Nominations for the 2027 Quilt Show Member Featured Artist (MFA) were done at the May membership meetings. The top three candidates are Karen Michaels, Debbi Trevino, and Jodi Hassell. They will have their bios published in the July/August newsletter. They will do their presentations at the July membership meetings. Following the presentations, members will vote for their 2027 Quilt Show Member Featured Artist.
Here are your three candidates:
From a young age, I have enjoyed needlework of one form or another. I stitched a cross-stitch piece at age 7, and at age 16 I attempted my first quilt. But I discovered today’s quilt-making in the early 1990s: I was hooked from the moment I walked through the door of my first quilt show!
Over the last 34 years I have tried many quilt-making techniques. Among favorites are foundation paper piecing, English paper piecing, appliqué, and improv quilts. I also do my own quilting.
For the Guild, I have been Newsletter Chair for 4 years. Community Service (CS) is very important to me: I often piece, quilt, or bind CS quilts, help process quilts for distribution to our charities, and house the Guild’s fabric stash.
I have found that I NEED to make quilts. Besides working on CS quilts, I love to accept Guild challenges to stretch myself. I don’t like to make quilts that look like everyone else’s: I choose my own colors, and often design my own quilts.
It is always an honor to be nominated to be Member Featured Artist. Thank you! And I look forward to representing the Guild at the show.
Debbi Trevino has been a passionate quilter and instructor for over 30 years, blending creativity, artistry and a love of teaching throughout her quilting journey.
With her children all in school, Debbi began learning the finer art of piecing and quilting. Her very first project was a sampler quilt, lovingly gifted to her mother for Christmas – and the rest is history.
Over the years, Debbi has developed a deep love for piecing, designing, and quilting on a longarm machine. Her travels have inspired her artistic vision, influencing styles that range from traditional and modern to whimsical designs full of personality and charm.
A lifelong learner herself, Debbi continues to take classes and explore new techniques to fine-tune her quilting projects. She is known for her free motion (non computerized) machine quilting. In recent years, she has discovered a passion for hand and machine applique´ and has grown to love the relaxing and rewarding art of slow stitching.
Known for her encouraging spirit, Debbi finds great joy in teaching and mentoring others. She especially loves seeing students grow in confidence and excel in the art of quilting. Sharing knowledge, creativity, and inspiration with fellow quilters remain one of her greatest passions.
What an honor to be nominated as a featured artist. She loves her quilting community and hopes she can represent them if elected Tri-City Quilt Guild Member Featured Artist.
My name is Jodi and I am a quiltoholic. I just love quilts so much. I love looking at quilts and thinking about quilts and talking about quilts and making quilts and finishing quilts and quilting designs on quilts. Quilts make my world go round. They are for comfort and beauty. They are for admiring from a distance and for making forts. They are hugs wrapped in fabric. There’s a meme that goes like this, “I know I look like I’m listening, but in my head, I’m quilting.” There is more truth there than I should admit.
When I realized that it was the quilting that brought a quilt to life, I knew I wanted to be able to do that. It does not come naturally to me, but I take classes, I practice, and I learn. I started a long arming business in 2019, and it is like having my own, ongoing, personal quilt show. More practice made for improved quilting.
In 2023, I was ready to be challenged. I took a year-long online course called The Quilted Mandala Club that took me 2 years to finish. With each project, I learned new skills and gained more machine control. These quilts are pretty cool and they still amaze me. But I’m not done learning. There is so much I want to be able to do well. I’m excited to see where it takes me next.
