Karena Wells

Karena Wells is an artist, teacher, tutor and lecturer. She comes from a long line of sewists, makers, and re-creators. Since she was a small child, sewing, quilting, tailoring, leather and canvas work has been taught to her. She made her first quilt in third grade as part of a section on learning about the American West. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, where she studied art, history and education. Her passion for learning has led her to study and take classes worldwide.

 As a lifelong artist with a dedication for teaching, quilting and working with textiles, Karena has traveled and lived around North America, Europe and Asia. Combining her passion and interest in learning about textiles, she has collected a vast knowledge of different techniques for sewing, piecing, dying, fiber manipulation, and quilting from around the world.

 In 1996 Karena introduced a quilting seminar to Festival of Arts, at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. She has been invited back every year, and you can find her there instructing a week long seminar every summer during Festival of Arts. She is always happy traveling to conduct fiber workshops for groups, retreats, shops and guilds.

 In her quest to continue learning new skills to pass on to her students, in 2015, Karena traveled to North Carolina to attend the inaugural Tuffet Source Affiliate program. In 2018, Karena was thrilled to attend the inaugural Gem Affiliate class in Kentucky.

 Karena now lives in her forever home in the Olympic Peninsula. When she is not creating or teaching, she works as a managing broker, helping people sell or buy homes.

Port Ludlow, Washington and Available to Travel

Alma Moates

Alma is an AQS Certified Appraiser, a member of PAAQT (Professional Association of Appraisers-Quilted Textiles), and a Quilt Historian. She loves to share her knowledge and collection of quilts with others.  She lives in Pensacola, FL with her husband, Grover, and three pets. She is a Mother and Grandmother. Her love of quilts began as a 4 year old and she has been quilting since 1969.

To schedule a class with Alma, send her a note at quiltsappraised@aol.com!

Nancy Von Seggern

Nancy Von Seggern has been a quilt-piecer since childhood, teaching herself to hand piece and hand quilt before moving on to piecing with a sewing machine and becoming a longarmer.

She teaches a myriad of piecing classes at her shop in Fremont, Nebraska, embracing everything from traditional to modern to art quilting and teaches all levels of ability and interest. She has been successfully teaching my Birthstone Series as a Block of the Month, using freezer paper technique since the summer of 2018, when the patterns first came on the market. In December 2018, she became one of the first Certified Gem Affiliates.

 In her shop she offers Block of the Month, Birthday Block Parties (for her A’ La Carte customers each month) and Birthday Bling Blast Parties two times a year for those that may want to make four gemstones.

Nancy loves to teach textile related classes and sharing her years of experience and tips in an interesting, relevant and fun atmosphere. She understands the needs of shop and guilds, and her goal is to help you grow your quilt business profit or guild member engagement and new member numbers through the Birthstone Series and upcoming patterns. Let Nancy help you energize your group/shop!

Fremont, Nebraska

Kelly Zuber

Kelly Zuber believes there is just something special about creating beautiful quilts that melts away the stress of the day.  She spent 35 years in local television news and has certainly seen her share of heroism and heartbreak.  Quilting has always been her refuge and her muse.   Now she turns her attention to bringing the joy of quilting to a new generation of eager students as a Gem Affiliate.

With a degree in Communications and Journalism she knows how to tell a story and share her love of quilting in small classes and large workshops.  Kelly believes that teaching is learning, and learning is a lifelong journey.  She is an award-winning quilter who especially enjoys foundation paper piecing and hand appliqué.   When first introduced to my Birthstone Series and Diamond Diva Series, she knew she had found a totally different technique she wanted to share with confident beginners and seasoned quilters everywhere.  She’s always excited to book a class at your quilt shop or visit your guild for a lively gem workshop.

Kelly lives in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and is a member of the Star Quilters Guild and the Virginia Consortium of Quilters.  She and her husband have managed a successful small business for more than 30 years, and she recently launched her quilt venture appropriately named Kelly Loves Quilts.

Contact Kelly to set up a class today!

