••• MEET THE 2026 SUMMIT SPEAKERS •••
SCHMETZ:
What Needle Do I Use?
Rhonda Pierce
SCHMETZneedles Spokesperson/VP Euro-notions
Rhonda Pierce has a dream job ... teaching sewing enthusiasts
about the hardest working 2” piece of steel in the sewing machine
– the SCHMETZ needle. She lives in the Chicago area. Whether
presenting SCHMETZ virtually or in-person, she averages 100+
presentations annually, and happily provides SCHMETZ facts to
make your stitching easier. Rhonda created and published 100
issues of ezine SCHMETZ Inspired to SEW. She publishes the
“must read” SCHMETZneedles monthly newsletter. Her quilt,
Color Splash, hung at three International Quilt Festivals. Rhonda’s
personal website is www.SewMoreStitches.com. With quilt shop, wholesale management experience, and the love of sewing, Rhonda delivers a unique perspective as VP/Marketing
Director of Euro-notions, and Spokesperson for SCHMETZneedles.com North America. Sew SCHMETZ!
Threads of Tradition: Decoding African Fabric Patterns and their Cultural Significance
MIRIAM GALADIMA-BENSON
Host
She is a visionary leader and the driving force behind Quilt Africa Fabrics, a pioneering company in the textile industry renowned for its commitment to celebrating African culture through vibrant and innovative designs. With a background in both architecture and business, Miriam has steered Quilt Africa Fabrics to become a trailblazer in promoting African textile heritage globally.
Her leadership philosophy centers around collaboration, innovation, and a profound respect for the rich cultural tapestry of Africa.
Color Theory For Quilters
KAREN WINCHESTER
Quilter curator
Karen is a Teacher, Quilter curator based in regional Australia. She is known for her scrappy quilts, earthy color palettes, and the signature 3-5 and 6 -cuts methods Quilt pattern designs— a simple technique for making beautiful throw quilts without complicated math.
Her work blends bold prints with warm, grounding solids like terracotta, sage, camel, and creamy vanilla. She rejects stark whites in favor of moody, calming neutrals that feel sophisticated and lived in.
With a growing YouTube community and a passion for turning fabrics into inspirational quilts and "scrap chaos" into story-filled quilts, Karen helps quilters of all levels feel confident, inspired, and connected to the memories stitched into their fabric.
She lives in Victoria Australia, where she draws inspiration from the Natural Nature surroundings, golden light, and the simple beauty of country life.
Building on Culture and Tradition
Carol Wilson Spigner
Quilter
I am a retired social worker with a specialty in family and child welfare. A quilter for more than 30 years, I believe that I am drawn to quilting because a social worker never knows the end of the story and I needed to complete something. From the beginning my work has incorporated Ankara and indigo fabrics. I have been influenced by the Gee's Bend Quilters and family from across the diaspora.
Unlike many quilters, this has not been part of my family tradition so I am self taught with the help of lots of friends and colleagues. Finding Quilt Africa Tribe has allowed me to continue to link quilting and culture.
One of the things I am proudest of is founding the African American Quilters' Gathering Harrisburg in 2009. This group continues to quilt together and make meaningful contributions to the community.
My quilts are rarely pictoral. I would describe them as cultural and I do believe that affirming our culture is a political act.
I am a mother, grandmother and aunt. I currently live in Albuquerque NM and am affilitated with the Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild.
It’s Not Where You Start: From Two Sheets to Textile Stories - My Quilting Journey
CHERYL HILLS
Fiber Artist
Cheryl Hills is a passionate fiber artist whose love for sewing began at age nine under the guidance of her mother. By high school, she was designing her own garments and completed her first quilt, beginning a lifelong journey in textile artistry.
An active member of the American Sewing Guild since 2011, Cheryl now co-leads the Baltimore Threads Neighborhood Group in Maryland and mentors fellow sewists through Sew Creative Lounge accountability groups. In 2022, she discovered the Quilt Africa Tribe during the African Queen Challenge, an experience that deeply influenced her artistic direction and inspired her exploration of African fabrics, storytelling, and cultural expression.
