Nan Baker
Marketing Director

As a designer, teacher, speaker, consultant and owner of her company, PURRFECT SPOTS, Nan Baker strives to create unique and beautiful designs for quilting and needlework enthusiasts.

Her designs have appeared in numerous needlework catalogs, plus the Quilting Professional, Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, The Quilt Pattern Magazine, QuiltsandCreativity.com and on QNNtv.com.

As an animal advocate, Nan promotes animal disaster preparedness. As a former member of the Disaster Animal Response Team for The Humane Society of the United States, she created The CASEY Plan (Caring for Animals Safely in Emergencies during the Year) which is a nationwide program. She has received several awards because of her efforts. A portion of her sales is donated to animal disaster relief education.

With a degree in Health Care Marketing, Nan establishes new and innovative programs for our readers. One example is the annual TQPM Quilt Kitties Contest.

Nan says her position with TQPM is "purrfect" as quilting is good therapy, therefore good for your health!

www.purrfectspots.com

Barbara Chojnacki
Editor in Chief

I have been stitching in one form or another for most of my life. After having dabbled in all types of embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and even bobbin lace, I discovered quilting and it stuck!

I began my own pattern company, Six Gables Designs, in 2005 and shortly thereafter became a founding member of the New England Quilt Designers Cooperative. In 2010, I created the Outside the Grid rulers, and I recently published my first book, Tidbits & Twiglets; Stash-busting strategies for creating quilts from five easy pieces.

I love working with scraps, especially other quilters' unwanted and unloved scraps. I can truly say I have never met a scrap I didn't like. The uglier the fabric, the more I want to play with it! I even hosted an ugly fabrics challenge on an online quilt group a while back.

I live in Westerly, Rhode Island and belong to guilds in Rhode Island and Connecticut. I teach locally and vend and demo at quilt shows throughout southern New England.

By the way, my house DOES have six gables!

www.sixgablesdesigns.com

Carol Dockery
Pattern Editor

I am the daughter of a Home Economics teacher and I've been sewing, quilting, and crafting my entire life. For over 25 years as a software professional, I squeezed my quilting passion into those few hours after dinner was done and before I collapsed for the night - hence my nickname, Quilter by Night.

I started converting years of handmade gifts into patterns and in 2009, Quilter by Night Designs was born. My mission is to promote the art of patchwork and quilting through all my designs and bring fun, unique, and useful patterns to quilters and sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels.

And, oh yes, I actually like to write patterns! I like to read, edit, and test them too! So when Cindy asked me to join TQPM as the Pattern Editor, I enthusiastically said, "Yes!" and I'm having a great time!

Carol Dockery is the owner and designer behind Quilter by Night Designs. She lives in Los Altos, California with her two wonderful sons and very loving (and tolerant) husband.

www.quilterbynight.com
www.etsy.com/shop/quilterbynight/

Barbara Douglas
Copy Editor

Barbara, quilt pattern designer, teacher/lecturer, art quilter and author, became a quilter at the age of 8 when her grandmother outfitted her with a cardboard template and pencil to begin her first nine-patch quilt. Over the years, she designed her own blocks and quilts for personal use and taught classes for the major fabric store where she was employed. After resigning from her long-term managerial position in 1999, she began her quilt pattern design company, Stone Cottage Designs. Though she teaches far and wide, her favorite teaching venue is in The Dungeon; her in-home studio space with its rock-lined walls and fireplace.

She shares her 76 year old stone cottage and a section of The Dungeon with her woodworking husband, Duane Douglas. Between the fabric and the wood, one can only imagine the amount of dust this old house generates. Barbara is also a mother of three and grandmother to six.

www.stonecottagequilts.com

Karen Gass
Editor

I'm a lover of all things textile, from quilts to garments, and from sweaters to ribbons. Learning to sew when I was 9 at my local 4-H Club set me on a journey which, so far, has no end. I'm married to a wonderful man who understands the need for a good stash for whatever craft in which I'm currently immersed. Between us, we have 7 children and 16 grandchildren. We live in Joplin, Missouri, where he is the manager of a furniture store, and I stay home, homeschooling our youngest and playing in the sewing room. I'm retired from a career of quilt designing and online publishing for health reasons. Currently, I spend my (nonworking) time making things for my grandbabies, learning to make my own garment patterns, couture sewing, quilting, and knitting lace. I'm happy to be on this journey with The Quilt Pattern Magazine.

http://karen-needlework.blogspot.com
www.etsy.com/shop/karne
http://www.craftsy.com/user/386929/pattern-store
https://handmadeartists.com/shop/KarenGass

Maria Hrabovsky
Co-Founder

Maria's fascination with quilts started in first grade with stories about pioneers and their quilts. She began quilting in 1985. In 2001, inspired by her husband's art work, they became a design team: Maria Michaels Designs.

