Quilt Canada 2026 Teachers & Lecturers

​Robin Bogaert is a long arm quilter, creator and blogger at quiltingintheloft.com
and has many years of quilting experience.
Robin owned a quilt shop in Windsor, ON and now resides in Waterloo. She focuses on designing, teaching, trunk shows, free motion quilting, ruler work and thread painting. Passionate about Bernina Sewing Machines, she serves as a BERNINA QSeries expert providing educational workshops for BERNINA Canada & local quilt/sewing shops.
Robin was featured in the Summer 2016 and 2017 (Canada 150th ) edition of
Quilters’ Connection Magazine. She also appeared as the featured artist/trunk show
presenter at the St Jacobs Quilt Festival in 2019. In addition, Robin blogs for BERNINA International Blog

Ana Buzzalino is a creator, maker, fibre and mixed media artist, surface designer, teacher and lecturer. Her love of layers and texture combine in her original work. She achieves results using a combination of different surface design techniques. A lot of her work for the past few years has used aspects of history with an impact on our culture today.

In the current climate where everything is new, instant and shiny, history has relevance; old buildings have a soul that modern buildings do not possess. She finds herself returning to those old buildings to look at the marks of passing time. 

Ana’s work has won numerous awards at national and international shows. Her work has been accepted into the Festival of Quilts in the UK where she won an honorable mention, Quilt Canada where she’s won several awards and the International Quilt Festival in Houston where she won 1st prize in Abstract in 2017 and a third prize in Abstract in 2019.

Ana writes articles for Quilting Arts Magazine and A Needle Pulling Thread among others. She has made several appearances in Quilting Arts TV.  Ana was invited to appear in The Quilt Show in 2022.

Ana is the founder and CEO of Create2Flourish, a program to help quilters, textile and mixed media artists avoid frustration and overwhelm and find their own voice so they can create art in their own style. Ana is currently teaching from her studio in Calgary, Alberta.

Sharon Fisher of Gardening Mum Quilts

Sharon’s quilting journey began over three decades ago in the cozy confines of a basement, where she embarked on her first quilting class. As a single mother of three young children, and while beginning a new career, that first quilt took about a decade to complete—a testament to her dedication and patience.

Driven by curiosity and a willingness to challenge herself, Sharon has continually pushed the boundaries of her craft. She has had the incredible opportunity to learn new techniques from Lisa Bongean, Kim Diehl, Mary Elizabeth Kinch, Sue Spargo, Lynn Schmidt, and Judy Eckhardt, just to name a few. These experiences have nurtured her passion for texture, wool applique, and hand stitching, allowing her to weave together a unique tapestry of traditional, primitive, and whimsical designs.

Sharon’s quilts are not just fabric creations, but vibrant expressions of her love for texture and colour, with embellishments that can transform basic designs into works of art. This distinctive style has created a niche for Sharon as a sought-after teacher, where she gets to share her skills and enthusiasm with others. She considers herself a life-long learner, constantly striving to enhance her skills and knowledge through various forms.

Sharon has taught in a wide variety of settings, from workshops for Quilt Guilds, to store events and private groups. In 2021, she had the privilege of presenting at Quilt Canada’s virtual event, reaching an extensive audience. Her role in organizing and facilitating major quilting events has introduced her to a network of creative and inspiring people.

Most recently, Sharon has been found in the company of her longarm machine, affectionately named Aunt Bea. Many of the custom quilts Sharon and Aunt Bea have made together for customers have won awards. In 2023, she had the honour of teaching at Quilt Canada in Halifax. At Quilt Canada 2024 in Edmonton, “Birdsville” clinched first prize in Patterns/Books/Magazines in the wallhangings category. This quilt, created by longtime wool applique student Kathy MacKinnon and quilted by Sharon, stands as a testament to her skill and creativity.

Sharon’s evolution from a basement beginner to a celebrated quilting instructor, mentor and artist reflects a journey marked by dedication, creativity, and passion for life-long learning, showcasing her profound impact on the quilting community.

