Experts
Shannon Acheson
Shannon Acheson is the writer, photographer and designer behind the popular home decor blog Home Made Lovely. Through Home Made Lovely, she has realized her dream of decorating her home for a living, as well as creating all day long! Shannon's favorite things to create are budget-friendly decor pieces that look more expensive than they are.
Shannon always wanted to be an interior designer. But when a high school guidance counselor told her there were no jobs in that field, she pursued graphic design instead. Years later, after moving to the suburbs with her husband and three homeschooled kids, Shannon discovered home decor and DIY blogs. She decided to start her own blog, to chronicle the adventures of fixing up a run-down, war-era bungalow she and her family were living in at the time. Four houses and many years later, Shannon can't imagine doing anything else!
Shannon has a book coming out in the fall of 2020 that's full of ideas for exactly how to make your home more lovely. You can see more of Shannon's decorating ideas, crafts, DIY projects and recipes at www.homemadelovely.com.
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Rachel Alford
Rachel is the designer, blogger and crochet teacher behind the Cozy Nooks Designs blog. She loves to design home décor crochet patterns. Her favorite crochet projects are Christmas tree skirts because they are what initially propelled her designing career. A true creator at heart, she always has numerous crochet designs and home renovation projects in the works, and she loves to find ways to merge those two hobbies. Follow along with her on Instagram and check out her designs at www.cozynooksdesigns.com.
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Lindsey Altman
Lindsey Altman is the macramé artist behind her creative business, Tied & True Goods. Lindsey's favorite projects are macramé pieces that integrate the driftwood that she forages from beaches near her home along the central coast of California.
She first learned to make macramé in early 2017 through a combination of online tutorial videos, plus a little trial and error. She was captivated by the fact that all you need is some rope, a piece of wood and your own two hands to make something so beautiful.
You can see more of her work at www.tiedandtruegoods.com.
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Debra Arch
Debra Arch has published hundreds of crochet, knitting, hand-applique, machine sewing, quilting and needlepoint on plastic canvas designs in various publications over the past 15 years. She has authored 10 pattern books for Annie's, she crochets and knits designs for Annie's Hook and Needle Club, and she is a frequent contributor to Crochet World magazines. Debra has a talent for developing new tips and tricks, which she shares with her students to simplify techniques, making their crafting experiences easier and more fun!
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Kate Atherley
Kate is a professional technical editor and a seasoned designer and teacher. Her first book, Beyond Knit & Purl, has been praised as the 21st century "Knitting for Anarchists" book, and her second book, Knit Accessories: Essentials & Variations, was published in late 2012 to great acclaim. Kate regularly teaches at stores and events across North America, including Vogue Knitting Live and Interweave Knitting Lab. Her work has appeared in Creative Knitting magazine, Knitty, Interweave's Sockupied, the U.K. magazine Let's Knit and a wide range of books.
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Linda Augsburg
Surrounded by fabric and farmland, Linda Augsburg loves playing with patterns and prints, and she dreams of a day when she can finish a sewing project at the same moment that the bobbin empties.
Most of Linda's adult life has been spent behind the editorial desk at various quilting and craft publications. While she learned to sew as a 4-H'er, she traded garment sewing for quilting when she landed a job in the editorial department of a needlework magazine after college.
Linda's favorite part of the creative process might be choosing the fabrics for her latest quilt project, but designing quilts and other projects runs a close second. She's slowly making friends with her longarm quilting machine (yet unnamed) and has a small collection of the Fisher Price Little People sewing machines. She has a passion for all types of creative endeavors: quilting, embroidery, jewelry making, papercrafts, home decorating and whatever else catches her eye.
Video is her favorite medium with which to share new skills, and she's working on building a website of her own. If you want to get a sneak preview, visit her on Instagram (@cutsewquiltrepeat) or Facebook (Cut, Sew, Quilt, Repeat.).
Most of Linda's adult life has been spent behind the editorial desk at various quilting and craft publications. While she learned to sew as a 4-H'er, she traded garment sewing for quilting when she landed a job in the editorial department of a needlework magazine after college.
Linda's favorite part of the creative process might be choosing the fabrics for her latest quilt project, but designing quilts and other projects runs a close second. She's slowly making friends with her longarm quilting machine (yet unnamed) and has a small collection of the Fisher Price Little People sewing machines. She has a passion for all types of creative endeavors: quilting, embroidery, jewelry making, papercrafts, home decorating and whatever else catches her eye.
Video is her favorite medium with which to share new skills, and she's working on building a website of her own. If you want to get a sneak preview, visit her on Instagram (@cutsewquiltrepeat) or Facebook (Cut, Sew, Quilt, Repeat.).
