Looking to Learn from the Best?
You’re in the right place. Meet the 2023 Stitch Fest Loveland instructors!
Interested in becoming an instructor? Email us at [email protected] to join our list.
Bobbie Gentili
Toronto, ON
It took a few decades, but Bobbie Gentili finally found the right outlet for her lifelong creativity and love of mathematics when she was introduced to modern quilting. She now spends every waking moment designing quilt patterns, curating beautiful fabrics, and teaching quilters how to level up their skills so they can rock any quilt-making challenge. Bob’s patterns feature bold, geometric designs, playing with curves and long strips to give a sense of movement. She finds inspiration in science, nature, and geeky culture. Bobbie lives in Toronto, where her husband, two young children, and cats enjoy any scraps of her attention that can be stolen from quilting.
Catch up with Bobbie here:
Cathy Georgerian
Longmont, CO
Hi, I’m Cathy Georgerian. I’m no stranger to sewing. I grew up in the greater Boston area where my love for sewing began. It was there where I received a certificate and a degree in fashion design and worked in the industry. My training has taken me through areas of fashion design, garment construction, tailoring, pattern making and grading. In addition to holding a certificate and a degree in fashion design, I am a certified teacher with Sulky of America, Martha Pullen, and BurdaStyle Academy. I’m still in the BurdaStyle classes helping Meg Healy answer questions in class online. Fast forward one husband, two moves, three kids, and I’m in beautiful Colorado. With dancers and gymnasts in the family, I started sewing leotards and costumes for their dance studio. It is extremely rewarding to see your work performing on a stage. More recently, I have been teaching and developing classes for kids and beginners. The kids are fun, fearless, and cultivating their own love for sewing. I have sewn anything from blue jeans to wedding gowns and everything in between. I enjoy learning new things myself and sharing my knowledge, skills, and passion for the sewing world.
Catch up with Cathy here:
David Taylor
Fort Collins, CO
David M. Taylor is an internationally recognized appliqué and machine quilting instructor. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. He is a two-time recipient of the Master Award for Contemporary Quilting from the International Quilt Association (2006, 2014). His most recent quilt, “Welcome Home,” received the Director’s Award at Road to California in 2022, as well as the Viewers’ Choice Awards at both Houston and Paducah.
Catch up with David here:
Helen Frank
Montreal, Quebec
Helen Frank, of Helen Mends started at farmers markets in Toronto in 2018 mending textiles and making replacements for disposable items from upcycled materials. Since that time, we have kept more than 3,800 damaged items out of landfill. Using discarded materials, Helen also makes products such as makeup wipes, produce and tote bags, coffee filters, menstrual pads, panty liners, cutlery kits, breast-feeding pads, hankies, and seasonal items. Helen is now living in Montreal. She does local mending and sells her products at stores in Toronto and online.
Catch up with Helen here:
Kate Colleran
Centennial, CO
Kate Colleran is a fabric and quilt pattern designer. She has been teaching and designing quilts for over 19 years. Her quilt patterns are known for their complete, easy-to-follow instructions with an eclectic design style, inspired by traditional elements and put together with a modern twist. She has a blog on her website with many great posts with tips about making quilts. Her goal is simple: to help you make a quilt.
She has had quilts in many quilt magazines and has online classes on both Craftsy and Quilting Daily. She has taught at quilt shops, for guilds and at national quilt shows; is the designer of the popular Braid and Mini Braid Templates; and is co-author of the book “Smash Your Precut Stash.” Her first digital fabric line, Blooming, came out in last August with Suite B Fabrics of Island Batik, and her first batik line, Paisley Got Mod, with Island Batik, shipped last fall. Her next batik line, Sea Cookies, is due in shops this spring.
Catch up with Kate here:
Kimberly Payne
Vancouver Island, BC
Kimberly Payne is a Vancouver Island, British Columbia-based pattern designer, teacher, and maker at Straight Stitch Designs. She learned to sew in high school, but it wasn’t until she was a mom of two young kids that she decided to teach herself how to draft sewing patterns. Both in teaching and through her patterns, Kimberly tries to show that anyone can make their own garments—you just have to start. When she isn’t sewing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids on the beautiful island they call home.
Catch up with Kimberly here:
Lea McComas
Golden, CO
Lea McComas began sewing at age 6 and quilting at 15. She studied carpet weaving in Turkey and fabric dying in Japan. Her realistic pictorial quilts have been featured in numerous publications and exhibited in galleries, as well as juried shows nationally and internationally. She is an award-winning artist, author, and teacher.
Catch up with Lea here:
Margarita Korioth
Collierville, TN
Margarita Korioth is a fiber and mixed-media artist, surface designer, teacher, and lecturer. Margarita Korioth is a frequent contributor to Quilting Arts Magazine and has appeared on Quilting Arts TV. She is known for combining recycled paper and cloth, although she has developed diverse mixed-media techniques applied to quilting. These include the use of paints, dyes, and paper intermixed with hand or machine stitching. Her creative and innovative artwork has been published in numerous articles. Her work has also been displayed at major international quilting shows and has earned her several awards.
Catch up with Margarita here:
Sadie Metter
Lakewood, CO
Sadie is a sewist, crafter, and artist, born and raised in colorful Colorado. Her grandmother and mother taught her how to sew at a young age and she has been creating ever since. She takes inspiration from high-end fashion designers, street fashion, indie pattern designers, textiles from around the world, travel, and nature. Sadie is passionate about sustainable sewing practices and earth-friendly materials. She enjoys up-cycling, refashioning, and making jewelry. Sadie is excited to spread the love of sewing far and wide as Content Creator for Sew Daily.
When not sewing, Sadie enjoys decorating her mid-mod home, print-making, thrifting, refinishing old furniture, watering her house plants, spending time with family, and wearing big earrings. You can follow the creative projects on Sadie’s sewing table on Instagram at @sadiefoxstudio.
Catch up with Sadie here: