Quilters Calendar & Guild Network
resources for quilt guild volunteers
Santa Rosa, California
Karen Bolan is a clear and patient teacher, thoughtful and entertaining lecturer, and clever and instructive quilt pattern designer. Her original award winning quilts and quilting philosophy integrate a love of geometry, experimentation, interconnection, depth, and texture. Karen offers virtual programs or travels to you from Santa Rosa, California.
Learn more about Karen on her website: Karen Bolan
Be sure to tell Karen that you found her on The Quilters Calendar!
Home: Gilpin County, Colorado
After too many years of dreaming about making quilts, I decided it was time to live into that dream in 2003. I began taking classes and attending quilt shows whenever possible.In 2007, I began teaching.
In 2009, I moved to Colorado where I landed a job as an editor with Quilters Newsletter magazine, and less than a year later, I was running the magazine. I also had the opportunity to do a two-year stint as editor of the SAQA Journal (Studio Art Quilt Associates) before stepping down from that position to research and write my book, Pagtinabangay: The Quilts and Quiltmakers of Caohagan Island. I spent several years on the road telling the amazing story of the more than 100 women and men on this tiny, 13-acre Philippine island.
I was honored to assist in mounting exhibitions of the island quilts at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky; the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles in San Jose, California; and Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado.
I now live at 9,200 feet in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains where I watch the wild critters from my quilt studio that faces Mount Thorodin. I enjoy designing and making quilts and teaching others to do so. And I enjoy speaking and writing about quiltmaking and quiltmakers.
I have a special passion for foundation piecing so many of my quilts and classes incorporate that technique. I’m also addicted to insetting circles and find great joy when I help others see how easy it is to do.
I’m a regular teacher at multiple quilt shops in Colorado and have taught at Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.
Most popular booking is my lecture: Pagtinabangay: The Quilts and Quiltmakers of Caohagan Island. You’ll be transported to a tiny island — just 13 acres — in the central Philippines as you enjoy images and stories of the colorful quilts and quiltmakers of Caohagan Island. You’ll see photos of more than 50 of these handmade, one-of-a-kind quilts plus be introduced to the unique techniques developed by these quiltmakers whose tools are simply fabric and scissors, needle and thread. I spent more than a month on the island, quilted with the women and men, went fabric shopping with them on nearby Cebu Island, and snorkled the reef that surrounds Caohagan. Those who view the quilts come away smiling, inspired by the creativity of these islanders. (Flexible/Under $400)
My most popular workshop is Peace Cranes Over Hiroshima. You’ll learn a lot about color value, which is key to creating this quilt’s three-dimensional look. The pattern and foundations for the quilt are included in the class fee. I designed and made “Peace Cranes Over Hiroshima” after a visit to the peace park that is at the epicenter of the World War II atomic bombing site in Hiroshima, Japan. This foundation-pieced quilt is based on an Origami folded peace-crane image from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Find out more about Dana on her website: https://www.danajonesquilts.com/ and be sure to tell Dana that you found her on The Quilters Calendar!
Home: Leesburg, Virginia
Julia Graves is a Zoom-experienced lecturer and teacher on a variety of quilting subjects, with a focus on color and design that are applicable to all your future quilts.
Her Amazing Abstracts class teaches how to use color and value to create amazing movement and drama. Her traditional piecing classes that focus on color and value include Tricks with Transparencies, Luscious Luster, Rainbow Drops and Shimmering Triangles. Other fun classes include creating your own gemstone in Gemstone Bling and Color Exploration where we play with color to see the effects we can achieve. She has lectures on Color, Design, Landscape Quilts, Personalizing and Memory Quilts, Community and Faith in Fiber and her very popular My Quilting Journey.
Julia’s two most popular bookings are:
Julia started her quilting business, Special Occasion Quilts LLC, in 2007 and teaches, lectures, designs patterns, makes commission quilts, longarms for others and sells & services APQS longarm machines. She won Best Longarm Machine Workmanship Wall Quilt Category at the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, is a Gem Affiliate teaching the gorgeous gem patterns by MJ Kinman – Textile Artist, has had quilts published in books by Gloria Loughman, Katie Pasquini-Masopust and MJ Kinman, was an Artist in Residence at Empty Spools in 2019, and will be teaching at Empty Spools in 2021 and 2022 and Hudson River Valley Art Institute in 2022.
Julia has been sewing since she was ten and always loved fabric, needle arts and the entire creative process. She did her apprenticeship as a quilter by making a quilt for each of her nieces and nephews (and thinks she should have counted them before making this promise – there were 32!). She has since made more quilts than she can count, many for charity, and is partial to scrap quilts and working with color to achieve amazing results.
Visit her gallery on her website at http://www.soquilts.com. Contact Julia viat email –juliagraves82 @ gmail.com. Julia has videos of her on this page: http://soquilts.com/classes-and-lectures/
Be sure to tell Julia that you found her on The Quilters Calendar!
Home: Studio City, California
Tina Curran has been a quilter for over 20 years. She is known for her use of color and fun imagery in her quilts. Her work has earned multiple blue ribbons and the rank of Master Quilter at her local quilt guild.
Her quilts have hung in major shows including Road to California (Ontario, CA), the AQS show in Paducah, KY and the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX.