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Kelsey Baird
Kelsey Baird is the editorial assistant for Country Sampler’s special home decorating publications. Inspired by the creativity and talent of the Country Sampler team and other crafters at Annie’s, Kelsey enjoys repurposing and creating unique home decor pieces. She has also recently taken up gardening and is excited to get creative with her small space!
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Janette Baker
Always partial to the delicate beauty of tatting, Janette has a passion for sharing her love of tatting with others. Her desire is to elevate tatting to the true art form she believes it deserves. From her own experience of learning to tat, she realized the need for clear, precise instructions. In addition to having taught hundreds of private students, she has also taught classes at her local college, quilting shop and Michael's Arts & Crafts store.
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Marci Baker
Recognized internationally for her expertise in quilting, Marci enjoys sharing ideas that simplify the quilting process. She began teaching quilting in 1989 for her local quilting guild and shops. Marci has invented several tools to help make quilting easier for all. She spends much of the year traveling and teaching classes for quilting guilds and trade shows. She has been featured in Redbook, on HGTV's Simply Quilts, Quilters News Network, NBC's The Jane Pauley Show and has been published in American Quilter Magazine and Traditional Quiltworks. See more of her work at www.quiltwithmarcibaker.com
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Brett Bara
Brett Bara is the founder of Brooklyn Craft Company. She designs, writes, sews, bakes, decorates and has experience as a television personality.
She hosted seasons 1 through 6 of the Emmy-nominated television series Knit and Crochet Now!
She hosted seasons 1 through 6 of the Emmy-nominated television series Knit and Crochet Now!
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Alli Bartkowski
Alli discovered quilling when she saw a co-worker's beautifully quilled wedding invitation in a frame. She taught herself how to quill and even cut her own strips of paper. When she became a stay-at-home mom in 2002, she and her husband turned her unique quilled designs into an online business, Quilled Creations www.quilledcreations.com. Quilled Creations has become the world's leading supplier of paper quilling products. Alli has been published in many magazines and is the author of numerous quilling books including Paper Quilling Kit for Dummies (2009), Quilled Flowers: A Garden of 35 Paper Projects (2012) and Quilled Jewelry (2013).
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Molly Beals
Molly Beals is an advertising account manager at Annie's Publishing. She manages print and digital media marketing opportunities.
Her love of handcrafting started at the young age of six when her aunt taught her how to embroider, knit and crochet. Later in life she picked it back up when she had two children. Inspired to make items for her kids, family and friends, she picked up the needle and thread again and hasn't looked back! Creating heirlooms and preserving memories for others has become a passion, and she loves to share her journey!
Her love of handcrafting started at the young age of six when her aunt taught her how to embroider, knit and crochet. Later in life she picked it back up when she had two children. Inspired to make items for her kids, family and friends, she picked up the needle and thread again and hasn't looked back! Creating heirlooms and preserving memories for others has become a passion, and she loves to share her journey!
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Peggy Benjamin
Peggy Benjamin was a hobby quilter at one time with a career in corporate marketing and brand management. Today she owns and operates a small quilting supplies online shop.
Peggy and fiance Rex Moreland created the Easy Binding Winder to meet Peggy's need for better binding management. Peggy understood the problem and Rex designed the prototype. When her quilting friends saw the winder, they wanted one too, and that's the beginning of the story of the Easy Binding Winder.
Peggy and fiance Rex Moreland created the Easy Binding Winder to meet Peggy's need for better binding management. Peggy understood the problem and Rex designed the prototype. When her quilting friends saw the winder, they wanted one too, and that's the beginning of the story of the Easy Binding Winder.
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Marly Bird
Marly Bird is the national spokesperson for Red Heart Yarns and a published crochet and knitting designer. She is also an author, teacher, podcaster and blogger. Throughout the year, Marly travels the country teaching at national craft consumer shows and shares the love of Red Heart (including her new line called Chic Sheep by Marly Bird™) with her followers.
Marly's grandmother taught her to crochet in 1999, and a close friend taught her to knit in 2004. Marly found her calling in the yarn industry and had her first designs published in fall 2008, and she has not looked back.
You can find many of Marly's designs at www.redheart.com and follow her video tutorials on her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/marlybird.
Marly's grandmother taught her to crochet in 1999, and a close friend taught her to knit in 2004. Marly found her calling in the yarn industry and had her first designs published in fall 2008, and she has not looked back.
You can find many of Marly's designs at www.redheart.com and follow her video tutorials on her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/marlybird.
