Vicki Anderson Cheryl Arkison Evie Ashworth Amy Butler David Butler Alissa Haight Carlton Susan Cleveland Meg Cox Mollie Cullinane Malka Dubrawsky Melanie Falick Mary Fons Jacquie Gering Heather Grant Rhonda Green Helen Gregory Debbie Grifka Elizabeth Hartman Rachel Hobson Anna Maria Horner Lizzy House Lotta Jansdotter Yoshiko Jinzenji Heather Jones Marcia Kaylakie Kim Kight Jennifer Kletner Thomas Knauer Allison Korleski Penny Layman Kristen Lejnieks Kristi Loeffelholz Amy Marson Jay McCarroll Kathy Miller Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr Heather Ross Luana Rubin Ellen Rushman Latifah Saafir Angela Walters Valori Wells Laurie Wisbrun Sherri Lynn Wood Susanne Woods
Denyse Schmidt
Keynote and Workshops
A former graphic designer and graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Denyse Schmidt has changed the way we think about quilts. Intrigued by the rich historical nature of quilts and inspired by beauty born of necessity, Denyse adds her distinctive aesthetic sensibility – clean, spare lines, rich color and bold graphics – to this rich art form. Though firmly rooted in the techniques of American quilt-making, Denyse Schmidt is renowned for her fresh, offbeat approach to design and color and has won acclaim from the worlds of art, design and craft. As author, fabric designer, and teacher, Denyse continues to inspire with her witty take on tradition. Denyse’s studio is located in a historic factory building in Bridgeport, Connecticut. For more information, visit dsquilts.com.
Panelist
Vicki Anderson is the CEO of Meander Publishing Inc, creator of Machine Quilting Unlimited and Modern Quilts Unlimited magazines. She also serves as the Executive Editor and Publisher for the magazines. Vicki founded Meander Publishing Inc in 2006, utilizing her extensive publishing experience, degree in Finance, and formal training as a Human Resource professional. Her passion for quilting, starting in the 1970s and still strong today, defines the editorial focus of the company. Vicki is a member of several national quilting organizations, as well as local quilt guilds. For more information, visit mqumag.com.
Workshops
Quilter, writer, teacher, mom, friend, sister, daughter, and the bestest wife ever. Cheryl is the author (with Amanda Jean Nyberg) of Sunday Morning Quilts. This modern quilt book focuses on scraps – from sorting to using every last bit of treasured fabric. She teaches quilting across North America, when not corralling children or fabric gone wild. She also a freelance writer, with a focus on food and craft. Cheryl lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband, one old pooch, two wild little girls, and one newborn boy who has no clue what chaos he’s entered. She rules the house from her Dining Room Empire. Learn more at cherylarkison.com.
Panelist
Evie Ashworth is Design Director for the Retail Division at Robert Kaufman Fabrics. She brought her expertise to Robert Kaufman in 2000 to establish within the company a whole category of product specifically for quilt fabric retailers. She merchandised the line, introducing the concept of coordinated samples and print basics, including the trademark Fusions™ brand, and ensures Robert Kaufman brand’s association with only the highest quality standards. Evie currently directs a large internal design team as well as several art studios abroad, to produce Robert Kaufman’s signature in-house Luxe and Gallery looks as well as a broad range with external licensed artists and brands. Learn more at robertkaufman.com.
Panelist
Lecturer, Panelist
Amy Butler is a artist known for her modern approach to botanical, geometric and romantic inspirations infused with her signature spirited color. Her passion for creating and encouraging others to live a beautiful life by design reaches a global like-minded audience. She creates fabrics, home, fashion, craft and stationery products in her Ohio home studio alongside her husband, David, and her four cats. Learn more at amybutlerdesign.com.
Lecturer
David Butler is the designer of the folk modern brand Parson Gray. As a graphic artist whose clientele has included Cirque du Soleil & Ralph Lauren, David has brought his tactile brand of modern heritage to all that he creates. When not touring with his band Black Owls, he weaves his print designs for Parson Gray into modern quilting fabrics, as well as products for home, fashion and lifestyle. David works from his Ohio studio with fabled fabric designer wife Amy Butler. Learn more at parsongray.com.
