Pam Holland, Aldgate, South Australia
www.pamhollanddesigns.com/ Pam will be teaching all five days. Her one-day class will be Monet’s Garden. Portraits x 4 will be a four day class. Pam will give a lecture presentation about her Journey to South Africa and she will be a demonstrator at our Roundabout. More about Pam:
Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Pam: It seems as if I have been quilting forever, but in reality it is only about 20 years.
I made my first quilt without knowing it was actually a quilt…. I’d never seen a quilt as such. When I think back I’m surprised I was so ill informed. By the way the quilt was terrible.
I was a fashion designer and photographer before I took up quilting. It was a hectic, high pressure career but very rewarding in a creative sense. Quilting is an extension to that and I am still creating in an exciting way. Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting.
Pam: Fashion design took so much energy, I loved it and was sad to give it up, but quilting took it’s place and it wasn’t long before I realized that I could be just as productive and creative in what I thought was “me time” which turned into “you time”. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Pam: I’m really lucky, I’ve taught in many different environments which is surprising for a gal “the other side of the pond”.
I have been artist in residence in a school in Japan teaching students and Adults.
South Africa was exciting and I think I left my heart there…..
Thailand, Mexico, throughout the USA of course, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland.
As I write this I am on a plane traveling to the remote outback of Australia.
I’ve taught on ships cruising through the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Next year it will be down to Mexico. (what a way to go to work!)
I’m teaching in Europe this year and quilting has let me to do research in Germany and France. I have an ongoing project filming documentaries in Britain and France. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Pam: I’ve had many. Life on the road is often a roller coaster of unusual experiences, they make for interesting lectures and presentations.
I guess the most dangerous was getting mugged in South Africa, and on the same day I had dinner with Bill Clinton and Bill Gates !!!! Interested, well come to my lecture presentation.
Funny, well almost every interesting situation is funny, I pretty much see the humor in everything. Above all, I meet the most fascinating people. Life on the road is what you make of it. I travel around the world on an average of 4 times a year. Jetlag fades into insignificance with the pleasure and satisfaction I receive from this fabulous career. Carolyn:What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Pam: I’m the eldest of 4. I was born in Tasmania and although I left there at 10 all my relatives still live there and that’s where my spiritual home is. Carolyn:Do you have children – grandchildren?
Pam: I was pathetically shy and rather an introvert until we began a family.
We had 3 children in a short space of time….. 3 under three. Goodness what on earth were we thinking. Then we adopted 10 more bambinos. Josh, Susie and Jinda from Thailand. Lori, Liseby and Benjamin from Mauritius. Kalanthie and Samuel from Sri lanka and Darrin and Michael are Australian Aboriginals.
We had 150 foster children over 20 years and Lein, from Taiwan, Phat from Vietnam and Bo who has downs syndrome lived with us for most of their lives but we were not able to adopt them.
Everyone lives within 5 minutes of our house… we say our home is “Fridge distance”
Husband Keith is a saint.
So far we have 9.5 grandchildren. NOW YOU KNOW WHY I’M NOT SHY AND I ONLY WEAR RED AND ORANGE SHOES AND GLASSES…
I’VE CHANGED A LITTLE BECAUSE I HAD TO STAND UP FOR OUR SPECIAL FAMILY. WE SURE HAD TO BE STRONG. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Pam:We have 10 white doves who are free.
1 dog, Ralph who got his name because he has a vomiting problem in the car.
Two 16 year old cats George and Millie named after my grand parents, but George is really a girl. She has an identity problem. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Pam: I love curry of any description and generally have it for breakfast. When I’ve been traveling overseas, I have to cook roast lamb as soon as I get home…. the entire family graduates to the house and we have a “party.”
Four of the kids are chef’s so food is important in our family. Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object?
Pam: I’m saving for a gold “S” type Jaguar.
I would like to learn to fly a helicopter.