Julie is a Canadian fibre artist who has been creating textile art for over thirty years. Raised on the Prairies, her work is inspired by big skies, the ever-changing landscape, and the challenge of creating paint-like landscapes with fabric and thread. Originally a quilter taught by her mother, Julie created her first fabric landscape in a class with Judith Baker Montano. The combination of art quilting and embroidery prompted Julie to continue creating landscapes and develop her own unique style of textile compositions.

Julie studied Clothing & Textiles at the University of Manitoba and works as a professional textile artist, creating landscapes that combine fabric painting, quilting and freestyle hand embroidery. Her fabric landscapes can be found in corporate and private collections in North America and Europe. She continues to experiment in the fibre medium and develop resources for other makers who share her love of stitching.

Julie will be teaching two 1-day workshops at Quilt Canada in 2026 in her home city, Winnipeg. The first workshop, Fabric Landscapes, will be a step-by-step instruction on how to construct a basic fabric landscape looking at design and fabric choices. The second workshop, Painting with Thread: Wildflowers & Foliage, will dive into how she adds the details to the scene.

It took a few decades, but Bobbie Gentili finally found the right outlet for her lifelong creativity and love of mathematics when she was introduced to modern quilting. She now spends every waking moment designing quilt patterns, longarm quilting, curating beautiful fabrics, and teaching quilters how to level up their skills, so they can rock any quilt making challenge.

Bobbie’s patterns feature bold, geometric designs, playing with curves and long strips to give a sense of movement. She finds inspiration in science, nature, and geeky culture. When not quilting, Bobbie Gentili moonlights as an audiobook narrator. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where her husband, two children, and cats enjoy any scraps of her attention that can be stolen from quilting and audiobooks.

@geekybobbingeekybobbin.com

Melissa is a Canadian Quiltmaker, Author, Teacher, and Quilt Pattern Designer. She has published three books on walking foot Quilting: Walking Foot Quilting Designs, Edge-to-Edge Walking Foot Quilting Designs, and UtilityWalking Foot Quilting Designs as well as two pattern books: Building Blocks and Half Square Quadrangles and many patterns. Melissa has a passion for teaching. Her focus is to help people gain the confidence to quilt their quilts on their home sewing machines with a walking foot. She has taught for Quilt Canada, the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference as well as guilds across Canada. Since June of 2020 she has been teaching online throughout North America which includes the Virtual Quilt Festival and Road@Home. In 2024 she had the pleasure of teaching four classes in person for QuiltCon. She was also honoured to have her quilt pattern selected for QuiltCon Magazine and was able to see that quilt hang in the show.

Visit Melissa’s website www.melissamarginet.ca to see her work, get free patterns & information, and find links to all her social media.

​In 2014, Natasha left her career in architecture and Aline, a movie character design lifework, to start our first business: providing longarm quilting services. The problem was that none of us had any idea how to free motion quilt! Much less how to free motion quilt in a way that crafters would see value in it!

This fact pretty much sums up how excited we are about quilting -and how seriously we took it into our lives in our early twenties, even though we barely knew what it was!

Starting as professional quilters from day zero was (and still is) definitely an adventure, it gave us a lot of joy and some challenges too! Lol

To deal with all the different client quilts and surpass the quilting paralysis is a good example. We needed to guarantee a practical (and replicable) way to make the quilts look beautiful, like jaw-dropping beautiful, within the budget!

That’s how we invented our first method: Orbital Quilting Architecture – Custom beyond Custom.

With it, we discovered the joy quilting would bring us, so we went deep and started making wholeclothes!

The rest is history: 1500 client quilts finished in 5 years; 3500 students all over the world (and counting); 

18 international awards for our original quilts, including “Excellence in Innovation”, “Excellence in Longarm Machine”, and “Excellence in Domestic Machine Quilting” in CQA NJS in Canada, and best categories, in Paducah and Houston, to name a few (and now our mentorship students are awarding all over the world too!).

Movement is all that matters to us, and we move quite a bit: from creating our own minimalist rulers line and the Orbital Board to teaching globally in two languages! We’ve created the Orbital Board, Master Quilter board game, a sustainable fabric line, published two books, taught at events, in TV, fairs, online courses, platforms, guilds, youtube channels, and most importantly, we create methods!

Methods that make quilting feel like a breeze, that shorten the time to master free motion quilting with confidence, that lead the way to auction and select designs for any kind of quilt… Methods that pavement the street for quilters creative carnival with lots of beauty and fun. Well, we are Brazilians, after all!