Panel Moderator, Host
Alissa Haight Carlton lives in Los Angeles and is one of the founders and president of the Modern Quilt Guild. She has written two books, Modern Minimal: 20 Bold and Graphic Quilts, and Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee, which she co-authored. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications such as We Love Color, Stitch Magazine and Quilting Arts, Quilt Scene Magazine. When not quilting, Alissa casts reality shows, including many recent seasons of Project Runway. She blogs at handmadebyalissa.com.
Workshops
Susan’s enthusiasm for quilting is said to be contagious, and her students enjoy detailed instruction accompanied by lots of encouragement. Susan’s quilts range from simple to complex and all are saturated with unexpected elements. Many have received awards in international competitions. Susan has appeared on “The Quilt Show” and several other internet shows. Her popular books are self-published and full of innovative techniques and charming details. Susan is inventor of the Groovin’ Piping Trimming Tool and of the Prairie Pointer pressing tool. She is proud to have been named 2010 Minnesota Quilter of the Year! Learn more at PiecesBeWithYou.com.
Lecturer
Journalist Meg Cox is a recognized authority on current quilting trends, writing regular columns for multiple quilt magazines, and occasional quilt articles for The Wall Street Journal. A passionate quilter for more than 20 years, she wrote the go-to resource Bible for the craft, The Quilter’s Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide (Workman Publishing). Meg serves as president of the national nonprofit Quilt Alliance, whose mission is to preserve and share the stories of quilts and quilters. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with her husband and son. Learn more at megcox.com.
Lecturer
Mollie Wettstein Cullinane is an attorney and the founder of the Cullinane Law Group, which works exclusively with the nonprofit sector. For the past decade, Ms. Cullinane has worked with nonprofits of all sizes, from emerging local charities to international foundations like the Dr. Phil (McGraw) Foundation in Los Angeles. Ms. Cullinane helps nonprofits make a difference in their communities. Based in Austin and San Antonio, Ms. Cullinane works with nonprofits and social entrepreneurs throughout the United States who seek to create positive change. Learn more at cullinanelaw.com.
Workshops
Malka is well known for her hand dyed fabric. She released her first fabric line with Moda in 2011. She writes and designs patterns and has been published in several magazines and books. Her first book, Color Your Cloth: A Quilter’s Guide to Dyeing and Patterning Fabric, was published by Lark Books in November 2009, and a second book, Fresh Quilting: Fearless, Color, Design, and Inspiration was released in December 2010 by Interweave Press. Read more about Malka at stitchindye.blogspot.com.
Panelist
Melanie Falick is the publishing director of STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books, an imprint of Stewart, Tabori & Chang and ABRAMS. Among the many books she has edited and published are Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration, Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Color, Alabama Studio Sewing + Design by Natalie Chanin, and Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Melanie is the former editor-in-chief of Interweave Knits magazine and the author of several knitting books, including Weekend Knitting, Kids Knitting, and Knitting in America. Learn more at melaniefalickbooks.com/.
Lecturer, Workshops
Mary Fons is creator of Quilty, a weekly how-to show offered online at QNNtv.com for rookie quilters, and now a successful magazine title on newsstands nationwide, with plans for significant growth in 2013. Mary is also co-host of “Love of Quilting” on PBS, alongside her mom, Marianne Fons. Learn more about Mary at maryfons.com.
Lecturer, Workshops
Since discovering quilting five years ago, Jacquie has become a passionate quilt maker and designer. She is known for her “out of the box” designs and unique style. She is the co-author of Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts. She blogs and shares her quilting knowledge on her popular blog, Tallgrass Prairie Studio, and lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and black lab, Bruno. Learn more at tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com.
Lecturer
Heather has played an important role in the modern quilting scene as founder of the Austin Modern Quilt Guild. Heather also is author of the popular blog, Modern Day Quilts, which was named one of the Top 55 Quilting Blogs by Quilter’s Home magazine and has been featured in Fat Quarterly and Elle Decor. Learn more at moderndayquilts.tumblr.com.
