Meet the Teachers at Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Lakeland

Lakeland, FL

Meet the Teachers

 

We take the time to search out the best in the industry, introducing you to exceptional designers, best-selling authors, creative thinkers and visionaries. Taking classes at Original Sewing & Quilt Expo adds to a memorable and satisfying experience.

 

Ellen Ault

Tampa, FL

MK Quilts

mkquilts.com

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Ellen Ault is a professional longarm quilter and the Creative Chief Officer for MK Quilts. Ellen leads the longarm studio and manages the full service quilt shop. She teaches piecing classes locally and shares her love of free motion quilting and rulers on MK Quilts University. She has been longarm quilting for 10+ years.

 

Fran Brown
Maitland, FL
Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore
Fran has been sewing since she was seven years old, taking over her Mother’s sewing machine.  She has a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education.  After retiring from her first Career as a High School and College Band Director, Fran began her second career, working in the machine department and teaching sewing and embroidery classes for The Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore.

 

June Colburn
Largo, FL
June Colburn Designs II, Inc.

junecolburn.com
June's odyssey began in 1973 with itchy feet and a Master's degree in library science. While working for international schools, June's motto, "Have sewing machine, will travel" led her into adventures hunting for fabrics in souks, bazaars and temple sales from Quito to Paris, Istanbul to Singapore. Talking with the people who wove, dyed, embroidered, sewed and sold native textiles influenced her life. The exquisite kimono fabrics of Japan defined her creative direction. June's work has been featured in many exhibitions, collections and design shows. She shares her knowledge and love of Asian textiles through lectures and classes.

 

Pam Damour

Champlain, NY
The Decorating Diva

pamdamour.com
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Known as the "Decorating Diva" Pam learned early in life, while spending time on her grandparents’ farm, that making something from "scratch" was not only a way of life, but it was the better way of doing things. Holding on to those values she went from farm to fabric and has had a very successful 30+ year career as an interior designer and sewing professional. Pam offers professional drapery workroom training. As a seasoned career speaker, she travels internationally teaching her specialty techniques that have brought her years of continued business as the "Couture of Home Dec Sewing". She is the author of Pillow Talk, Cheaper by the Dozen, Got Quilts?, The Tangled Home, Hold Everything and producer of 12 Home Dec DVDs. She has designed many patterns, rulers, scissors and other sewing related notions. An interior designer by profession and a quilter by passion, Pam lives on the shore of Lake Champlain in a log home, nestled at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains, where she teaches sewing retreats. Her down to earth nature, never forgetting her roots, combined with her professionalism creates a warm and creative experience. 

 

Eric Drexler
Port Charlotte, FL
Sulky of America

sulky.com
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Eric has been in the industry over 40 years. Free-motion artistry has been his life-long passion. He has made numerous large and small works of machine art, some of which have been featured in Sulky Books and at Trade and Consumer Shows all over the country. Through his association with Sulky of America since the beginning, he has had the pleasure and honor of being inspired by some of the world's greatest creative sewers and quilters. Eric loves life and he loves to teach and share his exuberance for creative sewing. He is passionate about inspiring students of all ages so they can discover and enjoy a lifetime of creative fun. His infectious smile and warm humor puts everyone at ease and makes them ready and eager to learn. He is widely sought after to teach and share his contagious enthusiasm at Consumer shows, Sewing and Quilting Guilds and on many PBS shows.

 

Heather Dunn

Indio, CA

Heathers Quilts

etsy.com/shop/HeathersQuiltsnKits

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Heather Dunn has been sewing and quilting for many years. She loves fabric and designing her own quilts. Teaching is definitely a passion of hers and teaching others how to make a quilt is at the top of her list! Heather works closely with Carmen Geddes of TenSisters Handicraft, creator of the EasyPiecing Grid. Making quilt samples you'll find within the pages of TenSister's pattern books, Heather has become an expert with the EasyPiecing Grid technique. Come see her work in person and sign up to learn this clever technique from this talented quilt maker!

 

Amanda Gerard

Oceanside, CA

Sew O'side

sewoside.com

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With over 25 years of sewing experience, Amanda started Sew O'side in Oceanside, CA in 2018 to share her passion and received Small Business of the Year in 2019 from the city of Oceanside and in 2020 from the state of CA. Since opening the first location, Amanda began traveling to teach at various events, retreats and expos all over the US and beyond! Her specialty is taking complicated concepts and breaking them down for understanding. Her favorite fabric bases to work with are smooth and clear vinyl for bags and accessories, cotton lycra for clothing and after years of trial and error, has finally accepted zippers as a preference over buttons! Amanda is SEW excited to bring her designs to OSQE in 2024!