Through her quilts, Cheryl honors heritage, identity, and community while embracing innovation and creative growth. She continues to expand her artistic boundaries by entering juried competitions and pursuing opportunities to exhibit her work in gallery and competitive spaces.
Curves and Transparencies
CAROLINA ONETO
Modern quilter
A dynamic quilt artist, teacher, designer, and owner of Kena Quilt Studio. With over two decades of quilting experience, Kena, who began her journey in Harlem, is celebrated for her raw edge appliqué story and art quilts, specializing in powerful portraits reflecting African American people. Deeply influenced by Harlem Renaissance artists, she masterfully infuses African wax prints, kente, and mud cloth textiles into her vibrant creations. Kena offers both in-person and live virtual classes, with popular on-demand courses like "Let's Make a Selfie-Portrait Quilt" and "The Big, The Bold, The Beautiful: Working with African Fabrics in Quilts." Beyond quilting, Kena shares her passion for storytelling by teaching filmmaking and television production.
Author, educator, Descendant of Gee's Bend Clotilda Survivor, Quilter
TANGULAR IRBY
Author, educator, Descendant of Gee's Bend Clotilda Survivor, Quilter
Tangular A. Irby is a speaker, author, and educator on a mission to preserve legacy, amplify culture, and inspire the next generation to honor their roots. She is a proud descendant of the renowned Gee’s Bend quilters, including her grandmothers Pearlie Kennedy Pettway and Jensie Lee Irby, and Dinah Miller, a Clotilda survivor and her three-times great-grandmother. Tangular carries forward a powerful storytelling tradition stitched in resilience, faith, and history. Her biggest regret is that she did not learn the craft directly from her grandmothers. With a BS in Business Administration, a Master’s in the Art of Teaching, and a 6th Year in Educational Leadership, Tangular has educated learners from Pre-K through 12 and now serves as a Program Manager. Her passion for children’s literature was born in her second-grade classroom and has since blossomed into a body of work that centers culture, identity, and heritage. She is the author of several books including Pearl and Her Gee’s Bend Quilt, and her voice continues to expand beyond the page. Tangular contributed to Quilting Arts Magazine by penning the article “Reclaiming the Gee’s Bend Legacy,” further cementing her desire to share her family’s legacy. In 2025, she took the main stage as the featured author at the Airing of the Quilts Festival in Gee’s Bend, reading Charles and His Gee’s Bend Quilt. In February 2026, she was honored as a vendor and special guest alongside the Gee’s Bend quilters at QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC. From museums to postage stamps, from Target shelves during Black History Month to classrooms and libraries across the country, the legacy of Gee’s Bend continues to inspire—and Tangular is doing her part to make sure the story lives on. Through virtual and in-person engagements, she empowers audiences to dig into their own family histories, document their stories, and recognize the power in where they come from. She encourages others, young and not so young, to learn from their elders while they are still with us.
AWARD-WINNING
QUILT ARTIST
SURPRISE GUEST
SURPRISE GUEST
My Quilt Journey To Authenticity
Juanita Armbrister
Quilter/Seamstress
Juanita Armbrister is an accomplished dressmaker with college degrees in Home Economics Education and in Clothing and Retailing. She taught Clothing and Textiles (sewing), Child Development, Foods and Nutrition and Personal Management to high school students for many years. She coordinated a teen parent program and taught those young moms how to sew with some making clothing and others learning to quilt. She has sewn up to 50 items for many fashion shows throughout her career. Her last show included all African fashions which she loved as she used authentic African fabrics. Being married to a U.S. Marine Corps officer and working for the U.S Navy as a Child Development Specialist afforded her the opportunity to travel to many parts of the U.S. and the world. During her travels she has purchased tons of fabrics and has quite a stash. She loves different cultures but she truly embraces the African culture as she has traveled to Ghana, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durbin. She was so happy to join the Quilt African Tribe in 2020 during COVID and has loved the challenges that she has participated in. She began quilting around 1977 but didn't really take it seriously and didn't really know all the techniques of the art. She continues her journey and considers herself an evolving quilter as she learns and tries out new techniques to improve her skills.