Their quilts have appeared in The Quilt Pattern Magazine, Quiltmaker, The Canadian Quilter, and Miniature Quilt Ideas. They were interviewed for the article Couples in the Quilt Business for The Professional Quilter. Maria later wrote a two-part article for the magazine. Her quilts have been shown at three International Quilt Markets. She was invited to submit a quilt to the juried show, Kindred Spaces as part of the celebration of 100 Years of Anne of Green Gables in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island,Canada. Her quilt won third place. She is a former elementary school and quilting teacher.

In 2005, realizing how difficult it can be for quilters to find a venue to sell their work, she created the website Quilts for Sale for that purpose. At last count, it represents over 140 quilters.

www.quiltsforsale.ca
http://mariamichaelsdesigns.wordpress.com

Sharon Kirkpatrick
Article Editor

I’ve sewn since I was 6, and quilted for about 30 years. I taught quilting for over 20 of those years. One of my classes was designed to teach quilting to those who had never sewn. It is a challenge to try to explain why a seam allowance is needed! For my classes, I designed patterns to help with teaching new and different techniques, as well as to instill a knowledge of how quilting began, and some of the history of the craft.

While with the QuiltDesigners group on Yahoo, I became aware of the need for a good pattern-testing community to support and complement designing. That’s how the QuiltPatternTester group, which has been mentioned in Quilter’s Home Magazine, came into being in 2005, and grew from a few quilting teachers and designers to over 250 members, producing new designers along the way.

I am really excited about this ezine, which represents the best of hi-tech blending with a craft that dates back to before King Menes. Quilters are great at blending the two.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QuiltPatternTesters/

Cindy Mccoy
CEO

Cindy Mccoy, known to many as MsDesigns, discovered the world of quilting in 1993. She created the company CD Designs for the purpose of selling her own appliqué patterns. In 1997, she fell in love with English Paper Piecing. Her first finished project was a gift to her mother - a king-sized Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. Cindy traveled around the USA doing quilt shows as a vendor. She also taught Freezer Paper Appliqué and English Paper Piecing at the shows. After about 5 years of traveling, Cindy moved her company to the Internet. As an experienced, professional web designer, she has created all of her web sites.

Cindy is the CEO of The Quilt Pattern Magazine which is her latest big adventure.

www.cddesigns.com

Isobel Meekins
Copy Editor

I have enjoyed sewing and doing other crafts since childhood. In 1993, I caught the quilting bug and have been addicted ever since. After over 10 years as a middle school special education teacher, I moved on to teaching quilting classes for local and state quilt guilds, numerous quilt shops, and the Newport News Department of Parks and Recreation in Newport News, Virginia. In addition to teaching, I write my own simple-to-follow quilt patterns, organize quilting events and trips including an annual quilt retreat in Capon Springs, West Virginia, and work for various quilting vendors and pattern designers. My motto is, "Quilting should be fun and relaxing!"

Michelle Sargent
Copy Editor

Sewing is one of those things I just sort of absorbed growing up. I don't remember actually making anything, but my mom and grandmothers were all very talented sewing women. I believe I learned a lot from them just by watching and being around the sewing.

I started quilting over 20 years ago. I modified the pattern on my very first project and have never been good at following directions exactly. I always change things just a bit to make it mine. I have had patterns published in Country Woman Magazine, Miniature Quilts Magazine, and an article in Quilting Arts Magazine.

I decided to open my own pattern publishing company, Quilty Stuff, after working in a local quilt shop. I love teaching quilting to others, and I love designing quilts. I enjoy all aspects of quilting from hand quilting to machine quilting, to traditional, to modern, to crazy quilting. You can follow my quilting adventures at www.QuiltyStuff.com/blog

Jan Allston (issue 2/2013)

Having retired in 2004 from careers, first, in teaching mathematics, and last in management and teaching of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in secondary school, I took up quilting after seeing a wholecloth quilt being made. The geometric patterns and the sheer beauty of the fabric with its highlights and shadows inspired me.

I enrolled in a local quilting class in 2005 and was hooked. The creative side of quilting, with the use of maths everywhere, the tactile aspect of the fabrics, and the satisfaction when an item is completed, have taken me to heights I had never anticipated.