 

Jeannie Grabowska

Handi Quilter National Educator

handiquilter.com

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Having a mother who was a wonderful seamstress exposed Jeannine to the joy of sewing at a young age. But she didn’t discover that joy for herself until, as a young mother, she acquired her first sewing machine. In 2009 she pieced her first real bed quilt to send with her daughter to college. After that, Jeannine joined her local quilt guild and began learning more. She began free motion quilting on her domestic machine, but desired more opportunity for quilting. In 2015, after 29 years of working as a medical lab technician, she ended her old career to begin planning a new venture in longarm quilting. Her previously loved HQ Avanté with Pro-Stitcher was purchased in 2016 and with the support of her wonderful husband, Mark, in 2017 Chickadee Cottage Quilting was born! In the four years that followed the business grew rapidly, creating a need for a new HQ Innity to be added to her studio. She has become an award winning quilter, earning awards for her professional quilting for 3 years in a row. She has learned a great deal since opening her business and looks forward to a continuation of learning and growing in the quilting industry. She loves working with people, and encouraging and guiding them through the quilting process.

 

Lorraine Henry

San Diego, CA
Lorraine Henry for Conselle

conselle.com

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Lorraine is a specialist in sewing, fitting and pattern alteration for Conselle Institute of Image Management. With a degree in Clothing and Textiles she has been a university instructor. Teaching pattern alteration and fit is her favorite thing to do. She has done this at international sewing shows for many years. Her Two Easy Measuring tape set has been an aid for achieving good fit for fashion sewers throughout the world. With 40+ years experience as a custom dressmaker/tailor/teacher, she has a wealth of knowledge to share with you about sewing and fit.

 

Karla Herrin

Charlestown, IN

Karla has been around the sewing and quilting world all her life, but after a move and career change in 1994 she jumped in and explored all it had to offer. Student, teacher, sewing, machine sales and store manager led her to over 15 years as a free lance educator for SVP Worldwide. Karla loves to design, use and develop new ways to sew and embroider using both new techniques and tools. She is happiest in her sewing studio.

 

Toni Hill

Maitland, FL
The Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore

sewing.net
Toni declared to her mother that she wanted to sew at the age of 7. With her mom’s assistance, she has been sewing ever since. Over 25 years ago her mother introduced her to the world of machine embroidery and that is her current passion. Currently, she works as the Machine Department Manager at The Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore. She sells sewing machines and teaches sewing and embroidery classes.

 

Jaymi Horne

Carmel, IN 

Cranky Kangaroo

crankykangaroo.com

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Jaymi Horne has been sewing professionally for over 20 years. She began quilting as a creative outlet, and fell in love with Foundation Paper Piecing. Dubbed the “FPP Queen” by her Instagram followers, she has designed over 50 Foundation Paper Pieced patterns, has been published in Make Modern Magazine and featured in local art shows.

 

Laura Kay Houser

Port Charlotte, FL

Little Quilt Store

littlequiltstore.com

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Laura Kay Houser was the owner of Happiness Is , , , Quilting! quilt shop in McKinney, Texas, for over 12 years. She was a Pfaff and Bernina sewing machine dealer while never losing her love of hand work. She purchased Lynette Anderson's Little Quilt Store in October 2021 and handles the retail sales for the Australian quilt designer. She is also a distributor for Apliquick products.

 

Sis Hutchison

Decatur, AL

Classic Sewing magazine

classicsewingmagazine.com
thesewingcollection.com

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Sis Hutchison is the Product Manager for TheSewingCollection.com and is an Assistant Editor for Classic Sewing Magazine. She loves all things sewing and began her love of sewing when she learned to make doll clothes at a young age. She loved sewing for herself and her home during her early adult years and then learned heirloom sewing & smocking for her children. She worked as the Director of Schools for Martha Pullen Co. for many years, then Hoffman Media/Classic Sewing Magazine for the last eight years. Sis loves finding you the newest and most wonderful sewing notions!