Lecturer
Rhonda, a.k.a. “The Gardening Yogini,” has over a decade of yoga teaching experience. Her teaching is grounded in the ashtanga vinyasa tradition and then opens and expands from there. Rhonda is able to share a depth of knowledge with the seasoned yoga practitioner as well as beginners. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from the University of South Florida, is an organic urban gardener and a loving mother of a beautiful daughter. Learn more at facebook.com/gardeningyogini
Panelist
Helen Gregory is the Editorial Director of Interweave’s Quilt, Paper, and Sewing Group. She oversees the group’s four print magazines: Quilting Arts Magazine®, Cloth Paper Scissors®, Stitch, and Studios; special print issues; and instructional videos including the PBS television program “Quilting Arts TV.” A friend introduced Helen to quilting after they graduated from college, and she was perfectly content with handwork until her parents gave her a student model sewing machine. When she received the machine, she couldn’t imagine she’d ever use it. Now she can’t imagine life without it. When not working or creating, Helen loves spending time outdoors – hiking, biking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and relaxing at the beach. Learn more at interweave.com.
Workshops
Debbie has been sewing all her life and quilting for the past ten years. Her designs have appeared in such magazines as Stitch, Quilting Arts Gifts and Modern Patchwork, and she publishes her own patterns as Esch House Quilts. Debbie’s quilt “Ephemeral Elegance,” which uses her bias appliqué technique, won first place in its category in the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show in Paducah in 2011. Debbie is an active member of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, Modern Quilt Guild. Learn more at eschhousequilts.blogspot.com.
Workshops
Elizabeth Hartman is a self-taught quilter from Portland, Oregon. She is the author of the popular blog, Oh, Fransson!, and The Practical Guide to Patchwork, which was the winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Best How-To Book of 2011. Her second book, Modern Patchwork will be published is available now. Learn more at ohfransson.com.
Workshops
Rachel Hobson is a craft writer, editor and embroidery enthusiast. She taught embroidery classes at the Stitch Lab in Austin before moving to Houston in 2011. She has blogged at Average Jane Crafter since 2007, has written for Craftzine.com since 2008, and was named Editor-in-Chief of Craftzine.com in 2012. Her embroidery has appeared in a national advertising campaign in BUST magazine, and she stitched samples for Jenny Hart’s Embroidered Effects book and Sublime Stitching web site. Rachel contributed projects to World of Geekcraft and a chapter on hand embroidery techniques for Laurie Wisbrun’s upcoming book, Embellish Me. Learn more at about.me/rachelhobson.
Lecturer, Workshops
To many people, the Anna Maria brand means color and inspiration in the form of craft, sewing, needlework, books, patterns, kits and friendly how-to. Since 2006, her ever-growing library of fabrics has delighted and adorned creative souls around the globe. Constantly setting the bar higher in material choices, the industry has come to rely on Anna Maria to provide gorgeous new lines as well as to inspire clever ways to use them. She works from her home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, where she makes a home with her husband Jeff, six children and a pair of yellow labs. Learn more at annamariahorner.com.
Workshops
Lizzy House is a printmaker, fabric designer, author, and educator. She has released seven lines of fabric, including one of her latest for Andover, “Hello Pilgrim.” Lizzy has designed a series of quilt patterns and is the author of the book How to Enter the World of Textile Design. She has a BFA in Printmaking and currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. When Lizzy isn’t printing, designing fabric, writing, or teaching, she can usually be found curled in a small ball asleep on an airplane. And no, she doesn’t want any peanuts. Learn more at lizzyhouse.com.
Workshops
Lotta’s products are functional and practical, her projects approachable and easy. Making life better is the result. Born 1971 on Åland, her Swedish heritage is also apparent in her pragmatic and self-sufficient approach to design. Lotta takes the basic craft skills she learned as a child, such as potato printmaking and simple sewing, and stretches them into sophisticated tools. Her look is sleek and urban, and her products are created for a busy city life. Lotta’s awareness, substance and instinctual sense of style are perfectly suited for contemporary lifestyles, as is her generosity and sharing of knowledge. Learn more at jansdotter.com.
