At Baby Lock, we believe that the relationship you have with your customers doesn't end with the machine sale-rather it's just the beginning. We are excited to provide you with top-notch training program content and talent for all your customer needs. From machines to software, we've got you covered.
We invite you to use this page to learn more about each of the Baby Lock Educators. Scroll through to learn more about their expertise, educational background, groups they moderate and other education content they have to support our Retailers. Contact the Educators via email to learn more about events and programs they can offer to your customers and help you sell product!
Amanda Autrey
A self-proclaimed 'multi-needle girl' Amanda has been sewing and embroidering (on her Baby Lock Valiant) for only three years, but has found a deep love and affection for the artform.
“I love having the ability to add my own creative touch to almost anything by either sewing or embroidery.”
She added that as a teacher, she loves being able to help others succeed in an art that she’s passionate about. But most importantly, she said teaching has taught her an important lesson.
“Not everyone is an instant seamstress, but if you keep practicing and be creatively fearless the end result can be something amazing!”
“ I love having the ability to add my own creative touch to almost anything with either sewing or embroidery.”
Years in Sewing Industry: Owner of Madalynn Blake Custom Embroidery, LLC for more than eight years.
Relevant Associations: Durkee Hoops Educator.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: 20 to 30 for hands on, up to 50 for lectures, demos and large groups. Machine Proficiencies:** Multi Needle, Solaris, Destiny, Triumph and Longarm Quilting.
Anna fell in love with quilting several years ago and has never looked back! She is especially drawn to designing modern quilts with a vintage twist and shares that love with everyone she meets as she travels to shops around the country and in her local area in Tallahassee, Florida. Not only does she like to embellish her quilts with machine embroidery, one of her favorite features to tap into in the IQ™ Designer functionality of some of her favorite Baby Lock machines. Anna believes that there is no such thing as a perfect quilt, just the perfect love that goes into making one.
Anna’s favorite machines include the Solaris, Altair and Meridian and you can find her teaching using these machines and her favorite techniques in shops around the country and online on the Baby Lock Facebook pages and machine specific groups.
“There is no such thing as a perfect quilt, just the perfect love that goes into making the quilt.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 10 years.
Relevant Associations: Educator of sewing, quilting and machine embroidery at Baby Lock Retailer in Tallahassee, FL as well as shops around the country.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Type: No preference.
Video or Writing Experience: Skilled in teaching IQ Designer, embroidery, quilting and quilting with embroidery. You can find Anna sharing content on her Facebook page Forever Bee Bee Louise.
Machine Proficiencies: Solaris, Altair and Meridian.
Visit Anna on her Forever Bee Bee Louise blog and Facebook Group. This group is the place for her to share her creativity and the love of my craft. Patterns, videos and tutorials to come soon!
When Ashley received her first combination sewing and embroidery machine as a gift from her mom, she found her new passion and her new career! Ashley is also intrigued by longarm quilting on her Regalia and using Pro-Stitcher software to customize quilts. In addition to Quilting, Ashley's sweet spot is embroidery and her many designs and projects can be seen on her Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/dogwoodtrailquiltco/. She can be seen helping out in Baby Lock Consumer Getaways, assisting with content and absorbing new techniques and tips from other Baby Lock Training and Education team mates.
In addition to being a Baby Lock Educator, Ashley also has a Longarm Quilting and Embroidery business. Visit her Facebook page to see more about her Dogwood Trail Quilt company.
Ashley shares her love of Longarming with the Pro-Stitcher by assisting with many of our Pro-Stitcher Getaways! She has been working closely with Denise Schober to learn how to turn that passion into sales for our Retailers!
Cassie started sewing four years ago, knowing nothing about it at all. In that time, she has come to love how sewing skills all connect with one another.
'Sewing open doors for my creativity, nothing is impossible to make without a little imagination and thought,' she said. 'I also love how technology is making its mark and having an impact in regards to making it more fun and making techniques easier for the beginner or the advanced sewer.'
The best part of teaching, she said, is adding value to a person's life by helping them resolve a particular pain point in sewing.
'It really does mean the whole world to me to have played a part in that,' Cassie said.
Through her time as an educator, she said her students have shown her there is a connection through community that helps to create a movement and encourages the next generation of sewers.
'It's fantastic having access to different types of personalities, and encouraging them to learn and grow within themselves and their abilities,' she said. And while she loves her Baby Lock Soprano, she has a special place for her quarter inch foot.
