2027 Lancaster-Lebanon Instructors
Julie Belin
Teaching: Legit Kits: Mini Birds, Quiltworx: Chromatic Charms, Legit Kits: Sail Away, Poinsettia Tabletopper, Quiltworx: Haystack Cookies
Julie Belin’s quilting career began more than 30 years ago after receiving a quilt as a
wedding gift. When her husband challenged “you could make that” the journey began.
Although originally a self-taught quilter, her careers of engineer and high school math
teacher fueled her passion for precision piecing. She’s always on the lookout for
efficient methods and tools to do just that.
Wanting to share quilting tips and techniques with others, she became a certified quilt
instructor for Studio 180 Design and Sew Kind of Wonderful and is pursuing the same
for Quiltworx. These certifications have opened the door for her to share her
enthusiasm for quilting tools and techniques across the country with workshops and
lectures at guilds, retreats and quilt shows. She loves seeing the excitement of her
students as they master the tools.
When Julie isn’t teaching or lecturing, you can find her busy with her many guilds
planning events, quilting for charity, long-arming for her business or maybe even
playing in her garden.
Barbara Blackmon-Gussak
Teaching: Collage Basics Using Emily Taylor's Parchment Pressing Technique
Barbara Lynn Blackmon-Gussak is a fiber artist newly transplanted from Mesa, Arizona to Danielsville, Pennsylvania. She draws inspiration from the natural world, blending her love of creation with a unique style of realism.
Her jump into fiber work began in her early teens as she started to create macrame pieces - wall hangings and flowerpot holders. Creating this decorative functional art from fiber was just the beginning. After a creative pause during college and her early career in nursing, her journey led her to Fairbanks, AK where she was reintroduced to fiber arts – this time through quilting. Over the next 21 years, she mastered a variety of quilting techniques before finding her way to art quilts. Her first commissioned piece was her first Collage Quilt: a full sized art quilt of an African Elephant.
In 2023 Barbara submitted her first piece, Grace Under Pressure, into the prestigious Road to California Quilt Competition and was selected as a semi-finalist. This recognition was confirmation that she was doing what she was meant to do.
As her passion for this style of art grew, she began learning from some of the leaders in the field. She became a Certified Instructor of Emily Taylor’s Parchment Pressing Technique and fell in love with sharing her techniques with quilters and non-quilters alike. Barbara tells her students that she believes this technique is the most user-friendly for beginners.
Heather Blokzyl
Teaching: Paint Your Own Barn Quilt (2 Sessions)
Heather Blokzyl is the owner of Flying Fox Barn Quilts from Towanda, PA. She creates one of a kind hand painted barn quilts for interior and exterior decorating.
Pat & Arlan Christ
Curators of the "American Pride" exhibit of Antique Quilts
Arlan and Pat Christ live in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Arlan is a tax accountant with his office located in Kutztown, PA. When Pat is not working for Arlan, she can be found in her sewing studio or tending their country gardens. They enjoy traveling to quilt shows and museums which provide the opportunity to examine quilts. Retrieving knowledge to secure the heritage of antique quilts has become the prime objective of The Christ Collection.
The Christs further explore their passion of antique quilts while attending quilt study groups. Pat and Arlan are members of the Lehigh Valley Quilt Study Group, Mid-Atlantic Quilt Study Group, American Quilt Study Group, Quilter's Hall of Fame, Midwest Fabric Study Group and Baltimore Appliqué Society.
The Christs have three publications representing quilts in their collection. The first catalog was published May 2009 entitled "Pennsylvania Quilt Treasures: The Art of the Needle." Their second catalog "America's Appliquéd Quilts: A Treasured Pennsylvania Tradition" was published June of 2010. "American Pride: Eagles & Stars" was published in June of 2014. They also published various applique patterns representing quilts in their collection.
Arlan and Pat Christ want to preserve the legacy of quilts from past generations by sharing the history that surrounds the art of quilting.
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.