Lecturer, Workshops
Yoshiko Jinzenji is an internationally renowned Quilt Artist and teacher based in Kyoto, Japan. Her studio, the Grass House, is based in Bali, Indonesia. Known for her unique minimal and low volume quilts, Yoshiko is consistently cited as a major influence of modern quilters. In 1979, she received the Provincial Award by the Ontario Craft Council in Canada. She has exhibited throughout Japan and the world. Yoshiko’s quilts are in the permanent collections the New England Quilt Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Spencer Museum of Art, International Quilt Study Center & Museum, and the Museum of Art and Design. Learn more at yoshikoquilt.com.
Lecturer
Heather Jones is a designer and modern quilter. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young children, who are her biggest supporters and greatest sources of inspiration. Three of her quilts were chosen as winners of the Modern Quilt Guild’s Project Modern challenges, and she recently released her first line of quilting patterns. Heather has great respect for the art of quiltmaking and loves to bring a modern twist to traditional patterns. She finds inspiration in the world around her, often in non-traditional places and things, and is excited by the challenge to translate it into her work. Learn more at oliveandollie.com.
Lecturer
Marcia Kaylakie is a quiltmaker, collector, appraiser, historian and author. She is certified by the American Quilter’s Society in quilts and quilted textiles and is a member of the International Society of Appraisers. Marcia is skilled in appraising and advising care and conservation of all textiles. Her book, Texas Quilts and Quilters, won the Texas Writer’s League Violet Crown Award for non-fiction in 2008. Marcia lives in Austin, Texas, with her family. Learn more at texasquiltappraiser.com.
Panel Moderator
Ever since she learned to sew, Kim Kight was more interested in the design of fabric than she was with the actual sewing part. She launched the first “all-fabric” blog, True Up, in 2008. In 2011, her first book, A Field Guide to Fabric Design, was published by Stash Books. Kim lives in the Hill Country outside of Austin with her husband and two sons. Learn more at Trueup.net.
Lecturer
A passion for all things quilting is what drives Executive Editor Jennifer Keltner. She oversees an expansive quilting family of media, which includes Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting®, Quilts and More®,Quilt Sampler®, AllPeopleQuilt.com, and American Patchwork & Quilting online radio. An avid quilter, Jennifer’s addiction to quilting can be summed up in six words. Live it. Love it. Do it. When she’s not at her sewing machine, she can be found pursuing her latest textile acquisitions around the country.
Lecturer
Thomas Knauer holds Masters of Fine Art from both Ohio University and the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Before he started designing fabric and quilts, he was a professor of art and design at Drake University and the State University of New York. Thomas began sewing in 2010, after leaving academia due to health concerns; the first time he sat down at a sewing machine he made his wee daughter a dress. He now designs fabric with Andover Fabrics, and his quilts are starting to be published in an array of magazines. Thomas still loves making things for his wee daughter. Learn more at thomasknauersews.com.
Panelist
Allison Korleski has worked In bookselling or publishing for 21 years. A book buyer at Barnes & Noble for over 10 years, she handled illustrated books for the chain, including all craft books. She joined Interweave as Acquisitions Editor in 2010, and is currently responsible for acquiring their entire book list. She is always looking for good ideas in quilting, sewing, knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, jewelry & metalworking, and mixed-media art. Query emails are always welcome, and you can contact Allison at Akorleski@interewave.com.
Workshops
Penny Layman has been sewing since she was a child, when her mom taught her to sew a straight line on a machine. She is a self-taught quilter with work published in several magazines and books. Penny is the author of the quirky, fun blog Sew Take A Hike and her love of foundation paper piecing has helped fuel the fire for paper piecing online. She is one of the founders of the popular online quilting bee, ‘Ringo Pie,’ and has a passion for teaching others the ins and outs of paper piecing. Learn more at sewtakeahike.typepad.com.