The Benefits of SAQA Studio Art Quilt Associates
Vicki Conley
Art Quilter
Vicki Conley grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has lived in the mountains of southern New Mexico for the past 46 years. A creative person all her life, she recently retired after a 42-year career as a studio potter, selling her work throughout the western United States at fine art and craft fairs. In 2000, she opened Piñon Pottery, a gallery in her hometown of Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, where she showcased her own pottery and art quilts alongside work by other artists.
A fiber artist for more than 20 years, Vicki now focuses on art quilting and enjoys teaching at guilds and retreat centers across the country. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and was included in Quilt National 2017 and 2025. Her pieces are held in both public and private collections.
Vicki’s formal education is in the sciences, with a BS in Chemistry and an MS in Physiology. She brings this background to her textile work, interpreting the natural world through fabric and thread with the goal of highlighting the beauty of—and need to conserve—public lands. She is best known for her original national park poster–style art quilts. Vicki and her husband travel extensively in their RV with their two dogs, always searching for the next source of inspiration. Her work ranges from bold, graphic representational imagery to abstract, improvisational quilts that continue to reference the natural world.
Vicki’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including Machine Quilting Unlimited, Art Quilting Studio, Art Quilt Quarterly, Quilting Arts Magazine, Artist Magazine, and Patchwork Gilde Deutschland. She has been a guest on The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson, where she demonstrated techniques used in her national park art quilts, and has also appeared on Quilting Arts TV (series 3100 and 3200) on PBS.
Vicki is a Juried Artist member of Studio Art Quilt Associated (SAQA), the founder of the art quilt collective 4 Common Corners, has served on various Global SAQA committees and is currently the regional rep for the SAQA New Mexico region.
Beginner Kinusaiga
Judie Pokakaa
Quilter
Judie Pokakaa is a Navy veteran and recent transplant to New Mexico, bringing with her a lifelong passion for sewing and textile arts. She currently serves as Vice President of the Fiber Art Council and is also the 2025 President of the Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild. In addition, Judie serves as Community Service Director for the Thimbleweeds Quilt Guild in Rio Rancho and is an active member of both the New Mexico Crochet Guild and the Las Aranas Spinning and Weaving Guild.
Although Judie has been an avid quilter for the past four years, her journey with fiber arts began much earlier—learning to sew as a child and helping her grandmother tie quilts. Her favorite quilting style is foundation paper piecing, and she especially enjoys passing on her love of sewing by teaching Girl Scouts how to sew and make quilts.
Fiber arts hold a special place in Judie’s life. She finds peace and joy in working with her hands—whether she’s crocheting, quilting, sewing, or building dollhouses. Each project is an opportunity to relax, create, and connect with her community.
Batting: The Secret in the Middle
Lyn Heilman
Quilter, Educator and Batting Distributor
Lyn Heilman is a quilter, educator, and batting distributor with extensive knowledge of quilt batting and its role in creating beautiful, functional quilts. In her live demo session, Batting: The Secret in the Middle, Lyn will guide participants through different batting fibers, their best use cases, and practical tips for selecting the right batting to achieve desired quilting effects.
Thread Mastery
Bob Purcell
Thread Master
Bob Purcell has been in the thread and sewing industry for 28 years. He and his wife started and built one of the most successful specialized thread companies in the world. They sold that company in 2016, with the intent of enjoying retirement life with family and grandchildren.
Seven years later in 2023, Bob, who has no hobbies other than work and grandchildren, realized that retirement wasn’t for him. He bought Y.L.I. Threads, a company with a 45-year history in the quilting, embroidery, and sewing world, and is once again doing what he loves -- educating the sewing world and supplying the best sewing products. Working with the top three thread factories in the world, eleven new lines of the highest quality quilting and sewing threads have been introduced in the past two years, and more are in the works.
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