I am now area representative for East Sussex in The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles. I have also just started up a Yahoo group for this organisation (members only) and occasionally design projects and write articles for the British version of Patchwork & Quilting magazine. I organise coach trips from my local area to national quilt shows here in the UK. When I do get time to sew, I find it very relaxing as I have the Bernina Artista 630 with embroidery module and Designer Plus software, which is another outlet for my creative streak!

Donnely Barber (issue 5/2013)

I have been working with fibers of some kind since I was 4 years old. Thanks to my grandmothers, I learned to love fibers and to be creative. Grams bought me my first sewing machine when I was 5. It was a Betsy McCall chain stitch. I fell in love with sewing. She also taught me that it was all right to be a free-to-be-me kind of artist.

While the rest of my family were musicians, I was the lone artist. One of the most important goals I have had in my life is to share and pass on the knowledge of creating. I was gifted with a wonderful talent; to keep it to myself would be selfish.

Life has not been easy. When you find that you are a survivor, you want to live your life to the fullest. Creating has been a lifeline for me.

To my great-nephew, who passed from this life way too soon, I dedicate my favorite saying, "Cherish the laughter of a child, for it is the sound of the stars."

Janet Barker (issue 5/2013)

I first took a quilting class in the late 1970's, but I did not enjoy the template and scissors method, so quilting did not “take”. My millennium New Year's resolution was to use up all of my fabric left over from making kids' clothing. That year I made over 50 gift bags for friends and relatives. I decided to appliqué the bags as decoration. The appliqué books are in the quilting section of the library. I was soon hooked, and, of course, I now have more fabric than I ever owned while sewing kids' clothes! Ironically, appliqué is my least favourite form of quilting.

I have been designing almost as long as I have been quilting. I am always analyzing quilts, looking at different methods of construction or colouring. In 2011, I started publishing my patterns. I sell online, at local quilt stores and through trunk shows to guilds. My customers and students have been very happy with their results.

I have an engineering degree and worked as a geophysicist in Calgary for thirty years. Colour plays a huge role in geophysical pattern recognition. Perhaps that is why I love the geometry and colour of quilting!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jbquiltdesigns/

Joan Bassett (issue 3/2013)

Joan has been designing quilts since 2005 and teaching quilting since 1998. She has had a number of patterns published in major magazines and her first quilt book, One Unit Mystery was published by QuiltWoman in 2010.

Joan finds it difficult to choose her first love in quilting, but thinks it is designing and taking a pattern from paper to the finished product. She finds great satisfaction in seeing the results. She prefers piecing to appliqué and favors small projects, such as table runners and wall quilts. Changing a traditional block at times is another rewarding challenge for Joan. She loves teaching quilting and presenting lectures. She says, “To pass on the knowledge of quilting is a passion and pure joy.”

www.quiltersfun.com
www.quiltersfun-joan.blogspot.com

Inge Baum (issue 3/2013)

Inge has been quilting since 1996. Her favourite aspects of quilting are hand appliqué and hand quilting, and she has won several prizes for both. Excellence for Bed Quilts is just one of those prizes which was awarded her at the National Juried Show in Waterloo, Ontario, in 2005. Inge uses the highest quality fabrics for all of her quilts and her work is of the highest quality, too. She enjoys designing and creates many original, appealing designs.

Inge sells her quilts on Quilts for Sale.

Anna Branch (issue 5/2013)

Anna Branch is an avid quilter who, with her husband and little dog, is enjoying the benefits of country living. She has been a writer for many years and is currently being published in the Almaguin News and in Quilter's Connection Magazine. You can read more about her life in the maple bush on her blog. Anna also has a web site where you can see her patterns, get tutorials, and enter her contests.

http://arkangelcreations.blogspot.com
www.arkangelcreations.org

Linda Carlson (issue 2/2013)

Linda Carlson has been involved with quiltmaking since 1975. She has written four books on 4-block quilts and celebratory/memorial quilts. Linda loves teaching quilting classes, judging quilt shows across the country and in international waters on quilt cruises! Her students enjoy her sense of humor, flexible teaching approach, patience, and ability to allow and encourage creativity.

Since 2006, she and twin sister Diana Henage have designed four Grammie & Mimi's Baby Geniuses! collections for Benartex, Inc. Watch for Grammie & Mimi's Geniuses Go Wild! January 2013! Diana Henage has been teaching online for 5 years after retiring from 27 years in the classroom as an Art, Elementary and Gifted Education teacher. As the artist half of the Grammie and Mimi fabric designs with Benartex, Diana uses inks, paints and markers to bring their collaborative ideas to life. Her love for high contrasting, bright colors and bold patterns excites children, teens and adults alike.

web site: www.lindacarlsonquilts.com
blog: http://babygeniusesfabric.blogspot.com

Cheryl A. Coville (issue 12/2012)

Cheryl Coville is a designer/illustrator living in rural Ontario, Canada. She has been producing her own line of quilting/knitting patterns since 1993. Most of these patterns are for wearable art. Being a bit of a rebel, she also likes to think outside the box to develop new ways of doing things. “Fool-proof” and “labour-saving” are words she likes. As well, Cheryl is interested in story telling through art quilting.

