Quilt Canada 2024 Teachers & Lecturers

Meet Gail, the Quilting Virtuoso with a Passion for Stitching Magic!

In the intricate tapestry of Gail’s life, the threads of creativity finally intertwined when she discovered quilting in her 40s. It all began with a modest wall hanging kit that ignited a blaze of artistic fervor within her. From that moment on, Gail’s journey has been a whirlwind of quilting innovation and boundless exploration.

Her quilting repertoire reads like a symphony of stitches, each note resonating with her unique style. Whether it’s the rhythmic dance of free-motion quilting, the precision of piecing, or the grand sweep of long arm quilting, Gail wields her tools like a maestro conducting a masterpiece. Not content with just one canvas, she’s embraced machine embroidery with open arms, infusing her creations with intricate designs that seem to breathe life.

But Gail is more than a quilter; she’s a time-saving virtuoso. Armed with rulers, die cuts, and an array of ingenious tools, she transforms her studio into a sanctuary of efficiency, turning her creative visions into reality with remarkable swiftness.

Gail’s artistic journey has spanned continents and cultures. What started as a personal pursuit blossomed into a global adventure. From classrooms across Canada and the USA to workshops in Australia and Germany, Gail’s teachings have crossed oceans. Most recently she graced the Handi Quilter Booth as a special guest at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England.

Within her local guild, Gail is not just a member; she’s a force of nature. Her quilting radiates boundless energy and expression, capturing hearts and inspiring fellow artisans. The honor of quilting someone’s cherished piece is a privilege she treasures, each stitch a testament to her devotion.

Gail’s passion doesn’t stop at her own creations. She’s a beacon of knowledge, eager to share her wisdom. As a lifelong learner, she recognizes the importance of continuous education and the transformative power of knowledge exchange. Gail’s enthusiasm for quilting, machine embroidery, and software is infectious, igniting creativity in those fortunate enough to cross her path.

So, whether she’s crafting quilts that whisper tales of artistry or guiding eager minds through the intricacies of stitching, Gail is a luminary in the world of quilting. Her journey is a celebration of creativity, a testament to perseverance, and an ode to the endless possibilities woven into every fabric of life.

www.gailberryquilts.com
gail@gailberryquilts.com
https://www.facebook.com/gailberryquilts.ca
https://www.instagram.com/gailberryquilts

Guatemalan native, Priscilla Bianchi, textile artist, designer, author and international teacher, represents a unique personality in today’s fiber arts world. Her innovative, one-of-a-kind art quilts unite cultures by combining the richness and ethnic appeal of Mayan Guatemalan hand-woven textiles, colors, patterns, textures and symbolism, with American quilt making techniques, giving life to a myriad of designs that are fresh, original and contemporary with profound Guatemalan roots and identity. Her main inspiration for her geometric abstract work comes from Mayan Guatemalan costumes.

World renowned, Priscilla’s prolific multicultural artwork is exhibited nationally and internationally and has been acquired by the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) in New York City, the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Guatemala City, the Hotel & Museum Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua, Guatemala, and many private collectors. She is invited to teach and lecture about Guatemalan textiles and art quilting around the world, in places like the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe.

In December, 2010 the Guatemalan Postal Service issued a Postal Stamp Edition entitled “Guatemalan Textile Art” featuring 10 of her art quilts. Priscilla guides specialized textile tours to Guatemala where she lives, and has designed fabric collections for Robert Kaufman in California. Her work has been published extensively: she has written three books “¡Caliente Quilts!” (Krause Publications, 2007) “Guatemalan Textile Art and Design” (Banco Industrial, 2010), and her latest “Priscilla Bianchi, Guatemala Art Quilts” (D´buk, 2019) . Her work has also been featured in many articles in international magazines.

