Meet the Instructors |
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Since 1978, when Eleanor self-published that first book "Make a Quilt in a Day: Log Cabin Pattern," she has become a prolific author, revered teacher trainer, popular television personality, and celebrated industry role model. She has authored over eighty additional books, trained thousands of instructors throughout the world and pioneered the way people view quiltmaking with her television series, Quilt in a Day, which began airing on PBS in 1990 and is still broadcasting nationwide and abroad. |
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In 1992, she began hand quilting small wall quilts as a stress reliever from the workplace. Then in 1996, she left the world of books and began concentrating full-time on her passion for quilting. She has successfully operated her longarm machine quilting service, Loving Stitches, since that time. She enjoys making both traditional and art related quilts. Her quilts have received awards in many local and national shows, but she especially enjoys working on her entries for the Hoffman Fabric Challenge each year. |
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Rebecca Haarer, Shipshewana, IN
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Penny introduced her innovative, new Pieced Appliqué™ technique at Spring Market in Portland in the Spring of 2008. She has two more books coming out this Spring - Penny Haren's More Pieced Applique - which includes 25 more advanced block instructions and a project book that includes 12 different patterns that showcase her techniques. Her technique has been featured in American Patchwork and Quilting and Love of Quilting in 2008. And, she is currently working on an article that will appear in American Quilter this fall. In her “spare time”, Penny consults with and writes the newsletter for Checker Distributors, the largest distributor of books, patterns, notions and fabrics serving the independent quilting, sewing and needlearts retailer worldwide. |
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Ira Johnson Ira started early in life sewing and completed 10 years of 4-H clothing. After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Home Economics Education, she taught at Fremont Schools for 31 years. For the first 20 years, she shared her love of sewing and quilting with high school students. She spent the last 11 years of teaching with 5th - 8th graders. In addition to the usual middle school sewing projects, the 7th and 8th grade classes made lap quilts for the patients at Riley Children’s Hospital. Ira started her first comforter during the blizzard of 1978 and during the winter of 1979 she took her first class. The log cabin quilt made using the Eleanor Burns method was the first of many quilts made to use in her log house. She has been teaching adult quilters since her retirement in 2004. Ira thoroughly enjoys trying new patterns and various quick techniques, and loves to share skills in a fun, relaxed atmosphere with her students. She believes that since none of us “have” to quilt, that it should be fun. Julia Wolheter Julia has been teaching quilt classes since 2001. She has an extensive educator's background teaching adults through 15 years with the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. She also taught Parent Education Classes for 22 years. Her 4-H sewing experience led to making her first quilt - a sampler - in 1976 during the quilting revitalization. Taking quilt classes and going to seminars are just two of the ways she keeps up to date in the ever changing quilting industry. She thoroughly enjoys sharing her knowledge and engaging with class members. Her teaching philosophy is to have fun, relax, and learn some new techniques while working on a project. |
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Susan Knapp & Mary Jane Mattingly
Susan has been a quilter for 20 years. It all began because she was a new stay-at-home mom who needed a creative outlet. She is a highly sought after quilt teacher for local quilt shops and organizations, specializing in teaching newcomers. Her ability to stress the illusive 1/4” seam as the very basis of good quilt making has brought a high degree of success to her students’ projects. Her knowledge of the world of fabric came to her by honest hard work at the University of Illinois where she received a master’s degree in the University Extension Program. She is the mother of two college students and the wife of a farmer. Mary Jane, though not formally trained, has been a textile art student and seamstress for many years. Working mainly in garment construction and costume design for the local theatre group that she co-founded, her love of textile art has been seen by many. It was by chance that 10 years ago as her 4 children had left the nest and her husband was reaching retirement age that she decided to take a quilting class from non other than her current business partner. |
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These days her busy schedule doesn't allow her as much time to sew / quilt as she would like, however she says, after working 30+ years in the sewing / quilting industry she is fortunate to have made a career out of something she loves! |
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Thirty years ago Eleanor Burns introduced her first Quilt in a Day book, beginning a quilt making revolution. Her concise, step-by-step directions were easy to grasp, allowing anyone to be successful at making a quilt. Eleanor Burns gave quilt makers techniques that compacted months into merely a day, a quilt in a day.
Rita, nationally known speaker and teacher, owns the very busy shop, Creations SewClever in Chillicothe, OH. After many years in the desert Southwest, Rita and family relocated to a charming farm in rural southern Ohio. In late 1992 she purchased a small clothing and fabric business. Many classes were offered in this new shop, and by far the most popular and the most fun were Rita's Mystery Classes - which became a book from AQS.
Doris Goins has been a sewing enthusiast since childhood. Her many years in 4-H brought about a love for sewing clothing which has been an invaluable education throughout her life. She graduated from Wright State University, Dayton, OH as a school media specialist and in a few short years went on to Indiana University, Bloomington, IN and graduated with a master’s in library science. For 22 years she served as a librarian in both school and public library positions.
Rebecca Haarer, raised in a Mennonite family in the Shipshewana area has been collecting the old Amish and Mennonite quilts from local families and farm auctions since the mid 1970s. Her quilts can be seen in The World of Amish Quilts (Pellman and Pellman) and have been shown in numerous museum exhibitions. "These quilts are saved and displayed to show the continuity of an art form that continues to flourish so beautifully in our community today." She is owner of Rebecca Haarer Arts and Antiques of Shipshewana, specializing in American vintage "quilts and pieces" as well as contemporary traditional Amish textiles and handicrafts.
For more than 20 years, as a quilter and several years as a shop owner, Ohio-based Penny Haren has been developing and teaching techniques that make it quick, easy and fun for quilters —even beginners—to create intricate blocks with stunning results. Her technique, Pieced Appliqué™, eliminates inset points and curves from even the most complicated blocks. Quilts and blocks that you might never have considered are now not only possible but a breeze.
Having both lived in the middle of the State of Illinois all our lives; it was inevitable that our love of textile art would bring us together. Combined we have many years of experience working in the varied areas of textile design. It has been a consuming hobby and a side job for both of us, working well into our busy lives of being wives and mothers.
Inspired at an early age, first by, her Grandmother who could make and remake something from nothing mostly out of necessity and then by a pretty Home Ec. teacher, Miss Taylor, who made it cool to sew. At 16 her Grandma bought her her first sewing machine that can today boast "over 1 million yards sewn"! Starting her career cutting fabric at a local fabric store, this was pre-rotary cutting days, she must have impressed the bosses with her straight cutting capabilities because she was soon promoted to management. Amy has also worked as a buyer of fabrics and notions and has lead a marketing team. Most recently she has been working for Moda / United Notions traveling around the country working with the Sales Staff and on special projects.
Nan has been sewing since the age of 8 years. For the past thirty years she has been a sewing educator and designer of patterns having taught for one of the major sewing machine companies. Nan has a Master’s Degree in Nursing and after working for over twenty five years as a full time nurse, she started working part time to have more time for hobbies and sewing.
She has traveled extensively teaching and inspiring those participating in classes to create the fabric of their lives while having a little fun and a few laughs as well. For more than ten year’s Nan has utilized several quilting techniques along with couture techniques in garment sewing to create one of a kind wearable art pieces in her patterns.
Following retirement, Nan hopes to increase her traveling, teaching and inspiring others to sew and quilt and be available to participate in shows from Maine to Florida.