Janet Bednarczyk

Janet is inspired by LINE, LAYER and LIVING forms. She has been quilting since the early 1970s and chose this medium because she loves mixing media, fabric and paper using stitch to join and elevate the work. Working in her studio, manipulating fabric is a calming mantra for her. Janet strives to involve viewers to enter her quilts and experience the layers in order to find their own calm space within. She uses primarily fabrics she has created herself from white cloth and recycled linens. Janet prefers curved piecing rather than straight lines. Website: janbednarczyk.com. FaceBook page: greenfiredesigns.com

Emilie Marie Belak

Emilie always has had creative hobbies and interests; the enduring one is quilting. She has taken many courses with gifted quilt artists and has learned something from each of them. Other artists’ work, nature, flowers, color, photographs, and fabric are her inspiration. She uses a variety of methods and materials to express her ideas.

Yvonne Bilan-Wallace

Yvonne Bilan-Wallace’s physical surroundings, experiences or environmental concerns
are themes that drive her passion to create. Often, she uses a mixed media approach - paint, textile and fibre to bring her story alive. The journey and adventures along the way to the destination, is a big part of why she loves to create fibre art.

Joyce Brown

Joyce Brown is a fibre artist with a passion for fabric and everything fibre. Travel has enabled her to integrate the culture and heritage of different nationalities into her work. Dung beetles from Africa, the colours of the Indian Ocean and sailing ships provided Joyce with a plethora of ideas when creating her work. The wonder of colours, textures, and designs in the landscapes and art of the world truly motivates Joyce.

Anette Cameron

Anette Cameron started her artistic career and exploration of the fibre arts two and a half years ago. She grew up in Denmark, where needlework was an inescapable part of the culture. Furthermore, mandatory school curriculum and countless hours at home, taught her traditional techniques. During the past 30+ years she has worked in museums in Alberta and on contracts conserving textiles. During her employment at Western Canada’s largest museum, she worked with collections of remarkable historic textiles and loads of cultural artifacts expanding her scope of Canadian history, pioneer textiles, and art. Her work experience and training have inspired her to create her canvas for new uncultivated ideas: an artistic evolution within the Fibre Arts.

Laine Canivet

Laine’s fabric art blends photography and fabric into a unique and different view of the world. In school, she always got high marks in art but only recently dedicated a part of every day to explore this talent. Constantly photographing and playing with fabric and other unusual embellishments have become a way of life. The most fun is interpreting her own travel and nature photographs in fabric then adding colour and texture using paint, thread, beads, buttons and more until it seems done.

Yvonne Carlson

Yvonne has started to focus on Fibre Art in the past few years. It has inspired Yvonne to combine the creative skills she has learned over the years. She has tried all of the craft related skills and now hopes to combine these artistic talents in her fibre art. Yvonne’s work is typically a combination of machine and hand stitching, old and new techniques, modern and traditional.

Jan Clark

Jan is a fibre artist currently living in Abbotsford, B.C. She has been quilting for many years but got really excited about it when she discovered art quilting in 2012. She has lived in B.C. for most of her life and never gets tired of walking the forests and beaches. Her work is almost entirely nature oriented. Jan enjoys using fabric and found objects (driftwood, shells, feathers) as her medium.

Michele Craigen

Michele is a retired elementary school teacher. Her interest in and experience with sewing, knitting and weaving goes back four decades. An interest in making quilts is more recent, starting with following a pattern; eventually moving in a direction towards designing her own quilts using traditional blocks. She also enjoys creating landscape fibre art pieces using a variety of techniques and materials. Michele lives and creates in Weyburn, Sask.

Margie Davidson

Margie Davidson is a quilt artist and surface designer. Her love of colour is joyfully expressed through the fabrics she creates. She enjoys using paints, natural dyes and block printing and takes great pleasure incorporating the cloth of her own hand into her art quilts. Margie received the CQA/ACC Teacher of the Year award in 2013. Her award winning quilts have been exhibited in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States.

Donna-Fay Dignance

Donna-Fay Digance uses the dyeing and painting of silk and cotton, as a starting point to create colour, texture and patterns. Concentrating on creating imagery, Donna uses appliqué, free-motion stitching and painting to capture dream-like images as a reflection of her west coast environment. Donna works full-time as a professional fibre artist in her Saturna Island studio.

Christine Earl

Christine Earl is a fibre artist living in Ladysmith, British Columbia. She uses fabric collage, thread painting, and quilting to depict her subject matter in bright, cheerful colours. Christine is inspired by the beauty of the natural world and the nostalgia of old photographs. She is a regular contributor to the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery member exhibits. Her quilt “Selfie, 1952” won the Interpretation of Theme Award in Threadworks 2016 juried exhibit, Flashback.