And my social media, website and email listed at the end of bio then we need that info as well
facebook.com/priscillabianchiartquilts
instagram.com/priscillabianchiartquilts
www.priscillabianchi.net
email: contact@priscillabianchi.net

Elizabeth started sewing as a child, and has always been interested in a variety of needle crafts. Even though there were no quilters in her family, she was drawn to quilting and decided to learn how to do it. Her first teachers were library books and magazines.

In 2009, she took her young family to South Korea, where she had the opportunity to learn about pojagi – a traditional Korean textile form that goes back thousands of years. In pojagi, there are different techniques used to make wrapping cloths to wrap and carry special items.

Upon returning to Canada, Elizabeth developed techniques for similar patchwork using a sewing machine and materials more readily available. She continues to experiment and design with different fabrics and techniques in her home base – Epida Studio.

She enjoys teaching and sharing projects through both in-person and virtual lectures and workshops. You can see her full range of quilting, pojagi and embroidery patterns and tutorials at epidastudio.com.

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Carole Gold is a CQA/ACC Certified Quilt Judge who has been working behind the scenes on the CQA/ACC’s National Juried Show (NJS) for several years. She has been a Juror, the Jury Coordinator, acted as the 2020 Virtual Judging Coordinator, and was a Judge at the 2023 Halifax show. In 2021, Carole also joined Elizabeth Spannring as an instructor for the Quilt Judge Certification Program.

With experience as both the NJS Jury Coordinator and as an entrant with a history of work being accepted into juried art and quilt shows, Carole can offer guidance for successfully navigating show rules, including how to effectively photograph your entry. As a Certified Quilt Judge, she can also offer insight as to what judges see when examining quilts.

Carole is currently working on deepening her art practice, judging quilt shows, teaching workshops, and running a thriving longarm quilting business. She (sometimes) shares her creative exploits @ FreshofftheFrame.com, but is far more likely to post quick snippets on Instagram whenever she pauses to catch her breath!

Paul lives in Ottawa, Canada where he worked for the federal government for 16 years after spending 21 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He retired on September 1, 2016. His journey in quilting began in May 1990. Paul’s mother, Doris Bourque-Léger, a quilter and dressmaker, encouraged him to buy a sewing machine “for sewing emergencies”. One day, he got the idea to cut up the good parts of some old air force uniform shirts. “Why?” you ask – at the time he had no idea. After a few days, Paul recalled that in the “old days” people would use clothing to make bed quilts, so he set off to cut up more old shirts in an isosceles trapezoid shape, using SURGICAL SCISSORS!

He sewed the pieces together based on an idea in his mind. “The corners weren’t square,” nor were the blocks. When he ran out of fabric pieces, he made his first trip to a quilting shop, the “Cloth Castle in Langford, British Columbia,” There Paul got advice and bought more fabric. First top completed and liking the process so much, he had a second quilt top completed before the first one was sent to his mother for quilting.

Paul took his first quilting course in September 1994 from Joan Winter in Barrie, Ontario, near the armed forces base where he was stationed. After moving to Ottawa in 1996, he joined his first guild, took more courses and began to buy quilting books and lots of fabrics. Quilting has become Paul’s passion. He has made over 275 quilts since then and has never looked back.

Paul has given presentations and workshops across Canada, is a regular magazine pattern contributor as well as a regular guest blogger. Paul is also very much involved with Quilts of Valour Canada in the designing of patterns and leading sew days where he can.
Web site: PaulLegerQuilts.com
Instagram: Paul Leger Quilts
TIktok: Paul Leger Quilt
Facebook: Paul Leger

Avid Quilter and Fabric Designer, Brett Lewis, aka Natural Born Quilter, discovered his love of the craft through learning to sew and quilt in the spring of 2016. Fast forward seven years and over 60 quilts later, Brett has attended Spring and Fall International Quilt Markets, with his work and original patterns showcased in Birch Fabric’s, Hobbs Batting, Electric Quilt and his very own Quilt Market booth. He has been featured in the Designer Profile section of the acclaimed magazine Love Patchwork and Quilting, the Quilter’s Planner, various podcasts, CBC Radio, CTV Edmonton News, and instructs his very own EQ8 designed quilt patterns, with classes focusing on foundation paper piecing, fussy cutting, and curves. His quilting adventures have taken him to attend an Alaska quilting cruise, becoming a certified Sew Kind of Wonderful Instructor, and a 2022 and 2023 BERNINA Canada Ambassador. And to come full circle, Brett has designed four fabric collections for Northcott Fabrics, showcasing his love for nature’s flora and fauna. Brett describes his quilting style as Contemporary Traditional, using contemporary vibrant and bold fabrics with traditional patterns.