“ Sewing opens doors for my creativity, nothing is impossible to make without a little imagination and thought. I also love how technology is making its mark and having an impact in regards to making it more fun and making techniques easier for the beginner or the advanced sewer.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 4 years.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: Around 15. Interested in hosting demos.
Video or Writing Experience: YouTube channel “Faodail Creation” since June 2017 with weekly videos and a several projects published on the Baby Lock website.
Machine Proficiencies: Quilting and Free-Motion Quilting on the Soprano and Tiara 3, Baby Lock Sergers.
Barb is a Mom to 8, a Grandma to 20, and a Wife to 1. She lives in a mountain valley in Northern Utah, where it has been known to snow in June. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. She loves Autumn the best, where the colors are warm and the nights are cool.
Barb says about herself 'I get totally pumped when I have a new idea bouncing around in my head. It's what keeps me going. I have been making and selling things since I was a kid. When I see something, my mind starts to wonder what I can make with it or how I can make it better. I can't limit myself to creating with just one or two mediums and have studied all types of sewing, serging, painting, art and crafting.'
Her tenure working with a Baby Lock Retailer also help her bring a selling perspective to her events and projects. She highlights machine features, techniques and accessories that help to entice customers and bring add-on sales to our stores.
Years in Sewing Industry: I worked retail in machines sales for 9 years. I have been teaching machine owner, sewing and serging classes for 10 years. But, of course, I have been sewing since I was in 4-H as a teenager.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: Up to 30 for hands on, up to 50 for lectures, demos and large groups. Up to 300 for Virtual Events
Machine Proficiencies: Solaris, Destiny, Triumph and any sewing machine or serger. Proficient on Feet and Accessories.
Donna Siler had no idea that the sewing learned as young girl watching grandmother and mother would become a future career. After sewing award winning garments in high school Home Education classes, quilting became a passion. When it was time for a new machine, embroidery became the focus. Being a lifelong teacher made it natural to begin teaching and speaking to large groups about sewing and a career was born! As an embroidery business owner, Donna spends much of her time with the top of the line Multi-needle embroidery machine, serger and software. Born and raised in Long Island New York she now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Donna is passionate about teaching dealers and consumers about the features and benefits of machines in the Baby Lock family.
Years in Sewing Industry: 14 years in the sewing, quilting and embroidery industry, including six as a software educator and three as a national educator.
Relevant Associations: Owner of small home-based embroidery business.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: No size limitations. Comfortable with both large and small groups.
Video or Writing Experience: Wrote software training. Collaborated in the development of presentations for software and embroidery product sales.
Machine Proficiencies: Valiant, Enterprise, Solaris, Destiny, Triumph, Crescendo, Euphoria, and IQ Designer.
JoanLouise Clemons is a master of quilting, serging and embroidery and loves sharing her life-long passion! After seeing a sewing machine in the Singer Pavillion of the 1964 New York Worlds' Fair, Joan just had to have one! This initial interest followed her throughout her life and blossomed into a love of Long Arm Quilting. This led her to joining the Baby Lock and the Education Team 20 years ago and receiving Sulky & Martha Pullen certifications. Since then, Joan has shared her zeal for sewing in show classrooms, in-store events, cruises and more! You will surely laugh in any class led by Joan and leave with inspiration and ideas to stoke your creative fire!
Karen started sewing in the first grade after her grandmother gave her a fruitcake tin to hold her sewing supplies. “I've sewn all these years because it is a part of me just like my hand or my leg, and what would I do without one of those,” she said. “My commitment to my relationship with sewing guided me to earn my Bachelor's Degree in Clothing and Textiles. I love it because everyone can do it! There are no age limits, only limits of the imagination!” She's carried that passion for sewing into her role as a Baby Lock educator. She said the people she meets and spends time with is what she considers the best part of her role. “It is a wonderful feeling of being connected to a larger community of creators. We all are learning, all the time,” she said. “Actually, I may end up learning more than my students in any given class. There is always something new, a different approach and always various points of view!“ Karen said that every group of students she works with reminds her that there are different learning styles and a variety of different reasons why a person decides to join a class. “It's challenging, and sometimes humbling, to recognize and attempt to address various learning styles within a class. I believe that the awareness of these similarities and differences takes the good teacher up a few levels to being a wonderful teacher!'
“ I’ve sewn all these years because it is a part of me just like my hand or my leg, and what would I do without one of those?”
Years in Sewing Industry: 10 years.
