Instructor/Lecturer

Cruise

Biography

Recognized internationally for her expertise in quilting, Marci enjoys sharing ideas that simplify the process of quilting. A native of Dallas, Texas, Marci has loved sewing for years, making her first quilt at age 9 and sewing her own clothes in high school and college. She began teaching quilting in 1989 for her local quilting guild and shops. As an admirer of traditional quilts, Marci was inspired to author books on Not Your Grandmother’s™ Quilts. This series uses the traditional patterns people associate with their grandmother and simplifies the technique. She has invented several tools to help make quilting easier for all. Her Know Before You Sew™ solution cards take common problems quilters encounter, and provide easy-to-understand solutions. Marci spends much of the year traveling, teaching classes for quilting guilds and trade shows as well as teaching in her workshop, Alicia’s Attic. Enthusiasm and inspiration for quilting can be seen throughout her lectures, workshops, and books. She has been featured in Redbook, on Home and Garden TV's "Simply Quilts", NBC’s “The Jane Pauley Show”, highlighted in "Traditional Quiltworks", and has been published in numerous quilting magazines. Marci has been nominated for The Professional Quilter magazine "Teacher of the Year" award in 2002 and 2005. Marci, her husband Clint, two boys, their snake, and bearded dragon currently live in Fort Collins, Colorado where they enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful creation of life near the mountains.

A prize-winning quilter, Joyce R. Becker focuses her art, writing, teaching and lecturing on landscape quilts.  Joyce's books, Beautifully Embellished Landscapes & Luscious Landscapes, Simple Techniques for Dynamic Quilts were published by C&T Publishing.  Joyce's DVD, Joyce Becker Teaches You Landscape Quilting, is informative, educational, & entertaining.  Feeling blessed to have such a creative profession; Joyce volunteers throughout the quilting community and is one of the founding board members of the Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters.  Many articles authored by Joyce have been published in national quilting magazines.  Joyce was a featured guest on the Home and Garden Television Network's "Simply Quilts," episode #834.  She also appeared on episode #113 of a new PBS series, "M'Liss's World of Quilts".  She recently taped a promotional video for the Tsukineko Company.  Her quilts have been displayed internationally in contests and invitational exhibits and have appeared in books, magazines and on television.  An article by Joyce was published in Quilting Arts Magazine in the fall of 2004, Page 88; "Expand you Horizons -  Landscape Techniques".  Joyce's lively sense of humor and positive attitude result in lectures and workshops that inspire, inform and entertain quilters as she travels throughout the world.  Joyce teaches and lectures throughout the United States for guilds and large conferences, such as the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX, and has also traveled to New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada to teach and lecture.  Be sure to visit Joyce's website at www.joycerbecker.com or see www.ctpub.com for Joyce's books and DVD!

An accomplished watercolor quilt instructor, Janet lives in Grand Terrace, California with her husband Steve and teaches throughout California and Nevada.  At Road to California In 2002, Janet won 1st Place in the Innovative Wall Mixed division for her "Oriental Theme" quilt. 

Patti Carey

 2008 New England Cruise For A Cure

Patti Carey began working at Northcott/Monarch 16 years ago and her primary responsibilities are making the samples, designing and printing the shade cards, and working with her assistants to swatch them. She is also responsible for designing displays for trade shows and coordinating the advertising program to promote new fabric collections.  Her popular quilting patterns are often featured in The Quilter Magazine and other quilting publications. 

Roxanne Carter

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea and 2009 New England Cruise For A Cure

Roxanne is a prolific quilt maker, producing an average of twenty quilts a year! A traditional quilt maker for over twenty years, she has spent the last sixteen years teaching quilting in the great Pacific Northwest. Roxanne lives with her husband, Rob, in Mukilteo, Washington and has two children, Kim and Tim, both with children of their own. Teaching has become a full-time occupation as she teaches in ten different shops in the area as well as teaching several nights a week in her home studio. Roxanne’s books, Shortcuts Sampler, Easy Star Sampler, The All Star Sampler, and Star-Studded Quilts have been published by Martingale, Inc.  

Mary M. Covey

2008 New England Cruise For A Cure and 2009 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Mary M. Covey is an award winning quilter whose favorite part of the process is design. A self-starting entrepreneur and owner of quilt pattern company, The Good Life, Mary has quilted for more than 21 years and has spent a majority of this time sharing her wealth of knowledge with others through speaking engagements and educational seminars. Mary’s work has been featured in numerous publications and on public television. Her work can also be seen in various books she has authored including:  Follow the Line, Follow the Line II, A Snowman’s Family Album, Celebrations, and Appliqué Through the House.  Currently, Mary is busy designing her second line of fabric for P&B Textiles and machine quilting quilts for her latest book.