All we ever wanted, from the very beginning, was freedom to create, and now our hearts are filled with joy to spread confidence through method and inspiration among quilters in the whole world!

In more than a decade of quilting, teaching, and inventing, one thing is for sure: we are here to make it sparkling fun and super easy!

The arts and design background did help a lot, and a personal interest in neuroscience led to maximum efficacy to get to the point: more fun, more beauty, more freedom!

That’s probably why we do so much experimenting: techniques, styles, languages… From minimalist quilts to very traditional aesthetics, if there’s quilting, we are always snooping!

And there’s always an Orbital way to do it!

UhOh Creations is a Canada-based brand specializing in unique bag designs. Tara C Sinclair’s passion for functional creations shines through her beautifully crafted patterns. As a BERNINA Canada ambassador, she shares her expertise through bag-making classes and sewing events, inspiring fellow enthusiasts. Tara’s bags can be found internationally as well as on the HBO TV series The Last of Us. Beyond designing, Tara is committed to teaching, offering in-person classes that empower others to explore bag making, and gathering like-minded individuals together through the Great Alberta Bagineer Getaways. With her husband and stepdaughter, Tara’s life is as colorful and inspiring as the patterns she creates. You’ll find her at all kinds of sewing events as either a BERNINA Canada ambassador or an educator, as well as in the online communities supporting bagineers Internationally.

David M. Taylor currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. His obsession with fabric began at an early age, salvaging tiny scraps from his mother’s sewing area trash bin. He started creating on her sewing machine by age 10. After college, he began a 25-year career in graphic design. In 2009 he left his job at an advertising agency, started teaching appliqué and quilting, and never looked back. His first quilt design was in 1999, collaborating on a fundraiser project for Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, CO, with friend Madeleine Vail. Madeleine encouraged him to keep after it. His teaching adventures have taken him around the globe  and his quilted artworks hang in numerous private collections. 

David M. Taylor is a two-time recipient of the Master Award for Contemporary Quilting from the International Quilt Association (2006, 2014), the Brother Wall Machine Workmanship Award from the American Quilters Society (Paducah Quilt Week, 2008), and a two-time Best of Show winner at the IQA’s Spring Festival in Chicago (2007, 2008).

 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

​Kathy is a multiple international-award winning quilter specializing in appliqué, quilt design, domestic machine quilting and English Paper Piecing techniques. She started sewing and embroidering as a young girl, laying the foundation for the life-altering discovery of quilting two decades later. Over the past thirty years, quilting has grown from a hobby into a full-time creative career.

Kathy lectures and teaches all over Canada at guilds, shops, and quilt shows and now offers online workshops and presentations globally. She is a CQA/ACC Certified Quilt Judge, a pattern designer, and the author of SEWFLAKES: PAPERCUT APPLIQUÉ QUILTS, Flourish on the Vine Pattern Pack, and Instruments of Praise Pattern Pack. 

Kathy is the owner of an ecommerce business at kathykwylie.com and is a Canadian distributor for Apliquick and Hugs’n Kisses products. Born and raised in Ottawa, Kathy now resides in the beautiful lake country of Muskoka, Ontario.

Major (Ret’d) Lisa Compton

Much of Compton’s 21-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces centered around the operations in Afghanistan where she served many tours specializing in the care of trauma patents. 

She focused her MScN and PhD research efforts towards identifying perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Despite dealing with PTSD symptoms for many years Compton like many other soldiers did not seek help due to fear of being released from the Canadian Armed Forces. She also felt many PTSD symptoms were normal after spending so much time in Afghanistan. 

When asked about her quilting journey, Compton stated.

“My quilting journey started because as a veteran with PTSD from Afghanistan I could not leave my basement. My psychiatrist suggested I try quilting because my joys of soccer, running, coaching, volunteering and most of all nursing were gone. If you were a betting person, you wouldn’t have bet a penny on me. Fortunately my family, friends and medical team were willing to bet against all the odds. 

I started with one class, one quilt… 

I remember making quilts for family, friends and the little kids who lived on my street. I always worried that they would think it was a mess, a disaster and not good enough. Really… that’s how I felt about myself. But they all loved my quilts and that was such a big part of my healing.

