Alex’s love affair with quilt making began in 1978 when she completed her Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt as part of her work toward a degree in art at San Francisco State University. Her study of graphic design in fiber inspired in her a deep respect and admiration for Amish quilts, and they became the springboard for Alex’s quilt making. Her work has been displayed in one-woman shows and has won prizes in group shows. She currently hosts Home and Garden Television’s quilt show Simply Quilts. She is the author of seven books: Quilts for Fabric Lovers, Simply Stars, Start Quilting with Alex Anderson, Handquilting with Alex Anderson, Rotary Cutting with Alex Anderson, Shadow Redwork and Hand Appliqué. Alex has a line of fabric with P & B and is currently the spokesperson for Bernina of America.

Christine Porter / Christine Porter Quilts

We are so very happy to introduce you to Christine Porter and her pattern line, Christine Porter Quilts. Christine is a very popular international quilting teacher from Bristol, England. Christine is noted for making dynamic pieced quilts from very simple shapes and designs. Her quilts are extremely appealing because they are easy to construct, fun to make — and they encourage the playful use of colorful fabrics. All of her quilts would make great projects for quilting classes. Besides being a noted teacher and quilt designer, Christine was the co-editor of Britain's quilting magazine Patchwork & Quilting for four years. The magazine's growth and popularity increased tremendously during her tenure. Christine served as a fabric design consultant for Woodrow Studio of London, developing the two fabric lines Rainbow Reflections and Illusions. In addition, she is the author of the beautiful book Quilt Designs from Decorative Floor Tiles. Christine's a second book, Tessellation Quilts, will be released in spring 2006. Lastly, Christine runs England's most popular quilting conference, Cabot Quilting Conference. We are truly excited to have such a talented quilt designer in our JWD design group. Christine brings her own joyful flair to traditional quilts. We believe you will find her quilts as refreshing as we do.

Gwen Marston is a professional quiltmaker, teacher and author. Since 1981 she has had 19 solo exhibits and participated in many group shows. She maintains a busy teaching and lecture schedule both nationally and internationally. For the past 21 years she has conducted quilt retreats on Beaver Island, Michigan, her year around home. She was a regular columnist for Ladies Circle Patchwork Quilts for 12 consecutive years. Gwen has written 18 books and her 19th will be out Spring 2006.

Joen began quilt making in 1974 after she left her career in the educational field to become a homemaker. Her interest in color, design, and technical exploration surfaced in the early 1980s. She is noted for being the innovator of several techniques, including strip-pieced landscapes, pictorial log cabin quilts, and organic curved designs (overall curved designs). She was the innovator of the free-form freezer paper technique, which is often used in curved and straight-line piecing. Her work is included in collections throughout the world. Joen has taught and lectured both nationally and internationally since 1984. She is the author of six books: Landscapes & Illusions; The Magical Effects of Color; The Visual Dance; Patchwork Persuasion-Fascinating Quilts from Traditional Designs; Make Any Block Any Size and Color Play. In 2002 she developed the 3-in-1 Color Tool, an innovative tool for selecting colors and fabrics. Joen has created over 200 block designs during the past three decades.