Find Brett on Instagram or Facebook @naturalbornquilter, or check out his website www.naturalbornquilter.com for NBQ events and his online store.

Jodi has been quilting for over 40 years and her first love will always be the traditional scrap quilts. From the basics to the abstract, experimenting and playing with colour, all forms of fibre art have been and will continue to be part of Jodi’s journey as an artist. Jodi enjoys painting, eco-printing and dying her own fabrics and collecting fabric lines, both old and new, of her favourite designers. And when she’s not piecing at her machine, Jodi really enjoys English Paper Piecing and usually has numerous projects on the go. The recent arrival of a longarm to her studio has created a new rewarding challenge into the world of free-motion and ruler work quilting. Jodi’s garden offers not only inspiration to her art quilts, but she also grows plants that are used in her eco-printing, sun-printing, and natural fibre dying.

Jodi’s work has been included in publications such as Quilting From the Heart, a collective of fibre art following 9/11, and the Invitation: Quilt of Belonging. Her work has also been juried into the NJS and shown at the IQA’s Quilt Festival in Houston. Her award-winning quilts still hang in her home and remind her of a time past. Today she creates simply for the joy of creating. Now, her love is teaching and sharing what she has learned in her journey as a quiltmaker.

Jane Morgan is a lifelong quilter and self-described “serial entrepreneur”. In 2021 she created “Quilters’ Palette”, coupling her love of quilting and painting. Her focus is on Barn Quilts and her instructional style and quality products have quickly made her the “go-to” resource for barn quilt painting in Alberta and beyond.
Jane has enjoyed developing and teaching the fast-growing art form of painting barn quilts. She inspires her students and others to create Barn Quilt trails in Western Canada as in other regions.

For the past two years her work has been part of the Calgary Stampede décor at the Western Oasis arts and culture venue.
Born and raised in rural Alberta, Jane is a country girl at heart and currently lives with her husband Cory in the foothills just outside of Calgary.

https://www.facebook.com/quilterspalettealberta
https://www.instagram.com/quilterspalettecanada
https://www.quilterspalette.ca
Email: jane.morgan@outlook.com

Hello! I’m Corey Pearson, a passionate quilting educator from McKinney, Texas. My journey into the world of quilting began at the age of 6, guided by the skilled hands of my amazing grandmother. Those early days with a sewing machine sparked a lifelong love with the art of sewing, and by the age of 8, I discovered my true calling – quilting.

Throughout my childhood, quilting became more than just a craft; it became a form of self-expression and a medium through which I could weave stories with thread. Those early experiences laid the foundation for what would eventually become my life’s mission: to share the joy of quilting and empower others to unlock their creativity through this timeless
craft.

As an educator, I bring a nurturing approach to my teaching philosophy. I firmly believe that everyone possesses a unique set of talents and capabilities, waiting to be uncovered. My goal is to guide and inspire my students, helping them realize their full potential with the art of longarm quilting.

In my classes, you can expect to learn more than just the technical aspects of quilting. I prioritize building a strong foundation by imparting fundamental skills and techniques, ensuring that each student feels confident in their abilities. Whether you’re a beginner taking your first steps in the world of quilting or an experienced quilter looking to refine your skills, my classes are designed to meet you where you are on your quilting journey.

