AQS SEAM Hawaii

Joyce Hughes is an award-winning self-taught quilter, fiber artist, and author. Her first quilt was a tee-shirt quilt, which she enjoyed making, but felt limited in the ability to express her artistic capabilities. Within several months, she began to design pictorial landscape quilts using raw edge applique, thread painting, and a variety of embellishments. Never knowing the “rules” she broke a lot of them, but with exciting results!

Amazingly, her first art quilt, “Mother’s Day”, was entered into a national show and won a blue ribbon. This has led to numerous awards, recognitions, and opportunities in the quilting world. Several proud accomplishments for Joyce are: “McCall’s Quilt Designer – Professional Category” for McCall’s Quilting Magazine; also an endorser and sample maker for Northcott and Timeless Treasures fabrics, and Ambassador for Mettler Threads and Brother Sewing.

Joyce is an author of 2 books. Joyce’s first book, Creating Art Quilts with Panels is focused on working with Fabric Panels to create dimension and texture with threads and embellishments, creating a style of your own! Joyce’s second book, Thread Paint A Garden Quilt , focusing on raw edge applique and thread painting to add shading, highlighting, and definition.
Joyce loves to teach and share her tips. One of her greatest accomplishments is when a student creates their own artwork following Joyce’s technique of Dimensional Thread Painting!

Paducah, KY • www.sewonthego.net

Michelle Renee Hiatt is an Award-Winning Quilter, Designer, and Inspiring Instructor. Her love affair with fabric began in her earliest memories, evolving into a passion for quilting over 30 years ago. Today, she’s an award-winning quilter, designer, and national instructor, renowned for her innovative approach to piecing and infectious enthusiasm.

Michelle seamlessly blends her expertise as a certified Professional Process Expert (LSSMBB) with her quilting artistry. Her teaching philosophy empowers quilters of all skill levels to simplify their piecing process while achieving exceptional results.

Michelle’s creativity extends beyond instruction. She’s the driving force behind her popular “Sew On The Go” pattern line, featuring captivating designs showcased in international quilting magazines. She’s also a Certified Instructor for Studio 180 Design, contributing her unique voice to their Modern 180 collection.
Michelle’s passion extends beyond beautiful quilts. Twice a year, she ignites excitement with her highly anticipated online mystery quilt series, keeping quilters engaged and guessing.

In 2023, Michelle became the Executive Show Director for the American Quilter’s Society. Her infectious humor, boundless enthusiasm, and unwavering encouragement inspires quilters.

Destin, FL • www.kathyduniganappliqueacademy.com/

Kathy is a Southern Belle from Louisiana, who happens to be “blooming where she’s been planted in Destin, Florida! Never one to stray from her roots, her appliqué work blends “all things Baltimore “with the lush and rich fauna of the Deep South. Kathy began quilting in 1987, and quickly realized her applique passion, being greatly inspired by Elly Sienkiewicz and the historic Baltimore Album quilts. She fell in love with Elly’s methods and along the way, mapped out her own fun path. She never hesitates to “embellish, enliven and embolden” her appliqué. Beads, trims, ribbons and “findings” all find their way home into her work. “Anything goes, if it makes your heart beat faster!” she excitedly proclaims. Kathy has been involved since 1987 with fabrics, designing, teaching and the retail end of things. She was honored to have taught for five glorious years at The Elly Sienkiewicz Appliqué Academy and has taught internationally, spreading her applique techniques. She has also hosted her own annual teaching event called The Kathy Dunigan Academy of Applique™. Her latest joy to teach and share is her trademarked Broderie-Perse-lique’ ™. Her “no-fail” method is winning over applique enthusiasts everywhere! Kathy is a true “people person” that derives her satisfaction from teaching new to advanced students and considers every student a friend. Her classes are packed with interesting, time-tested methods with grand “shortcuts”, all while enjoying a festive atmosphere. “I love all things ‘Appliqué’ and I can’t wait to join you on your journey, as a beginning student or as an appliqué expert looking for something new.

Kathy and her husband, Matt, both Louisiana Tech Alumni, celebrate 40 years married and three beautiful children and have been blessed with three precious granddaughters and a chunky grandson.

Northwood, IA • www.QuiltingTranquility.com

Kyra received her first sewing machine, a ‘Singer’ in elementary school. She grew up making doll clothes and garments for herself. In 1995 when her first son was born, she started making Halloween costumes so her child would have to be the most creative costume and started dabbling in piecing quilt tops. She became fascinated that she could cut up perfectly good fabric, make shapes and then sew them back together to make a completely new design. She has been a right-brained person since the day she was born. If she could imagine a design, then she would figure out how to make it!

In March of 2009 Kyra’s middle son of the age of 6 was diagnosed with Leukemia. She spent many days, months, and years in the hospital with him while he was getting his chemo treatments. While in the hospital she would hand sew to keep her hands and mind busy. She discovered her love of quilting again. She started making quilts for everyone she knew. Then in 2014 she took a leap of faith, a deep breath and turned her hobby into a business and opened Quilting Tranquility. In her studio she started teaching her love of paper piecing and applique to beginner students, along with designing and piecing one-of-a-kind quilts for her clients. In 2015 she bought her first Long Arm machine. This opened a whole new world for her! She quickly discovered that by playing with thread and yarn she could bring her quilts to life with texture and dimension, the possibilities were endless!

In 2017 Kyra discovered the APLIQUICK method for needle turned applique, so she started making DOT’S…. LOT’s and LOT’s of DOT’S! She then started designing mandalas out of those dots. She now teaches her Dot mandala designs using the APLIQUICK method and also in the design process of making mandalas. Kyra also teaches Dot painting and how you can create a beautiful original mandala with DOT’s.

Kyra started competing in local quilt shows and county fairs and won Grand Champion and Best of show in every entry. So, in 2017 Kyra started competing Nationally and has been a finalist in AQS shows and MQX national shows. Her quilts have been awarded many first-place awards, Best of Show and the Grace Company Master of Traditional Artistry at the International Quilt Festival 2024. Kyra’s work has been featured on the cover of AQ quilting magazine, and her client’s quilts that she has custom quilted and brought to life with her quilting have won many blue ribbons and Best of Show.

When Kyra is not quilting, creating or Dotting, you can find her being a wife and a mother to her 5 children. Or in her gardens which span over 8 acres.

Milliken, CO • www.eobquiltdesign.com

Margaret sees quilts as transcriptions of the world around us. In her work, she is inspired by the functional elegance of Victorian architecture, from iron grates to grand facades, as well as the natural beauty of creation. In her designs, she wants to enable you to bring this beauty and elegance to your own home to create a sense of welcome and hospitality for the people you love. Margaret, the creative mind at work behind Eye of the Beholder Quilt Designs, is a national teacher and lecturer, pattern designer, and author. Margaret’s quilts are influenced by the dynamic elements of movement, color, and design that she has used for over 40 years as a choreographer of dance. She is most well-known for the innovative (and foolproof!) methods she’s devised for reverse appliqué – Trace, Baste, Snip, and Stitch, which takes the mystery (and hardship) out of reverse appliqué. In addition to her own pattern designs, she designs patterns for commercial and Indie fabric companies, and co-authored her first book in 2018: Christmas RAPPing, Christmas Quilts featuring Reverse Appliqué & Paper-Piecing (with Nan Baker). She teaches regularly at specialist appliqué retreats and festivals.