2026 NE Ohio Instructors
Dana Altman
Teaching: Legit Kits: Mini Birds, Legit Kits: Sports Balls
Meet Dana Altman. Dana discovered Legit Kits during its early startup days and has since played an integral role in its growth—offering valuable insight to the quilting community as both a pattern tester and educator. Her early involvement allowed her to grow alongside the company, becoming not just an artist, but a dedicated mentor helping others master the art of FPP.
Outside the studio, Dana works as a triage nurse, honing skills in problem-solving, communication, and support—all essential to her teaching approach. She has taught at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo, led numerous workshops, and presented for quilting guilds across several states. With a deep appreciation for Legit Kits’ bold, dynamic patterns, Dana continues to guide fellow quilters with enthusiasm and heart. She is also a proud supporter of The Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Shannon Arnstein
Teaching: Strawberries and Cream, Breeze on the Bayou, Legacy of Love and Lace
Shannon was recently published in Better Homes and Garden“Quilts & More” spring edition magazine – January 2020, American Patchwork and Quilting April 2021, Love of Quilting September/October 2021, and McCall’s Quilting March/April 2022. She is extremely creative, vibrant, and enjoys the colorful world around her! She has a gift for choosing colors, arranging patterns, and designing quilts. She is an engaging public speaker and has the ability to lead workshops. She enjoys looking at intricate quilts and then “reconstructing” the quilt in her mind to process how it all came together. Her husband says she has a “puzzle brain.” She also likes how quilts are soft and comforting, or they can be used as an art piece to hang on the wall. Shannon feels at peace when she is quilting. All she needs to do is take “needle to fabric”, and she is relaxed from all the stresses in life. In 2014, she was hired by RJR Fabrics as a sample maker which was a springboard for her commercial work. Shannon loves the fast-pace challenges of commercial work, and making sure patterns and instructions are correct. In addition to RJR Fabrics she also works for Windham Fabrics, FreeSpirit, Michael Miller, and Craftsy/Bluprint. She enjoys seeing her work in print advertising, websites, and social media. Combining all her experience and creative work, she has advanced into a cutting-edge pattern tester and pattern designer.
Shannon is an “on-the-go” mom who feels privileged and honored to be a part of the quilting world!
Kellie Beckwith
Teaching: Scalloped Crochet Quilt Border, Lecture: Crochet Fusion
Hello! I’m Kellie Beckwith, and my passion for sewing and crafting began in childhood. With over 25 years of quilting and design experience, I specialize in creating and teaching quilt patterns that blend traditional blocks with modern techniques—making piecing both easier and more accurate.
I have a particular love for working with reproduction fabrics and crafting scrappy quilts, and I enjoy experimenting with fiber arts such as cross-stitch, appliqué, and crochet to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces. Whether you’re new to quilting or a seasoned maker, my patterns and workshops are designed to inspire creativity and help you discover new possibilities in every stitch.
Explore my site to find unique patterns, tips, and resources, and feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more or collaborate. I hope my work encourages you to enjoy the art of quilting as much as I do!
May Black
Teaching: Quiltworx: Hopscotch, Quiltworx: Chromatic Charms, Crackers 2 Ways, Quiltworx: Haystack Cookies, Curvaceous
My name is May Black. I was born and raised in Minnesota. Missouri has been my home since 1993. Growing up, I loved to do crafts of all kinds. I started sewing clothes in junior high. The only quilts I knew how to make back then were very simple quilts with 6” blocks.
In 2003, I joined Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild of Rolla, Missouri. Oh my, did I have a lot to learn!! I took as many classes as I could, every chance I had. I was learning and making friends. Quilting was my life. After about 2 years of making quilts, I was asked to start teaching! What a thrill. I was so excited. I have taught at different quilt shops and guilds
throughout the US. Paper piecing is my favorite technique. I am not very good at appliqué.
Now I belong to more quilt guilds and I am a certified instructor for Judy Niemeyer. I got certified in 2012 and have been teaching around the world ever since. I enjoy traveling and teaching because it is fun and you make wonderful friends.
Deb DeChant
Teaching: Sunflower Workshop
Deb DeChant is the owner of Artfully Quilted Design out of Milan, OH. Artfully Quilted Design® was born out of the desire to encourage that creativity in others. We firmly believe that creativity is important to one’s mental and emotional well-being and we desire to create products that will inspire others to tap into their ability to create.
This is a small family owned and operated business. All of the design work, laser cutting, engraving, sewing, and quilting is done by our team at our workshop in North Central Ohio, USA. We do not have a brick-and-mortar store, as we have a large family and many schedules to work around. It is important to us to keep the family the main thing. Therefore we have this website that is open 24/7!
Tonya Dunning
Teaching: Quilting for a Purpose: Fidget Quilts for Alzheimers, Autism and more
Hi, I’m Tonya. I have been sewing and quilting most of my life. I am the primary worker here at Memory Barn Studio, but my family is a huge support with ideas and encouragement.
My goal is to spread the word about fidget quilts in order to help patients who might need them. This is a special project for me. I discovered Fidget Quilts when my mom was diagnosed with Dementia. This is my way of honoring her memory--by helping others in a similar situation.
I also want you to experience the joy of owning your own T-shirt quilt that I have seen others have. These truly are one of a kind and a treasured family keepsake.
I am very excited to share that I have completed the Quilters Candy Pattern Writing Course, which has given me the tools to write the patterns for the fidget quilts.
Kellie Gedert
Teaching: Cyanotypes on Fabric, Traditional Cyanotypes on Paper
The color blue speaks to my soul.