Gyleen Fitzgerald
Teaching: Chasing Rainbows, Big Stitch Quilting, Stylized Hand Stitching on Garments, Shadows Fall, Trash to Treasure Pineapples
Gyleen Fitzgerald makes quilts that blend color, pattern, and texture to provide a contemporary essence in traditional quilting. Her strength as a quilter is demonstrated by the infusion of engineering tools and innovative techniques to simplify visually complex quilts. She shares her enthusiasm for quilting through interactive lectures and workshops. As a writer, Gyleen centers on haiku poetry, quilt project books, magazine articles and children’s books.
An avid quilter, Gyleen has earned Best of Show honors and as a publisher, she is a Gold Medal winner for Quilts: Unfinished Stories with New Endings. She is best known for inspiring Trash to Treasure Pineapple Quilts and the creation of the Pineapple Tool by Gyleen.
Michele Galloway
Teaching: Crayola Color Tinting
Hi! My name is Michele Galloway and I live in the rural community of Lookout in northeastern PA along with my husband and two dogs! Our two sons are grown and enjoying their own careers. Our oldest son is a funeral director, married to a beautiful young lady and they have given us two very precious grandchildren! My husband and I are now Poppy and Nana and loving every minute of it! Our youngest son is a welder/fabricator and continues to amaze us with his creations! I have enjoyed applique work, embroidery(which I learned as a young child watching my Grandmother), and quilting for many years and have turned that passion into working with wool. While taking time out of my nursing career to care for my mom, I did many pencil drawings as a form of relaxation. I have since turned my many drawings into patterns for wool applique and so loved working them up that I decided to market them! I have since taken a turn in my career path and now am know as a designer! I am loving every minute of it!
Dawn Heefner
Quilt Appraiser
Dawn Heefner has been an AQS-Certified appraiser since 2003, practicing in the Pennsylvania-South Jersey-Delaware-Maryland area. Her work covers newly made quilts as well as antiques. She is a member of PAAQT, the Professional Association of Appraisers of Quilted Textiles, and adheres to Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Dawn has participated in quilt documentations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and has co-authored several of the resulting books. She has been active in the American Quilt Study Group, and has studied textiles and quilts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Andrea Hoke
Teaching: Sail: Half Square Triangles, Blue Onion, String Quilt, Handquilting: Big Stitch vs Traditional, Intro to EPP, Wonky Log Cabin, Trixie Pouch
Andrea has been sewing ever since she was a little girl. Fortunate to have a mother who was a Home Economics teacher, she learned to sew and do needlework at a very young age. She grew up sewing her own clothes, participating in 4-H club, and entering her creations in the local county fair.
A Sampler Quilt class in 1991 awakened Andrea’s love of quilting, and she has been stitching quilts ever since. She enjoys all forms of quilting, including hand and machine piecing, appliqué, and hand and machine quilting. She has entered her quilts in the Elizabethtown Fair almost every year for the past 25 years.
“Modern Traditionalist” best describes Andrea’s style. She loves all things vintage, which is reflected in her work. The exploding online quilting community has only fueled her passion for quilting, and as a result, she has “more quilts in her brain than she will be ever be able to stitch in this lifetime!” Andrea enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience and delights in introducing sewing and quilting to others.
Andrea lives in Elizabethtown, PA and also enjoys cooking, gardening and blogging
Ann Holte
Teaching: Scrap Basket Reduction
Ann Holte is an accomplished author, pattern designer, and quilting instructor based in Hummelstown, PA. Her books include Making the Lancaster Diamond Sampler and she co-authored Quilts of Valor: A Fifty State Salute. Visit annholtequilting.com for a glimpse into Ann’s quilting expertise and upcoming projects.
Jaymi Horne
Teaching: Lecture: Wearable Quilts, Beautiful Binding, The Ultimate Stash Busting Project, Modern Clover Mini, Snip & Stitch
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.