I missed being able to help others so very much. 

I met so many quilters, they were kind, patient and so willing to teach me.

I never forgot the box of Quilts of Valour that were sent to us in Kandahar so many years before for our injured Canadians. I quickly figured out that’s what I needed to do. It was my way of still helping, still giving what I could to my brothers and sisters in arms. 

Over a thousand quilts later and I still find my joy and peace in every stitch. 

Every quilt I make and every quilt presented to our veterans gives me happiness that I thought was lost forever.”

Compton has been a volunteer with Quilts of Valour Canada- Society since 2016. She began as a quilter and became a Regional Representative, Provincial Regional Coordinator, Procurement Officer, Quilt Canada Coordinator, Vice President and is currently the National President. She is a member of several quilting guilds and groups in Newfoundland. Compton continues to volunteer with veterans advocacy groups, and groups helping refugees from Afghanistan.

Compton, her husband Warrant Officer (Ret’d) Danny who is also a QOVC volunteer and their son Brighton now live in Paradise, Newfoundland. 

Compton’s advice to others is to “make the most of every opportunity that presents itself. When challenges seem insurmountable, take them one step at a time. Never miss an opportunity to help someone.”

Julie is a Canadian fibre artist who has been creating textile art for over thirty years. Raised on the Prairies, her work is inspired by big skies, the ever-changing landscape, and the challenge of creating paint-like landscapes with fabric and thread. Originally a quilter taught by her mother, Julie created her first fabric landscape in a class with Judith Baker Montano. The combination of art quilting and embroidery prompted Julie to continue creating landscapes and develop her own unique style of textile compositions.

Julie studied Clothing & Textiles at the University of Manitoba and works as a professional textile artist, creating landscapes that combine fabric painting, quilting and freestyle hand embroidery. Her fabric landscapes can be found in corporate and private collections in North America and Europe. She continues to experiment in the fibre medium and develop resources for other makers who share her love of stitching.

Julie will be teaching two 1-day workshops at Quilt Canada in 2026 in her home city, Winnipeg. The first workshop, Fabric Landscapes, will be a step-by-step instruction on how to construct a basic fabric landscape looking at design and fabric choices. The second workshop, Painting with Thread: Wildflowers & Foliage, will dive into how she adds the details to the scene.

Carole Gold is a CQA/ACC Certified Quilt Judge who often works behind the scenes of the National Juried Show (NJS) in one of three key positions: jury coordinator, juror, and judge. Carole has also instructed the national Quilt Judge Certification Program, in partnership with Elizabeth Spannring.

In addition to working at the national level, Carole judges guild shows in Canada, longarm quilts, teaches, and offers customized guild presentations designed to educate, entertain, and uplift. She can be found at FreshofftheFrame.com

Vanessa Rowena Gloria (Macumber) Genier, M.S.M., BBA,

 is the Founder and CEO of Quilts for Survivors and a proud member of Missanabie Cree First Nation. Born in Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, she was raised with the belief that if you have the ability to help, you have a responsibility to act.

Her love of quilting began at age nine, when a neighbour introduced her to the craft. What started as a hobby became a lifelong means of honoring culture, expressing love, and comforting others. In June 2021, following the confirmation of the 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, Vanessa put out a call for 215 quilt blocks—plus one—to honour the children. That call grew into Quilts for Survivors, a national movement centered on truth, healing, and reconciliation.

Under her leadership, the organization has become a widely recognized Indigenous-led non-profit that has gifted over 8,200 quilts to Survivors of Residential Schools, Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and other traumas. Vanessa’s work is grounded in her own family history as the great-granddaughter of Residential School Survivors Emily and Dave Nolan.

A mother of five, Vanessa completed her Bachelor of Business Administration during the pandemic and continues to lead with resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment to community. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) by the Governor General of Canada for her significant contributions to healing and reconciliation.

Jennifer Long, founder of Sew A Story and fabric designer with Riley Blake Designs, is thrilled to be part of Quilt Canada 2026 in Winnipeg, her hometown!   Jennifer trained in the Professional School of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and with a background in early childhood education, Jennifer has always been passionate about creativity, storytelling, and connection. She now blends her love of dance, design, and family into her career as a Canadian fabric designer, quilt and pattern creator, and machine embroidery doll maker.