 

Rae Imdieke

Midlothian, TX

Emporium Threads

emporiumthreads.com

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At 18, Rae began teaching herself how to sew as a form of creative expression. She brings more than 15 years of sewing experience to the table when teaching others how to craft unique and one of a kind handbags as well as personal accessories. Her teaching style has been touted as "Easy to follow", "Great for beginners", and "Patient and detailed". She offers a wide selection of staple bag making hardware, tools, notions and templates, curated for those who seek the best quality on the market for their handmade items. Based in central Texas, she runs her online web store and travels the country teaching in person bag making classes and vending her exclusive merchandise. Additionally, she offers online tutorials via YouTube.

 

Joyce Keske

Minong, WI

Joyce Keske Design

Joyce started her sewing career in her early 20s making leather jackets. She started her own bridal business, which led to working for David’s Bridal where she was named “Alteration Manager of the Year” for the entire United States. Later she became a Baby Lock Ambassador where she discovered her passion for teaching. She now travels the country teaching for her company, Joyce Keske Design.

 

Judy Kessinger

FitNice

fitnicesystem.com

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Judy Kessinger started her career traveling nationwide holding seminars for Hancock Fabrics for over 25 years. She also designed costumes for national and international figure skaters and created a fast and easy way to conquer fitting problems for that field.

 

Judy’s next goal was to make stress-free sewing with simple solutions for fitting. Her personal style included many relaxed, comfortable but well fitted outfits. In her search for the “perfect” pattern she decided to use her experience and create the system herself. The Master Tops and Master Pants patterns were born! Once you FIT the basic pattern, you create an entire wardrobe with 5 pattern pieces

 

With the addition of her remarkable books, Design It Yourself the techniques book, Simple Sewlutions and her newest, Top It Off, she has completed the perfect system.
                   
She is known by many as the Fit Doctor, curing the ills of the sewing “blues”. Sewing is the easy part but it’s the FITTING that makes garments come alive and compliment the body instead of just covering it!
     
Judy has been blessed to have touched the lives of countless women, teaching them the tricks of looking trim and feeling fantastic by simply fitting themselves properly.


Marsha Kirsch
Bay Village, OH
The past 12 years Marsha has been a national educator for SVP worldwide. She is greatly loved for her enthusiasm and lively presentations while sharing masterful technical skills or the inspiration that sewers take away from her events. Using her education background she imparts an empowering "can do" attitude, opening up doors to creativity, and fun ways to embellish projects with exciting results. Student smiles at the end of her events are her reward. Marsha enjoys creating and designing garments, purses and home decor projects which incorporate a creative touch, especially through embellishment. She has had publications in Design in Machine Embroidery and Classic Sewing magazines and had appeared with Sue Hausmann on PBS and Behind the Seams, an internet sewing show through SVP.

 

Mary Beth Krapil

Handi Quilter National Educator

handiquilter.com

redbearquilts.com

Mary Beth Krapil has been an avid sewer since childhood, teaching quilting classes since 1998. Her goal is to share her knowledge and passion for quilting. She loves teaching the basics to new quilters and also enjoys introducing new techniques and ideas to experienced quilters. She has appeared on Quilt It, The Longarm Quilting Show on QNNtv, and the
HQ Live show. An expert on Pro-Stitcher, Mary Beth is a skilled Pro-Stitcher Designer™ instructor as well. Sharing the joys of computerized quilting and digitizing with quilt makers of all skill levels, Mary Beth makes it fun and easy for anyone to learn. She started longarm quilting on a non-stitch-regulated HQ Sixteen in 2004, then moved to a HQ Avanté with Pro-Stitcher and now quilts on a HQ Innity with Pro-Stitcher and also on her HQ Sweet Sixteen stationary machine. She loves to add ruler work and free motion designs to enhance Pro-Stitcher quilting. Mary Beth does her piecing with the HQ Stitch 510™ machine and takes her trusty HQ Stitch 210™ to retreats and classes. She loves her HQ Stitch 710™ for bag making and other sewing tasks. Her quilts have won awards at many local, national and international shows. Several of her quilts have been published in national magazines and books.

 

Julie Luoma
Deltona, FL
Off The Wall Quilt

offthewallquilt.com
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Following a nearly 20 year career as a business manager and tax professional while raising three kids with her husband in the Pacific Northwest, Julie retired to become a full time quilter and vendor at quilt shows. Now residing in Florida, Julie teaches, lectures and creates new quilt designs and templates. Her quirky humor and relaxed attitude are reflected in her presentations and not quite perfect quilts.