Lecturer
Kristen Lejnieks is an attorney and quilter living in Washington, D.C., with her husband, two daughters, and her dog. She is the co-author of Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee, published by C&T Publishing in Spring 2011. Kristen loves crafts of all kinds, but considers quilting to be her true passion. Learn more at kristenunraveled.com.
Panelist
Kristi Loeffelholz has spent more than a decade within the craft and quilt publishing industry. Loeffelholz began her crafting career at Better Homes & Gardens (Creative Collections); six years later, she joined the team at New Track Media where she was charged with overseeing the quilt industry’s most popular magazine titles, including Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting, Easy Quilts and New Track’s latest hit, Quilty. In addition, Loeffelholz manages social media strategies for Love of Quilting, video content for NTM (including QNNtv.com, the largest collectiont of how-to quilting/sewing videos on the web), and oversees the advertising and editorial teams. Loeffelholz lives in Iowa with her husband and two children, Slade and Sloan, both of whom have quilts made by mom.
Panelist
Amy Marson’s career in publishing spans more than two decades. She has been the publisher at C&T Publishing for 10 years. A self-described avid crafter, quilter and fabric lover, she is also an executive with a strong background in sales, marketing, production, acquisitions and IT. When Amy is not leading the team at C&T Publishing, you can find her passing on her love of quilting to the next generation of quilters. She is a quilt evangelist in every way. Amy’s recent accomplishments include leading C&T in the creation, implementation and marketing of Stash Books. She is delighted to have published books by Alissa Haight Carlton, Kristen Lejnieks, Elizabeth Hartman, Rashida Coleman-Hale, Angela Walters, Kim Kight, Amanda Jean Nyberg, Cheryl Akrson and many more modern quilters. Amy can be reached at amym@ctpub.com.
Workshops
Jay McCarroll is a fashion designer who is internationally recognized for winning the inaugural season of the Emmy nominated competitive reality television show, Project Runway. Jay studied fashion design at the former Philadelphia College of Textile and Science, now Philadelphia University, where he currently teaches. He also studied at the London College of Fashion. Fabric, color, pattern and texture are among the great loves of Jay’s life. According to Jay, the greatest part of his job is manipulating those elements into functioning products for people to use and enjoy. Learn more at jaymccarrollonline.com, which contains information about Jay, his product lines and an online store for the Jay McCarroll Label.
Lecturer, Panelist
Kathy Miller founded Michael Miller Fabrics with business partner Michael Steiner in 1999. Before starting Michael Miller, she spent over 20 years honing her fabric design skills as an artist, stylist and eventually head stylist, encompassing everything from kid’s wear to women’s wear, lingerie, bedding and the home sewing world. Traveling the globe while learning the intricacies of mill work and sourcing, each of Kathy’s projects was a valuable lesson on a path she’s never doubted. As an owner with a designer’s viewpoint, she directs Michael Miller’s diversely talented in-house artists, freelancers and a fabulous group of licensed designers. Learn more at MichaelMillerFabrics.com.
Lecturer, Workshops
Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr established Modern Quilt Studio (previously FunQuilts) in 1999 to design and make quilts that are expressive of the time in which we live. Their books include Transparency Quilts, Quilts Made Modern, Quiltmaker’s Color Workshop and Modern Quilt Workshop. In 2011, they launched Modern Quilts Illustrated, the first magazine dedicated to modern quilting. Weeks and Bill currently design fabric for Andover Fabrics and have designed textiles for Crate and Barrel, RJR and FreeSpirit. Weeks also writes the blog Craft Nectar and Bill is chairman of the art department at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Learn more at modernquiltstudio.com.
Lecturer
Heather Ross is an illustrator, textile designer, and best selling crafts-book author. Her artwork is some of the most recognizable in the fabric and crafts markets, and also appears on apparel, surfboards, and stationery. Her most recent work includes a new collection of quilting and apparel weight fabrics for Windham Fabrics and the publication of several books, including Heather Ross PRINTS, and the popular childrens’ book series, Crafty Chloe, which she illustrates. Her home and studio are in New York City.
