About our Contributors

Meet the contributors whose fabulous projects have appeared in Sew iT All issues!

Amy Adams: My mum has sewn her whole life and taught me when I was young. I later went on to study weaving and embroidery, and I've been sewing ever since. lucykatecrafts.blogspot.com. Volume 1 project: "On a Roll"-page 40.

Jennie Baer: My mom taught me how to sew when I was about 12 years old. I used to make clothes for myself, but now I prefer to sew home-dec items because they're always a perfect fit. homeberries.com. Volume 1 project: "Set the Table"-page 54.

Sue Barnabee has been designing and writing for Sew News magazine for 30 years. She presents programs for the American Sewing Guild on a wide variety of sewing topics. Volume 3 project: "Fit to be Tied"—page 108.

Lucy Blaire owns Lucy Blaire handmade for which she stitches her own designs. In addition to running her shop, she writes for magazines and books. She lives in Catskill, NY, with her husband. Check out her designs at lucyblairehandmade.com. Volume 3 projects: "Jewel Tones"—page 36 and "Scrap Happy"—page 78.

Sara Boughner has a passion for sewing that she loves sharing with others. She works as a consultant for Pfaff, hosting educational and promotional events for dealers and consumers around the country. Volume 2 projects: “Case Logic"—page 55, “Crumb Catcher”—page 72, “Cuddle Up”—page 56 & “Gardening Gal”—page 64.

Amanda Bowe is a blogger who enjoys the process of transforming her plain ranch house into a home with DIY sewing, painting and home-dec projects. Follow her progress at ourhumbleabode.wordpress.com. Volume 3 project: "Diagonal Crossing"—page 50.

Casey Buchanan, also known as jungrrl, is an administrator for the website craftster.org. She dabbles in many crafts, but she especially enjoys creating fun plush creatures. Volume 3 project: "Owl Pal"—page 116.

Crystal Butler is a freelance writer, crafter and photographer who spends her days knee-deep in bottles, diapers and glitter. Visit her at thelongestyear.typepad.com and crystalbutler.com. Volume 2 project: “Flour Power”—page 76.

Louis Carney: I began sewing when I was 12 years old. I later earned a B.A. in fashion design with a minor in interior design. Volume 1 project: "Haute Hostess"-page 50.

Janet Clare: I learned how to sew by watching and helping my mother, granny and aunts. They taught me how to make clothing for my dolls. janetclare.co.uk/. Volume 1 project: "Flower Girl"-page 65.

Andrea DeHart is a crafty mom of two living in Portland, OR. Check out more of her projects on her blog: craftybitch.com. Volume 2 projects: “Hair Flair”—page 70 & “Tissue Tamer”—page 46. Volume 3 projects: "A Touch of Lace"—page 104, "Belted Blouse"—page 92 and "Tablet Sleeve"—page 48.

Rachel Denbow: I grew up watching my mom make clothes and Halloween costumes for my brother and me. I hand stitched doll clothes in elementary school, and then I learned how to quilt in junior high. racheldenbow.blogspot.com. Volume 1 projects: "Look Who's Talking" -page 83 and "Patchwork Picnic"-page 60.

Shannon Dennis is an author, designer and dedicated omni-crafter. Follow her blog at theninaline.com. Volume 1 projects: "Fresh Produce"-page 87, "Handiwork"-page 59 and "Page Turner"-page 100. Volume 2 projects: “All Wrapped Up”—page 36, “Fresh Coat”—page 41, “In a Cinch”—page 124, “PC Protector”—page 116, “Take Your Place”—page 58 & “Wine & Dine”—page 114. Volume 3 projects: "Beat the Heat"—page 128, "Decked Out Denim"—page 46, "For the Frill of it"—page 56, "Making Waves"—page 107 and "Mug Mat"—page 44.

Dorinda Dombroski: My mom taught me the fundamentals of sewing at a young age. flowergirldesignscollection.com. Volume 1 project: "Feathered Friend"-page 101.

Alba Fekete ran her own sewing business for 16 years before becoming a machine company educator who writes for a variety of sewing magazines. Visit janome.com to see some of her projects. Volume 3 project: "All Around Ruffles"—page 68.

