Woodinville, WA • www.flyinggoatstudio.com
Chardel Blaine is an award-winning quilter, beader and metalsmith whose work has been juried into numerous Pacific Northwest events. Nationally, her work has been juried and displayed at the Nassau County Museum of Art Craft and Fine Arts Fair (Roslyn Harbor NY), produced by the American Concern for Art and Craftsmanship; Uncommon Threads Art-to-Wear Show, Fine Line Creative Arts Center (St. Charles, IL); and in “Multiplicities: New Directions in Fiber”, IMAGO Foundation for the Arts, IMAGO Gallery (Warren, RI).

Blessed with parents who valued creative and independent thinking, there was always some sort of creative experience around the house. Most were done at the kitchen table or in the basement workshop with supplies that Mom and Dad brought in with care and sacrifice. Chardel’s mother and grandmother taught her to sew, and her father taught her to saw a shape and pound a nail. Her favorite projects involved designing components that fit, then measuring twice and cutting once to ensure that they did. She has learned how color, texture and unique materials embrace the “what-ifs” and happy accidents that occur when one has backed into an artistic corner and must find a creative means of escape. Chardel managed and taught at a local quilt shop and bead store for 15 years, exposing her to the latest techniques and materials and feeding the creative beast. Fiber art and jewelry, often combining the two, became Flying Goat Studio where she shares her work. And as editor of Create Whimsy, she shares the stories of renowned artists and makers who inspire creatives to get their hands busy every day. Needle and thread consistently bring her joy. She still gets a rush when she turns on a power tool – and that includes a sewing machine!

Seaside, CA • www.indigobluequilts.com
Quilting is in Jeanette’s DNA. Both her grandmother and mother were hand quilters. Jeanette still has a nine-patch quilt made by her grandmother that was given to her as the oldest grandchild. She cut pieces for her mother using scissors, which we all know was not fun. Fast forward to 2003 when she took a class and discovered the rotary cutter. In 2006, she discovered paper piecing.Jeanette loves the sharp points and precision of paper piecing and is CDO (OCD with the letters in the proper order, as they should be) about pieces lining up, so paper piecing had immediate appeal.

After retiring from a career in Human resources in 2013, Jeanette began teaching Judy Niemeyer’s patterns at a local quilt shop. Her passion is showing beginning students how easy Judy’s patterns are to read, how organized the patterns are, and how simple to finish if the steps are followed. Her biggest reward is the satisfaction of seeing amazing works of art from beginning students who said, “I could never do that” Jeanette’s second passion is travel. She has combined her love of quilting with her love of travel, and attends quilt festivals, shows and retreats around the country and around the world. Jeanette holds officer positions in several guilds. Her goal in life is to reduce the abundance of UFO’s multiplying in her studio.

Albuquerque, NM • www.gailgarber.com
Bold, colorful, and stunning geometric designs with flying geese galore – that’s how you know you’re looking at one of Gail’s quilts! Her style has become immediately recognizable because of her talent for combining vivid colors with intricate piecework. Her geometric star quilts and pictorial quilts have won awards at shows throughout the U.S. and have been featured in publications worldwide. Students love her ability to make these designs achievable even for novice quilt designers.

Today, Gail lectures and conducts workshops to quilters throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her classes for novices include instruction in color and composition, introduction to freezer paper foundation piecing, and drafting, drawing and design. For the experienced quilter, Gail’s classes in design are popular wherever she travels. She also leads tours for quilters and birdwatchers to exciting “off-the-beaten-path” locations.