Lecturer
Luana Rubin has worked in design and trend forecasting in the fashion and textile industry since 1981. She is a chairholder in the Color Marketing Group – an international color forecasting organization – and gave the keynote presentation at their 2012 conference in Bangkok. Luana travels around the world visiting quilt and design conferences, sharing images and videos via Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. She is also the president and co-owner of eQuilter.com in Boulder, Colorado. eQuilter gives 2% of sales to charity, and has raised over $1 million total for organizations like Doctors Without Borders. Luana has also worked as a licensed designer for Robert Kaufman Fabrics & YLI Threads, was a three-time Bernina Fashion Show designer, and is part of the Bernina National Teachers group. Learn more at eQuilter.com.
Lecturer
Ellen Rushman holds a Master’s Degree in Textile History with an emphasis in Quilt Studies from the University of Nebraska. Her thesis work is centered on the Modern Quilt Guild, specifically what draws people into the guild and how they contextualize the quilts they make in terms of art and craft. Ellen began quilting in 2006. She hand pieced traditional blocks for several years before discovering endless inspiration from blogs resulting in a dramatic shift in her quiltmaking. Today, Ellen uses a machine but rarely touches a ruler. Learn more at fabricfield.blogspot.com.
Panel Moderator
Sewing has been Latifah Saafir’s avenue to creativity ever since she “took it up seriously” at the age of 11. An accomplished seamstress, Latifah Saafir took the dive into quilting in 2009 and just a few months later with only one quilt under her belt co-founded the Modern Quilt Guild’s first chapter in Los Angeles. She has since been hooked and is a prolific quilter having easily transferred her skills from garment sewing into quilting. She is the president of the LA Modern Quilt Guild, is a board member of the Modern Quilt Guild and loves to teach modern quilting whenever she can. Latifah is known for her bold use of color and innovative design and blogs at thequiltengineer.com.
Lecturer, Workshops, Panelist
Since learning how to quilt from her husband’s grandparents 10 years ago, Angela has been in love with the art of quilting. She purchased her first quilting machine 10 years ago and has been quilting professionally, teaching and giving trunk shows ever since. She loves traditional quilting but has found her niche quilting modern quilts and helping other learn how to adapt their quilting designs for modern quilts. Angela quilts from her home studio and blogs at Quilting Is My Therapy. Learn more at quiltingismytherapy.com.
Workshops
Valori Wells is a professional quilter, author, fabric and pattern designer, painter and photographer. She also co-owns The Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon, with her mother. Valori came into quilting through osmosis, having a mother who shared her love of quilting and opened the Stitchin’ Post in 1975. She has been designing fabric, writing quilting books and patterns for 14 years, presenting a new look to the quilting and sewing world. Valori lives and works in Sisters, Oregon, with her husband and three children. Learn more at valoriwells.com.
Panelist
Laurie Wisbrun is a surface and textile designer who specializes in “stylishly smart & seriously playful designs.” Laurie also authored two books on textile design, Mastering the Art of Fabric Printing and Design and the upcoming 2013 book, Embellish Me. She has designed a number of international fabric collections for Robert Kaufman Fabrics and has licensed her designs to several home décor and stationery manufacturers. Laurie authors her blog Scarlet Fig and sells limited-run fabrics via her online Etsy shop. Prior to hopping off the corporate hamster wheel to create colorful designs of modern whimsy, Laurie had an extensive career in advertising and marketing in both Manhattan and Austin, Texas. Learn more at lauriewisbrun.com.
Workshops
Sherri Lynn Wood is an artist who lives in Oakland, California, where she improvises quilts as a life practice and blogs about it at Dainty Time. She has an MFA in sculpture from Bard College, a Masters of Theological Studies from Emory University, and teaches regularly at Penland School of Craft. Sherri’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the country. She has been making and selling quilts professionally for 20 years. Learn more at daintytime.net.
Panelist
Susanne Woods has been in the illustrated book publishing business for over 20 years, working in New York, London, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was the creative force behind the launch of Stash Books in 2010, and now lives in Colorado working at Interweave Books as their Editorial Director. Susanne has been sewing since she could thread a needle and reading books for even longer. She is always available for questions at: swoods@interweave.com.