Quilting Instructors
You have an outstanding opportunity to spend 7 days with four extraordinary teachers aboard Holland America Line’s ms Eurodam. This fantastic group was chosen because they are all exceptional instructors who are friendly, fun-loving and warm. All are internationally known for the books they have published and their exceptional teaching skills.
Gyleen X. Fitzgerald
Instructor: Tropical Quilting Retreat at Sea
Baltimore, MD • www.colourfulstitches.com
Gyleen was born in Philadelphia, PA but grew up in Taiwan and Japan. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering at Drexel University and opened Colourful Stitches in 1999. Those formative years in the Far East developed her love for simplistic artistry. She began needlework at the very young age of four and has since pursued artistic expression in drawing and quilt making. Her quilts blend colour, pattern and texture to provide a contemporary essence to traditional quilting. Her strength as a quilter is demonstrated by the infusion of engineering tools and techniques to simplify visually complex quilts. Her written works center around Haiku poetry, Quilt project books, patterns and magazine articles and of course the crème de la crème, children’s books. As an artist, she has achieved “Best of Show” recognition; as a writer and publisher, she has achieved award winning status with Quilts: Unfinished Stories with New Endings. Gyleen has appeared on The Quilt Show and Lifetime TV promoting finishing antique quilts and the new spirit of traditional quilting. For Gyleen, quilting is the passion which colours her world as her writing journey continues.
Geraldine Wilkins
Instructor: Tropical Quilting Retreat at Sea
Fredericksburg, VA • courses.livingwaterquilter.com
Geraldine is a native New Yorker with a love of travel, elephants, crafting and sewing. She has a passion for connecting with women through sewing and quilting. She enjoys helping fellow makers through inspirational lectures, practical workshops at quilt retreats and national quilt shows like Quilt Con and the American Quilters Society. She shares her experience and expertise in free motion and ruler quilting enabling quilters to become confident and creative quilters.
Latifah Saafir
Instructor: Tropical Quilting Retreat at Sea
Los Angeles, CA • shop.latifahsaafirstudios.com
Latifah Saafir is a Professional Seam Ripper and Hoarder of Fabric. She tries to justify her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree by designing cool multi-functional tools for quilters to use. She loves to challenge quilters to try hard things and make it a bit easier by developing easy to follow techniques for such skills as curved piecing, bias tape applique and half rectangle triangles. Having learned how to sew as a kid Latifah tries to influence kids to also fall in love with sewing through her line of products Quilt Cadets, specifically designed for kids who sew. Her secret wish is to fill the world with quilt-y friends which is why she selfishly co-founded the Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild and the worldwide Modern Quilt Guild. Her biggest love is to teach but most days she can be found sitting in front of her computer feverishly trying to break the code to create a pattern that goes viral.