Plan now to spoil yourself with 4 fun-filled days of Sewing, Quilting and Embroidery in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. We are happy to have you join us for our “Home Coming School”. It will have been almost six years since our last event in Knoxville, the city we have called home for 18 years. In the last six years we have conducted “Hands-On” Sewing Schools across the nation from Ocean City, MD to Riverside, CA , from Orlando, FL to Minneapolis, MN and, many places in between. We have made dear friends and lasting memories in every city, but our “Sewing Family” we grew to love and appreciate for so many years while in the retail business resides in beautiful East Tennessee. We are thrilled to be able to bring “Hands-On” Sewing Schools back home, and those of you that have signed up for the “Home Coming School” are surely in for a treat! There is no doubt, this will be a very special “Hands-On” Sewing School.

This page will attempt to answer most of your questions concerning The Home Coming “Hands On” Sewing, Quilting and Embroidery Conference. We will have great teachers, great classes, great food, a great facility with discounted room rates, great bargains on a huge room full of sewing related products, great chocolate in the afternoons, and most important, we are committed to making sure that everyone from beginner to expert will have a great four days they will never forget!

1. Everyone will have a class with each instructor and will work on three or more separate projects. There will be classes that will be specifically for you based on the brand of software that you own. For example, if you own software by Singer, Viking, Pfaff, Artista, Janome, Elna, Kenmore, BabyLock, Brother, Bernina or Embird you will automatically be assigned for that class. We will offer classes for nearly all brands of software, Singer, Viking, Pfaff, Artista, Janome, Elna, Kenmore, BabyLock, Brother, Bernette, Generations, etc. There will also be classes for Sizing, Editing, and Cataloging software. Some classes will be taught in the evening.

2. This conference will truly offer four full days. Classes will begin each day at 8:00 AM, and will break for lunch at 11:30 AM. Classes will resume at 1:30 PM and will break for dinner from 4:30 till 6:30 PM, with night classes from 6:30 till 9:00 PM the first three nights. The conference will end at 4:00 PM on Saturday, September 15, 2007.

3. All fabric, threads, kits, and supplies will be provided by “Hands-On Sewing Schools” except for your basic sewing tools from your sewing box. You will receive a list of the items needed for each class in a later mailing.

4. There will be a special welcome reception complete with light snacks and drinks on Tuesday Night, September 11th and all registered attendees are invited. This will be your opportunity to get acquainted with our teachers and your new friends. This will also serve as an opportunity for us to get reaquainted with dear friends we have not seen in six years.

5. The tuition fee of $299 for this event covers the total cost of the conference. This fee includes classes with all instructors, all kits for the hands-on projects including all fabrics threads and supplies for each class, the use of a brand new machine in at least 3 classes, all evening sessions, a delicious full buffet lunch with drink and dessert every day, and the welcome reception on Tuesday night complete with light snacks. This school is an intensive four full days of sewing, quilting, and embroidery. Most schools of this type will cost over $650 for the tuition.

6. The Holiday Inn Select Hotel, Cedar Bluff/Knoxville is conveniently located at just off I40 at the Cedar Bluff Exit (#378A-B) Ramp. The physical address and phone number is 304 CEDAR BLUFF KNOXVILLE, TN 37923 Hotel Front Desk: 1-865-693-1011. When calling to make reservations, be sure to ask for The “Hands On” Sewing Conference discounted rate. There is a limited number of rooms that are held at this rate. Please reserve your room as soon as possible to guarantee that you get this discounted rate. We encourage everyone that possibly can, to stay at the hotel during the school as the “Hands-On Sewing Schools are very intensive with long hours. YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEY’S WORTH!

Our Teachers

Simon Haskins
Sydney Australia
Be inspired, motivated and excited by the many possibilities that Jenny Haskins shares with her “Machine Embroidery Secrets”, ably presented by Simon (Jenny’s son, International Tutor, Designer and Author). No longer will you see an embroidery design as it appears – you will explore the creative potential that is now possible with machine embroidery such as: Twin Needle Shadow Work by machine, easy Antique Cutwork, Sheer Reverse Appliqué, Shadow Appliqué and Multi Layer Appliqué (all in one design) as well as her latest technique, Embroidery Decoupage . Add to this the secrets of accurate embroidery placement using multi templates, giving you complete confidence in your ability. No longer are embroidery artists satisfied with ‘place and plonk’ they want more creative options. This class is guaranteed to inspire the veteran seamstress/embroiderer whilst motivating the novice to get started.

Patsy Shields
Indiana
Author, Teacher, TV Personality, and National Education Coordinator for RNK Distributing. Patsy has been sharing her love for sewing, and quilting for over 30 years and is recognized nationally as one of the Icons of the Home Sewing Industry . She is was recently awarded “Certified Master Sewing Educator” by the National Sewing Educators Alliance” in Las Vegas. Her years of experience and wealth of sewing knowledge has been shared from coast to coast, in nearly every venue, both for consumers and sewing business owners. Her tips and solutions to everyday challenges in sewing, quilting and embroidery has increased the enjoyment of this hobby for thousands. She has appeared on numerous occasions with Martha Pullen, Nancy Zieman and others sharing her time saving techniques, all about stabilizers, sewing projects, serger projects, heirloom sewing, and many more.Her expertise along with a relaxed personality makes her class fun, informative, to the point and creates a workshop type atmosphere.