One day I will take my entire family to Disney World. Carolyn:Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Pam: I draw, however that is part of my quilting genre…. I have a full size TV camera so I love to make documentaries as I travel and I enjoy study. I’m currently studying Quilting History at the University of Nebraska. That’s about it really.]]>

Martha Nordstrand, Surprise, AZ
http://www.morequiltsplease.com/about/about.htm Martha will be teaching four one day classes on hand appliqué techniques: Fabric-Scapes, In Stitches, Designing your own Floral Borders and Beautiful Containers. Martha will be also be demonstrating “The Great Glue Stick Caper” at Roundabout. More about Martha: Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Martha: Off and on for over 50 years. I grew up with quilts as bed covers in the South and it is a family tradition to make and use quilts for beds, walls or any excuse to enjoy them in any form. Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Martha: My love of fabrics and my Grandmothers, my mother as well as Aunts and family friends all encouraged me. Quilts were a part of my heritage. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Martha: Since I started teaching and designing late in life (ha ha) I have traveled mainly on the west coast. However, I have been to the East Coast as well as Texas, Florida and Alabama. I restrict my travel so I have precious time to quilt and design. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Martha: No frightening but certainly frustrating because I see my designs and quilts as finished projects in my head and they are now “bumping in to each other”. As soon as I finish one quilt three more ideas show up like planes in a holding pattern. I try to land at least two or more a year but the big ones have to stay in the air a little longer. The last quilt I finished took 6 years to complete.. It is frustrating to see the ideas all done and finished before I even start them…I must have a twin in the quilting world because several times someone beat me to it on a design that was close to mine! We must have been inspired by the same thoughts or love of designing. Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Martha: Every able person (women) in my family made quilts in some form or another but usually for actual bed covers or for practical use. What is your birth order, only child, first, second, third, or ?? I am the second child and first grand daughter. In the South this is important because she is the Heir to family traditions and treasures. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Martha: I was born in Alabama and spent my early years and summers there. we moved to San Diego at the end of WW II and stayed there. Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Martha: I have four wonderful Children ( three boys and one girl) and 6 Grandsons and expecting another. No girls BOO HOO. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Martha: No pets. After my last boy moved out, so went the dogs, cats, turtles, tarantulas, bugs (yes bugs! A Praying Mantis to be exact) ducks, snakes, rabbits, raccoons and more. Three boys can make a pet out of anything. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Martha: Favorite food is most anything. I love to cook and that is one of my other hobbies.. I love Mexican, Italian the most but also love Chinese! Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object.?
Martha: A cruise around the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on a cruise ship. Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Martha: Cooking and having dinner parties with good food and good wine. I also collect dishes, close to 14 different sets as well as a plate, soup tureen collection…Love English Transferware, Spode and Wedgwood. I have at least 10 cupboards full of Teapots and cups, Chinese Imari and a beautiful collection of Oriental pieces.. Help! this all goes back to my Southern upbringing that one cannot have too many beautiful linens (quilts too!) or too many dishes.. I also collect books on embroidery and all forms of stitchery as well as costume design, china and porcelain, art and history… I have not sold any of my quilts. They are to give to my children to fight over!!!!!!!!]]>

Pamela Allen, Kingston, ON, Canada
Website Pamela will be teaching four one day classes Fantastic Fabric Faces, Under the Influence, Art by the Half Dozen and My Quilt – My Rules. She will also be a demonstrator in the Roundabout. More about Pamela: Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Pamela: I have been making fabric art since 2002, having been a painter for 2 decades.
Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Pamela: I just felt that some of my paintings and collage work looked like it would translate into fabric. Even tho’ I couldn’t really sew at the time, I just jumped in making fabric wall hangings and with the help of online quilters, began improving my sewing skills. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Pamela: I have traveled coast to coast in the US….from Maine to Houston to California. A very exciting teaching engagement was in Durban South Africa! Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Pamela: Hmmmm, there are a number of funny malaprops in my early fabric career as I didn’t know anything about traditional quilting. I once asked online what a “fat square” was! Duct tape was my friend in the early days as I had a $30.00 church basement machine where the feed dogs didn’t go down. Thus needed the duct tape! Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Pamela: No one! Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Pamela: I am the youngest of two sisters. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Pamela: I was raised in the inner city of Toronto Canada. Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Pamela: Lucky me…even though I have no children of my own, I married into 15 grandchildren. Most have been born after my marriage so I feel a bone fide Grandmother. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Pamela: Alas, pets are not part of my home. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Pamela: I like almost ALL food. In fact, I have done quilts on the subject. An easier task would be to say one I DON”T like…..which is green olives ( YUK!) Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object.?
Pamela: Travel to India. Travel anywhere FIRST CLASS. Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Pamela: Gardening, bike riding, cutting my own hair ( YIKES!)