Roanoke, Virginia

Carol Stanek

Carol brings a unique set of skills to the Certified Gem Affiliate Program with her background in corporate meeting and event planning: she has the expertise to organize retreats and special teaching events. Carol has also been sewing since she was 10 making garments and progressing into home-décor projects for interior decorators. She has been teaching classes since 2012 at quilt shops and guilds in the Atlanta area. She loves teaching and seeing people have fun while growing more confident in creating beautiful quilts.

In 2015 Carol became a Certified Instructor with Judy Niemeyer Quilting, she also completed several years of Sulky Certified Instructor Training and now has become a Gem Affiliate. Carol lives in the Atlanta metro-area and will be teaching in the southeastern region, but is always willing to travel wherever the quilter’s want to hold class!

To schedule a class with Carol, you can give her a call or email (see her contact info below). You can also find out more about this amazing quiltmaker by visiting her website or social media sites.

Jayme Duncan

As a natural born entrepreneur, Jayme has transformed her love of quilting into an online retail business. She also teaches quilting throughout the lower central area of British Columbia and is now excited to share gems and joy with her students. (A more detailed bio for Jayme is coming soon!)

Susan Deshensky

Susan has an extensive background in needlework and quilting.  She enjoys teaching, designing and has an eye for color.  Susan’s quilts have won awards in regional and national quilt shows. Susan is excited to be a gem affiliate and she is available to teach at your guild, shop or retreat, and she is willing to travel.

Judy Bowers

After Judy Bowers was introduced to stitching at 5 years old, she developed quite a reputation for always having some stitchery in her hands. She started quilting in 1982, learning hand quilting techniques. Over the years she honed her machine piecing and machine quilting skills by taking classes at quilt shops, shows and retreats.

Judy learned basic paper piecing skills, including Judy Niemeyer’s (Quiltworx) techniques, and earned her Quiltworx Certified Instructor credentials after retiring from her Pediatric Registered Nurse position at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.

Judy is now certified to teach the same freezer paper piecing techniques I use to create my Birthstone Series and Diamond Diva patterns.  She teaches in Arkansas and is also willing to travel to share her knowledge.

Judy splits her time between her retirement home in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas and her cabin near the Canadian border at Crane Lake, Minnesota.  Judy teaches beginning and advanced classes and is available for lectures, truck shows and demonstrations.

Please contact Judy to schedule classes and lectures at:

Judy Bowers
13 Palacio Circle
Hot Springs Village, AR 71909

Michelle Banton

Not only is Michelle an amazing artist, she’s built a great business teaching and vending in the Northeast. Michelle’s smile brightens up the room and her quick wit will keep you laughing. More information about Michelle is on its way!

To schedule a class with Michelle, give her a ring or send her an email.

Lunenburg, Massachusetts

Anne-Margaret Vose

Anne-Margaret has been sewing and crafting her whole life.  Her parents bought her first sewing machine for her 10th birthday and she hasn’t looked back.  She has made her own wedding dress, her daughter’s graduation dress, crafts and quilts. While she knits, crochets, cross-stitches, paper canvas, papier toles, scrapbooks and sews, her focus lately is quilting.  She usually has help in her craft room from her Bengal cat named Delilah who likes to steal her pins and roll on her quilts while she is sewing them.

Anne-Margaret loves to learn new techniques and share the skills she has learned with others.  There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone accomplish something from scratch.  Her fabric inventory is her joy…all the colours, textures and possibilities.

Chilliwack, British Columbia (Canada) & Willing to Travel

Bonnie Taylor

Bonnie Taylor began quilting when she retired after many years in Property Management.  With a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Drafting and a minor in Secondary Education, she is well qualified to work with students on all skill levels. And, having worked part-time in two quilting/fabric shops following retirement, she has further developed her people-skills and knowledge of fabrics.

Bonnie is available to conduct workshops for quilt groups, shops and guilds in her surrounding area.