You are certain to love Patsys’ “Really Easy Paper Piecing” Class. Learn how easy paper piecing can be while learning about what’s new in the market place for quilters. Create a beautiful paper pieced floral design using a new foundation product that removes easily once the piecing is complete. Finish your quilt with new fusible batting which helps prevent puckering when quilting. Add some easy free motion quilting for a beautiful wall hanging for your home.

Walter Floriani
Las Vegas, NV
Walter A. Floriani, Jr. of Las Vegas, NV has been dubbed by many as the “Guru of Digitizing”. As well He should be, He’s only been exposed to embroidery his entire life. In fact, Walter is a fifth generation Designer, Digitizer (just wait until you see the samples of his work), author, lecturer and consultant. He owns and operates Floriani Favorite Stock Designs and Floriani Embroidery Consulting Services. For most of his life he has worked primarily with commercial embroiders, but for several years now has been involved with what is termed by Walter as the Fun Embroiderers! Meaning those that embroider just for fun. In fact He now maintains the Fun Club. Walter has taught thousands of digitizers, and teachers of digitizing. He is full of excitement and motivational! Check out his web site at http://www. floriani.com

Walter’s class “Evaluating an Embroidery Design / A New View” will change the way you embroider for ever, making it even more fun!

Marie Josee Mailloux
Quebec
Author, Designer, Educator, and Embroidery Expert. Marie owns and operates “My Embroidery Haven” web site. Her amazing creativity has been show cased by “Creative Machine Embroidery” and other national publications. She has taught classes given lectures and helped to resolve digitizing and embroidery problems for thousands. This will be her first time to share her talents with a “Hands-On” group, but we are convinced it will not be her last.

Nita O’Keefe
Texas
Nita O’Keefe is the owner and sole digitizer of Fancy That Designs and her embroidery design collections are exquisite in their detail and incorporate efficient digitizing techniques to minimize thread jumps. She has a complete mastery of the PE Design/Palette software to use it to its fullest potential and is not afraid to experiment with it to create new and interesting effects in the digitizing process. In recognition of her digitizing achievements, Nita has been awarded 3 honors awards from the EMB Contest 2001. Also a 3rd place Outstanding Digitizing Award & a 3rd place Best Embroidery for Singlehead Embroidery shops competing against professional digitizers & using only her PE-Design/Palette software to create with, from the Impressions Contest 2001.

In 1999, Nita began teaching her techniques and digitizing style at dealerships and national embroidery events. Her “standing room only” classes are always well received and the students love to learn how they too can create such unique textures like “Fur & Feathers” and “Detail & Shading”. Nita’s website address is http://www.fancythatdesigns.com

Lyn Christian
Kentucky
Digitizer, embroiderer, designer and web site owner, Lyn has been crafting in some sort since she was about 8. She has won several digitizing awards as well a many ribbons for embroidery and sewing through out the years. Well known for her Southwestern designs you can visit her website at http://www.adesignbylyn.com

Her love of embroidery makes her constantly reach for new ideas and techniques. You will forever be thrilled with her class “3 D Embroidery”. You will be introduced most likely for the very first time to this new and exciting form of Embroidery. Every student will leave the classroom with a new project that has incorporated the 3D process in it. Upon your return home from school, this is sure to be one of the classes you will not find easy to stop talking about. No matter what you are visualizing this class to be in your mind, it is going to be more exciting than you imagine.

Rebecca Kemp Brent
Knoxville
Rebecca Kemp Brent is a designer, educator, and freelance author with vast experience in the field of embroidery. She is a regular contributor to Creative Machine Embroidery, Quilting & Embroidery, Paper & Embroidery, and Holiday Embroidery magazines, among others. Rebecca is very special to Ricky and Kay as they consider her very instrumental in the success of the retail business they operated for 13 years in Knoxville. She was the educator for their massive Embroidery, and Sewing Clubs, and always the most requested teacher at their Knoxville sewing schools. There were many times during those years that Ricky and Kay told Rebecca, her work of creativity should be shared with the world and now it is. This will be the first time in six years it has been possible for “Hands-On” and Rebecca to work together. One more reason this will be such a special school.

Rebecca’s class “The Essence Of Shadow Work Embroidery” will capture your love for heirloom treasures as you produce your very own. This project as many others you will create during this “Home Coming” school will be the center of discussions for years to come.

Mary Carollo
Mary has over 30 years of experience in the sewing industry from managing a custom bridal business to owning her own retail sewing and fabric store. She has been developing Janome Hands On Classes, Dealer Development classes, Training Seminars and Software Education for many years. Her original creations have been featured in many sewing publications including Designs In Machine Embroidery and many television shows. Her classes incorporate the ease of computerized sewing with software technology. Her software classes are designed with a simple approach for every skill level. Mary believes today's sewist have the best tools available to express their individuality through their sewing skills. Her classes are focused to bring out the creative artist in everyone, using texures, fabrics, simple machine techniques, and a little imagination.

Maddie Bushman
Maddie Bushman is our bi-lingual international educator for Janome America. She teaches embroidery for the beginner/intermediate, Digitizing, Customizing, garment construction, pattern fitting, Quilting, home decor and crafts. Several of her projects are featured on the Janome website and in the Janome Digest. She has also been a television guest several times on the Kaye Wood Show (Kaye's Quilting Friends) and Quilt Central TV. She has traveled throughout the United States, Central America, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Costa Rica and The Dominican Republic teaching and promoting the benefits of owning Janome Sewing/Embroidery machines and sergers.