Nancy Fiedler: My mother introduced me to a needle and thread to make doll clothes when I was about 4 years old. She taught me how to sew, knit, embroider and craft. Volume 1 project: "Scrap Happy"-page 97.

Kathleen Frances is a stay-at-home mother of three lovely little girls. When she isn't chasing them around the house or gathering laundry she’s busy at her sewing machine and updating her blog: grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com. Volume 2 projects: “Divine A-Line”—page 60 & “Haute Hand Warmer”—page 37.

Dianne Giancola: My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was 9 years old, and I've been sewing ever since. Volume 1 project: "To Dye For"-page 94.

Tina Givens designs for a variety of media, including paper, giftware and textiles. See more of her work at tinagivens.com or in her book Sew Tina! Volume 2 projects: “Bird Watcher”—page 92 & “Smart Storage”—page 68.

Lenna Green is a well-known Australian designer whose work typically combines hand embroidery, patchwork piecing and hand appliqué. Visit her blog and online store at littlegreencottagedesigns.blogspot.com and stitchingcow.com. Volume 1 project: "Prairie Home Companions"-page 62. Volume 2 projects: “Journal Jacket”—page 50, “Patchwork Planner”—page 120 & “Pin Pillow”—page 96.

Julianne Hazelhurst is an elementary school teacher living in Colorado with her husband and two future seamstresses. Her mother taught her how to sew when she was little and she's very thankful she did. Volume 3 project: "Trendy Top"—page 96.

Debbie Homer began sewing as a child on a family farm in rural Idaho, and is now a Jenny Haskins' Product Educator for RNK Distributing. Visit rnkdistributing.com to find free sewing and embroidery projects. Volume 2 projects: “Car Carryall”—page 89 & “Fringe Benefits”—page 78.

Kristin Jankowicz: At age 3, I asked my mom to show me how to sew. She hooped a piece of fabric and threaded a needle for me and I stitched little pictures. craftside.typepad.com. Volume 1 projects: "Memory Lane"-page 102 and "You've Got Mail"-page 48.

Sharon Jankowicz: When I was about 10, my mom taught me two embroidery stitches: the chain stitch and the back stitch. In junior high school, I learned how to cut a pattern and use a sewing machine. craftside.typepad.com. Volume 1 project: "Memory Lane"-page 102.

Rebecca Kemp Brent: I earned degrees in clothing and textile design, and now I share my passion for sewing by teaching others. Volume 1 project: "Bead It"-page 47.

Kelly Laws: I learned by helping my mother and grandmother when they made clothes for my sister and me. My grandmother's natural talent for sewing inspired me to pursue a degree in clothing and textiles. Volume 1 project: "Frill Seeker"-page 86.

Linda Lee is the owner of The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection, a group of patterns for distinctive garments using innovative sewing techniques. To learn more, visit sewingworkshop.com. Volume 2 project: “Push the Envelope”—page 106.

Marian Lewis taught sewing for more than 50 years and is known for her common sense approach. Visit Marian's Web site at 1ststeptosewingsuccess.com to discover more about her fitting and sewing secrets. Volume 2 project: “Towel Tote”—page 82.

Sharon Madsen is a Midwestern gal who loves dogs, shoes and chocolate. She began sewing when she was 8 years old and hasn't stopped since. she blogs about her sewing adventures at sharonsews.blogspot.com. Volume 3 projects: "Sheer Delight"—page 102, "Summer Sundress"—page 86 and "Tulle Time"—page 62. 

Joi Mahon is a fashion designer and owner of Dress Forms Design Studio, LLC. She loves creating one-of-a-kind designs for clients all over the country. Learn more about her at dressformsdesign.com. Volume 3 project: "Bubble Skirt"—page 84.

Erin McKean is a blogger whose first novel, The Secret Lives of Dresses, was published in 2011. Visit her blog at dressaday.com. Volume 3 project: "Shirt to Skirt"—page 82.

