quilting and teaching was natural and began with her two children Tyler, 10 years old and Emily, 8 years old. Tyler, getting pretty good on the Statler, and Emily, a panto gal, are no strangers to quilting or the longarm; they have both completed numerous quilting projects and entered pieces in shows. Kelly thoroughly enjoys working with the Creative Studio program and continually finds new and exciting ways to add to her creativity. www.sewandquiltshop.com
 
 
Dini Yan
Demarest, NJ
Momo-Dini Embroidery Art
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
Glastonbury, CT 
Gail Patrice Design
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
Sarasota, FL
Designs by Hope Yoder, Inc.
Hope Yoder is an author, designer and sewing instructor who specializes in machine embellishments and loves to incorporate refined embellishment techniques and machine embroidery into romantic ladies clothes and accessories. Hope owns a new pattern company called “Hope Sew Patterns” & has written two books. She is the designer of many machine embroidery collections including Tag-A-Longs and Heirloom Embellishments which features heirloom techniques that are re-created in the embroidery hoop. Hope has appeared on the PBS show, “Martha’s Sewing Room” and her work has been featured on the cover of Sew Beautiful, Sew News, Designs in Machine Embroidery and Clotilde’s Sewing Savvy magazine. She also writes for Australian Machine Embroidery, Creative Machine Embroidery, and House of White Birches. Hope teaches at International Dealer Conventions as well as traveling the country teaching hands on workshops at the School of Art Fashion and other consumer events helping ladies discover how to “Romance Their Wardrobe” using her special techniques. To find out more visit www.hopeyoder.com