Be sure to plan a visit soon to the Kingdom of Coco, http://grandmacocosdesigns.blogspot.com where she and Grandma Coco explore their many interests . . . quilting, knitting, drawing, beaded micro macramé and cookie decorating, to name a few.

JoAn Craig (issue 9/2012)

I am an artist/designer who works in multiple media. At an early age, my mother gave me free rein at her sewing machine, where I spent many hours mastering the craft of sewing. I majored in art in college.

Before discovering the joy of quilting, I spent my sewing time designing wedding gowns, children's clothing, Halloween costumes, puppets, purses and totes, banners and now, quilts. I have owned a business for 20 years called Teacher's Pets (www.zeroismyhero.com) where I design and manufacture ceramic jewelry, quilted totes, Christmas ornaments, wooden accents and other school-related items. I do freelance design work for several companies besides my own. I live in rural Southern California with my husband, 3 dogs and 6 chickens. I have 3 grown children and 4 fabulous Grands.

I gave my grandson a sewing machine last Christmas and he is hooked! My daughter and her friends often descend on me for quilting "bees" and it's always an adventure. I love seeing younger people getting involved in this great art. I love communicating with other quilters; you can e-mail me at tpetsartist@hughes.net.

Bev Crouse (issue 7/2012)

I grew up with quilts, literally. Rural Prince Edward Island has a rich history of quilts and the fellowship of quilting was a very common occurrence in our family farm home. Although I’ve been sewing as long as I can remember, my first quilt wasn’t made until the early 80’s. It was love at first stitch. Since then, I’ve made quilts from large to miniature, some of which have received ribbons, and have explored many different techniques.

I’m a fan of the precise foundation piecing method and love to design blocks and patterns.

Web site - www.quiltersnet.ca

Fan us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/QuiltersNet

Judy Damon (issue 11/2012)

Sewing has been a part of Judy's life for as long as she can remember. It includes everything from clothing to home decorating to industrial sewing jobs. But after taking up quilting in the 1980's, all other types of sewing took a back seat.

In 1999, Judy left a job in the software industry, and opened Quiltopia in Hollis, NH. “Owning a quilt shop was a fantastic way to turn my love of fabric into a career. Being surrounded by creative people and colorful projects is simply the best!”

She began teaching quilting classes there and at local shops, and continues teaching in her own studio since closing the retail store in 2006.

Judabelle Quilts is the latest excursion in her sewing journey. Designing quilt patterns combines her love of color and fabric with her talents as a quilter and experience as a technical writer.

To learn more about Judy and Judabelle Quilts, visit www.quiltopia.com.

Mary Kay Davis (issue 1/2013)

I began sewing as a child. Like everyone else, I made clothes for my dolls. My mother had me take a few sewing lessons and eventually, I ended up making her clothes. My mother was a smart woman.

I began quilting around 1996 when I walked into our local quilt shop and signed up for a 'quilt-as-you-go' class. I haven't stopped quilting since. I now work at that quilt shop, belong to my local quilt guild, work for a quilting website, and design patterns for fabric manufacturers and my own company, Threads on the Floor. I love to enter quilt contests and have won a few ribbons. I also love attending quilt shows. I have a wonderful husband and two great boys who have, on occasion, accompanied me on Shop Hop. I have a silly black Labrador, too.

Visit Mary Kay at www.threadsonethefloor.com

Susan Delaney (issue 10/2012)

I live with my husband of 37 years in Moncton, NB, Canada, on the Atlantic coast. I've crafted since I was 16, when I learned to knit and crochet from my grandmother. She was old school and believed idle hands were unacceptable. About 10 years ago, I fell in love with a Tumbling Blocks quilt picture. I asked my neighbour, a quilter, to teach me to quilt. She instructed me to bring a cutting board, a square ruler, and scissors. I brought a dressmaker's cardboard cutting mat and my husband's metal T-square. She nearly fell to her knees, laughing. It was funny! Since then, I've progressed to an intermediate quilter level. My favorite quilts are scrappy, perhaps in memory of my grandmother. Since I piece 12 to 15 quilts a year, I needed a quilting machine so bought a mid-arm. I love the ability to do my complete project fairly quickly. I belong to two quilt guilds in the Moncton area and have met wonderful gals in the quilting community. These caring women freely share their knowledge. I feel I've found my place. I make quilts for charity, family and friends; it makes me happy and fulfilled.

