Quilters Calendar & Guild Network

resources for quilt guild volunteers

Rita

Sarah Goer

by

Home: San Jose, CA

Sarah helps quilters build their improv piecing skills in a fun and playful way, inspiring them to create their own unique designs. Her workshops are a bit of a choose your own adventure, packed with tips and tricks as well as permission to play. As a former middle school math teacher, Sarah combines 11 years of classroom experience with over two decades of quilting experience to bring clear instruction to her quilt students. Students appreciate Sarah’s easy going, nurturing style.

Sarah is available for in-person and virtual events. Learn more about Sarah on her website: https://sarahgoerquilts.com/teaching/

Bonnie Langenfeld

by

Home: Minnesota & Florida

My dream was to become a painter, but I found that I couldn’t control the media the way I wanted, to create realistic images. Fortunately I had always been involved in sewing as well.

That led me to traditional quilting where I was frustrated by not being able to create my version of realism in fabric. This was in the 1990s when art quilting and a myriad of new tools and fabrics became available. The best ones for me were glues for fabrics, heavy stabilizers, and hand dyed or printed fabrics that allow my imagination to ‘see’ landscape elements in them.

At this time I also started playing with free motion stitching, and invented ways to add details to my landscapes with just two stitches.

My history includes having been shown in galleries, art shows, quilt shows, private commissions, making presentations and teaching (both virtually and live).

I feel very fortunate to have this second career as teacher, having taught primary students for many years, and now can teach my techniques anywhere. Currently I live in Cape Coral, FL in the winter and spend summers in Eden Prairie, MN, close to family!

Virtual Presentation: The Art of Realistic Fabric Art. In this 45-60 minute presentation, the essential art elements and techniques for realism are covered, e.g. using lines of perspective and use of color for depth. It explains much what I have developed over several years specifically regarding fabric choices and stitching techniques, as well as  how to construct a fabric picture, and much more. Many pictures of my in-progress work, and completed pieces are shown. It’s laced with humor and enthusiasm. Audience questions are welcome. A trunk show is included. $350. (March 2021)

Visit Her Website for more about Bonnie because it’s total eye candy looking at her quilts! She has a YouTube Channel here – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC996XR7m7EhW8Qx6gf8l13Q

Please let Bonnie know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Beth Helfter

by

Home: Pepperell, Massachusetts and live online streaming for guilds.

Author, pattern designer, and national quilting instructor Beth Helfter has one rule about quilting – it’s supposed to be fun. Along with her company motto of “Inspired Designs, Relaxed Attitude,” Beth brings visionary designs and techniques to her patterns and exuberance and encouragement to the classroom.

Beth prefers to dig into her stash to create designs and patterns that appeal to her senses of color and value, using as many different fabrics as possible. Keeping to just a few color families in each quilt palette is one of her best tricks to keeping scrappy quilts from getting out of hand but allowing them to sing with tone and movement. Her popular lecture “Consistency in the Chaos” showcases several ways of looking at categories of scraps as it seeks to inspire quilters to think about scrap quilts and pull fabrics to make them shine without overwhelming the eye. Beth has decided she will never solve the mystery of why even scrap quilters can never use up their fabrics, and no longer even tries.

Her penchant for scraps and her need to use as many fabrics as possible in her quilts led her in 2017 to develop the Accordion Sewn HSTs™ method of creating half square triangles that don’t have a match and yet waste no fabric. Delving into the method further, she discovered “ordering” the accordions could lead to the creation of whole blocks and quilts from a single accordion.

Her first book on the method “Oompah! Jazz Up Your Scrap Quilts With Accordion Sewn HSTs™” was published in 2018, and “Another Round of Oompah” was published in 2020. It’s been called “life-changing,” “magical,” “addictive,” and, her favorite, “witchcraft,” and is the basis for her “Oompah! Accordion Sewn HSTs™ lecture and many of her most popular workshops. She’s currently at work on new variations of the basic Accordion Sewn HSTs™ for patterns and workshops.

As a traveling quilt teacher, she’s taught for guilds coast to coast, and never tires of the ah-ha moments and banter of a classroom full of quilters.

Visit Beth’s website: EvaPaige Quilts

Visit Beth’s YouTube Channel: EvaPaige Quilt Designs

Email Beth: evapaigequilts @ charter.net (remove spaces)

Here’s Beth’s portion of an interview among national quilt teachers done in May 2020:


Please let Beth know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Toni Smith

by

Home: London, Ontario, Canada and Crofton, Maryland, USA

Author of Designing Block Quilts: Design & Create your own Pixelated Patterns.

Toni has been selling her original Comic Book and Video Game quilts at conventions for years. Her pattern line of pixelated quilts teach the basics of quilting while teaching experienced quilters new techniques.

Her trunk shows show her journey to becoming the Pixel Quilter and her classes show how you can create your own unique pixelated masterpieces. You can find Toni Smith – The Pixel Quilter – on her website www.quiltoni.com

Please let Toni know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Diane D. Knott

by

Home: Cumming, Georgia, USA

Author of books Scrap Quilt Secrets (2016) and Strip Quilt Secrets (2018) published by C&T.