Tina’s work has been featured more than 20 times in magazines (Quilters Newsletter and Quiltmaker) and in three books (including Ricky Tims’ “Kool Kaleidoscopes”).
She has been designing patterns since 2002, began giving quilt lectures in 2012 and started teaching her designs in quilt guild workshops in 2013. In 2015, she started a free monthly email newsletter to chronicle her adventures in quilting, which is read by thousands of quilters around the world. Her patterns are sold in her shop on Etsy.com (tinacurran.etsy.com) and to date have been bought by quilters in all 50 states and 23 foreign countries.
She offers two trunk shows. The first is a reimagined in-person show, now using photos. The second one features quilts no longer in her possession, so perfect for sharing using photos. Her popular design lecture demystifies the process with the hope to inspire others to design their own quilts. She also has a talk tracing her career path — from the advertising industry to the quilting industry, highlighting the joys and the challenges along the way.
All her workshops are project-based, helping students to make their own versions of her quilt designs. Her most popular is “Whimsical Garden,” where students make a floral fabric collage. With four versions of American flags quilts, her flag workshops are also popular, as is her “California Poppies” class. The details of the nine workshops that feature regular piecing and the seventeen that feature paper piecing can be found on the “Lectures and Workshops” page on her website.
Tina is an experienced presenter/teacher on Zoom. More information can be found on her website at www.tinacurran.com.
Please let Tina know that you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar.
Home: Lansing, Kansas
Barbara J. Eikmeier (Barb) has been quilting since 1984 and teaching quilting since 1990.
She is the author of four books, published by Martingale and Co, including “Back Basting Applique Step by Step”, has designed seven fabric collections for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics and is a Bluprint instructor (formerly Craftsy).
In 2016 she became the authorized distributor for the Magic Triangle Ruler. Married to a retired army officer, she has lived in several regions of the US and South Korea. Barb considers herself a traditional quilter and although appliqué is her favorite quilting technique she also offers programs on sashings, random block samplers, solids, and other traditional quilting techniques. She lives in Lansing, KS with her husband Dale and two dogs and is pleased to now offer all regular lectures as virtual programs.
Barb has announced a retirement date: November 2024. I saw Barb do a trunk show via Zoom on July 11, 2020 and she was MARVELOUS! Hire her fast before her calendar fills up! ~Marguerita
Find out more about Barb on her website and drool over her quilts at https://www.barbsfavorites.com/
Be sure to tell Barb that you found her on The Quilters Calendar!
Home: Chandler, Arizona
Heidi was born and raised in Rochester, New York, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2000, Heidi began offering her services as a product designer to a number of fabric companies. She created her own line of quilt patterns beginning in 2002 and in 2004 Heidi started designing fabric in her own bright and whimsical style. By 2005 the work load warranted expanding to a partnership and The Whimsical Workshop, LLC was born with Heidi as the chief designer.
Heidi is known for her fun and whimsical quilts which she often makes in dramatic, bright colors. She also designs quilt patterns for a variety of popular quilting magazines. In addition she has written five books; Quilted Whimsy, Bold Batiks and Dazzling Designs for Leisure Arts, Pop Up Paper Structures for C&T Publishing and Fabric Jewelry-Wrapped, Braided and Sewn for F&W Media.
Heidi has been lecturing and teaching about being a designer for the fabric industry and about the 1000’s of quilts she as designed the various fabric companies over the years since 2002. Her classes cover the majority of the popular piecing and applique techniques available today, as well as classes on tools, color and design. She is also available for trade lectures for professionals wishing to design for the craft industry as well.
Her workshops are tailored to your guild’s skill levels and techniques you desire to learn.
You can see some of the workshops offered at https://www.thewhimsicalworkshop.com/workshop.htm
Please let Heidi know that you found her on The Quilters Calendar!
Home: Porterdale, Georgia
My favorite things about making quilts are color relationships, and repeated geometric patterns.
My design ideas come from everywhere including, the nature, textiles and artwork from other cultures, as well as vintage quilts.
I prefer making scrap quilts because I believe they are much richer, and more interesting to look at. They are also versatile, and will add a beautiful focal point, or unique accent to a wider variety of rooms. Most of my quilts are pieced.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Art, and have been weaving for 30 years. Both have had a big influence on the way I use color and geometric pattern in my quilts.
I am available to teach quilting classes, and to present trunk shows to quilt guilds.
I have written patterns for many of my quilt designs.
I would love the opportunity to come and meet your guild!
Please visit my website at http://quiltdesignsbycandace.com and my blog at http://quiltdesignsbycandace.blogspot.com/
Please tell Candace that you found her on The Quilters Calendar!
Home: Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA
Life is a journey! My husband’s Coast Guard career allowed NESTLINGS by
Robin to fly for the past 15 years as we traveled; quilting, teaching, and designing.
NESTLINGS by Robin is a Quilt Design/ Pattern Publishing, Hand quilting,
and Appraisal services business.
“Robin’s Wreaths” is the 2018 series quilt in AQ magazine.
In my continuing Appraisal training, the designers of the past have become
my inspiration for my newer work combining traditional elements with my
own whimsical style. Inspiring creativity through collaboration and allowing students to find their inner creative is a common element in my classes. I offer many lectures and workshops including my popular Fabric Collaborations.
My website is www.nestlingsbyrobin.com Please visit me there for more information.
Please let Robin know you found her on The Quilter’s Calendar!
