Quilt Academy Instructors
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Helen Godden
PROUD INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR FOR THE SWEET SIXTEEN FROM HANDI QUILTER
Since starting to quilt in 2003, I was introduced to Handi Quilter in 2006 at Houston Quilt show. Since March 2007 I have quilted on my Sweet Sixteen and won so many awards for my quilting.
The range of machines offers something for everyone-from sit down to stand up frame to completely computerized professional quilters. No matter your available space in your sewing room or available funds in your wallet, there is a Handi Quilter perfect for your quilting dreams to come true.
With education, service and quality as the company backbone, you can be confident with owning a Handi Quilter. Following my association with Handi Quilter USA since 2006, I was instrumental in launching the range of machines into Australia in 2010, and the machines are well loved and established as the leading range of quilting machines Down Under.
Here in Australia I attend many quilt shows and events to demonstrate and teach all over Australia.
I love my Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen.
Gail Berry
For a long while, Gail Berry-Graham searched for her creative outlet. Dabbling in lots of things but never finding that right fit until in her 40’s, she decided that quilting would be her thing. She purchased a small wall hanging kit and has never looked back.
When Gail’s husband took an interest in her hobby and introduced machine embroidery into their lives, it was not long before an embroidery machine and an HQ Avanté® longarm quilting machine were added to the studio. She recently upgraded to the Pro-Stitcher® and is in love with all the new features and designs.
Always busy designing classes that offer education and support, Gail considers it an honor when someone asks her to quilt their quilt. A very creative and expressive quilter, Gail is active with her local guild and her quilting has taken off!
Gail loves to share her passion for quilting, machine embroidery and software with others. She is always mindful of the importance of continuing her education and the sharing of knowledge.
Allison Spence
Allison Spence has a long association with crafting in the form of knitting, sewing and quilting. Her introduction to quilting was a tied quilt given to her newborn
daughter by her sister-in-law over 30 years ago. Allison enjoys all areas of quilting but prefers simple piecing designs, so she can get to the quilting part!
After quilting many large quilts on a domestic sewing machine, Allison purchased an HQ Sweet Sixteen® sit down machine which was well used for many years.
She now owns an HQ Avanté® and loves the freedom of quilting both smaller and larger projects with ease.
Allison has an education degree from the University of Manitoba and many years experience teaching aquatics. She began teaching sewing and quilting while
working at a sewing machine dealer in Calgary, Alberta. She owned her own fabric store and sewing school. She now has a studio and classroom in her home
and does customer quilts, as well as longarm machine rentals, and offers a variety of sewing and quilting classes.
Taking great pleasure in teaching the basic and intermediate skills in all areas of quilting, Allison encourages students to go further and see what they can do on
their own. She especially loves to quilt and teach feathers!
Allison currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and has a very very supportive husband, 2 daughters and a granddaughter close by.
Visit her website at www.meadowrosequilts.com and her facebook page at meadowrosequilting
Amy Domke
Amy Domke was a fine arts major in college. When assigned a project using an “unconventional” medium, she made a quilt with the help of her neighbor. Thirty years later, Amy is still quilting. She loves exploring new styles and trying new techniques. After many years of renting time on a longarm at a local shop, she purchased her own machine. She now quilts professionally on an HQ Infinity® with Pro-Stitcher®.
Amy teaches quilting classes at her local shop, ranging from ruler classes to longarm classes. She also travels to give one-on-one instruction to new machine owners. From her studio, she also accepts quilt commissions and is in the process of releasing patterns for her original designs. She is a member of the Handi Quilter Inspiration Squad and has been featured in some Handi Quilter ads.
Amy lives in Oregon with her husband, Chip, and their three dogs. She is an avid tennis player and loves to hike the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Her work can be seen at www.sewfabamy.com.
Nicholas Turcan
Nicholas Turcan is a multi-talented and very creative individual. His journey into quilting began in 2012 with one quilt that quickly turned into several, which made him realize that he needed a better way to finish these quilt tops than a small domestic sized machine. In 2014 Nicholas purchased a HQ Fusion to help with this task. It didn’t take very long to realize that the creativity this machine unleashed from within him deserved to be shared. To further feed his quilting obsession he took a job at The Cloth Shop on Granville Island, where his passion for fabrics, quilting and designing patterns only grew. He is now a talented long-arm quilter, who helps his clients enhance their quilts with his creativity. In addition to long-arm quilting for customers, he has started to teach free-motion quilting workshops where students can learn the confidence and skills required to further their own quilting abilities. He has also launched a pattern company and a Youtube channel dedicated to quilting and fibre arts.
To find out more information about Nicholas please visit his website www.mysterystitch.com and check out his Youtube channel Mystery Stitch Designs
1301-1666 Pendrell St. Vancouver, British Columbia 604-889-2598
Marjiree Kale
Marjiree grew up in a ‘land of homemade’ in the heart of Ontario’s farm country. Her love of sewing was inspired by her mother’s ‘can do’ spirit and the 4-H club too. With a thirst for knowledge, she read her parent’s encyclopedias and was the family’s first college graduate, earning an Executive Secretarial diploma.
Quilting was her next thrill after a move to Edmonton in 1980. Her first three tied quilts were original designs.
She became a certified Colour and Image Consultant and taught Continuing Education classes. Then back to Ontario, to study Fashion Design.
Langley BC became home in 1990 and quilting stole her heart. She almost danced in the street when she tried free motion quilting and soon began teaching. Helping quilters in a fabric store and doing demos was a lot of fun. Learning to sew bras was a dream come true and a challenge too. Marjiree co-founded the Langley Quilters’ Guild, joined the Fraser Valley Quilters Guild and the BC Long Arm Quilter’s Guild to name a few. CQA’s Judging Program, level 1 was very interesting.
Hospice volunteering for 10 years and co-creating a Farewell Quilt have a special place in her heart.
Longarm machines changed everything!
After test driving them at quilt shows, she dreamed of owning one. Well, dreams do come true! Marjiree is a trained long arm educator and loves loves loves her Handi Quilter Infinity and Pro-Stitcher, especially to record and re-use her free motion spineless feathers. She has shared her joy of quilting with domestic and long arm owners in Canada and New Zealand. Her passion is ‘quilting from the inside out’ and sparking creativity that quilters ‘can do’.