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Palmer Bixler
Plamer's crafting journey began with an origami kit in elementary school that her big sister had trouble understanding. From there, Palmer developed a love for macrame bracelets and tie dye, enjoying the precision needed for good results. As soon as she bought her first sewing machine, she discovered the boundless world of quilting. Palmer is passionate about quilting for others and designing fun quilts that any confident beginner could tackle.
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Nancy Borsodi
Nancy Borsodi is a designer and photo stylist for Country Sampler's special home decorating publications. Nancy loves to create home decorating projects and ideas for others to incorporate into their own homes. Whether it's repurposing a piece to give it new life or creating a project from scratch, Nancy designs each idea with today's trends in mind. As a photo stylist, Nancy strives to bring those projects and ideas to life through inspiring images and room scenes.
Nancy has worked with the Country Sampler magazine for more than 18 years on various publications, both for consumer and trade, putting her skills to use creating DIY home decor and craft projects, incorporating inspiring home decorating ideas into various rooms, and fashioning unique retail props and visual displays. Nancy spent more than 16 years in visual display and design, merchandising and management in several retail environments. Her background in retail and visual merchandising as well as her current work in design and photo styling helps fuel her passion for creating and presenting unique and trend-inspired home decor.
Nancy has worked with the Country Sampler magazine for more than 18 years on various publications, both for consumer and trade, putting her skills to use creating DIY home decor and craft projects, incorporating inspiring home decorating ideas into various rooms, and fashioning unique retail props and visual displays. Nancy spent more than 16 years in visual display and design, merchandising and management in several retail environments. Her background in retail and visual merchandising as well as her current work in design and photo styling helps fuel her passion for creating and presenting unique and trend-inspired home decor.
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Debby Brown
Debby Brown's website summary describes her as a "designer and quilt enabler." Debby has been a Handi Quilter educator since 2005 and has inspired quilters all around the globe. In addition to teaching at retail shop events and guilds, Debby teaches at major quilt shows nationally and internationally, including International Quilt Festival (Houston), Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC), International Quilt Show Dubai, and American Quilters Society (Lancaster, Phoenix). She recently filmed a series of DVDs about sit-down machine quilting featuring the HQ Sweet Sixteen®.
Since Debby began quilting in 1986, she has completed several thousand quilts for herself and others. When not busy teaching, she is constantly creating in her studio in upstate New York. She and her husband were just promoted to "grandma and grandpa" and are very enthusiastic about their new roles!
Find out more about Debby at www.debbybrownquilts.com
Since Debby began quilting in 1986, she has completed several thousand quilts for herself and others. When not busy teaching, she is constantly creating in her studio in upstate New York. She and her husband were just promoted to "grandma and grandpa" and are very enthusiastic about their new roles!
Find out more about Debby at www.debbybrownquilts.com
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Nancy Burke
Nancy believes that anyone can learn to be a creative hand-lettering artist by following a few simple steps and with a little bit of practice. Nancy is a co-author of CardMaker's Hand-Lettering Workbook, published by Annie's. She has also served on many paper-craft product manufacturer design teams and has traveled around the United States teaching her love of all things crafty to students at craft conventions, retail stores and retreats.
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Norrine Burke
Norrine Burke is the owner of Call Clutter Fairy home organizing in California. She also runs the YouTube channel, The Crafty Organizer, where she shares her passion for all things Organizing, Decluttering, Upcycling, and Crafting!
One of the first DIY craft projects Norrine made was a telephone from dixie cups, toilet paper tubes, and a tissue box…. She was 7! This type of creativity has led to many DIY projects throughout her life. She spends off work time enjoying her favorite role as Mom to her two high-school-aged children, and two fur babies. She is so excited to share her passion and knowledge with the Uncluttered Crafter!
One of the first DIY craft projects Norrine made was a telephone from dixie cups, toilet paper tubes, and a tissue box…. She was 7! This type of creativity has led to many DIY projects throughout her life. She spends off work time enjoying her favorite role as Mom to her two high-school-aged children, and two fur babies. She is so excited to share her passion and knowledge with the Uncluttered Crafter!
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Deborah Cacciamani
By the time that Debbie graduated from college, she had already become an expert craftswoman. She used her paycheck from her first job to buy a brand-new sewing machine. A few years later, she bought a quilt shop and became a local teacher. Her quilting and sewing teaching talent was recognized by Bernina, and she was subsequently hired to teach the teachers and train local store owners and staff how to use all Bernina machines. As a Bernina representative, Debbie demonstrates how to sew, serge, quilt and embroider, and she inspires her students to try their hand at innovative techniques.
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