Relevant Associations: Custom embroidery business from 2010 until 2017 offering digitizing and embroidery as well as custom sewing and alterations. Part owner and designer/pattern writer for Threadhead and Company LLC. John Deere’s Digitizer of the year for 2018.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: 25. A larger number will work with assistance.
Linda has been a quilting/sewing teacher, in the Columbia, MO area since 2008. Linda has recently self-published a series of workbooks to enhance her Free-Motion Machine Quilting classes and has created several patterns and machine embroidery designs. Linda’s quilts are “Not like your grandmother’s”, she loves to mix different mediums and techniques to create unique one of a kind fiber art. Best of all she loves to share her knowledge and discoveries with others!
Linda has had work published in Quilting Arts and Designs in Machine Embroidery Magazines. She blogs about her sewing adventures at http://lindabcreative.blogspot.com/ which can be found on her website at www.LindaBrattenCreations.com.
“With my experience teaching in a Baby Lock dealership, I am able to create projects that showcase Baby Lock’s wide range of features and spark creativity in the student.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 12 years.
Relevant Associations: Owner and creative designer behind Linda Bratten Creations since 2008. Craftsy Instructor/Ambassador. Instructor at MQX Midwest, and the Machine Quilters Showcase sponsored by the International Machine Quilters Association. Studio Art Quilt Associates. The Modern Quilt Guild. American Quilter’s Society. Craft Industry Alliance.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: 20-25 Depending on the machines featured, Large group presentations 50+ depending on the ability to view a projector/screen.
Machine Proficiencies: Quilting on a Domestic, Rulerwork, Sewing, Serger, Machine Embroidery, Digitizing, Sashiko.
Click the link below to visit Linda's website. Here you will find more information about the amazing virtual programs and workshops she offers for your stores. Linda is an amazing free-motion quilter and has classes designed to showcase the Baby Lock Exclusive Westalee Rulers. Check it out to learn more about how she can bring these events to your store!
Lisa started sewing at age six, or, as she puts it, 'a long, long time.' Over the course of those years, she fell in love with the endless creative possibilities sewing provides.
'What I love about sewing is the ability to take a flat item and through manipulating it you can turn it into so many different things – from clothing and home décor that adds your own personality to your home, to useful utilitarian items and toys,' she said. 'You are only limited by your imagination.'
When it comes to teaching, Lisa said she loves interacting with her students and seeing their reactions.
'The best part of teaching is when you see the student get it,' she said. 'Their eyes light up and they get excited about what you just shared.'
She also adds that teaching is a two-way street, where she learns from her students in turn. It's a lesson she's retained throughout her career and it's helped her keep a fresh approach to teaching.
'The most important thing is that there is not just one correct way of doing things,' she said. Be open and humble to listen to your students – they all bring amazing perspective to the table if you listen.'
“ The most important thing is that there is not just one correct way of doing things. Be open and humble to listen to your students – they all bring amazing perspective to the table if you listen.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 5 years.
Relevant Associations: More than 20 years as a sales professional. Five years as a DIME Inspiration Consultant.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: 20 to 30 for hands on, up to 50 for lectures, demos and large groups.
Video or Writing Experience: Blog articles for DIME, contributor to Totally Stitchin’ and project creator for Baby Lock website.
Machine Proficiencies: Solaris, Destiny II, Crescendo, Triumph and the full line of Baby Lock sergers.
Creativity is an important part of Lori’s life because it brings joy, purpose and a sense of accomplishment. Her passion for sewing began in her early teens and exploded when she began smocking and sewing heirloom garments for her daughter. Her artistry and attention to detail led her to open her own custom garment and alterations shop. Eventually, Lori took the opportunity to share the joy of sewing, embroidering, quilting and serging with other sewing enthusiasts through engaging hands-on classes.
“I’ve learned from my students that there are great rewards in sharing, caring and teaching.”
Lori has an active YouTube Channel with Lori's Inspiration Collaboration. Lori has partnered with Zandra Shaw to offer the Serger Fun Club program to our customers. She has an array of amazing classes and programs for our Baby Lock Retailers to help you teach your customer and sell product.
After making her first quilt in 1995, Melinda found her passion and joy in the creative process of quilting. It was after purchasing her first Baby Lock machine that she fell in love with machine embroidery. Through instructing other sewing and embroidery enthusiasts, she realized that true joy comes from sharing her knowledge and helping others create beautiful projects they never thought were possible. Melinda firmly believes that quilters and embroiderers are some of the most benevolent and charitable people she knows and is grateful for being able to be a part of their community each day.