 

Donelle McAdams
Marion, IN
Representing Sew Steady

sewsteady.com
sewbizmarion.com
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Donelle McAdams is the owner of SEW BIZ, Marion, Indiana, now an online quilt resource. Donelle is the designer of Quick Easy Mitered Binding and Border Tools for the Sewing and Quilting industry that are sold internationally and she is also a pattern designer. Previously a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, she has been a quilt store owner for 36 years. She has taught a variety of SchoolHouse and Take & Teach classes and Business Management Seminars at International Quilt Market, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff Sewing Conventions, Vacuum & Sewing Machine Dealers Trade Association Convention and has participated as a Quilt Store Owner/Educator on numerous panels and advisory boards. She writes a column Profitable Promotions - for FabShop News, an industry magazine and also writes for VDTA. As a promoted Educator for Sew Steady/Westalee Design Templates, Donelle teaches classes in Ruler Work Quilting. Her love and enthusiasm for sewing and quilting is infectious. Taking a class with Donelle is guaranteed to be information-packed, inspirational and FUN!

 

Jill McCloy

Colorado Springs, CO

Jill McCloy Designs
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Jill's sewing career started at an early age – she received her first sewing machine for Christmas just after her fourth birthday. In high school, she did custom sewing and taught at fabric and sewing machine shops using original patterns. In 1992 Jill was hired by Viking Sewing Machines, Inc. as a national educator designing projects for the Viking Club and teaching at Viking World Conventions. She then became an independent educator working with many brands of sewing machines. Jill was featured in the Threads magazine design challenge in 2000, wrote for McCall’s and Threads magazines, designed embroideries for Cactus Punch and taught at many Expo events. Her specialties are machine knowledge and creating original designs. She has over 50 patterns and recently had a truly beautiful line of fabric come out with Northcott fabrics. 


Kathy McMakin
Birmingham, AL
Martha Pullen Company

Classic Sewing

classicsewingmagazine.com
thesewingcollection.com

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Kathy McMakin is one of America’s foremost authorities in the field of heirloom sewing by machine and by serger. She teaches beginning and advanced sewers from every corner of the world and inspires a new level of confidence in her students. Kathy is the Director of Education for Martha Pullen Company and produces sewing and serging events held all across the United States. As the team leader and instructor for the Martha Pullen Teacher Licensing Program for both face-to-face and online curriculums, she can be found designing, serging, sewing and writing instructions on almost every day of the week.

She has been a guest instructor at events for every major sewing machine manufacturer in the world. She has authored several smocking, sewing and serging books and has produced and appeared in numerous sewing and serging videos. Her guest appearances on sewing television shows are many. Kathy is going on 30+ years with Martha Pullen Company and lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband. They have two grown children and three absolutely precious grandchildren.

 

Susan Miller

Doylestown, OH

Susan has been quilting, sewing and embroidering for many years. She has a quilting studio in her home where she provides longarm quilting services to her customers. Over the years, she has taken Martha Pullen’s Teaching classes for sewing and surging, also Quilt in a Day teacher training and event training with Eleanor Burns Master Quilter in Paducah, Kentucky. Susan has taught at a local quilt shop many classes: longarm program, Kids sew, machine usage classes and embroidery programs. Susan also plans event classes for quilt guilds in her local area. Sewing and quilting has been her love and hobby for over 40 years.

 

Judy Phillips

Stow, OH

Sew Deja Vu

sewdejavu.com

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Ten years ago Judy Phillips opened Sew Deja Vu's doors with a mission to meet the needs of modern sewists. Bringing the newest notions, technical skill classes, and modern trendy fabrics to the hands of sewists and quilters everywhere. The quilt-covered walls and bolts of fabric provide creative inspiration for anyone who enters the store.

 

When Judy shared her passion for the art of sewing, she created a community of not only amazing customers but life-long friends. The home store is located in Stow, Ohio but on occasion, you can find Judy Phillips and the Sew Deja Vu crew traveling to different quilt expos and events. Giving her the ability to share her expertise with a larger audience, and watch their creativity bloom with every class she teaches.

 

Rhonda Pierce

Willowbrook, IL

Schmetz Needles
SCHMETZneedles.com

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Rhonda Pierce has a dream job. . . teaching sewing enthusiasts about the hardest working 2” piece of steel in the sewing machine – the SCHMETZ needle. After presenting 200+ virtual classes, she is happy to meet stitch fans in-person. Rhonda created and published 100 issues of SCHMETZ Inspired to SEW. She publishes the must read SCHMETZneedles monthly newsletter. She is a certificated FitNice System Instructor. Her quilt, Color Splash, hung at three International Quilt Festivals. Rhonda’s personal blog is www.SewMoreStitches.com. With quilt shop, wholesale management experience, and the love of sewing, Rhonda delivers a unique perspective as VP Marketing Director of Euro-notions, and Spokesperson for SCHMETZneedles.com North America.