Mimi Dietrich

 2009 New England Cruise For A Cure

Mimi lives with her husband in Baltimore, Maryland where she enjoys teaching Baltimore Album appliqué classes. Her two sons are adults now and Mimi states that “life is good!” She has a one-year-old granddaughter named Julia so Mimi is now making smocked dresses! Mimi has been quilting for thirty years and is a “founding mother” of the Village Quilters and the Baltimore Appliqué Society. She is the author of many popular books including Happy Endings, Baltimore Bouquets, Pink Ribbon Quilts, and Easy Appliqué Samplers.  Mimi is currently designing a fabric line for P&B Textiles.  The 2007 Cruise For A Cure will be Mimi’s third cruise with Quilt Camp at Sea.  Her website is www.mimidietrich.com.

Laura Denison

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Laura began sewing as a young child making clothes for her dolls from her mother’s scraps. In college she made two quilts as part of an independent study sculpture project, one of which was purchased by the university. In 1993, Laura joined the quilting craze and it quickly became a passion.  She began teaching in 1997 to share her enthusiasm and her quilting designs. As an award winning quilter, she has exhibited quilts in several local and national quilt shows.  In 2003, Laura began her pattern business and is best known for her quilted bags and tote designs and, in 2006 introduced a new Passport Quilt Series.  Although she currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her husband and two young children.   Laura grew up in Alaska and still calls it "home".  Her Northwest Passage series (an offshoot of her Passport Quilts) features quilts (such as the one she is teaching on the cruise) inspired by the Northwest and, especially, Alaska.

Carol Doak

 2008 New England Cruise For A Cure

As a best-selling author, celebrated teacher and lecturer, and award-winning quiltmaker, Carol Doak has greatly influenced the art and craft of quiltmaking for more than a decade, both in the U.S. and internationally. Her accomplishments include a sizable collection of popular books including her recently released 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks. Approaching one million books in print, it is no secret that Carol has raised the popularity of paper piecing, her trademark technique, to heights never before seen in the world of quiltmaking.  Carol's lighthearted approach and ability to teach have earned her high marks and positive comments from workshop participants worldwide and at national shows such as the Houston International Quilt Festival and the American Quilter's Society Show. If you have ever taken a class from Carol, you know that her enthusiasm for quiltmaking is infectious. Carol has a gift of sharing her inspiring ideas with her students in such a positive and unique way. Carol travels to teach extensively through the United States including Alaska and Hawaii and as far away as England and Australia.  Carol lives in Windham, New Hampshire, where she claims the cold winters give her plenty of reason to stockpile a fabric stash for insulation purposes!  Carol designs fabric for Timeless Treasures. 

Beverly Dunivent

2008 New England Cruise For A Cure

Beverly lives in Olympia, Washington and is a quiltmaker, quilt historian, lecturer, quilting teaching, and quilt appraiser certified by the AQS, as well as a curator of quilt exhibits.  She is an authority on quilts of the 1930’s, Crayon quilts, kit quilts, scrap quilts, and the making of reproduction quilts.  Her articles have appeared in many publications including American Quilter, Traditional Quiltworks, Quilting Today, Lady’s Circle Patchwork Quilts, Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, Vintage Quilts, and McCall’s Quilting as well as the book Class Act Quilts.  Beverly Dunivent has served as a consultant to RJR Fabrics and their Posey Quilt Collectionã and Butterfly Hope Collectionã were based upon her quilts.  She has also appeared on the Cover of the March 2003 (Issue 95) of Quilting Today magazine and has been a guest on HGTV’s Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson.  The 2006 Cruise For A Cure will be Beverly’s third cruise with Quilt Camp at Sea and she is a very popular instructor and lecturer on the cruises!

Visit www.twosashquilts.com for detailed information about Heid and her sister, Dodi, and to see some of their exciting projects!  Dodi Lee Poulsen and Heidi L. Fisher have been creating, in some fashion, since they were small girls. As kindred spirits and sisters they are passionate about quilting. Already, they have gained the respect of the quilting world and are designing patterns for major fabric distributors.  Dodi and Heidi also design and create wonderful patterns to be enjoyed by quilters of all skill levels. This year seven of their designs will be featured in Fons & Porter, McCall’s Quilts & American Patchwork Quilting. Dodi holds a BFA degree in interior and fabric design. She has been a quilt instructor in Washington for twenty years where she also owned her own design company.  She and Heidi both teach & lecture individually and together throughout the country. They are currently working on their first book.  Heidi is a skilled hand-piecer and quilter. She loves hand appliqué and recently she finished her journey with a “Dear Jane “quilt which included 5,335 pieces all hand pieced and quilted!  Together Dodi and Heidi launched their company, Two Sisters at Squirrel Hollow in 2006. The Sisters create together in an amazing studio, out in the woods, on Heidi’s property known as Squirrel Hollow in Missouri. They look forward to seeing you on their adventures!