Jason & Katherine Horst
Teaching: Wooden Hex Sign/ Barn Star Workshop (2 Sessions)
Jason and Katherine Horst have been earning a living via creative endeavors since moving to Manheim in 2010. Together they run Horst Arts Center. While the Horst Arts name may be new, the services and experiences are not. One of the main reasons for opening a storefront was to be a part of the Manheim community.
Jason takes a logical, structured approach to creativity while Katherine moves freely, finding inspiration in the moment. These approaches also come into play when raising their 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. Adding these two children to an already creative environment has proven to be the most challenging and rewarding collaboration of all!
Juliana Kapusta
Teaching: Traditional Wool Sunflower Hooked Mug Rug
Juliana is a juried McGown certified as well as a Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Master Artist rug hooking teacher, whose main objective is to teach students to create art with fiber. Whether you enjoy folk art or fine art you can create a hooked tapestry by pulling up one loop at a time. Her love for home, family and the colonial period is what drew her to rug hooking artistry but as a young mother of seven children there was little time for creativity. Now that her children are grown and she can spend more time with her art, it has evolved into a more modern style. Juliana's early formal training was in advertising and design. Her rugs have been published in Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs 20, Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs 24, Hooking Animals and Design Basics for Rug Hookers.
She is currently teach rug hooking from home, at The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, in Lancaster and at Tyler Park Center for the Arts. It is my joy to help others find a relaxing way to fabricate art.
Genavieve Moyer
Teaching: Sewing Machine Cover
Genavieve Moyer is the owner and creative force behind Thunderbird HandCrafted, a Pennsylvania-based fabric shop specializing in hand-dyed textiles, exclusive license-designs from independent artists printed in the US, and thoughtfully curated sewing & bag-making kits featuring some of your favorite quilt fabric designers. With more than a decade of experience in fiber dyeing, textile fashion, and years of teaching makers of all skill levels, she is passionate about helping sewists build confidence through approachable, creative techniques.
Known for blending color theory, storytelling, and a little whimsy into every class, Genavieve creates a welcoming environment where students leave inspired, encouraged, and excited to keep creating long after the workshop ends.
Mary Nesnay
Teaching: ITH Needlecase, BERNINA Embroidery Basics, Intro to Machine Embroidery, The Art of Patchmaking
From the Paterson silk mills to Hudson County embroidery shops, New Jersey has always had a deep and rich history in textiles and sewing. Perhaps that is why fiber arts are so important to Mary.
Her background includes computer animation, graphic design, and American history. She’s had the pleasure of working at the Walt Disney Company and on projects for The History Channel. Mary began embroidering in 2019, when she entered a Haunted Mansion jacket with 50 patches in Disney’s D23 Design Challenge and placed third. Since then, she continues to perfect the craft of patch making, designing ITH patterns, and digitizing, while teaching in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and on-line. Her embroidered goods can be found throughout shops in New Jersey.
Mary lives & works by the motto “Making the past, present.”
To see her latest creations, please visit: www.StarSpangledHeart.com
Alice Ridge
Teaching: Hawaiian Applique, Don't Fear The Curves, Mock Molas, NY Beauty Batik
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.
Cris Roach
Teaching: Lecture: World of Stripology, Stitching Foundations: Beginner Machine Quilting, Rulerwork Foundations, Strip N Dip: Stripology
Cris Roach has over 40 years of quilting experience and has been freemotion quilting for over 20 years. She has taught for over 3 years numerous quilting classes including: beginner to advanced freemotion, ruler work, prostitcher, and piecing classes. She is the owner of Highview Quilts a custom and edge to edge longarm quilting business for 15 years. She lives on a family farm in Berkeley Springs, WV.
Susan Sato
Teaching: Sashiko Basics, Visible Mending, Sashiko Sneakers
Second-generation Japanese American, Susan has been sewing since age 14. While going through an old trunk at her mother's home about thirteen years ago, Susan found her grandfather's kimono and obi with his kamon, the family crest, on it. She knew then that sewing in the traditional Japanese style was the path she wanted to follow for her quilting inspiration. Susan started quilting with Japanese fabrics, incorporating the sashiko form of hand sewing. When her own work inspired her to teach, she began with basic quilting classes in sashiko, shibori dyeing, and then branched out to Japanese free-form design classes.