Melinda has been sharing her JOY of Quilting and Embroidery through her YouTube Channel! Click the link to check out her content on the Baby Lock Solaris, Soprano and Triumph.
Melinda has a passion for teaching all aspects of the Baby Lock Solaris/Solaris 2. An aspect that is particularly rewarding to her is introducing students to the various feet and expanding their knowledge and ability in using their amazing machines. Teaching students by making and completing a project allows for immediate gratification and success and encourages students to purchase feet they never thought they might need.
Introducing students to their Baby Lock Soprano is not only fun but simple as the machine is user friendly and intuitive. It also provides her with an opportunity to share top end machines such as the Solaris and Altair with them in order to educate them as to what Baby Lock offers regarding embroidery, sewing as well as IQ Designer.
Classes on threading and basic techniques on the Baby Lock Triumph allow students to become familiar with and more confident in using their wonderful sergers. Allowing students to dispel fear by teaching them the simplicity of threading allows them to realize that serging on the Triumph is, in essence, following a “recipe.” Once they feel confident in threading, students find that there is nothing stopping them from creating astonishing projects with ease.
In addition to her YouTube Channel, Melinda also has a private Facebook Group called Sew Blessed Quilting and Embroidery. In addition to her own group, she has quickly become an active member on many of our Baby Lock Communities! She is always sharing her love of the Baby Lock brand and her passion for embroidery, quilting and now serging!
Throughout her time as a Baby Lock Educator, Milinda made an important discovery.
'I’ve learned that people who sew tend to be smart, creative and determined. These are people who make the world a better place—they are givers—the majority of their sewing tends to be for other people. That generous spirit is contagious, and brings me so much joy!'
She said connecting with those people is her favorite part of teaching. 'We are healthier when we are in community, and teaching engages me in this fabulous community of men and women who love to learn and love to sew.'
Milinda started sewing since she went off to college and — as she readily pointed out — since her mom stopped sewing for her. She said she's been obsessed with sewing and design since then.
She said her favorite thing about sewing is the infinite possibilities it provides.
'It allows me to dream of all the things that can be created—those dreams are fabulous therapy—they help me move beyond daily problems and imagine what can be rather than what is,' Milinda said. 'And there is this wonderful physical benefit—sewing lowers your blood pressure! It is soothing and therapeutic.'
Missy Billingsley has been sewing and creating fun projects for more than 30 years. As a Baby Lock Educator for 15+ years, she has traveled coast to coast and on the high seas sharing her love and knowledge of Baby Lock machines. When she isn’t travelling and teaching in retailer stores, you can find her at home in Florida, on Facebook or YouTube sharing her love of all things sewing and sparkly with friends and consumers all over the country. Missy is a Martha Pullen Licensed Teacher, a Sulky Certified Instructor, and has several instructional project DVDs and online classes with Martha Pullen University. She has appeared on “Martha’s Sewing Room” for many times and teaches in current licensing curriculums from Martha Pullen Company. Her work has been published in several magazines including Classic Sewing, Sew Beautiful, Creative Expressions and Creative Machine Embroidery & Quilting. Check out Missy’s website where you can find fun digitized embroidery designs, in-the-hoop projects and more. http://www.missybstitchin.com Join her Facebook group, Missy B Stitchin’, where she hosts weekly instructional videos.
“ I love the creativity of sewing and being able to create one-of-a-kind projects and seeing how everything comes together.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 16 years.
Relevant Associations: Taught with Martha Pullen company. Licensed Martha Pullen instructor. Online licensing instructor. Featured in Sew Beautiful and Classic Sewing Magazines. Six-time Sulky Certified Instructor. Sells machine embroidery designs and sewing projects.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: 20 to 30 for hands on, up to 50 for lectures, demos and large groups.
Video or Writing Experience: Filmed for Martha’s Sewing room for 10 years. Four project DVDs through Martha Pullen Company. Teaches via live video in a Facebook group weekly. Hosts a YouTube channel. Writes instructions and patterns.
Machine Proficiencies: Sewing, Embroidery, Serger, Sashiko and Longarm Machines.
Monica’s love of sewing started when she was a young girl, making clothing of her own to wear and eventually progressed to sewing for a family of her own. Once the children were clothed, she turned her machine and attention to sewing for her home, making curtains for windows and creating custom home décor items to personalize her space. After getting involved in her local quilting community in 1989 she “never looked back”! Monica embraced machine finished quilt tops because she felt challenged by hand quilting and become very proficient even before stitch regulation was available! She ran a machine quilting business for many years before she purchased her first home embroidery machine and discovered her next love! Monica loves breaking the rules and finding how her creations can be unique and personal to her. Her greatest love today is sharing the joys of sewing and empowering others to reach their full potential with sewing as well. Today she gets her greatest satisfaction when she hears her students say that they “didn’t know I could do that”!
