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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! 


Denise Applegate-Schober
Lake Forest, IL
QBOT "The Automated Quilter"
Although Denise has been sewing for more than 40 years she made her first quilt in 1986 using one of Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day books. She started sewing with her mother and the local 4-H Happy Hands Club. While learning how to make garments and craft items as a young adult Denise has learned to incorporate some of these same techniques into her quilting. She continues to take classes learning the latest and greats quilting and sewing techniques that she loves to share with you. You are sure to learn many new techniques along with some of the traditional quilting staples that will carry you through your years of sewing as they have Denise. www.myqbot.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


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
 
 
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


 
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

 
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.
 
 
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
  
 
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
 
 
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


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
 
 
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

 
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
 
 
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
 
 
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
 
 
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
 
 
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. Carol is founder and CEO of Style Solutions, LLC, an image and fashion management services firm. Carol specializes in tailoring, alterations of ready-to-wear, fitting techniques & fashion pattern alterations; wardrobe strategies, personal styling, closet clutter control and image services. Carol’s clients include Oscar award winner, Paula DuPre Pesman. Carol is an affiliate of the Conselle Institute of Image Management, member of AICI, ASDP, BPW and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. Graduate of UW-Oshkosh-BSN. Carol 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
 

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
 
 
Elayne West 
Plymouth, WI 
The Sewing Basket
Elayne West is a partner at The Sewing Basket in Plymouth, WI. Elayne began sewing clothing and other projects in grade school and has been sewing and quilting ever since. She has taught and given trunk shows at Quilt Expo in Madison, WI and at many guilds. One of her purse designs was featured in Asian Fabrics Magazine. At The Sewing Basket she teaches sewing and quilting classes, designs patterns and does trunk shows of their original pattern - the "What a Deal Purse Cards". See samples at www.sewingbasket.biz. The Sewing Basket is also home to the Quilting Football League (QFL) program. Visit www.teamqfl.com and join the fun!
 
 
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