In celebration of its newly refurbished entrance, the Brooklyn Museum of Art commissioned Susan to create photo pillows for their gift shop. Her personally designed and sewn line of Japanese handbags and pillows have been sold in Brooklyn shops.
Susan's quilts have appeared in QUILTS AROUND THE WORLD by Spike Gillespie and PIECED SYMBOLS, Quilt Blocks from the Global Village by Myrah Brown Green. Sato was choosen as a Featured Teacher on The City Quilter's website in New York City and Quilter of the Month in the Quilters' Guild of Brooklyn's Newsletter.
A member of the Empire Quilters and past co-president of The Quilters' Guild of Brooklyn, her work has been featured in exhibits throughout the Northeast. She teaches quilting at shops in New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey, and at quilting guilds around the area.
Patricia Simons
Teaching: Lecture: Template Primer, Lecture: Got Template...Now What?, Not Your Grandmothers Wholecloth
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.
Alecia Sweigart
Teaching: Kinusaiga
Hi, I'm Alecia!
I'm a multidisciplinary artist with a BA Art from Millersville University. My current primary focus is on kinusaiga, which I have been doing for about a year, but I enjoy making art using many different mediums! I've exhibited some of my artwork at Hive Artspace(York, PA), Mulberry Art Studio(Lancaster, PA), MH Art Gallery(Marietta, PA) and Windmill Art Studios(Lebanon, PA).
As much as I enjoy making art, I equally enjoy teaching workshops. Art has always been a huge part of my life in one form or another, and I love being able to pass along my knowledge and inspire others to create!
Sarah Thomas
Teaching: Intro to Freemotion Quilting, Intro to Freemotion Feathers, Itty Bitty Microquilting, Sketchbook Quilting, Creating Feather Motifs, Threaducation, FMQ Quilt As You Go Log Cabin, Quilting With Bling
Sarah Thomas, creator of SARIDITTY, combines her love for quilting, math, and design as a quilter and artist. A former commercial pilot, she developed her unique freemotion Sketchbook Quilting style, inspired by years of doodling and handcrafts. Now a Moda Fabrics designer, she continues to quilt, teach, and share her creativity with the crafty world. Find out more from Sarah: SARIDITTY.com Instagram & Facebook @sariditty
Margaret Willingham
Teaching: Reverse Applique is Fun! By Hand: Fleur de Lis, Shedding Light on Machine Reverse Applique: Summer Sun, Sunflower Potholders, Blooming Flowers: Multi-dimensional Machine Reverse Applique
Margaret sees quilts as transcriptions of the world around us. In her work, she is inspired by the functional elegance of Victorian architecture, from iron grates to grand facades, as well as the natural beauty of creation. In her designs, she wants to enable you to bring this beauty and elegance to your own home to create a sense of welcome and hospitality for the people you love. Margaret, the creative mind at work behind Eye of the Beholder Quilt Designs, is a national teacher and lecturer, pattern designer, and author. Margaret’s quilts are influenced by the dynamic elements of movement, color, and design that she has used for over 40 years as a choreographer of dance. She is most well-known for the innovative (and foolproof!) methods she’s devised for reverse appliqué – Trace, Baste, Snip, and Stitch, which takes the mystery (and hardship) out of reverse appliqué. In addition to her own pattern designs, she designs patterns for commercial and Indie fabric companies, and co-authored her first book in 2018: Christmas RAPPing, Christmas Quilts featuring Reverse Appliqué & Paper-Piecing (with Nan Baker). She teaches regularly at specialist appliqué retreats and festivals.
Tammy Wycherley
Teaching: Laura Heine Collage "Whatevers" Shellie Snail, Laura Heine Collage "Whatevers" Allium
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.