This year, you can visit Jennifer in person at the Sew A Story booth, where she will be showcasing her newest fabric collections, quilt patterns, and whimsical doll projects. You’ll also be able to see some of her quilt designs on display in the concurrent quilt show.

On Saturday morning, don’t miss Jennifer’s inspiring lecture, where she will share her journey as a Canadian designer working with one of the world’s largest fabric companies, Riley Blake Designs. In her talk, Jennifer will open up about her creative path—from growing up in Winnipeg and raising her four children in southern Manitoba, to designing fabrics, quilts, and projects that encourage families to sew for and with their children. Her mission is to help makers create meaningful, story-filled projects that bring joy, connection, and lasting memories.

Known for her vibrant energy and infectious enthusiasm, Jennifer will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired to bring your own creativity to life. And there’s more—everyone who attends her Saturday morning lecture will have the chance to win amazing prizes, including bundles from her newest Riley Blake fabric collections.

Come be part of this exciting event, connect with Jennifer, and discover how sewing can truly tell a story.

Janelle MacKay is the founder and designer behind Emmaline Bags, a globally recognized brand of modern bag-making patterns, zippers, and exclusive hardware. Based in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Janelle’s designs are available through her online shop at emmalinebags.com, as well as in quilt and sewing stores across North America, Europe, and Australia. A Craftsy instructor and sewing book author, she is passionate about inspiring makers of all levels to explore their creativity, learn new skills, and create unique, custom bags that reflect personal style. When she’s not designing,  or sewing bags & quilts, Janelle enjoys traveling and sharing her love of bag-making with creative communities around the world.

Website

YouTube

Facebook

Instagram

Melissa is a Canadian Quiltmaker, Author, Teacher, and Quilt Pattern Designer. She has published three books on walking foot Quilting: Walking Foot Quilting Designs, Edge-to-Edge Walking Foot Quilting Designs, and UtilityWalking Foot Quilting Designs as well as two pattern books: Building Blocks and Half Square Quadrangles and many patterns. Melissa has a passion for teaching. Her focus is to help people gain the confidence to quilt their quilts on their home sewing machines with a walking foot. She has taught for Quilt Canada, the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference as well as guilds across Canada. Since June of 2020 she has been teaching online throughout North America which includes the Virtual Quilt Festival and Road@Home. In 2024 she had the pleasure of teaching four classes in person for QuiltCon. She was also honoured to have her quilt pattern selected for QuiltCon Magazine and was able to see that quilt hang in the show.

Visit Melissa’s website www.melissamarginet.ca to see her work, get free patterns & information, and find links to all her social media.

Jane Morgan is the creative force behind Quilters’ Palette, based in Priddis, Alberta. With a passion for barn quilt artistry and a knack for teaching. Jane has become a prominent figure in the quilting community. Her teaching style is engaging and supportive, making for an enjoyable experience for both beginners and those with experience. Jane’s expertise and dedication have led her to an instructor position at the prestigious Quilt Canada (2024), where she inspired and educated barn quilt painters from across the country. Through her classes, Jane ensures that each participant leaves with not only a beautifully crafted barn quilt but also a deeper appreciation for this unique art form.

David M. Taylor currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. His obsession with fabric began at an early age, salvaging tiny scraps from his mother’s sewing area trash bin. He started creating on her sewing machine by age 10. After college, he began a 25-year career in graphic design. In 2009 he left his job at an advertising agency, started teaching appliqué and quilting, and never looked back. His first quilt design was in 1999, collaborating on a fundraiser project for Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, CO, with friend Madeleine Vail. Madeleine encouraged him to keep after it. His teaching adventures have taken him around the globe  and his quilted artworks hang in numerous private collections. 

David M. Taylor is a two-time recipient of the Master Award for Contemporary Quilting from the International Quilt Association (2006, 2014), the Brother Wall Machine Workmanship Award from the American Quilters Society (Paducah Quilt Week, 2008), and a two-time Best of Show winner at the IQA’s Spring Festival in Chicago (2007, 2008).

 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