Cyanotypes are one of the first forms of sun-print photography and, in my opinion, the most magical. Cyanotypes ask us to pause and look closer at those everyday things differently and up close, capturing those finite little details. I enjoy working with cyanotypes, mixed mediums and found materials, I often say my spirit animal is a raccoon. I am an artist, wife, mother, teacher, and nature lover who is always creative at heart. Our family loves to hike & adventure or hangout & create together.
Lynn Gerard
Teaching: Making a Cork Wallet: Kendra Wallet, Lecture: Cork, Barking Up The Right Tree!
Lynn Gerard is the owner of The Cork Emporium. This unique store is for eco-conscious fashion enthusiasts and creative artisans alike. The Cork Emporium specializes in offering a diverse range of thread, cloth and ornate accessories crafted from an environmentally friendly and versatile material: cork fabric.
Derived primarily from the bark of the cork oak tree, this high-quality fabric is sourced from Spain, Portugal and France, regions known for their abundant cork oak forests. One notable aspect of cork fabric is its sustainability
Rona Herman
Teaching: Photos to Quilts, Perfect Points, Lecture: How to Choose Fabrics
Rona Herman, also known as Rona the Ribbiter, is an author, teacher, pattern designer and YouTube host with a passion to experience all that life (and quilting) has to offer. Rona’s unique pattern style of pairing traditional quilt block piecing with a modern look and utilizing direction and fabric placement allows her to combine both her love of art and mathematics. Her quilts may look difficult. But, in truth, they are as easy to assemble as any traditional quilt. Today Rona is traveling the globe sharing her tips, tricks, inspiration and travel adventures with quilters the world over.
Mike Holodnak
Teaching: Basic Longarm Maintenance
Mike & Bonnie Holodnak own Memory Lane Quilting in Brecksville, Ohio, where they create
T-Shirt and Memory Quilts! Mike and Bonnie also sell and repair Nolting Long arm machines, Butler Computerized quilting systems, and Q Bot V3 computerized quilting systems. Here is their story!
They opened their shop in 2002, after meeting a man from Tennessee that had a shop while we were on a cruise. His shop made T Shirt quilts and it sounded like a great idea. "We had never quilted or made a quilt in our lives". Then, in 2008, they became the Nolting Longarm dealer for Ohio and within two years had become their dealer for most of the eastern half of the United States.
Jaymi Horne
Teaching: Lecture: Wearable Quilts, Beautiful Binding, EQ-8 Designer, EPP Precision, Strip & Zip
Jaymi Horne is a seasoned production seamstress with over two decades of experience under her belt. Beyond her impressive sewing career, she's a nationwide quilt instructor on a mission to share her passion for quilting, especially her love for Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP). With a knack for simplifying this technique, Jaymi has designed over 50 captivating quilt patterns, earning her the title of "FPP Queen" among her Instagram followers. Her dedication to spreading the FPP joy goes beyond social media; Jaymi hosts engaging sewing tips and tricks videos on YouTube, aiming to show everyone just how effortless and enjoyable this technique can truly be. You can explore her vibrant world of quilts and patterns on crankykangaroo.com, where creativity and color collide.
Alice Ridge
Teaching: Sashiko and Boro, Hawaiian Applique
I have been quilting for over 40 years. I love all types of quilting, from traditional handwork to modern, and art quilts. I have explored Japanese Sashiko, Korean Pojagi, Celtic Knotwork, and English Paper Piecing, Hawaiian Applique, Guatemalan Embroidery. I love them all!
I have been a Traveling Quilt Teacher and Speaker for quite a few years now. My husband was Active Duty Army for 35 years, and we moved 22 times during his career. Now that he’s retired and we have our ‘forever home’, I travel around the US giving Trunk Shows and Workshops. When I’m not teaching and speaking, I travel internationally to learn more about the many, many different types of quilting and needlework techniques around the world.
Patricia Simons
Teaching: Lecture: Template Primer, Lecture: Got Template...Now What?, Template Mania
Patricia represents Quilter’s Rule. When Quilter's Rule created the Design Tools line, Patricia developed a knack for designing different quilting patterns. Her signature class “Unlock Your Creativity (The Key is Templates)” has opened a whole new world to people who are not naturally artists. Her techniques are applicable to all quilters regardless of whether you hand quilt, use a home machine, a short-arm, a mid-arm, or a long-arm machine. These techniques can even be used in a variety of different crafts. In addition to using templates to create designs, she also helps create new products. She looks forward to sharing her techniques to help you develop your own style and look.
Jane Ward
Teaching: Paint Your Own Barn Quilt
I've been painting barn quilts for 10 years and teaching classes for 5 years. Before discovering barn quilts, I was a fabric quilter for many years and have been sewing since high school. Which feels like a life time ago! I love meeting new people and seeing the beautiful barn quilts they create. My face book page 700 W Barn Quilts, is where I share photos from classes, and one of my favorite things is when students send me pictures of their finished barn quilts after they're installed. I look forward to spending the day painting with you.
Thank You, Jane Ward
Tammy Wycherley
Teaching: Laura Heine Collage "Whatevers" Shellie Snail, Laura Heine Collage "Whatevers" Allium, Lecture: A Journey of Collage
Tammy is a certified instructor of the Laura Heine method of collage quilting. Based out of West Virginia, she has been sewing and quilting most of her life. One of her favorite projects is the Collage Technique. She loves the process of cutting fabric and putting it together to make unique designs that are fun to display. This scissor project offers two techniques and will look great in your sewing area.