Louisville, Kentucky

Sandi Sullivan

Sandi is the Chief Quiltmaker in Charge at Windy Moon Quilts in Reno, Nevada. She is an expert when it comes to caring for your sewing machine and can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about needles and more! She’s also an amazing quiltmaker. More information about Sandi is on its way!

To find out more about classes at Windy Moon Quilts, give her a ring!

Reno, Nevada

Nancy Strath

When Nancy started making quilts 20 years ago, the quilt making process brought her so much joy that she wanted to share this with the world.  In 2011, she built a day retreat facility on their family farm near Carseland, Alberta (Canada) where she teaches and hosts open sew days to give creative souls the opportunity to pursue their passions away from the distractions at home.

In 2014 Nancy became a Certified Instructor with Judy Niemeyer Quilting, she completed Teacher Training with Westalee Rulers and most recently became a Gem Affiliate.

Nancy loves traveling to teach for guilds, shops and groups of creative friends, or she hosts workshops at her own studio, Bow Bench Retreat. Please email her for more information.

Carseland, Alberta (Canada)

Debbie Stuart

CJ Sturtevant

Allison Spence

Allison Spence B.Ed. has a long association with crafting in the form of knitting, sewing and quilting. Her introduction to quilting was a tied quilt given to her newborn daughter by her sister-in-law almost 40 years ago. This was the start of an incredible and most enjoyable journey. She began teaching sewing and quilting while working at a sewing machine dealer in Calgary, Alberta.

Allison loves to teach others how to quilt and owned her own fabric store and sewing school in Calgary for 6 years. The joy and satisfaction in student’s eyes when they “get it” is almost payment enough! Allison encourages students to go further and see what they can do on their own.  Allison splits her time between teaching others about all aspects of quilting and sewing, quilting on her longarm for customers and herself and creating new projects to piece and quilt.  In addition to being a Gem Affiliate, Allison is a Handi-Quilter National Educator.

Caroleigh Shearing

Born and raised on the Canadian prairies, Caroleigh learned to sew and quilt at a very young age. She started making her clothes and quilts after receiving her first sewing machine at age 6. After having spent 35 years in the import/retail industry, Caroleigh has returned to her passion — quilting! It’s been a 3-year journey during which she took lessons from professionals to learn the newest and latest techniques. She’s been teaching quiltmaking techniques since 2018.

After completing numerous quilts in various styles — from a traditional Log Cabin to a Quilt-As-You-Go pattern to paper piecing — she was searching for new ideas and a new challenge. Once she was introduced to the Birthstone Series gems she was hooked! She’s passionate about the gems and is excited to pass freezer-paper piecing techniques on to her students.

Caroleigh makes her home in Calgary, but will travel wherever necessary to show others that they, too, can create their own gems! To schedule a class with Caroleigh, shoot her an email at ctshea53@outlook.com.

Lyvonn Reese

Lyvonn is a mighty force of joy. She loves quilters and makers of all kinds….So much so that she has dedicated her life to creating marvelous spaces for them to gather, create, and relax. Her Threads Retreats in Murfreesboro (just southeast of Nashville) and on Edisto Island are spacious, gracious get-aways that refresh one’s creative spirit. Lyvonn hosted our second Gem Affiliate retreat in August 2019 where she, herself, became a new Gem Affiliate. We loved spending time with her in her wonderful environment. (More info about Lyvonn is in its way!)

She would love to share that environment with you and your group, so give her a call and book a class or get-away! You can reach her at 615-714-8132 or visit https://threadsretreats.com/to learn more about her marvelous places.

Mary Payne

Mary took her first quilting class over 20 years ago and has been quilting ever since….minus a short pause when her boys were born.  Mary lives in the Nashville area with her husband and 3 boys; her grown daughter lives nearby.  Mary also enjoys cross-stitching, a craft she learned from her aunt when she was 9.  Mary loves working with quilts and teaching and can’t wait to teach gem quilts!