Becky Goldsmith

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

With Linda Jenkins, Becky created Piece O' Cake Designs and together, they have been designing fun, fanciful quilts since 1994. They also design fabric for P&B Textiles and have appeared on HGTV's Simply Quilts. Becky lives in Sherman, Texas.  

Jo Anne Gordon

 2008 New England Cruise For A Cure and 2009 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Jo Anne Gordon has been quilting for over ten years and teaching for four years. She especially enjoys hand quilting, embroidery, and appliqué – she finds handwork is the perfect way to unwind after a long and busy day!  Jo Anne teaches at Needles Quilt Shop in Olympia and Carriage Country Quilts in Des Moines, Washington. She is perhaps best known for her detailed instructions and samples identifying each step necessary to completing a class project. Jo Anne enjoys working with new quilters and loves to see the joy found in their eyes as a project comes together.

Sharon Gunkel

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Though she remembers the first dress she stitched at age ten, Sharon doesn’t remember the process or of learning to sew or embroider; it’s always been a part of her life.  Sharon’s first quilt top was stitched for a design assignment at the University of Minnesota.  Several years later, after making a bloom vest, several quillows, and many tied pallets for babies, in 1994 she signed up for a rotary-cutting class in Corpus Christi, TX to meet new friends and to learn techniques.  Her passion for quilting was fueled!  Sharon has had articles and quilt designs published in several quilting publications and is very active in several guilds and teaches classes at several retreats each year.  After retiring from Corporate America, Sharon taught creative and machine mastery classes and now works as a sales agent representing E. E. Schenck Company, where she tempts quilt shop owners in four states with fabric, patterns, books, notions, and gift items.

Lori Hein

2008 New England Cruise For A Cure and 2009 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Lori began quilting over 20 years ago as a way to meet other women in the rural area where she was a newcomer.  She teaches at   The Quilting Bee in Spokane, WA and has recently begun a company of her own “Cool Water Quilts” (coolwaterquilts.com).  Many of her patterns have been featured in quilting publications. Designing quilts and playing with color are her favorite parts of quilting along with meeting new people and sharing ideas and the joy of quilting.  Be sure to visit Lori’s website at www.CoolWaterQuilts.com.

Judy Irish

2008 New England Cruise For A Cure

Judy began her long-arm quilting business, Wild Irish Rows, in 1997 and has taught machine quilting classes in Connecticut, Washington, and Turkey.  She also quilts for many quilting authors including Kaffe Fassett, Liza Prior Lucy, Joan Shay, Sara Nephew, Linda Poole, Karen Combs,  Terry Martin, Mary Hickey,  and Marilyn Doheney.   She loves wildly colorful quilts and using humor whenever possible, which is most of the time!  Getting students to see that quilting should be fun and creative, freeing them from obsessive perfection, and just encouraging them to “play” gives most quilters a view of this art form that many have been afraid to see.  Judy makes her classes a supportive, stress-free, and creative environment.

Lisa Kirby

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Lisa did not begin sewing as a young child and truly did her best to avoid learning even the basics on her mom’s old sewing machine.  Her mother tried several times to capture Lisa’s creative talent by sharing her wonderful knowledge of clothes making but to no avail.  Then when Lisa had moved far away from home, mom came to visit her in Seattle and asked her to take her on a mini “quilt shop hop” while she was here.  Touring all of the wonderful shops in Western Washington and seeing all of the amazing quilts finally hooked her and on the last day of mom’s visit she learned a quick lesson in quilting and hasn’t put down the needle and thread since.  Actually, quilting changed Lisa’s life.  She left her corporate life of a Financial Analyst behind and became the manager of a small quilt shop in her home town of Maple Valley, Washington; where she helped purchase new fabric, organized classes, taught classes and broadened here knowledge of quilting and the quilt world.   Lisa has now taken on a new challenge as a fulltime stay-at-home “quilting mom” and pattern.

Jan Krentz is a nationally recognized quilt instructor, author and designer. Winner of the 1998 Teacher of the Year award, Jan's motivating workshops are packed with practical tips, techniques and methods to insure success. Author of Lone Star Quilts & Beyond, Hunter Star Quilts & Beyond and Diamond Quilts and Beyond, Jan lives with her husband in Poway, California.

Lisa Moore

2008 New England and 2009 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Lisa Moore is a retired engineer living in beautiful Sitka, Alaska.   She as applied her engineering skills in developing a series of quilt patterns featuring Alaskan images.  Her pattern business is "Quilts With a  Twist".  Her focus is to create the most effective way to piece a quilt,  then provide the best and most complete set of  instructions to accomplish it.  She loves to work with focal or novelty fabrics, and creates quilt patterns that show them off.  Lisa began quilting in the early 90s, and started teaching quilting classes in  1993.  She is continually inspired by the beauty surrounding her in Sitka and by the close group of quilters in a small town setting. 