Diane’s loves to share all of her secrets for making scrap quilts using fun and easy techniques to ensure success.

Choose from several guild presentations with 20+ quilts each, and workshops that specialize in sewing curves, strip piecing, and sewing strategies for successful patchwork in less time. For more about Diane please visit her website: www.butterflythreadsquilting.com

Please let Diane know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Heather Kojan

by

Home: Owings Mill, Maryland

I’ve been sewing since my teens and quilting for more than 25 years.

My first quilt was an Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day. Since I had a king sized bed, it made sense to me to make a king sized quilt. Go big or go home, right? That quilt was in shades of mauve and dusty blue (hello mid ’80’s!) Let’s just say my fabric tastes have changed since then!

I consider myself a modern quilter, with traditional roots. I’m the founder of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild and love speaking to different groups and sharing the modern aesthetic. I’m foremost a teacher. I teach modern quilting classes in local shops, guilds and shows across the country.

I’m a contributing author to the book Classic Modern Quilts and a featured quilter in The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Lynn Wood, and 50 Little Gifts published by Lucky Spool. You can frequently find my work in Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Magazine and Modern Patchwork Magazine.

Let’s connect! You can find me on my blog: www.heatherkojan.com or on Instagram @heatherkojan.

Please let Heather know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Marci Baker

by

Home: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Recognized internationally for her expertise in quilting, Marci enjoys sharing ideas that simplify the process of quilting.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Marci has loved sewing for years, making her first quilt at age 9 and sewing her own clothes in high school and college. She began teaching quilting in 1989 for her local quilt guild. Marci has applied her love of math (she has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics) to her love of quilting to develop easier ways for quilting success. Through her excellent teaching skills, her students learn new and exciting methods that simplify and improve their quilting.

Teaching quilting is Marci’s true passion and will travel to anywhere there are quilters. Across the US and Canada, from Brazil to Dubai, she has shared her expertise. Online you can see her in action on The Quilt Show, Creative Spark, and videos on her website.

Collaborating with Sara Nephew, they have written 3-D Magic, Stack and Cut Hexagon Quilts, Wonderful One Patch, and Not Your Grandmother’s Log Cabin. Solo, she has written ABC 3-D, Tumbling Blocks and More and The Quilters Binding Bible, and developed Sewing Edge and The Ultimate Value Tool in partnership with C&T Publishing. Marci’s simplifying methods can be seen at QuiltwithMarciBaker.com, where quilters enjoy their quilting even more!

Marci and her husband, Clint, live in Fort Collins, Colorado, where they enjoy the beauty of nature. Of course, she makes it back to Texas, for family and longtime quilting friends.

Her lectures always have a learning component with demonstrations and quilts. Workshops are intended to be focused on the topic/project with an overall inclusion of valuable quilting tips. Her most popular topic is 3-D designs followed closely by binding, fabric value selection, tips on all things quilting, and quilt designs (hand, machine, and long arm).

My goal for quilters:

When I teach my techniques, my mantra is ”Enjoy your quilting even more!”

Quotes from customers:

“Thank you greatly! I have never experienced such accuracy and it is incredibly easy. I don’t have to think. The fabric glides through the machine and I find my sewing relaxing.” – Joanne, shop owner and quilter for over 50 years.

“You are the best teacher we have ever had for our guild!” – Laurie, guild programs person

“Thank you so much for all your info and patience. All the hints are greatly appreciated!!” – Sheila, workshop student

“Thank you for your visit to [our guild]! We always enjoy your approach to quilting!” – Joan and Sandi, workshop students

Check out Marci’s website and video page.

Please let Marci know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Mel Beach

by

Home: San Jose, California

Mel Beach is a San Jose, CA based quilt artist, teacher and lecturer, who breaks away from tradition by adding her own modern, beautifully textured and colorful twists. She loves stretching her creativity through her completion of 60+ quilt challenges at the local and international level. Her quilt challenge entries draw upon her inquisitive nature of asking “What If?”, working in a series, comedy improv studies along with her love of nature, photography and sketching.

Many of her challenge quilts have been exhibited locally, juried into national quilt shows and traveling exhibits, published in books/magazines, earned awards/ribbons and selected as Finalists.

She is an Aurifil Artisan and a Featured Artist on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims (episode 2112).

Mel is an industry leader in online teaching for guilds. She works closely with many guilds, including the Studio Art Quilt Association and the Northern California Quilt Council, to bring the best possible learning experience to her students. ~Marguerita

Multi-Media Lectures/Trunk Shows: Quilt challenges, fabric dyeing and free-motion quilting.

Quilting Workshops: Pebble & Play!, Mod Molas & Bright Blooms, Magnificent Mandalas, Walking Foot WOW.

Modern Design Workshops: Slice of Improv, Free Styling & Spiraling, Mod Mandalas, Intriguing Interleaves, Improv, Improv Piecing, Improvisational.

See more about Mel on her website Mel Beach Quilts.  Please let Mel know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!

Please let Mel know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!