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Lois Smith
Rockville, MD
Lois is working on a web site. Photo is Lois and statue in Sweden Lois will be one of the judges for our contest. She will be teaching a class, A Judge Goes to the Edge about quilt bindings, etc. Another class Renegade Shapes is a free form piecing class. Her specialty is machine quilting and she will be teaching two classes Yes!! Beautiful Machine Quilting and Wow!! More Beautiful Machine Quilting.
Lois will also be a demonstrator at Roundabout. More about Lois: Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Lois: I made my first quilt, a hand quilted baby quilt, for my second son who was born in 1955. I really started in earnest with a full-blown passion in 1978. Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Lois: My mother was a rug braider with a wonderful sense of color. All the women in my extended family did some form of needle or hand work. In seeking out my own little niche, I discovered the Better Homes and Garden Quilt Book and was fascinated. Sometime after that, a bunch of us teachers found Georgia Bonesteel’s book and started making blocks to show each other before school started. I loved the color, precision, and the sharing (and maybe the competition) that was involved. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Lois: I was fortunate to have been asked to teach in Yellowknife, Canada, which is just a stone’s from the Arctic Circle. (I am older than the city itself.) I have also taught in St. Catherine’s, Canada. In addition, I have taught near Porto Alegre, Brazil, twice in Scotland on the Isle of Arron, and in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo is Lois in Iceland on the Fourth of July. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Lois: I was most frightened in Scotland when the quilter who was taking us back to catch a ferry to the mainland decided to make an extra stop at a little shop we had seen the day before. We shopped too long and knew we were about to miss our ferry (and other modes of transportation after that.) She drove a huge Land Rover. We literally flew over the curvy, hilly, rural roads with our hearts in our mouths. One sheep in the road (which we often encountered) and it would have been curtains for us all. Happy ending. We DID make the ferry and there were no dead sheep left in our wake. Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Lois: I am teaching my granddaughter to quilt. Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Lois: I am the oldest child of two. My brother, who is seven years younger, has an equally strong passion for Antique Cars. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Lois: In Elmhurst, Illinois, at a time when the town population was 15, 000 and there were prairies and climbable willow trees. Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Lois: I have seven children (six boys and one girl.) All are married, employed (except for two stay at home moms who work equally as hard,) and no one is in jail. I have ten grandchildren: two redheads, one blonde, one honey blonde and the rest have brown hair. Two are “curlies,” one has straight hair and the rest are somewhat in between. All are wonderful.

Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Lois:We have no pets at this time. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Lois: What a silly question! CHOCOLATE
Photo: Lois is on her way to class in New Mexico and is surprised by a snow storm. Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object.?
Lois: I would live year round in my beach house on Chicoteague Island, VA, surrounded by friends and fabric with phone calls allowed only between 8:00 am and
8:05 am daily. I would go out for lunch and a walk on the beach, but dinner would be delivered by 6:00 along with a bottle of wine (and maybe flowers.) Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Lois: NO. I do some of the peripherals such as dyeing, stamping, photography, and a little solitaire on the computer.]]>

Cindy Needham Chico, CA
www.cindyneedham.com Cindy was the featured artist at our show in 2008 . She will be teaching a class on working with Vintage Linens and how to turn them into quilts. Her other class (offered two different days) will be Open Thread Bar where students learn about tension, needles and working with all different kinds of threads. More about Cindy:
I am the oldest of two and grew up living all over the United States. My dad was in the National Park Service so I had the unique opportunity of living in parks that most people could only visit on their yearly vacations. I first fell in love with quilting while stationed in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. Although my mother was an amazing seamstress, nobody else in my family quilted so I was self-taught from the beginning relying on books and magazines. I hand quilted for about 25 years and decided to try my hand at machine quilting about 12 years ago only to keep up with teaching samples I was making for our local quilt store. It was not love at first sight and I struggled to make those perfect stitches. It took about 3-4 months of daily practice sessions before it finally “clicked” and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love the fact that I can still obtain an heirloom quality quilt with machine quilting. My wholecloth linen quilts started about 10 years ago when a nightstand tablecloth caught my eye one morning and