Elaine Filyk

Elaine is a graduate Interior Designer. Art is her passion and textiles her medium. Her works are a reflection of her study of art, architecture, colour and texture. She is continually learning, experimenting and perfecting new techniques. Her creations are an amalgam of living in the tree-lined streets of Winnipeg, Whiteshell Provincial Park, and the Arizona Desert as well as the experiences of world travel.

Eileen Findlay

Eileen has been working with fabric since her teenage years, at which time she designed and sewed her wardrobe. She later taught Home Economics in NS and BC. She has explored many fibre art techniques and has taken numerous courses from several interesting and motivating teachers. Now retired, Eileen’s creativity is nurtured by her association with talented fibre artists who inspire her to expand her horizons.

Dianne Firth

Dianne Firth is a self-taught fibre artist and accomplished quilter. She enjoys using a variety of surface design techniques in her works, with a keen interest in up cycling found objects. Dianne has a strong passion for felting as she creates and teaches different methods of working with wool. Along with dyeing of various material and fibers, many of her wool creations are married together with quilts of many sizes. She is an award winner with a love of creating.

Robin Fischer

Robin Fischer has a love of colour, texture and the natural world. That is what gets the creative juices flowing. Her active mind creates patterns and designs in her headlong before they are put on the cloth. Introducing hand-dyed textiles makes for a very personal expression. Using her personal colour charts she loves to experiment with different combinations to produce.

Susan (Susie) B Greenwell

Susie took her first quilting class in 2006. By the time the first class ended she was hooked. Second class introduced her to free-motion quilting. Traditional quilting soon gave way to textile arts. Most every piece of art includes fabric she has painted or dyed and free-motion quilting. Susie has won numerous awards for her sewing, including first place for wearable art at the Arizona Quilt Show.

Janet Harper

Janet came to textile art about a decade ago, but she has long been fascinated by the colour and texture of fabric, yarn and thread and amassed quite a collection over the years. From sewing clothes she graduated to making quilts and then to textile art. Her work is inspired by geometry, nature, dreams and the work of others. Her quilts usually involve solving a geometric problem, while her wall hangings are primarily free-form pieced using recycled ties, velours and silks or, in this case, miles of threads. Each piece is a learning experience.

Susan Hein

Though Shel started sewing at a young age, she did not start quilting until 2002.

Starting with traditional quilting she soon discovered the world of fabric art within the pages of

Quilting Arts magazine. Her sewing room is now a studio. Shel is hooked on creating with fabric,

constantly trying new techniques and participating in as many workshops as her work schedule

will allow. Shel resides in Gibsons with her husband and furry little boy.

Jaynie Himsl

Jaynie Himsl uses fabric and a domestic sewing machine to make pointed statements about her environment. Design classes over the last ten years along with sewing skills practised for decades provide a firm base for her creativity. Working intuitively, she uses a variety of construction techniques to complete her original art quilts.
Jaynie Himsl is an award-winning artist whose work has been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally. She resides in Weyburn, Saskatchewan.

Linda Ingham

Nature and landscapes serve as Linda Ingham’s inspiration. Hand dyed fabrics create the canvas for further exploration of subject through piecing, fusible applique, machine and hand stitch and the use of colour. Most of Linda’s works include an element of “3-D” projection from surface. Her own photographs provide support to create a simplified but stylized realism of the scene.

Margaret Jessop

Margaret Jessop, an Art Quilter for thirty years is known for her portraits, landscapes, and colours. Margaret graduated from ACAD with a degree in Fibre Arts. She has taken numerous workshops all over Canada and the United States. Margaret’s work has been juried into local, national and international shows. Recently, she was honoured as Quilter of Distinction at the Festival of Quilts in Calgary. When Margaret isn’t teaching, she is creating in her studio.

Karen Johnson

Karen Johnson has been sewing since she was six years old and has never tired of the process. She participated in a 4-H Clothing club growing up, moved on to a Home Economics degree with a major in Clothing and Textiles before teaching Home Economics. Experimentation with art quilting techniques has contributed to more abstract interpretations in her work. Daily walks as well as travel and photography shape her inspiration.

Vivian Kapusta

Vivian Kapusta has played with textiles most of her life. Educated in textile design, Vivian creates art quilts with continual change in subject and process. Ideas flow from an impression in nature to become her original designs. Fabric dying, painting, thread work and appliqué are favorite techniques. Vivian taught high school and is now retired. She has presented trunk shows and taught art quilting to guilds. Her work has won awards and has been juried into national and international exhibits. The journey continues!

Judy Leslie

Judy Leslie transforms fibre into magical landscapes and intriguing art quilts. Judy is constantly experimenting with a variety of techniques and textiles to create award winning masterpieces. During the past twelve years many of her fibre art quilts have been juried into numerous local, national and international exhibitions and featured in a selection of publications.