Karen Dever (issue 12/2012)

Karen’s love of quilt history has led her to become an AQS Certified quilt appraiser, but she has been involved with quilting over the past 20 years as a quilt designer, teacher and lecturer. “I enjoy the opportunity to view wonderful quilts from the past brought across my appraisal table and to hear their stories, even if it is only for a short while! I also enjoy viewing what fabulous works of art the present-day quilters are creating.”

Many of her pattern designs are inspired by unusual block designs from her antique and vintage textiles collection. She has had several designs published in McCall’s, For the Love of Quilting and Quilter’s Newsletter.

Currently, Karen is a member of many guilds, professional quilt groups, and quilt study groups, while finding time to work at The Village Quilter Quilt Shop in Mt. Holly, NJ. Karen lectures to guilds on changes in our quilting styles through the years, how to date our textiles and the importance of appraisals.

www.karendever.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000417042310

Deanne Eisenman (issue 3/2013)

Deanne started her pattern design company, Snuggles Quilts, in May of 2003. She has since marketed her patterns from her home in Osage, Iowa, to shops around the country. She has been quilting and designing patterns for over 20 years. She enjoys designing seasonal and holiday patterns as well as scrappy quilt patterns. Her patterns range from pillows and table runners to wall hangings and lap quilts. Her web site, www.snugglesquilts.com, showcases all of her designs.

Deanne has taught many classes in quilt shops and at guilds in Iowa. Her first book, Country-Fresh Quilts, was published by Martingale & Company in August of 2008. She has also had quilt patterns published recently in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, McCall's Quick Quilts, Quilter's World, McCall's Quilting, The American Patchwork and Quilting calendar for 2006 and 2009, and in the APQ (Australian Patchwork and Quilting) calendar for 2011. In February 2011, her second book with Martingale, Country-Fresh Scrap Quilts, will be released.

Deanne enjoys working in her home studio, loves the entire process of developing patterns, and believes there is no better way to spend a day. Her cat, Snuggles, the company namesake, believes she owns every quilt sample she makes.

Virginia Gore (cover)

I've owned my own fabric shop and I have also worked and managed other quilt shops.

I've taught machine quilting for about 15 years. For the past 7 years, I have been semi-retired, spending my time working from home in my quilting room on a Gammell Optimum. Everything I do is freelanced, inspired from my imagination, designs on fabric, and a collectionof quilting design books I've collected for over 20 years.

I was active in my local and state quilt guilds and involved in many quilt shows and classes. For many years, quilt piecing was my 1st love, but now machine and longarm quilting is my 1st love and piecing is now my 2nd.

I never get tired of quilting quilts for my customers. Every day involves a new quilt to machine quilt.

Chris Hammacott (issue 5/2013)

My whole life has been enriched by textiles. I trained and worked as a weaver for years; taught spinning and natural dyeing long before they gained their green credentials. The love of cloth led me to embroidery and stumpwork, the 17th century raised embroidery that offers so much potential for humour and detail.

Eventually, I found patchwork and felt at home. I included collecting old quilts with making useful, decorative items. Designing for magazines seemed a natural step. Creating different projects is great fun, and I hope readers like my designs. Even better, I hope they feel able to adapt them and make them their own.

I love to teach through my own distance learning, City & Guilds Centre, and also beginner’s classes, Guild and Group workshops, and master classes. In teaching, I can set a student off on an exciting journey. It is wonderful to see a beginner master a technique or a block, and see a more experienced patchworker learn another way of approaching a technique. I try not to take myself too seriously and my workshop here in West Wales is a riot of fabrics, threads, strong tea, Bruce Springsteen and, of course, Pearl and Precious, my Pugs.

Reeze Hanson (issue 5/2013)

Dr. Reeze L. Hanson has been a quilter since 1997 and has taught numerous quilt classes, workshops, retreats, and shop classes in a wide variety of project and skill levels. She is a skillful quilter, pattern designer, and lecturer with her own pattern company, Morning Glory Designs, started in 2007. She already has more than 12 patterns on the market and more in development. Her patterns have appeared on the pages of Quilter's World and McCall's Quilting and have been featured in several books including Jumpstart Your Quilting and Golden's Journal.