Beyond the quilting studio, I find solace and inspiration in spending time outdoors, often accompanied by my lovable dog, Tucker. Nature has a way of rejuvenating the creative spirit, and I encourage my students to find their own sources of inspiration beyond the fabric and thread.

In addition to in-person classes, I am featured on Linda’s Electric Quilters YouTube channel. This collaboration provides students with the incredible opportunity to virtually refine their quilting skills or learn new ones. Through this platform, I aim to make the art of quilting accessible to a wider audience, ensuring that enthusiasts from all around can embark on this creative journey. For me, quilting is more than just a hobby; it’s a means of connecting with others and creating a supportive community of like-minded individuals. I find immense joy in witnessing the growth and achievements of my students as they bring their quilting dreams to life. I can’t wait to meet you!

Paula Rafferty’s artistic journey has been a colorful tapestry of creativity and dedication, spanning the realms of quilting, teaching, and artistic expression. Born
and raised in Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland, Paula’s early passion for sewing was nurtured by her mother, sparking a lifelong love affair with textiles. From fashioning
clothes for her Sindy Doll as a child, she transitioned into formal education, enrolling at the prestigious Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) to study Fashion Design from 1987 to 1991.

Following a successful stint running her own business specializing in stretch and sequined fabrics, Paula’s artistic trajectory took an unexpected turn. Her innate curiosity led her back to academia, where she pursued training as an Art teacher (1995-1996). This phase of her journey illuminated the profound value of lifelong
learning, an ethos that would become integral to her later work.

Serendipity played a role in Paula’s trajectory when she accidentally found herself working at Limerick Prison in 1998. What began as happenstance evolved into a full-time teaching position that has endured to this day. Within the prison walls, Paula has wielded art as a transformative tool, channelling her passion into teaching and inspiring inmates through creative expression. Paula’s artistic prowess extends beyond the prison confines. Her work, both as a creator and an advocate for prison art and textiles, has been showcased across the globe. She has exhibited and delivered lectures on her own artistic journey as well as prison art in Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Netherlands, the U.K., Scotland, and Canada.

Her journey in the realm of quilting commenced in earnest when she joined the Irish Patchwork Society in 2002. Since then, she has meticulously crafted hundreds of
quilts, each an embodiment of her two distinct approaches: Art Quilts for exhibition and Therapy Quilts for inner solace. Her Art Quilts often take shape as thematic
series, showcasing her affinity for messy techniques like dyeing, printing, and stamping.

As an active member of prestigious groups like SAQA Studio Art Quilt Associates, Voyage, 20Perspectives, Irish Patchwork Society, Quilters Guild of Ireland, and
Quilters Guild of the British Isles, Paula’s influence within the quilting community has been profound. Her quilts have graced the pages of renowned publications such as Quilting Arts, Quilt Modern, British Patchwork & Quilting, and Patchwork Professional.

Paula’s online presence, epitomized by her website www.dogdaisydesignsbypaularafferty.com, is a hub of inspiration and connection. Her digital portfolio showcases her quilts and custom longarm quilting service, while also offering insights into commissions, teaching, and judging opportunities. Paula’s forthcoming online shop, patterns, and resources section are set to further enrich the quilting community’s experience.

Summing up her artistic philosophy, Paula shares, “Quilting has opened up the world to me, brought so many wonderful people into my life and taught me so much. I look forward to the wonderful techniques and skills that I have yet to learn.”

Kathleen has been quilting and sewing since before she even remembers, since the time when her mom would put the sewing machine on a short table and the foot control on a box so Kathleen’s little legs could reach. Her bio once included the line “Kathleen will do anything to avoid sewing by hand” but has since changed her mind, and now can be found doing hand embroidery as often as she sews on a sewing machine (and sometimes more). Kathleen loves bright colours, texture, and pretty much anything that involves thread. When she isn’t sewing you can usually find her out adventuring with her husband and two small boys.