Linda MacKay

Linda works in many mediums and art forms and delights in eclectic experimentation. She paints and dyes her own fabrics, and loves to layer her work. Linda has numerous styles and subject matter in her portfolio which can be viewed at www.lindamackayartist.com. Her work encompasses realism, abstracts, portraits, landscapes, animals, architecture, decor, and colourful garden art. The common denominator is a passion for creativity and innovation. She has exhibited across Canada and into the US.

Karlie Norrish McChesney

Numbers, measuring, arithmetic, and formulas are the foundational tools of Karlie’s multi-media art. Right out of high school Karlie worked as a draftsperson in an architectural engineering firm before pursuing her BEd and MEd in Studio Art Practices. Retired from her 30-year teaching career she now purses the arts full-time. Karlie is fascinated by angles of perspective and structural 3D form represented in both 2D and 3D artwork. The fusion of her mathematical and creative ideas has been showcased in her work from childhood through to the present. Karlie’s studio is located in Chilliwack, BC.

Marie McEachern

Marie’s art has evolved over time, always from a love of fiber, initially with traditional quilting and now focusing on fibre art. Her primary source of inspiration for subject matter comes from her travels, near and far, and of the numerous photographs she takes. Marie is mostly self -taught. She has taken several courses in visual design. She has also benefited from numerous workshops with world-renowned teachers. Marie uses a variety of techniques in her art; machine piecing, fusible applique and free motion quilting are her favorites. She also gets great pleasure in dyeing her own fabric and yarns and using it in her art. Marie’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Marie was born in Canada and currently resides in Calgary, Alberta.

Sandra Melnik

Sandra has been sewing for as long as she can remember. She learned to sew in school. She was a young mom and sewed clothes for her kids, she even made jeans for awhile. Sandra lost the joy of sewing, needing to work and concentrate on her busy career.
She did not sew for 20 years. On one of her many moves, she met a wonderful neighbour who quilted and invited her to shop with her. Well, that did it, Sandra renewed her love of textiles. She has discovered sketching and using textiles for dimension in colour. Sandra looks forward to a new chapter of unleashing her arty soul.

Pat Moore

Pat Moore has been working with fibre since the age of 10. For many years knitting was her craft of choice. In 2006 she was introduced to the wonderful, addictive world of wet felting and the art it entails. Pat first explored felting through the Yellowknife Guild of Arts & Crafts and was fascinated with how using only wool roving, soap, water and lots of elbow grease you could make a unique fabric. Her life has not been the same since. Pat makes wall hangings, scarves, vessels, fish and other decorative art pieces.

Thelma Newbury

Thelma Newbury is a Vancouver born artist working in fabric and fibres. She loves using vibrant colours. She has always pursued creative crafts: sewing, knitting, crocheting, painting, metal sculptures, etc. She wanted her retirement years to be filled with beauty, creativity, and satisfaction. She took a one day course to make a quilted-stain glass looking angels for her grandchildren. From there she adapted her learning to satisfy her own need to explore with fabric.

Dawn Piasta

Inspired by playfulness Dawn's artistry awakens memories of life experiences. Dawn’s subject matter reflects her unique vision of the world in which she lives; passionate, energetic and spirited. Utilizing a variety of artist techniques and textiles Dawn’s quilts are an extension of her life experiences. A vacation, a song, a person, a flower or simply a feeling. Her quilt artistry tells the stories.

Cindi Plant

Cindi Plant grew up in Saskatchewan, attended design school in Manitoba and was a design educator in Alberta for three decades. She is intrigued by the notion of bringing an idea into a physical, tangible reality by using a myriad of methods to create her textile art. She is inspired by nature, color, pattern and texture, is energized by the entire process and enjoys how a work evolves to become itself.

Yvonne Remple

Yvonne is a Fibre Artist living in Winnipeg, MB. She is a retired Dance and Theatre Costumer/ Designer. She has many years of experience in design, sewing, tailoring, pattern drafting and film work. Working on many creative projects has allowed her to express her creativity as an artist. Yvonne’s interest in fibre art is a reflection of her love of fabric. The process of creating is the most exciting, beginning with the drawing and adding layers of paint, fabric and thread.

Nancy Riemersma

At an early age, Nancy made her first garment – and never stopped. She’s progressed from dressmaker, to retail sewing shop owner, to fibre artist, and this year celebrates a 40-year career teaching sewing, quilting, and machine arts. Nancy loves to experiment, learn new techniques and to share new found knowledge. Her current focus on art quilting, dyeing and printmaking is inspired by her love of nature and concern for the environment.