Reeze's design style was inspired by her busy life and by wanting to make complex-looking pieced and applique quilts using simple and fast techniques geared toward working women and beginners. “If I didn't speed up the process somehow I would never get anything done! There are just too many designs running around in my head and too little time to get them all completed. I want to share them with other busy quilters so they can enjoy beautiful quilts even as they are developing their skills.” In addition, teaching beginning quilters revealed the need for pattern instructions that are clear, detailed and illustrated so a quilter of any skill level could follow them successfully.

Sally Anne Johnson (issue 4/2013)

My name is Sally Anne Johnson, and I have lived here on Cape Cod in Massachusetts since 1974. I have sewn since I was a young girl, and love when I can sit down and just create. In 2010, I left my

high-powered, and very stressful position as a corporate health consultant for a local nursing home. Then, I chose to work as a private-duty nurse. It was a life-changing experience to have so much time on my hands. This is when I taught myself to quilt. I find quilting to be very therapeutic, and creating items of such beauty gives me a sense of accomplishment.

You can see more of my quilt projects at www.sallysquiltingcorner.blogspot.com or see me on Facebook and Twitter.

Munaiba Khan (issue 7/2012)

Munaiba Khan is a writer who came to quilting later in life. She has always enjoyed handwork and has been an avid knitter, spinner, weaver and occasional sewer. She took to quilting like a duck to water and her first few quilts were all hand-pieced andhand-quilted.

Munaiba was introduced to appliqué through an online email group and took her first lessons via the web. She very quickly realized that this was her forté and has since designed and appliquéd some very intricate patterns. It was during the planning phase of one of these designs, when she was wrestling with the problem of transferring an intricate design to her fabric, that she came up with her Trace 'n' Baste method for appliqué.

In April 2010, Munaiba decided to combine her writing skills with her love of sewing and started a daily quilting/appliqué/sewing blog that details her sewing journey. It has quickly become popular for the processes it shows and the tutorials she posts. You can find her blog at http://sewjournal.com why not stop by and leave her a comment?

www.thecopywriteronline.com
blog: http://sewjournal.com

Jane Lay (issue 12/2012)

I first got into quilting in Europe twenty years ago while my husband was posted to NATO. I learned from an international group of ladies and was hooked. I have always loved sewing and knitting, but quilting is my passion now. I especially love to do difficult piecing patterns, but recently have branched out to appliqué. Having a family full of engineers has had a huge influence on my quilting and has led to quilts with very intricate geometric designs. My daughter has often approached me with a suggestion from her own mathematical background and away we go. I have been teaching locally for a few years and have just started designing. As a pattern tester, I have discovered how difficult it is to put pattern instructions down on paper. My mind races with new ideas and I look forward to designing more patterns in the future.

Jim Leuenberger (issue 11/2012)

Jim Leuenberger is a professional photographer/writer who lives in Shawano, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Dairy Science with a Minor in Ag Journalism and a Masters Degree in Ag Journalism with a Minor in Animal Science.

For five years, he worked as Director of Information for the National Holstein Association in Brattleboro, Vermont. From 1975 to 2005, he was Vice President of Information and Public Relations for Cooperative Resources International, an international cattle breeding cooperative in Shawano.

Leuenberger has always enjoyed photography, and has worked as a professional photographer in addition to his full time public relations position since he graduated from college.

Jim brought the barn quilt idea to Shawano County in 2010, and he and his wife Irene have painted the large majority of the quilts on display in the county.

Mary Marcotte (issue 4/2013)

I am a school librarian and teacher, so my quilting must take a back seat to work. However, I have the most wonderful, supportive husband who encourages and appreciates my sewing and quilting by giving me fabulous gifts: a serger, Bernina, and an Innova longarm machine.

Some of my earliest memories include sewing on my grandmother's treadle machine and making doll clothes with my mom's scraps. By high school, I was sewing some of my own clothing, and when our sons were little, I made theirs as well.

I made my first quilt 32 years ago by piecing my sons' receiving blankets together for backing and found my passion. Today I enjoy designing, piecing, quilting, and every other aspect of quilting. I switch between traditional, modern, stained glass and my own designs. I've begun writing patterns and found it rewarding. I hope to begin selling patterns in the near future. I also keep a blog to record my sewing, writing, and quilting adventures. It can be found at www.fleurdelisquilts.blogspot.com.

Rochelle Martin (issue 5/2013)

Rochelle Martin has been quilting for over 20 years and has owned Cottage Quilt Designs since 2005. She has been published in magazines and books by DRG. She has coauthored a book with her daughter, Laura Day, titled Strangled by Wild Geese in 2010. The book contained a quilt mystery written by Laura and 10 quilt projects using flying geese segments by Rochelle. Her latest book, Man Cave Quilts, containing seven quilts for men, was recently published by Leisure Arts.