To schedule a class with Mary, drop her a note at marypayne75@att.net

Jayne’ Nelson

Jayne’ Nelson is a quilt maker, teacher, and color consultant with degrees in Interior Design and Civil Engineering.  She has also attended classes at the Gemological Institute of America.

Quilt making combines Jayne’s love of color, design, and precision.  She began garment sewing in grade school and progressed to costumes, bridal gowns, and tailoring.  About 20 years ago she was introduced to quilt piecing which has become a passion.  She has been guided by wonderful teachers and mentors and enjoys working with traditional patterns, modern quilts, and has paper pieced extensively including several Quiltworx patterns.

After seeing publications of Quilt Con winner “Bling”, Jayne’ actively sought out patterns focusing on piecing of jewel quilts, specifically diamonds.  The journey led her to the Gem Affiliate program.  She became a Certified Gem Affiliate in 2019, and is anxious to share this quilt making technique.

Jayne’ lives in Washington State with her husband, daughter, 1 dog, and 2 cats.

To schedule a class with Jayne, send her a note at just2jayne@aol.com!

Debbie Nastelli

Debbie’s first foray into sewing was creating Halloween costumes for her kiddos when they were little. Now she sews costumes for the grandkids! What Debbie loves most about quilting is building community. She is excited to bring my gem patterns to your community. (More info about Debbie to come!)

To schedule a class with Debbie, you can contact her at 352-428-0264.

Springhill, Florida (Tampa area)

Debbie Matthie

Debbie started sewing with her mother and grandmother as a young girl, which involved clothing and home décor. Her quilting career began about 21 years ago, after taking a beginner’s class in a local quilt store, called Fabric Fantasy, in Innisfail. Little did she know how much she loved learning this craft, and how inspired she became seeing the beautiful quilts that others had made.

For a time, she loved to make clothes and outerwear for her family. However, when her children kindly requested that their clothing come from a store, she needed to find a new outlet for her sewing skills. Quilting allowed her to revive my sewing skills to create them something of sentimental value.

Debbie has always challenged herself to try different techniques. Classes are her favorite way to learn and she is constantly inspired by the instructors’ knowledge and experience. She has made many quilts that have been gifted to her family and friends over the years. She purchased an embroidery machine about 3 years ago and loved the machine’s ability to create intricate items. (And her hands loved the break!)  Her other craft favorites are hand embroidery, cross stitch, crochet and knitting. Debbie’s crafty side has been passed down from her Mother and Maternal Grandmother. Debbie’s grandmother was an amazing needlework stitcher and sewer. Her mother continues to create beautiful hand and machine projects with expert ability.

Recently, Debbie has started teaching classes, for both work and as a freelance instructor.  She loves working with other quilters and sharing the tips and techniques she has learned.  Debbie is one of the founding members of the Wild Rows Country Quilters Guild in Innisfail, and an active member of the Central Alberta Quilters Guild in Red Deer. She enjoys the social and community work for charities with these two dynamic guilds. Retreats are another personal favorite, as they provide her the perfect opportunity to share ideas and finish projects while playing with friends.

The fabric store where Debbie works satisfies her addiction with the task of making quilt samples for display. She no longer needs to buy every beautiful fabric and pattern she sees, although she still find kits and patterns that she’d like to make. Debbie’s retirement package, not called “a stash”, continues to grow in my cozy little sewing room.

I’m thrilled to have Debbie join us as a Gem Affiliate in Alberta, Canada. To schedule classes with Debbie, you can contact her at dbbmath@gmail.com!

Kati Cowan

“Line. Shape. Texture. Size. Color. Tone. These are all elements of composition and design that have been part of my artistic expression for forty years. My camera was my main medium. As an award-winning photographer, I have exhibited and sold many of my images.  But something was missing. I kept being drawn to working with fabric. Then a friend introduced me to quilting and it opened the door to an entirely new and exciting dimension. Like assembling a beautiful puzzle, sewing fabric pieces together to create a work of art is a uniquely intimate and deeply satisfying process. Much like developing film in a darkroom, the picture starts to take shape and it has the potential to take your breath away as the end result comes into view. This is particularly the case with the Gem Patterns. As a Gem Affiliate for San Diego County and the surrounding area I am excited to share what I know in assembling the exquisite gemstone quilts. I am happy to teach at any Quilt Shop, Guild or venue to those who want to experience this novel new perspective to modern quilting.” — Kati

To contact Kati and schedule a class, send her an email at kt2c@packtrain.com.