Barbara Root

Barbara continues to evolve as an artist while moving through various quilting and fiber art techniques using a variety of fabrics and threads. She has found the perfect medium to express herself, while creating opportunities to develop as an artist, as well as time to explore new friendships. She takes great pleasure in creating projects, even though they often take on a life of their own. Barb attempts to work within the principles and elements of good design while achieving the desired effects. Texture, color, movement, intricate needle turn appliqué and embroidery work, all play a big part in her work.

Bonita Rozander

Bonnie’s interest in the use of textiles as an art medium goes back to her early childhood. She learned to knit, crochet, embroider and sew. When she retired from the corporate world in 1999, quilting became her passion and within 2 years she was teaching basic quilting techniques. Bonnie took numerous quilting workshops with internationally known instructors to broaden her knowledge and sharpen her skills. She took dyeing classes at Maiwa, experimental hand and machine stitching at Gail Harker's Creative Studies Centre in LaConnor, design workshops with Catherine Nichols and an online felting workshop with Fiona Duthie. Lately, Bonnie has been experimenting with natural dyes and plant material to create impressions (eco-printing) on silk, cotton and wool.

Sharon Rubuliak

Sharon Willas Rubuliak utilizes various fibre and mixed media techniques to create works that evoke and interpret stories of everywoman, whether historic or contemporary. Her work combines traditional approaches with contemporary methods of surface design. She works both independently and collaboratively with other fibre artists. Sharon’s work has been exhibited in public galleries and exhibitions in Canada the United States. Her work has been juried into regional and international exhibitions and recognized with several awards.

Janet Scruggs

Janet Scruggs has been involved in textiles and fibre art for more than 40 years. She has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally, winning several awards for her artwork. Janet holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Calgary as well as a City and Guilds of London, Level 3 Certificate in Design and Stitched Textiles (Hand Embroidery).

Susan Selby

Susan Selby draws inspiration from the prairie landscapes around her – the skies, fields, valleys and forests provide the scenes she brings to life in her textile art. Susan uses a wide range of fibre materials and techniques in her work. Susan’s work has been juried into shows and competitions in Canada and the United States and can be found in private collections in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Carol Seeley

Carol Seeley an International Award-Winning Fibre Artist focusing on 3D imagery to create her realistic coastal landscapes. Carol’s work has appeared in galleries and private homes in North America, Europe and Africa as well as several magazines and books. Her work has been juried into national and international quilt and art shows, receiving awards regionally, nationally and internationally. To view her work, see the artist gallery at www.fibreartnetwork.com or contact her at seeleycarol@gmail.com

Theresa Shaw

Theresa Shaw is a textile artist who uses new, vintage and repurposed textiles to create unique quilts that examine and honour life experiences. She has been a sewist all her life, and turned to quilting in 2012, as a means of storytelling and healing. Her fibre art gives voice to feelings of loss and renewal and the search for home and belonging. Having recently returned to Winnipeg after 32 years, she is establishing her arts practice and finding her community.

Rosalind Sims

Rosalind is influenced by nature, textures, colour and cultures. She works with both ancient and modern techniques. The creation of non-woven fabric from raw fibre or using fibre and then expanding those universes with limitless fibre potentials and artist mediums is a magical process for her. A lifetime of experience in arts and crafts has enriched her.

Christina Thomas

Christina Thomas – Fibre Artist ~ Surface Design Educator
The tactile and versatile properties of fibre have provided Christina with an outlet to discover and explore her creative spirit. For the past 23 years, learning and teaching surface design has been her passion. The past few years Christina focused on being a student and completed certification in Design and Craft – Stitched Textile (Machine Embroidery) and Creative Computing into Stitched Textiles through City & Guilds. She continually explores and implements as many techniques as she can, by dying, manipulating and melting fabric. Christina loves to create her own designs, both realistic and abstract with the intent of providing lots of opportunities to manipulate the surface.

Linda Val Gastel

After retiring from a career in engineering, Linda’s daughter introduced her to quilting; she was hooked. She enjoys classic quilt-making, especially when she can create a unique design. Linda loves exploring and creating fibre art! Colour, shape and pattern, and their interaction to create intriguing results, fascinate her. Recently she has begun exploring thread sketching and minimal use of stitched lines to capture meaning.

Krista Zeghers

Krista loves artwork where the image is recognizable to the viewer, but has something unique and special about it. There could be a change of scale, a different colour scheme, a close up of a small section, a repeated pattern or shape; any element that makes the work come alive and provides interest. Krista feels art needs to intrigue the viewer, make them want to look closer and spend time with the piece.

Coreen Zerr

Living on picturesque Vancouver Island furnishes Coreen with exquisite natural images. Coreen’s interpretation of the landscape and nature leans toward a realistic voice to draw her viewer into the scene to experience and enjoy the beauty. She constantly experiments with new techniques and products to incorporate reality into her pieces. Coreen’s fibre art works have been displayed throughout North America and she is highly regarded as a commissioned artist and mentor.