Kathy Scott

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea and 2009 New England Cruise For A Cure

Kathy was born with the desire to quilt. As a child she made "pretend" quilts on an elderly cousin's sewing machine.  As a young adult, Kathy tried to teach herself to quilt with less than pleasant results!  Kathy has been quilting for over ten years (after finally taking some classes)!  She loves hand work as well as machine piecing and quilting.  Kathy loves to learn new tips and techniques.  Her motto is "remain teachable"!  Kathy began teaching quilting classes at Perfect Points Quilting in 2002 where she taught a variety of classes and is currently teaching classes from her home studio in Maple Valley, Washington. Kathy particularly likes taking her love of quilting and sharing it with others in a way that will make their quilting enjoyable and fulfilling.  She loves to discover new techniques (at least new to her!) and share them with others.

Elizabeth Spannring

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

In 1974 Elizabeth pieced her first quilt, made of 6" squares of a shimmery type of bridal satin she had purchased at the local fabric store. It was silky and elegant, had a lustrous sheen and the colours were the ones she is still drawn to today; hues of periwinkle, violet and indigo. Embroidery threads secured the layers together and it was large enough for a full size bed.  Somewhere in the course of making comforters, usually constructed with preprinted fabric panels, she began the process of making a quilt, "three layers secured with stitching". In 1990 the journey really began with a lap sized Trip Around the World that she machine pieced and hand quilted. As this is one of the 2-½ quilts that she had hand quilted, it is a rather unique part of her collection!  A small community in southwest Washington is the place Elizabeth calls home, where her husband, two almost grown kids and four cats carefully maneuver their way through fabric, books and pins.

Diana Vandervoort, best selling author of Temari instructions, is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara, and holds a teaching credential in art. She has lectured and demonstrated Temari at the official reopening of the Los Angeles public library, as guest teacher for Embroiderers Guild of America, and California Fiber Arts State Conference. Diana teaches regularly in shops, to guild groups and conferences. A regular favorite on Carol Duvall's Craft Show on HGTV, appearing on DIY Crafts and for years on Aleene's Creative Living with Crafts on TNN, Diana has made the beauty and enjoyment of Temari available to everyone!  Visit Diana's website at www.temari.com for examples of her creations!

Retta Warehime

2008 Panama Canal Quilt Camp at Sea Cruise, 2008 New England Cruise For A Cure, and 2009 New England Cruise For A Cure

Retta was introduced to quilting and designing quilts more than 20 years ago, thanks to her friends Jackie Wolff, Debbie Mumm, and Ann Weisbeck.  She has lived in Kennewick, Washington for over 15 years.  Before that, she lived in Spokane, Washington.  She keeps busy designing quilts, teaching, writing, and publishing books for her company, Sew Cherished.  She has four children and four grandchildren.  In addition, she and her husband host two World Hockey League hockey players who live in their home eight months out of the year.  Designing and quilting gives Retta great pleasure, calming her nerves and soothing her soul.  Her inspiration comes from living life to the fullest, and she is continually motivated by her desire to share the attributes of quilting with everyone!  One of her greatest pleasures comes from giving quilts as gifts and teaching others the joy of quilting.  Retta designs  fabric lines for Cranston Quilting Treasures. 

Jean Wells

2008 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

Jean has been an avid quilter for over thirty years, sharing her knowledge and ideas with thousands of quilters of all experience levels.  A teacher at heart, she began sewing as a child and her love of sewing head to a career as a home economics teacher and school counselor.  She has written articles for magazines, lectured, taught classes worldwide, and appeared on HGTV’s Simply Quilts.  Jean is a recipient of the Michael Kile Award for lifetime achievement in the quilting industry.  Jean has had numerous books published by C&T Publishing and her quilt shop, The Stitching Post in Sisters, Oregon, was one of the first quilt shops to be opened in America!

Jackie Wolff

2008 Panama Canal Quilt Camp at Sea, 2008 New England Cruise For A Cure, and 2009 Alaska Quilt Camp at Sea

As a young mother and homemaker, Jackie decided she needed a creative social outlet.  After enrolling in a quilt class, she was soon dreaming about quilt blocks and fabric and at last found a group of women that spoke her language.  She started “hanging out” at a local quilt shop and then began working one day a week.  Three years later (in 1985) she was holding the keys to the shop!  Jackie has owned The Quilting Bee in Spokane, Washington for over 20 years.  She loves to teach and encourages new quilters to start a project and finish it to find the pure joy of creating.  Jackie has been an educator at the International Quilt Market, That Patchwork Place, and many Quilt Guilds and quilting groups. Jackie’s gift of spontaneous creativity, her flair for embellishing and the fact that she never is sitting idle (you will always find her doing handwork) is definitely contagious!