kathleenquilts.com
Facebook.com/kathleenquilts
Instagram: @kathleenquilts

Terry Lives on a farm in central Alberta.
She challenges herself to learn and develop new Techniques to incorporate into her Projects. She is Known for her enthusiastic approach to quilting, as well as her distinctive use of color. Her laid back step by step teaching style puts her Students at ease to create their own masterpieces.
Check her out on
Face Book- Terry Rowland- T Row Studios
Instagram- trowstudios
YouTube- Terry Rowland

Tara C Sinclair is a Calgary-based software consultant who found her true passion in sewing and bag making. With a love for vibrant fabrics and eye-catching designs, she launched UhOh Creations in 2015 and became a sought-after bag designer and teacher. Tara’s patterns, like the Charlie Holster Bag, have been well-received, and she has been a proud member of the Bag of the Month Club. Committed to fostering a supportive community, she runs a thriving Facebook group for fellow bag enthusiasts. Tara’s creativity, expertise, and dedication continue to inspire and unite sewers from all walks of life.

Website: UhOhCreations.com

Elizabeth began her crafty journey knitting socks, sewing costumes, and decorating cakes. When a sewing friend presented her with a rotary cutter and a bag of scraps, another enthusiastic quilter was born. Entering her first international competition in 2000, she’s won numerous awards at major international, regional, and local shows across the US.

Having attended the Northern California Quilt Council Judges Training in 2002, she pursued her interest in judging and in 2006 completed the NQA Certified Quilt Judge program. In 2011, she fulfilled the training and coursework to become a certified quilt judge with the Canadian Quilters Association/ACC. She has served as a judge and juror for a variety of competitions and exhibitions throughout the US and Canada.

For over three decades she has had the opportunity to contribute to the quilting world as a pattern maker, show organizer, judging floor coordinator, board member, instructor, juror, and judge. Most recently she was an instructor and program administrator for the CQA/ACC Quilt Judge Certification Program helping to certify four new judges in the past three years.

Liz has been a passionate sewer since the age of 9 when she started making clothes for her dolls. Her dream had been to sew her own wedding and bridesmaids dresses – which she did. Over the years Liz’s sewing passions have included hand smocking & heirloom sewing; applique/quilting; machine embroidery; garment sewing; bag making and creating lingerie. You will find Liz sitting at her sewing machine almost everyday which is her very happiest place!

Liz was the Conference Coordinator for Quilt Canada (CQA/ACC) for several years so she knows the inside planning and fun this event holds for those who attend. She is currently a member of Boundary Bay Quilters Guild and serves on the Education Program committee. Needless to say, she loves to attend Guild meetings and Quilting retreats to quilt and sew alongside other quilters.

Since she retired from a long career in the sewing industry, Liz has been building Sew and Learn with Liz Thompson (www.sewwithliz.com) to continue to share her sewing skills. She teaches group classes as well as individual sewing coaching – in person and on Zoom. In addition, she offers monthly free sewing clubs: Sew with Liz Club and Sew with Liz Lingerie Support group where fellow sewers can come to share ideas and get assistance with their sewing queries.
Liz is a proud Canadian – although she does have a different accent despite living Vancouver, BC since she emigrated from South Africa many years ago!

Website: https://www.sewwithliz.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/sewlingerie123/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sewwithlizthompson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewquiltlearnwithliz/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiarkpF637IcXqZE-oMZGuA
Blog: https://sewandquiltwithliz.wordpress.com/

For over 25 years Cathy Tomm has been an active member in the Canadian quilting community. She has played an pivotal role in regional guilds such as the Edmonton and District Quilters Guild and the Black Gold Quilt Patch Guild in Leduc. Her passion for colour and design is evident in her work whether it is traditional techniques, contemporary interpretation or improv work. She explores fabric and materials from dyeing and piecing to machine quilting and hand stitching. Her work includes functional and art quilts as well as wearables and bags. Her work has been featured in previous National Juried shows. When she is not busy running her custom quilting business, she is busy running agility with her two black Labradors and spending time with her family.
https://www.instagram.com/cathyltomm/
Email cathytomm@gmail.com

Guatemalan native, Priscilla Bianchi, textile artist, designer, author and international teacher, represents a unique personality in today’s fiber arts world. Her innovative, one-of-a-kind art quilts unite cultures by combining the richness and ethnic appeal of Mayan Guatemalan hand-woven textiles, colors, patterns, textures and symbolism, with American quilt making techniques, giving life to a myriad of designs that are fresh, original and contemporary with profound Guatemalan roots and identity. Her main inspiration for her geometric abstract work comes from Mayan Guatemalan costumes.