Claire Meldrum is a regular contributor to several sewing and embroidery magazines. Learn about her sewing and smocking designs on her blog at clairemeldrum.ca. Volume 3 project: "Hit the Gym"—page 88.

Sue Morgan: Volume 1 project: "Leafy Greens"-page 76.

Debbie Mumm: I learned how to sew in home economics class in junior high. I began with simple projects, and then made an outfit that included bright pink corduroy hot pants. debbiemumm.com. Volume 1 project: "Into the Wild"-page 106.

Megan Nicolay is the author of Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt and Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, their cat and piles and piles of T-shirts. To learn more, visit generation-t.com. Volume 2 project: “Wrap Star”—page 80.

Dolin O'Shea: I grew up watching my mother sew a lot of my clothing and was always interested in what she was doing. I attended fashion design school and have been sewing for almost 20 years. lulubliss.typepad.com. Volume 1 project: "Quick Change: Skirt to Shirt"-page 66.

Meream Pacayra is a freelance writer and lives in the Philippines. When she's not beating deadlines, she blogs about sewing, thrifting and tiny apartment living at boredandcrafty.com. Volume 2 projects: “Bouquet Bag”—page 48 & “Ribbons in Bloom”—page 74.

Alicia Paulson: My mom was always sewing, so I picked it up as if learning a language; sewing was just what we spoke. aliciapaulson.com. Volume 1 project: "Hair Care"-page 72.

Linda Permann is the author of Crochet Adorned: Reinvent Your Wardrobe with Crocheted Accents, Embellishments and Trims. She’s a crafty dabbler who blogs about her work at lindamade.com. Volume 1 project: "Tee Time" -page 92. Volume 2 project: “Plush Pillow”—page 42.

Natasha Roe is pretty sure that she was born with a hot glue gun in her hand and a sewing machine at the foot of her crib. she blogs about her crafty life with her husband and three kids at 5isthemagicnumber.blogspot.com. Volume 3 project: "Season's Greetings"—page 34.

Marillee Sagat: I learned to sew by watching my mother. She hated pinning and cutting out patterns, so that was my job. I continued to learn in a junior high home economics class where I made a pair of bright red corduroy palazzo pants. Volume 1 project: "Got the Blues"-page 82.

Stacy Schlyer is a self-proclaimed fabric junkie and strives to keep her stash fully stocked. She blogs about her sewing adventures at stacysews.com. Volume 1 projects: "Grocery Getter"-page 84 and "R 'n R"-page 78. Volume 2 project: “H2O at Hand”—page 94. Volume 3 project: "Head Gear" —page 38.

Jory Snyder has a degree in Apparel Design and Manufacturing from Texas Tech University. In addition to teaching sewing classes and designing, she teaches high school special education in OK. Volume 2 project: “Portable Potluck”—page 112.

Kate Van Fleet began designing clothing at the age of 3 when her mother found her sitting underneath the sewing machine cutting a doll dress out of a sleeve. She’s the former owner of Kreations by Kate, a business supplying handmade pillows to nine stores in five states. Volume 1 project: "Bedtime Stories"-page 98, "Head Rest"-page 42 and "Square Dance"-page 80. Volume 2 projects: “Cute Cardi”—page 52, “Sitting Pretty”—page 102, “Sunny Outlook”—page 62 & “Switch It Up”—page 86. Volume 3 projects: "Daring Diamonds"—page 50, "Hip Strips"—page 50, "Plush Purse"—page 40 and "Shower Sorter"—page 120.

Katie Vardijan is a sewing machine company educator and works passionately on millinery and historical costuming. Check out her work at luludeuxmillinery.com. Volume 3 project: "Easy A-line"—page 74.

Maru Vasquez: I have an infinite love for fashion. I enjoy creating my own designs from start to finish, just as my grandmother did. I took some sewing classes, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to create things. Volume 1 project: "Do the Shuffle"-page 74.

Carol Zentgraf is a designer and editor specializing in sewing, embroidery, textiles, painting and decorating. She has written seven home-decor sewing books and designs for several magazines and fabric company websites. Volume 3 projects: "Cardi Cushion"—page 59, "Clever Container"—page 110, "Rainy Day Tote"—page 76.