I wondered how it would look quilted. I marked and basted it and threw it in the machine and was totally hooked. I was able to create something new out of something old and gave these old linens a whole new life. My passion for wholecloth linen quilting has changed my life in a way I never thought possible. I have been blessed with the opportunity to have my book published, teach and speak for guilds on a national basis, work with Superior Threads as one of their national educators and meet some very amazing and unforgettable quilters which is the best! My husband, Kent, is very supportive of my quilting and is actually the one who has pushed me out of my comfort zone to travel and teach. I am happiest when I’m snugged up in my sewing room next to my machine and when I’m away I can hardly wait to get back. I have two daughters, Jenny and Emily, and Jenny has FINALLY taken up quilting. It only took 28 years but it was worth the wait and she has taken to it with very little instruction on my part. She is also the proud mother of my two granddaughters Chloe and Samantha who are 2 years and 7 months respectively. Emily is our chef having attended the Culinary Institute in Portland and she enjoys professional cake decorating and catering. I’m thankful that she, too, is married and doesn’t live at home any more as her desserts were to die for! We also have two black labs that supervise Kent while I’m away teaching…somebody has to be in charge! Let’s see…some of my most embarrassing teaching moments would have to include the time I was moving a large ice water filled cooler to a different table and it slipped out of my hands and hit the floor. This HUGE wave of water came out of the cooler and completely drenched one of my students from head to toe along with the wholecloth quilt she was diligently marking. Fortunately she was a good sport about it and we’ve been best friends since. Another on the list would be not checking my itinerary before driving 100 miles to the Sacramento airport to catch my plane…I was supposed to catch my plane from Chico which was only 10 minutes from my home!]]>

Linda Carlson, Mexico, MO
www.lindacarlsonquilts.com Linda will be a judge for our show this year. She was scheduled to teach last year, but had to cancel. We are pleased to welcome her to our staff this year.
Linda will be teaching three classes, all one day classes. One class is Mariner’s Compass – one she was scheduled to teach last year and two new classes, Fly Away to Genius and Two Puzzles to Genius. Although these two pieced quilts were originally designed to use Linda’s line of fabric from Benartex, she is going to make a sample out of other fabrics. More about Linda
Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Linda: I’ve been quilting since 1974, 34 years. Wow! How time flies when you’re having fun, huh! Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Linda: My mother motivated me by saying, “Now Linda, you’re just going to have to find something for yourself to do while John’s in medical school!” I thought teaching elementary school full time was a plateful, but then saw an ad in the paper about a beginning quilting class. She bought the fabric to make the requisite two pillows, one hand pieced and one hand appliquéd, and I paid for the class. The rest is history … culminating in authoring 4 books, an antique 4 block quilt collection and designing fabric for Benartex, Inc.
Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Linda: I’ve taught from Alaska to Washington, DC, and from Duluth, MN to the Western Caribbean, then everywhere in between. It’s been a wonderful experience to teach eager adults, and even a few children. The youngest, at 8 years old, was with her mother in one of my classes at the AQS Show in Paducah, KY. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Linda: My most frightening experience was on the way home from teaching in the state of Washington on a connecting flight to MN, then on to St. Louis. Somewhere about an hour and a half before getting to Minneapolis, the plane fell out of the sky in what I can only describe as a straight elevator drop! I was reading a book & managed to be so surprised I didn’t utter a sound. The two men in front of me screamed, as did the lady beside me. It seemed like it lasted a long time, but the free-fall stopped just as I was grabbing for the proverbial “white bag”. Many people LAUGHED out of nervous fear, but not me! I was too busy deciding if my seat cushion was damp from a hot flash, or something else! It took the pilot about 5 minutes to come on the intercom. I’ll never forget what he said … “Ladies and gentlemen, there’s no charge for the roller coaster ride.” That’s all the explanation we got, but a friend of mine who was an international pilot said it was either a near miss with another plane, or an air pocket. Since none of the news stations reported a near miss situation during the next few days, I surmised the roller coaster ride was due to an air pocket. This phenomena is not all that rare, but I figure it won’t happen to me again … I hope! The upshot of the whole story is that I had to get on another plane the very next day for the short hop to Chicago from St. Louis. I took an anti-anxiety pill to endure the 2 hour drive to the airport, then another just to get on the flight! Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Linda: After I got bit by the quilting bug, I taught my mother. She was among the original members of our local quilt guild serving in all offices except Secretary. Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Linda: I’m 6 minutes older than my twin sister, Diana, who is co-designer of our “Baby Genius” fabric line with Benartex, Inc. Our brother is 10 years younger. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Linda: I was born in St. Louis, MO, but our family moved here to Mexico, MO when we were four as our Dad was a Nabisco salesman and was given a north/central territory to cover. One would think we had all the cookies and crackers we could ever want, but all we ever got were the broken ones that were damaged enroute from the bakery in St. Louis. To this day, I still use broken crackers as breading and Oreo cookies as pie crusts. Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Linda: I have two daughters, Amy and Meredith. Amy is married and gave us Emma and Jack, two of our “Baby Genius” models. Meredith is living in New York as a photo re-toucher and photographer. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Linda: Although we recently lost Bailey, our black & tan cocker spaniel to kidney failure, on the same day our blonde cocker, Maggie had to have her eyes removed because of sudden onset Glaucoma. Easter weekend was quite tragic for us this year. Maggie is very slowly managing to find her way around our house by being a pin ball with everything in her midst. We just had her shaved to keep her cooler, but left her antennae “top knot” hair long since she uses it to help navigate, and also as a cushion when she bumps into things. Even though she is 12, I had to give her a chance to become accustomed to her handicap because whenever I’d leave on a teaching trip, she would wait entire days by the door I left from. She’s been devoted to me since the day I picked her out of the litter. From the moment I first held her, then put her down and walked away to see what she’d do, she ran to me & sat between my feet. Before she became blind, she would come sit between my feet as I put on my shoes! It must have been a comforting feeling she never forgot. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Linda: My favorite food can be anything I don’t have to cook to anything I enjoy cooking! I’m a confessed “foodie”, but not a food snob. I love Starbucks coffee, pesto, muffelatas, olive salad pizza, pasta and almost all veggies. Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and mon ey was no object?
Linda: I would be eternally grateful to be able to see the day when a cure for any and all cancers is available to all people no matter where they happen to live. As a Pathologist, my husband says 90% of all breast cancers have no known cause or reason to appear even with the new knowledge that there is a breast cancer gene that has been identified. So that means that most of them are caused by carcinogens in our environment. Saving the earth from toxins and poisons of all kinds is paramount in securing healthy futures for our grandchildren and generations beyond. Finding a cure for all cancers is a beginning, but promoting a healthy environment globally is getting to the root cause of the disease. Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Linda: Besides quilting, I love to read! If I’m not doing applique’ in airports & on planes, I’m reading.]]>

Gina does not have a web site. Gina is an award winning long arm quilter. She will be teaching two all day classes, Block Designs and Gridwork and Creating Beautiful Quilting Designs. The two half day classes will be Wonderful World of Wearables and Longarm Appliqué. More about Gina
Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Gina: I have been quilting for ten years. Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Gina: There is no shortage of hobbies in my life. I enjoy photography, scrapbooking, cake decorating, wearable art, costume making…I guess the pattern here is “creativity”! Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Gina: I was pregnant with my second child at the time and wanted to make quilts for my daughter’s bed and for the new baby. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Gina: Since I have three young children at home I have stuck to teaching nearby so that I don’t have to take too much time away from family. I live in Arizona so I mainly teach in AZ or California. Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Gina: Yes, my mother and my grandmother both enjoy quilting on a regular basis. My grandma has always enjoyed sewing she sewed beautiful garments for years, she taught me to sew clothing when I was twelve. Then I introduced her and my mother to quilting. Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Gina: I am an only child. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Gina: I grew up in Lancaster, California Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Gina: I have three children ages:13, 9, and 7- One girl and two little boys…the loves of my life! Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Gina: We have two smash-nosed dogs: Roscoe- a french bulldog and Tucker- a Boston Terrier, we also have an African Grey parrot who has yet to be named so we just call him “Birdie” for now. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Gina: I am not picky about food whatsoever, I thoroughly enjoy all types of cuisine- Italian and Mexican I would have to say are at the top of my list! Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object.?