World renowned, Priscilla’s prolific multicultural artwork is exhibited nationally and internationally and has been acquired by the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) in New York City, the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Guatemala City, the Hotel & Museum Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua, Guatemala, and many private collectors. She is invited to teach and lecture about Guatemalan textiles and art quilting around the world, in places like the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe.

In December, 2010 the Guatemalan Postal Service issued a Postal Stamp Edition entitled “Guatemalan Textile Art” featuring 10 of her art quilts. Priscilla guides specialized textile tours to Guatemala where she lives, and has designed fabric collections for Robert Kaufman in California. Her work has been published extensively: she has written three books “¡Caliente Quilts!” (Krause Publications, 2007) “Guatemalan Textile Art and Design” (Banco Industrial, 2010), and her latest “Priscilla Bianchi, Guatemala Art Quilts” (D´buk, 2019) . Her work has also been featured in many articles in international magazines. 

And my social media, website and email listed at the end of bio then we need that info as well

• facebook.com/priscillabianchiartquilts
• instagram.com/priscillabianchiartquilts
• www.priscillabianchi.net
• email: contact@priscillabianchi.net

Vlada Blinova is a faculty member in the Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta. She is a recipient of multiple teaching and service awards with 30 years of the national and international academic experience.

Vlada teaches undergraduate courses in the Clothing, Textiles, and Material Culture major, supervises graduate students, and manages the Anne Lambert Clothing and Textiles Collection. She draws on the knowledge and skills she employs in her work with the Collection to enrich learning opportunities for students in her courses. She also provides educational tours of the Collection to between 500 and 700 people every year, including members of the public, researchers and students from across the UofA campus and elsewhere. 

Vlada has curated and co-curated a number of exhibitions featuring her students’ works, cultural textiles and period clothing from the Anne Lambert Clothing and Textiles Collection, and quilts from the Gloria and Alvin Rosenberg Quilt Collection.

Gerda de Vries is a Mathematics Professor at the University of Alberta by day, and an award-winning quilt artist by night.  

Gerda has a passion for making connections between mathematics and its application to all sciences.  She has won multiple teaching awards for her work in the classroom and mentorship to colleagues.  She also is a sought-after public speaker, presenting on the nature and joy of mathematics.  

Gerda’s quilts reflect a structured approach to design and are the brainchild of someone who has little choice but to think and create mathematically.

(Photo) University of Alberta professor and Faculty of Science Instructor of the Month, Gerda De Vries at the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS) on September 14, 2015.

Lucie Heins is Assistant Curator in the Daily Life & Leisure program at the Royal Alberta Museum. She has a BSc and an MA in Human Ecology, majoring in clothing and textiles. Lucie has also worked on projects at the Textile Museum in Washington DC, and has attended to the textile collection under the care of the Department of Holy Places at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Lucie is author of Alberta Quiltmakers and their Quilts (2022) and has recently facilitated the return of 64 Canadian Red Cross quilts from the UK.

Lucie lives on an acreage west of Edmonton, with her husband, Tim. They have four children and six grandchildren. Lucie attends to her acre-sized vegetable garden in the summer and stitches needlework projects, including quilts, in the winter.

My grandmother taught me how to quilt when I was eight years old. I grew up in the Shetland Islands where wool and fabrics were used sparingly. We would collect bits of cloth from flour sacks, curtains, old clothes, and sheets and sew them together to make things for the home and I would get the left overs to make small quilts for my doll’s pram. I have sewn and quilted my whole life, but only started to teach 15 years ago.