Escondito, CA

Terry Birdsell

Terry has been working in property management and retail management for a total of 35 years while raising eight children! She has lived her life with a can- do attitude. She jumps in feet first in all that she does, laughing all the way. She wanted to learn to quilt…and did just that. She also taught herself to use a longarm. Terry has been quilting for about seven years.

In October, she learned about my Birthstone Series when she took one of my classes at eQuilter.com in Boulder, Colorado.  The rest, as they say, is history. She attended our first Gem Affiliate retreat and is now qualified to bring gems into the lives of her students. In addition to teaching in the Colorado area, she is happy to travel to the Southwest to teach classes.

What I love most about Terry is that she teaches as she lives her life — with kindness, grace, and humility. She knows there is a gem to be found in all of us. Terry’s advice: “Keep smiling and enjoy the journey.”

Terry can be reached at tbirdsell6695@msn.com or by calling her at 303-908-7140, You can also learn more about her by visiting her Facebook page (@Terry’s Treasures).

Merritt Crawford

Merritt Crawford has been making award winning quilts for over 18 years and has taught a variety of quilting classes for the past ten.  Her classes are full of fun techniques that propel her students to achieve stunning results by paying attention to details.  This love of detail inspired Merritt to become a Gem Affiliate.   She enjoys teaching in all settings from quilt shop classrooms, to beautiful retreat centers, to local quilt guild venues.

Quilting and creativity are a part of Merritt’s family heritage.  Descended from a long line of creative women, Merritt knows that being creative is a part of who she is and desires to be. Even when she married her husband, she gained a sweet mother-in-love, who enjoyed the creative process of sewing and quilting, too.

Sew…let Merritt be a part of your quilting journey.  She is willing to travel to share gems with your quilting community.
Contact her today to schedule your classes.

Stamping Ground, Kentucky & Willing to Travel

Cindy Bingaman

Cindy has lived and traveled across the US and abroad. She has been sewing and crafting for over 30 years, and has been following her passion for quilting for six. Cindy lives in East Tennessee and is willing to travel throughout the Southeast United States.
As a previous sales trainer, manager, and retail store owner, Cindy loves working with people and helping them succeed by transferring her knowledge and enthusiasm.
Cindy has a teacher’s heart and engages others with humor and grace. She is scheduling workshops featuring the Birthstone Series by MJ Kinman, the “Jewel Box” Block of the Month, and Northcott’s newest collection titled “Facets by MJ Kinman”.

Linda Ernst

Linda started her journey of stitching and quilting over 34 years ago. In 2008 Linda was introduced to the amazing world of fiber arts. This gave her a way to combine her love of stitching and quilting. At that time Linda began creating her own works of art. She loves learning new techniques and takes classes and workshops on a regular basis to increase her skill set. In 2018 she was the featured artist in an art exhibit in Colorado Springs, Co. She loves outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, kayaking and horseback riding. Linda currently lives in Colorado with her husband, 2 boys, 2 dogs, 2 horses, and parrot.

December of 2018 Linda became a Certified Gem Affiliate to teach my technique of single-foundation paper piecing (not your typical paper piecing). She is available to teach at quilt guilds, quilt shops, workshops, retreats, and private events. Private and semiprivate sessions are available.

Margaret Dale

Margaret works with Janet Collins at Janet’s shop From the First Stitch to the Last/Janet Collins Designs in Wangara, Western Australia. Along with Janet Collins, Margaret was one of my very first Gem Affiliates. She teaches all things gems and is a great representative for Gem Affiliates.