2023 Benartex Ambassadors

Michele Crawford

Michele Crawford

Since 1989, Michele Crawford, Flower Box Quilts – designer, teacher, author, marketing consultant plus website owner and quilt pattern company, Flower Box Quilts – has had over 4500 designs published in 40 quilting and needlework publications and websites; and worked with and for 35 fabric, thread, and batting manufacturers. Besides quilting, she enjoys all forms of needlework especially combining cross stitch with quilting plus English Paper Piecing.

Robin Koehler

Robin Koehler

Robin Koehler is an internationally published quilt designer, teacher, and AQS Certified Quilt Appraiser with over 100 published designs, including as a regular contributor to American Quilter Magazine. Robin has vended at Intl. Quilt Market as well as taught at Intl. Quilt Festival, Mountain QuiltFest, and multiple guilds under her business name, NESTLINGS by Robin.

Olesya Lebedenko

Olesya Lebedenko is a vivacious, positive, and fun artist from Ukraine living in Canada. Olesya loves to share her skills and knowledge in in-person and online classes. When she is not quilting, she is busy celebrating life by creating designs, writing articles and books, and being interviewed about her unique and modern style. She is a BERNINA Canada Ambassador, and a professional member of the International Quilt Association and the Canadian Quilters’ Association.

Nancy Messuri

Nancy Messuri is an Idaho-based, published, award-winning quilt designer. After having spent a career as a professional orchestral violinist and part-time quilter, designing and pattern writing have become a new obsession. She comes from a long line of quilters and is happy to say the quilting bug has bitten her daughter. Foundation paper piecing is her go-to method of constructing blocks and Electric Quilt 8 is her favorite design platform. Her trademark is intricate designs that require careful piecing, but she sometimes breaks out of that mold with a less complex design.

Brianna Roberts

Brianna is a published pattern designer and owner of Sew Cute And Quirky. She has been sewing and quilting for over 15 years. She enjoys designing bags, wallets, organizers, quilts, and home decor items. She loves making things that can be functionally cute. Her inspiration comes from travel, unique designs, vintage finds, and fun fabrics. Brianna teaches classes and tutorials online and in person and she has always enjoyed teaching. Prior to starting her own business, she taught high school physics and environmental science for many years. Her love of science has influenced her creativity in the patterns she designs.

Lisa Ruble

I was bitten by the craft bug early on in life, and have dabbled in drawing, beading, photography, and fabric. I learned to sew as a young girl, making clothes for my Cabbage Patch Kid, and then got into quilting about 22 years ago and never looked back. Modern quilting is my style of choice, and I particularly love improv piecing. I currently freelance in the quilting industry, designing, writing, and editing patterns, and I also design and sell my own quilt patterns. Outside of work, I spend time hanging with my husband and three boys, ideally outside or playing sports, and yes, the boys all quilt too!

Jen Shaffer

Jen is a quilt pattern designer from SW Minnesota where she empty nests with her husband and golden retrievers. Her designs are beginner friendly with traditional piecing and an occasional modern flare. Jen enjoys talking about quilts with fellow quilters at trunk shows and classes. Her true passion lies in helping new quilters find the same love and enjoyment of the craft that she feels every time she starts a new quilt. Jen keeps this as her focus when designing her patterns.

Nancy Scott

I’m Nancy Scott – the creative spirit behind Masterpiece Quilting. I’m an author, quilt pattern designer, and teacher who loves being crafty. Growing up in a family of “makers”, I’m a proud DIY enthusiast. My current favorites include sewing & quilting, refinishing antiques, chalk-painting, and photography. In 2006, I started Masterpiece Quilting LLC. In 2012, I submitted my first design to a magazine for publication. It was accepted and my calling was found that day! Since then, I have sold over 200 designs to publications, and fabric companies as well as published under my own Masterpiece Quilting brand. My patterns are seen regularly in national quilting magazines and craft books. I keep busy designing modern-traditional quilts, writing books, teaching online classes for quilting and business, and honing my skills as a surface pattern designer.

Marie Segares

Marie Segares is the Proprietress of Underground Crafter. Marie shares sewing patterns and tutorials, crochet and knitting patterns, recipes, and more creative inspiration on her blog. She also hosts virtual make-a-longs throughout the year.  Marie’s favorite projects to sew are gifts for her family and friends and quilted projects.  You may be wondering about the Underground Crafter name. Marie isn’t part of a secret society of crafters (though that would be pretty cool), but she enjoys crocheting and knitting underground while commuting on New York City’s subway system.

Laura Strickland

Hello, I am Laura Strickland. I am an art quilter and pattern designer, living on the banks of the Mississippi River in Illinois. My quilt patterns have a Mid-century Modern / Pop Culture aesthetic. I have come to quilting from a formal art background. Drawing on my education in art history, design principles, and color theory I have chosen cloth as my main medium for expression. I am a teacher by nature. Sewing and fiber arts have been my passion since I was a little girl. I make portrait art quilts, and unique “quilty” objects, and have developed my signature trademarked technique, “Effervescent Applique”. I have been featured in multiple national publications/periodicals over the last three years. My quilting journey began almost 30 years ago, and I am enjoying the adventure still – preserving the past and pushing the boundaries.

Carol Swift

Carol Swift grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she learned to sew by watching her mother make clothes and quilts. As a young wife and mother, Carol sewed clothes for herself and four children. As her skills improved, she began sewing prom and wedding dresses for family and friends. She eventually moved more towards creating quilts and started a blog in 2008, Just Let Me Quilt, to keep track of them. This evolved into her hosting blog hops and sewing projects for several fabric companies. She enjoys designing quilts, especially Halloween ones, and teaches applique classes at a local quilt store. Carol and two of her friends share a Halloween Facebook page, Cackling Stitches, where they host block of the month projects. Ron, her husband of 50 years, is a huge supporter of her quilting adventures and willingly stands in unusual or high places to hold quilts for photos.