Cottage Quilt Designs
www.cottagequiltdesigns.info
www.cottagequiltdesigns.info/blog/

Wenche Martinsen (issue 11/2012)

My name is Wenche Martinsen and I live in Norway. The name of my town is Drammen. I have reached the golden number of 53 years and I have been a self-taught quilter since 1997. I can't remember when I didn't sew. For years, my focus was designing and making clothing for my four children and me. This gave me a few leftover fabrics from when I made clothes and I did not want to throw them away.

Very soon, I learned to love hand piecing and quilting by hand, thanks to the Jane Stickle quilt: Dear Jane. It came into my life at the end of 1999 when I got my first, very own computer. This quilt became my masterpiece with all its imperfections. Since then, I have made several quilts, both pieced and appliquéd, by hand and by machine, from my own designs and from other designers.

I find each step of quilt making, from the beginning to the end, a real challenge. It is hard to say what part I like best. I love the pure creativity involved in conceiving and designing a new quilt.

I try to teach others to quilt and the history behind it as well as having lectures about different quilt-related topics. I find this very interesting.

http://wenmart.blogspot.com
http://quiltcity.blogspot.com

Susan-Claire Mayfield (issue 3/2013)

I have been a quilter for over 30 years and a sewer for most of my life. I was blessed with a mother who understood my need to create. She taught me to knit and sew. During my boarding school holidays, I was allowed to use her sewing machine. I gathered all sorts of things (leaves, plastic, etc.) and stitched with great enthusiasm! The machine had to be serviced at the beginning of each term so that she could use it again!

Later, when friends started having babies, I began making quilts as gifts. There were very few books, courses, or fabrics available at that stage, so I made it up as I went along and used whatever materials were at hand. My childhood included travelling overseas, so I was exposed to the many colours and designs of different cultures.

I enjoy quilt designing. I love the many fabrics to choose from, the tools, and the endless design possibilities. My imagination can run wild!

I now run an online business from my home in New Zealand, the wonderful Toad Hall, which is set on 3 acres of land, and love every minute of it.

Tutorials are available on www.GourmetQuilter.com.
For more downloadable patterns see www.gourmetquilter.com
For other exciting quilting products see www.susanclaire.com

Jo Moury (issue 5/2013)

I've been quilting since 1988 and designing since the mid 1990's. The first version of Electric Quilt opened my eyes to the wonderful world of creating my own ideas in fabric, and I've been addicted ever since. I was selected as a Beta Tester for the past two versions of Electric Quilt. My favorite types of quilts are those that incorporate piecing and appliqué, and two-block quilts where the blocks combine to form a happy secondary surprise. My evenings find me with appliqué or embroidery on my lap while I “watch” TV. When I'm not engaged in some aspect of quilting, you'll probably find me at the gym, gardening or traveling with my sweet husband, Jerry.

Katie Schouest (issue 8/2012)

Katie is a research scientist and enjoys the analytical and mathematical aspects of quilting as well as the artistic outlet. She has been quilting for about three years. The Crabby Mats design was developed while playing with the Snail's Trail traditional block on graph paper. Her husband is from near New Orleans and the Crabby Mats were a Christmas present for her brother-in-law's family.

Helen Sherburne (issue 10/2012)

I have been sewing since I was about 10 years old. Sewing and crafts have always been a big part of who I am and I've always been ready to take on a new challenge. I became interested in quilting about 20 years ago, but have only recently had the time to get into it like I wanted to. I'm excited to be taking this next step in my life!

I spent the first 20 years of marriage as a housewife and stay-home mom to two daughters. When our youngest had been on her own for about a year, I went out for groceries one day and signed up for a real estate license class. I discovered I didn't like dealing directly with people quite that much, so went back to sewing and other crafts for a few years. Then I, became an assistant to a real estate broker, as well as his web designer.

Now that we're done moving (at least that's the plan) I'm content to divide my time between my computer, sewing machine, husband of nearly 43 years, 2 daughters and 11 grandchildren – of course with frequent trips to the fabric store in between!

Karen Snell (issue 10/2012)

Karen grew up watching her mother sewing and cooking, and learned these crafts well. After teaching math and science for many years, she switched to teaching home economics, like her mother. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons and is often seen at a Little League game with a sewing project in hand. She has been focusing on quilting for 25 years and enjoys every part of the quilting process. She especially enjoys quilting and collaborating with her mother and sister! (Karen is the sister of our Pattern Editor, Carol Dockery.)

Deanna Stevens (issue 11/2012)

I am a retired paint contractor, after painting for 25 years. Now I can enjoy using all that fabric I’ve stashed and get my pile of UFOs done! I enjoy testing for quilt designers where I get to use that stash.