 

Sara Robitaille and Debbie Love

Orlando, FL

Salty Sews

saltysews.com

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Debbie and Sara, the dynamic duo of the sewing world, mix a dash of sass with their sewing expertise. They've spun their love for stitching into a wild ride of teaching and inspiring. Brimming with years of know-how, they're not just about the thread and needle; expect a hearty dose of humor in every class. They're the go-to gals for a good laugh and a sewing skill or two. Known for their sharp wit as much as their sharp needles, their classes are where you stitch up something cool and maybe get roasted a little – all in good fun!

 

Kathy Ruddy
Mukilteo, WA
kathyruddy.com
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Kathy is an international sewing celebrity, educator, pattern designer, Serger and fitting expert. Active in the sewing industry since 1962, she is the star of 10 Serger and sewing videos and author of 12 Serger and sewing booklets and her new enhanced books on CD called Three ways to Learn CD'S. You can look at pictures of her projects from start to finish, read the words next to the pictures as you listen to Kathy impart her wisdom and experiences as she develops her projects. If you like a hard copy you can print off as many pages from the CD as you like. Her specialty is to show how to sew and serge fast and easy without sacrificing quality, fit or fashion details. Her fresh, fun classes are brimming with surprises and ideas.

 

Pat Sauer
Maitland, FL
The Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore

sewing.net
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Pat Sauer is the owner of The Sewing Studio Fabric Superstore. She was hired at this wonderful store in 1984 and purchased the business in 2000. She loves all things embroidery and it is her passion to share her knowledge with her students.

 

Connie Spurlock
Coeur d’Alene, ID
Sew Wonderful Dreams

sewwonderfuldreams.com
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Connie Spurlock used her background in education to develop Sew Wonderful Dreams, a pattern design company in 1989. The company originally focused on craft patterns, while today the emphasis is on quilting and education. About her company, she says: "We believe the best marketing tool we have is to educate. Everyone can learn but the way we learn is variable. Our classes are designed to help you learn in away that will be most beneficial to you."

 

Jim Suzio

Pittsburgh, PA
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Jim Suzio is an award winning artist, designer, digitizer and sewing instructor (including embroidery software, heirloom, fashion and serger sewing). A self taught sewer, Jim was inspired to try the craft after watching a neighbor's enthusiasm in the art. A new sales position at a machine dealer found him literally "thrown" on stage at an ASG convention where he was discovered by Sue Hausmann, host of the PBS series "America Sews with Sue Hausmann." Jim soon found himself teaching all over the US, Canada and Australia for Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff Sewing Machine Companies. His work has been featured in numerous books and magazines and several ads for Husqvarna Viking and the launch of Ty Pennington's new fabric line. he has been seen on several television programs here ("America Sews with Sue Hausmann,"and "It's Sew Easy") and in Canada ("the Big Breakfast Show").  

 

Joe Vecchiarelli
Glendale, CA
French European Dress Forms

frencheuropeaninc.com

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Joe Vecchiarelli, founder and president of French European Inc., has worked in the fashion industry for over 40 years. During his college years, Joe worked in the family business, sharpening scissors for the industry's top designers. He later graduated from USC's business program and began to realize that opportunities in the apparel business were unlimited. Mr. Vecchiarelli's career took another fascinating turn when he made a foray into the entertainment business working in production with shows like Dancing with the Stars and The X Factor. A few years ago he was approached by NBC to help produce the competitive design talent show, Fashion Star. Presently Mr. Vecchiarelli is ever so busy maintaining his business and helping fashion students and enthusiasts grasp their dreams and become successful within the industry.

 

Hope Yoder

Sarasota, FL

Designs by Hope Yoder

hopeyoder.com

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Hope Yoder is an entrepreneur, fabric designer, and course creator. She was the inspiration behind Embellish products. She writes for several magazine publications and has been featured in numerous courses for her creativity and savvy business tips. You can find her behind the computer designing or in front of her laser or embroidery machine dancing to Cupid's Shuffle. Her superpower is helping others by teaching, mentoring, and inspiring!

Thank you to these fine companies who provide continued support.