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Michelle Yeo
Michelle Yeo was born in the leafy eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, where she still lives with her husband in the family home where they raised their 4 children. From a young age Michelle was interested in sewing and crafts, but it wasn’t until 1984 that she made her first quilt after her then fiancéé, now husband, told her that he hated doonas (duvets) and wanted sheets, blankets, and a patchwork quilt. He now regrets he spoke those words as he never dreamed what a monster that comment would create.
Michelle has been designing quilts and teaching for over 20 years and began running her own business, Michelle Yeo Quilt Designs, in 2006. In early 2017 she stopped working part time as an Occupational Therapist to concentrate full time on her quilt and fabric designing business, as well as pursuing her passion for teaching. She is an enthusiastic quilt designer & teacher & teaches in her home in Blackburn, throughout Australia and internationally, having taught in Europe – Belgium, France, Netherlands & Germany, Norway, England and the USA.
Inspired by antique quilts and the challenge of design, Michelle uses reproduction fabrics to achieve a timeless appeal. But she is a contemporary artist who takes advantage of the increased speed and accuracy that is possible using modern tools and piecing techniques such as freezer paper foundation piecing, while also loving the more traditional techniques including hand & machine piecing, appliqué & Broderie Perse. Michelle’s designs look beautiful in all genres of fabrics and she encourages her students to follow their preferred love of fabrics whether that is reproduction, more modern or another style. Michelle has a range of acrylic templates for ease and accuracy of cutting and piecing which accompany a number of her designs.
Many of Michelle’s quilt patterns have been printed in Australian and international quilt magazines and in 2014 her book, ‘Of Needle, Thimble & Thread', was published by Quiltmania. Some of the quilts from her book were exhibited in a special exhibit, ‘Best of Australian Quilting’, at the International Quilt Festival in Houston where she also presented a lecture with two fellow Aussie quilters and did a demonstration on Broderie Perse. In 2017 she was featured in Quiltmania magazine as the designer of their annual Mystery Block of the Month Quilt which featured her first fabric collection, ‘Torrington Place’.
Michelle has been designing fabrics since 2015 and her lines are influenced by fabrics from her collection of antique quilts and textiles from the 18th and 19th century. She is currently awaiting the release of her eighth fabric collection, ‘Bucklebury Chintz’, with Henry Glass & Co. Michelle’s Wonderfil Designer Thread Collection will perfectly match this collection as well as fabrics from her other recently released lines. Michelle feels privileged and is extremely excited to have the opportunity to design fabrics which are inspired by her love of antique quilts and the fabrics within them. Her ninth and tenth fabric lines are designed and ready for future release.
Website: www.michelleyeoquiltdesigns.com
Email: michelle@michelleyeoquiltdesigns.com
Dena Rosenberg
Dena has over 20 years of teaching experience. A precision piecer and Marti Michell Grand Ruler, Dena is also an avid appliquer. Applique Away on Galveston Bay, The Houston Quilt Festival and various quilt shops and guilds fill her resume. Her applique roots are grounded in Baltimore Album, however, her love is broderie perse having been a student and friend of Cynthia Collier’s since she moved from Georgia to Texas. Dena looks at quilting as a journey that leads you from one technique to another.
Born in West Virginia, Dena’s grandmother was a quilter making quilts more for necessity to keep a large family warm, than for beauty. Although Dena never witnessed her grandmother quilt, she owns several quilts she created and her prized procession is one that was made just for her.
Dena met her husband David commuting into New York City from New Jersey on a bus to work. They have been married over 37 years and have a son and daughter. Two grandsons fill their lives with joy and they love spending as much time with them as possible.
Teaching is Dena’s passion and she loves passing her love for quilting on to others while having fun doing it. Helping her students on their own quilting journey is something Dena feels privileged to do.
Website: ​https://www.denarosenberg.com/
Teri Young, Kara Mason
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​Teri Young and Kara Mason have been stitching partners for more than 25 years and have been in business together for over nine years. Kara and Teri began teaching at local quilt shops in 2014, focusing on appliqué, embroidery, and ribbon work. They feel honored to have had their original Baltimore Album-style quilt, A Fairy Tale Album, hanging in exhibits in Houston, Chicago, England, and Virginia. They have lectured and taught at guilds across the country and internationally, and have taught a series of workshops for the Baltimore Appliqué Society as well as at their local quilt shops. For the past eight years, they have been teaching at the Academy of Appliqué in Williamsburg, Virginia, and have taught several years at Baltimore on the Prairie. Their quilt designs include In the Garden, Lovely Botanicals, Woodland Reverie, Baltimore Fraktur, Village Wanderings, Flora and Fauna, and Love’s Journey, which was exhibited in Nantes, France. Their appliqué designs, whether in wool or cotton, are always brought to life with embellishment of some sort—ribbon, roving, or any fiber that will fit in their needles. Wanting every student to experience success, their teaching style is an encouraging “don’t panic, it’s organic” approach that focuses on enjoying the process while learning new skills. This stitching partnership is now living back on the same side of the pond, but their designs have been greatly influenced by their international travels. Stories and tutorials of their needle adventures are chronicled on their blog, Telling Stories Through the Needle's Eye.
Website: www.needleseyestories.com
Blog: www.needleseyestories.blogspot.com
Audra Rasnake