I enjoy a challenge and I’m willing to try anything that has to do with quilting. I like all modes of quilting: piecing, embroidery, paper piecing, appliqué, and machine quilting. I’ve taken numerous classes, and taught a few of my own.

My mother gave me my first project when I was expecting my firstborn in 1974. It was an embroidered whole cloth baby quilt, and I was hooked. I’ve been a quiltmaker since 1974, but I became a serious quilter in the ’80s, and in the late ’90s I started quilting with a short arm quilting system.

I have a home-based machine quilting business, and enjoy designing with EQ. I don’t have a web site yet, but I do blog occasionally. If I’m not out and about with my husband, it’s pretty safe to say I’m quilting!

Martyn Thomas (issue 2/2013)

I was born in 1954, the son of a Welsh coal miner and a Sunday School teacher. I went to State Infant and Primary Schools. I gained a place at Westfield College of London University and read Pure Chemistry, graduating with Honours, and have a B.Sc. in Pure Chemistry.

I spent a lot of time during my formative years with my maternal great-grandmother. She owned a Singer hand-operated sewing machine. Eventually, I was entrusted with the 'powering of the machine'. My Gran would get the sewing machine out, and I would become absorbed by the mechanics of the machinery. I was, and still am, a lover of steam locomotives and all things mechanical. I absorbed, quite unintentionally, a basic knowledge of how to use a sewing machine.

I love the great outdoors and whilst hill-walking, fishing, and camping, spend as much time in the open air as I can. For the past 18 years I have endeavoured to give something back to society and have taught Science at a State Comprehensive School.

Marija Vujcic (issue 5/2013)

Marija started sewing when she was 10 years old, mostly making doll's clothes, then her own and even some for the family. Interestingly, even then she always collected way more fabric than she needed. In 1992, Marija and her family immigrated to Buffalo, NY, from war-torn Yugoslavia, for brighter opportunities for her children, her work (cancer research) and a peaceful life. It wasn't until she moved to America that she saw her first quilt!

A colleague from work, now her best friend and quilting buddy, introduced Marija to quilting in 1994. The creative part of her soul finally found a home. She finally understood the reason behind her fabric collecting. Beautiful quilts, antique and contemporary, were such an inspiration as she fell in love with the amazing language of color and endless possibilities a simple pattern can make. Inspiration and new designs are constantly in her head, so it feels wonderful now to have an opportunity to share them with other quilters. Teaching others and designing new patterns is a pure joy that Marija is truly grateful for every day.

Get in touch with Marija any time:
Blog: http://marijasfabricreations.blogspot.com
FB page: www.facebook.com/MaraQuiltDesigns

Julyn Watkins (cover)

Julyn enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, photography, quilting, reading, horseback riding, yoga, and spending time with her family. She began quilting in 2004. Julyn decided it was time to learn something new and get away for some much needed ‘girl’ time. She purchased fabric, supplies, a quilt book, and registered for a local quilting retreat weekend. She is so thankful she did, because this is when and where she fell in love with quilting! She loves the peacefulness she feels while creating beautiful quilts, the proud moments when her quilts are finished, and the enjoyment felt every time she walks into a room where homemade ‘art’ is neatly displayed. Like all quilters, she wishes there were more hours in the day to devote to all of the projects she has stashed away. Julyn is so thankful for the simple joy quilting brings to her life, and most of all she is thankful to have a gift she is able to share with others.

www.julynwatkins.com

Karen Whiteside (issue 9/2012)

I'm a young at heart Mom/Nana/wife/quilter and absolutely passionate about quilting. I love working with beginners, patiently explaining a technique as often as needed. Seeing lightbulb moments is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. I've sewn since I was 11 and quilted since 1987. Teaching a new generation of kids is next on my agenda.

My favorite quilts are scrappy, bright, and those that look hard, but really aren't! My favorite quilts - ALL! I love traditional quilts in all their imperfect glory, two-color quilts, and modern quilts with no rules. I just love quilts, the fabric, the quilters, and the design process. I am so passionate about it, I'm known as the Passionate Quilter.

I was a Featured Quilter on Real Women Quilt. I'm a Quilt Teacher for QuiltCampus. I own Kquilts Studio, a learning center for quilters. I only sell a limited amount of fabric and patterns, mostly to go with classes I teach. I hold retreats a few times a year. I love to learn new things. Right now it's the iPad! I didn't mean to get techy, but I'm slowly turning into a quilting geek!

My website is: www.kquilts-studio.com
My blog is: www.passionatequilter.blogspot.com