Amy Anderson
For many years, Amy Anderson designed knitting patterns, but about 10 years ago, she morphed from a knitter into a quilter and seamstress. She still enjoys designing her own patterns, with a particular focus on small items and using fabric with little or no waste. She also enjoys finding or inventing techniques to streamline or improve the sewing process.
Cheryl Schenck
Cheryl bought her first rinky dink sewing machine in 2003 so she could take her first quilting class after seeing a quilt made without beige. Since then she has taught hundreds of classes, given dozens of lectures to guilds and other groups, and has had quilts hanging at Quilt Expo and the Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival. She is one of the founding members of the Richmond (Virginia) Modern Quilt Guild and served as that group’s vice president and president. She is Wisconsin’s only certified TuffetSource affiliate and she is also McTavishing certified. Additionally, she makes figure skating dresses and enjoys painting in her spare time.
Website: www.unspooledwi.com
Jennifer Angelo
Jennifer’s fiber interests come from her father and grandmother. Her father taught her how to knit, put in a zipper and be self-sufficient. Being practical, Jennifer became an occupational therapist, earned a PhD and taught occupational therapy courses in universities for several years. Her love of fiber deepened when she moved to New Zealand. She discovered her neighbors were sheep and she began studying felting techniques with local and international fiber artists. She began investigating wool properties and how they respond when made into clothing and art pieces. When she returned to the U.S. she delved into how to make scarves more drapable while retaining their warmth and luxurious nature. Currently she studies how colors interact with one another and how sumi ink transforms the complexity of art works. Jennifer’s studio is in Madison, Wisconsin.
Website: https://jennifer-angelo-dwyk.squarespace.com/
Maday Delgado
I’m a fiber artist living in the Midwest, with a passion for color and making. I draw inspiration from nature’s colors to fuel my textile pieces with energy and texture and always inspired by my Cuban heritage. I create contemporary and traditional textile compositions of varying sizes, in a variety of mediums, using new and re-purposed fabrics. Though I began this adventure in 2012 by selling made-to-order custom pieces at arts & craft shows and exhibits, my renewed focus is on teaching and I’m happy to share my enthusiasm for this craft with others. My goal is to create, teach and promote the sewing Arts in the community in which I live, surrounding areas and beyond.
In all workshops I encourage sustainability in the creative process as a way to build confidence and community, with a back-to-basics approach and consciousness about resource use & waste.
Website: sustainabletextiledesign.com
Natalie Santini
I'm the HungryHippie! I create patterns for sewing and quilting projects that are modern and fresh, with the aim of helping everyone through a successful making journey to the end product. I wear flowers in my hair, obsess about recycling, and I am always eating cheese. I'm a former Army Nurse Corps Officer turned Sewing Fanatic Mom Hippie.
Website: https://www.hungryhippiesews.com/
Susan Fortney
My name is Susan Fortney. I knit, I weave, and I sew. My first love is sewing and I have the privilege of teaching Kid’s & Teen Beginning Sewing classed and Adult Clothing Classes here at Blue Bar Quilts.
I am a retired elementary school teacher, having taught at New Century School in Verona for 15+ years. I was rewarded by working with kids and watching them discover new worlds through reading and hands-on experiences. There was a sewing machine in my classroom that the students used each year to make pillows for the reading corner.
I started sewing early. My Dad made clothes for me in first grade. I recall a Poodle Skirt in blue felt that I dearly and wish that I still had. My first sewing project was a “torn apron” in green print cotton fabric purchased at our local “5 + Dime” for a Blue Bird Girls Sewing Badge. (My town had Campfire Girls rather than Girl Scouts).
In high school, I took every class I could from Mrs.Barrett and made most of my wardrobe during those years.
After moving to Madison, I taught many Adult & Continuing Ed classes through Madison Area Technical College in addition to a Fashion Degree course in textiles. I was part of the costume crew for many Verona Area High School theater productions, working with Nancy Horns.
Sewing has always been my creative outlet. I sew mainly clothing for myself but also enjoy quilting. I enjoyed making clothes for my boys when they were small, and now sew occasionally for my grandsons.
Trisha Frankland
Trish Frankland is a book geek, word nerd, and self-proclaimed "Regionally Famous Quilter." She and her husband Dan live in Lodi with their kitties. In classes and in life, Trish tries to make fun a priority.
Website: www.QUILTchicken.rocks