“Sharing my passion to create with my sewing machines is one of my great joys. Watching others get excited about what they can create after learning a few skills and\or techniques is a day to be remembered.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 30 years.
Relevant Associations: Taught at retail stores, continuing education classes and community groups. Completed commissioned projects for individuals and organizations. Lead educator for an in-the-hoop machine embroidery digitizing business.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: 20 to 30 students for hands on classes. Up to 50 for demos and lectures.
Video or Writing Experience: Wrote class plans for in-the-hoop projects. Designs and writes project instructions for hands on classes.
Machine Proficiencies: Machine Embroidery, Sewing, Serging, Solaris, Triumph, Quilting with Home Sewing Machines.
Paige Bartlett is a Baby Lock educator, fabric painter, pattern writer, and lover of quilting, serging, machine embroidery, and digital cutting! Her studio is located near Tulsa, Oklahoma in Osage County.
She shares 'My mom sat me down at her Baby Lock sewing machine when I was 5 years old and I have been sewing since!' Sitting down at her favorite machine of the moment and creating something beautiful has always been so therapeutic for her and keeps her motivated to keep growing her skillset and pushing the boundaries of her creativity.
When not in her studio, she enjoy gardening, cooking with her husband, Sean, and being outdoors. Paige looks forward to creating with you!
After 63 years of sewing, Larry considers it a form of undiscovered technology.
“I can go into my sewing room for what I feel is a few minutes but when I come out its been hours. It’s like time traveling,” he said. “Its the only time that I have control over what I am doing.”
As an educator, Larry said his greatest joy comes from giving the power to his students to express themselves through their sewing. He also said he's still learning too.
“I've learned there is more than one way of doing things: my way and theirs. They meet at the end in the same spot.”
“ I can go into my sewing room for what I feel is a few minutes but when I come out its been hours. It’s like time traveling.”
Years in Sewing Industry: 31 years. Larry started working in a retail store, then moved to freelance teaching and design.
Relevant Associations: Designed two porcelain doll lines. Won a national best of show with an heirloom Christening gown. Taught class at HMQS, created samples used in sewing magazine ads.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: Hands-on classes or trunk shows.
Video or Writing Experience: R. Larry has been on America Quilts creatively and Martha Pullen’s program; written several articles for international sewing magazines.
Learn more about Richard! Richard’s passion for sewing began at a very young age, learning early on how to cut out quilt pieces for his family of quilters. It seemed only natural that he would end up becoming a quilter as well with a keen eye for design in quilts that fall into the art quilt category. As a Hoffman Challenge winner in 2017, Richard’s quilt, “The Sisters” was part of a travelling trunk show. His “Learn, Inspire, Create” concept is evident in his teaching style and one that he loves to pass along to his students. Richard had taught all over the US and Canada and looks forward to each opportunity to connect with his students.
“Learn. Create. Inspire. Sewing is my superpower, I am a 3rd Generation quilter and textile artist. Teaching and Inspiring students to Create their artistic vision, through technology, is my passion.”
Years in Sewing Industry: Over 20 years in the industry, from garment and textile designer to educator and sales.
Relevant Associations: AQS Member since 1989, Hoffman Challenge 2017, Senior International Educator for AccuQuilt, and a lifetime inductee to the International Scholar Laureate Association.
Preferred Class Size or Presentation Style: Hand on classes/workshops 25-35, lecture demo 50-75. Virtual Class sizes are negotiable depending on content and venue.
Video or Writing Experience: Weekly LiveStream on Facebook in the Altair Angels group here: www. facebook.com/groups/altairangels/. He offers hands-on and virtual class on his website at www.quiltsbydael.com. New how-to videos every week are added to his YouTube channel, “quiltsbydael” www.youtube. com/user/quiltsbydael. Technical writing for Holland Acquisitions.
Machine Proficiencies: Solaris, Euphoria, Regalia, Altair/Meridian, Triumph, Regent, Coronet, IQ Designer, Sashiko, and Palette 11.
Book a Virtual or In-store Event by completing this simple survey. Baby Lock can help to get you started with booking an Educator. Your Regional Sales Manager are a great starting point as well when planning events or shows.