I am currently the Scottish Co-ordinator for the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles, Quilter in Residence at Alzheimer Scotland, and a Quilting Trustee at Shambellie House, a venue which will preserve our heritage in the creative arts in southwest Scotland.

Paula Rafferty’s artistic journey has been a colorful tapestry of creativity and dedication, spanning the realms of quilting, teaching, and artistic expression. Born and raised in Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland, Paula’s early passion for sewing was nurtured by her mother, sparking a lifelong love affair with textiles. From fashioning clothes for her Sindy Doll as a child, she transitioned into formal education, enrolling at the prestigious Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) to study Fashion Design from 1987 to 1991.

Following a successful stint running her own business specializing in stretch and sequined fabrics, Paula’s artistic trajectory took an unexpected turn. Her innate curiosity led her back to academia, where she pursued training as an Art teacher (1995-1996). This phase of her journey illuminated the profound value of lifelong learning, an ethos that would become integral to her later work.

Serendipity played a role in Paula’s trajectory when she accidentally found herself working at Limerick Prison in 1998. What began as happenstance evolved into a full-time teaching position that has endured to this day. Within the prison walls, Paula has wielded art as a transformative tool, channelling her passion into teaching and inspiring inmates through creative expression.

Paula’s artistic prowess extends beyond the prison confines. Her work, both as a creator and an advocate for prison art and textiles, has been showcased across the globe. She has exhibited and delivered lectures on her own artistic journey as well as prison art in Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Netherlands, the U.K., Scotland, and Canada.

Her journey in the realm of quilting commenced in earnest when she joined the Irish Patchwork Society in 2002. Since then, she has meticulously crafted hundreds of quilts, each an embodiment of her two distinct approaches: Art Quilts for exhibition and Therapy Quilts for inner solace. Her Art Quilts often take shape as thematic series, showcasing her affinity for messy techniques like dyeing, printing, and stamping.

As an active member of prestigious groups like SAQA Studio Art Quilt Associates, Voyage, 20Perspectives, Irish Patchwork Society, Quilters Guild of Ireland, and Quilters Guild of the British Isles, Paula’s influence within the quilting community has been profound. Her quilts have graced the pages of renowned publications such as Quilting Arts, Quilt Modern, British Patchwork & Quilting, and Patchwork Professional. 

Paula’s online presence, epitomized by her website www.dogdaisydesignsbypaularafferty.com, is a hub of inspiration and connection. Her digital portfolio showcases her quilts and custom longarm quilting service, while also offering insights into commissions, teaching, and judging opportunities. Paula’s
forthcoming online shop, patterns, and resources section are set to further enrich the quilting community’s experience.

Summing up her artistic philosophy, Paula shares, “Quilting has opened up the world to me, brought so many wonderful people into my life and taught me so much. I look forward to the wonderful techniques and skills that I have yet to learn.”

Terry Lives on a farm in central Alberta.
She challenges herself to learn and develop new Techniques to incorporate into her Projects. She is Known for her enthusiastic approach to quilting, as well as her distinctive use of color. Her laid back step by step teaching style puts her Students at ease to create their own masterpieces.
Check her out on
Face Book- Terry Rowland- T Row Studios
Instagram- trowstudios
YouTube- Terry Rowland

Tara C Sinclair is a Calgary-based software consultant who found her true passion in sewing and bag making. With a love for vibrant fabrics and eye-catching designs, she launched UhOh Creations in 2015 and became a sought-after bag designer and teacher. Tara’s patterns, like the Charlie Holster Bag, have been well-received, and she has been a proud member of the Bag of the Month Club. Committed to fostering a supportive community, she runs a thriving Facebook group for fellow bag enthusiasts. Tara’s creativity, expertise, and dedication continue to inspire and unite sewers from all walks of life.

Website: UhOhCreations.com