Gina: I am a fairly simple person in terms of what makes me happy, my life is very full- so I guess if I knew that my life was nearing its end I would just want to spend as much time with my family as I could, traveling with them to neat places…The Carribean perhaps…anywhere tropical!! And a big thank you to Gina Halladay for allowing us to refer you to her website for more information about Gina Perkes.]]>

Sylvia Pippen, Hilo, HI
www.sylviapippendesigns.com Sylvia will be teaching two – two day classes. Both are new classes based on her newest patterns, Big Island Birds and Sashiko and North American Wildflowers and Sashiko. Each class will feature her iron-over mylar appliqué method and sashiko stitching.
Sylvia will also be one of the demonstrators at Roundabout. Block of the Month Group at Sylvia’s Home. Sylvia is in the middle. More about Sylvia Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Sylvia:I’ve been quilting seriously for the six years since I moved to Hawaii. Before that I was part of an on going quilting bee in West Virginia, and later got into Seminole patchwork and Japanese Yukata clothing, and tailoring. Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Sylvia: My mother, Kitty Pippen taught me how to sew and I caught the passion for quilting from her in the process of co-authoring our book, Asian Elegance. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Sylvia: I have taught throughout the Hawaiian Islands and on the West coast from Washington to Los Angeles. I will be going to Texas, Chicago and Michigan next year too. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Sylvia: I think my most unusual experience was teaching eight 80 year olds sashiko in Waimea, Kauai. We met once a week at Nana’s House, a family building child and family service agency. Everyone brought food, ukuleles, there were babies crawling around, I had grown, men and young boys doing sashiko. We had a quilt show in town and strung our quilts up between two coconut trees. My Hawaiian students really taught me how to roll with whatever is happening when I’m teaching and the true spirit of aloha. I have photos of my classes posted on my website if you would like to catch a glimpse of my experience. Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Sylvia: My Mother Kitty Pippen of course; she started quilting at 70 and is a famous and prolific quilter, teacher and writer.

Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or??
Sylvia: I’m the middle child between a younger sister and older brother, both talented musicians. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Sylvia: I grew up in Richmond, in the San Francisco Bay area….in the sixties. Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Sylvia: We have three children and three grandchildren. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Sylvia: We don’t have any pets, but are waiting to get a Corgi puppy. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Sylvia: Tropical fruit, peaches, and any kind of berry. Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object?
Sylvia: I would buy a farm, invite family and friends to come and stay, get some goats, chickens, raise huge gardens, host quilt retreats, garden and quilt quilt quilt! Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Sylvia: I love to grow flowers, veggies, fruit, and herbs. I am also a flutist and play in a band called the Hilo Crybabies, (because it rains so much here). I also love to hike and explore the Islands, always on the lookout for wildflowers and birds.]]>

Mickey Lawler, West Hartford, CT
www.skydyes.com Mickey will be offering four classes, one of them will be a two day class, Painting Landscape Fabrics. The three other one day classes will be Painting Water Fabrics, Painting Sky Fabrics and Playing with Paints on Fabric. All classes will involve using non toxic transparent permanent textile paints to create your own fabrics. Mickey will also be a demonstrator at the Roundabout. More about Mickey:
Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Mickey: I’ve been quilting for 35 years. Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Mickey: I started quilting in self-defense! I had 3 little ones under age 4, and desperately needed a “grown-up” creative outlet. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Mickey: I’ve taught throughout the US and Canada. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Mickey: (This one’s too hard!! Most of my funny, frightening, frustrating experiences are bound to hurt someone’s feelings if they should see it!!) Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Mickey: My grandmother was a quilter, and now 2 out of 3 of my daughters are also. Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Mickey: My older sister was born with Down Syndrome, so I have always seen myself as the oldest in my family. Hmmm, I’ve often wondered about that. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Mickey: I grew up in West Hartford, CT. I still live in West Hartford, CT. I love roots! Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Mickey: I have three grown daughters and a beautiful new little grandson. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Mickey: I have no pets presently, although our family had a lovely Collie and, after her, a sweet Cockapoo. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Mickey: Oh dear, a favorite food? So many! But I would have to say Maine lobster – such a New Englander! Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object?
Mickey: If money were no object there are two things I would like to do. I would love to have a half acre in the sunshine just for my painting tables, with a HUGE indoor studio for painting in winter-time.
The second desire is to see Greenland before the blue ice is gone. That blue is the most astounding I could ever imagine! Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Mickey: I really enjoy gardening, oil painting, seeing really good films, and running away to Cape Cod.]]>

Carolyn Sharyn Craig, San Diego, CA
www.sharyncraig.com Sharyn will be offering four classes: Backgammon, Compass for Almost All Quilters, Hands All Around and X Marks the Spot. All classes are pieced quilts that emphasize learning accuracy and good piecing techniques. Sharyn is retiring from teaching quilting and these will be her final classes. Since Sharyn is retiring from teaching we will have a special exhibit of her quilts from the past thirty years on display in the lobby. She will also be the featured speaker on Saturday evening; Sharyn’s Swan Song will be a fun retrospective of her teaching career. This will be your opportunity to say goodbye to Sharyn. More about Sharyn
Carolyn: How many years have you been quilting?
Sharyn: I started quilting in 1978. I took an adult education class. Within 3 months I was her teaching assistant. Within 2 years I was teaching through adult ed and local shops. Carolyn: Do you have any other hobbies besides quilting?
Sharyn: I love to read, decorate my home, play with my grandkids, be with my kids and go to tea with friends. Carolyn: What motivated you to start quilting?
Sharyn: I’d sewn forever . . . doll clothes starting at age 4, for my body in junior high, every clothing class I could take in high school. I was a Home Ed major in college, with clothing and textiles the emphasis. I did lots of different crafts, quilting just seemed like a natural “next step”. What I didn’t know prior to walking through the door at that first class was that it would become so all-consuming, and fulfilling. Carolyn: Where have you traveled in your quilting teaching career?
Sharyn: I’ve taught in 47 of the United States . . . missing only Delaware, Wyoming, and Mississippi. I’ve taught in Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. Carolyn: What is the most, unusual, frightening, funny, frustrating experience you have had in your quilting career?
Sharyn: I think it must have been the time I was staying in a quilter’s home . . . a lady that I didn’t get to meet before going to bed that night (long story, but really happened) . . . to be woken up at 6 a.m. when she came into the room, stark naked, telling me not to worry she was just going to take a shower. Turns out I was in the bedroom (her bedroom) that had the bathroom with the shower off it. She came in to get clothes and take a shower. It may not have bothered her to parade in front of me au natural, but I assure you it wasn’t something I truly needed to experience!
A frustrating experience was when I showed up at a shop to teach a workshop only to find a sign on the door announcing they had moved. They did post the new address, but I wasn’t familiar with the area, so took me awhile to find the place. Since it was in the same area the phone number was the same so I had no way of knowing in advance that this had happened . . . oh, they COULD have called me and let me know, but that would probably have been too easy. It all worked out, but I was a bit frazzled before I finally got there and got everything started. Carolyn: Does anyone else in your family quilt?
Sharyn: I had a great-grandmother who was an avid quilter. I only met her once, but am fortunate enough to have one of her quilts. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my oldest granddaughter will follow in my footsteps. She’s only 8, but has already made two small doll sized quilts, and is definitely interested. Carolyn: What is your birth order? – only child, first, second, third, or ??
Sharyn: I’m the oldest, with one sister 2 ½ years younger then me. Carolyn: Where did you grow up?
Sharyn: I was born in Denver, Colorado, moved to Chicago area at 6 months, spent the next 18 years moving around from Illinois to Georgia, to Illinois, to Indiana, to Illinois. Went off to school in Louisiana . . . met my now husband there . . . we married and moved to San Diego. We will be celebrating 40 years of marriage this year. Carolyn: Do you have children – grandchildren?
Sharyn: I have a daughter, age 38, married with a 3 year old daughter, and a son, age 35, married with my two oldest grandchildren, a girl age 8 and a boy age 5. Carolyn: Do you have any pets?
Sharyn: I had a cat for 18 years, but she’s gone now and we’re presently pet-less. Carolyn: What is your favorite food?
Sharyn: Gosh, it would be easier to say what my least favorite food is (green peppers, mussels, and liver) . . . I love Mexican food, Italian food, pizza, almost all vegetables, just about any soup, stew, or goulash-y type food. Carolyn: What would be on your “bucket list” (like the movie) if you could do anything and money was no object.?
Sharyn: Honest to gosh, I don’t think I have anything on this list that I’ve not ever done that I would really want to do. I tend to live in the present, without much thought to other things I wish I were doing . . . is that sad? I’ll have to work on that . . . especially for next year when I am no longer traveling 25 trips a year to teach!]]>