Brand Ambassador Intro- Stephanie Bertics

Our 9th Ambassador for 2020 is the incredibly talented Stephanie Bertics. Her quilts are stunning and we can't wait for you to see all the amazing projects she creates using Michael Miller fabrics!

Hello! I am Stephanie Bertics of Quilt’n Party. I live in the Metro Denver area where I have lived most of my life. I work full time as an Information Technology Business Analyst for a large Telecom company, my job is all about helping to improve business processes through automation; specifically, I document requirements to help the project team understand what the client is requesting to have built. It always strikes me how many technical people are also quilters. I think we like to play with the soft, cheery fabric to reduce the stress.

1. How long have you been sewing/quilting? My earliest memory of sewing is when I was about six. My grandmother taught me to do simple embroidery where the patterns are stamped on the fabric. Recently my mom found one of my first projects packed away in her basement. It is a baby-sized blanket with a deer on it. I turned it into a throw pillow so I can always see it. Mom and I were always doing something crafty over the years so creating has always been part of my life. There are no quilters in my family, but I was always fascinated by quilts, I started quilting around 1999 and I am self-taught. 

2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?  I really enjoy getting outside to take photos, and that typically involves hiking or walking. I’m lucky to live in a state with so much beauty and decent weather. I also love cooking and I enjoy hosting dinner parties for friends.

 

3. What was the biggest change in your life in 2019? 2019 was a year of change. After my dad passed away mom and I decided that it made sense for us to combine homes. It’s been a big change for both of us. The hardest part was figuring out where to store all my fabric. Before I moved in with her, I actually went through a bit of a fabric purge in order to reduce the size of my stash. After 6 months I think we have the fabric situation all figured out. 

4. What is your favorite food? I love Mexican food. I could eat it every day. I also love Hungarian food. My dad was Hungarian, and I learned to make all the wonderful Hungarian dishes from him.

5. Do you have any pets? No pets right now. But if you’re wondering, I prefer dogs. 

6. What is your favorite color? That’s so hard to answer plus it depends on the application. I love blue, like the color of the sky. But I wear a lot of black. I love to see red in a quilt, and green, I really like green.

I am so excited for the opportunity to be a Brand Ambassador for Michael Miller fabrics in 2020. I hope to come up with some great projects to showcase the fun, cheery fabrics.

Follow me!

Website: https://quiltnparty.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/quiltnparty/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quiltnparty

Brand Ambassador Intro- Bea Lee

Our Second Brand Ambassador for 2020 is the incredible Bea Lee. Her love of fabric is infectious and we're so excited to have her on board.

Bea was born and raised in Denmark before moving to Florida in 1996 to attend college for computer animation. After graduating, she married and began her family. In 2004, Bea was introduced to quilting at a church class, but it took a few years for her to get hooked. Her passion took hold when she started making charity quilts and entering quilt shows. In 2009, Bea's husband bought her a longarm machine, and she began taking custom orders, she’s now on her 3rd machine that’s also computerized She also does machine embroidery. She, her husband, and their four children live in a small town in North Carolina. Bea has won numerous ribbons at county fairs, quilt shows, and guild shows, and she is also an avid blogger. www.beaquilter.com
        
She’s been published in numerous magazines; McCall’s, Fons and Porter, Quiltmaker and some booklets by Annie’s. She was an ambassador for Island Batik from 2014 to 2019 and is now an ambassador for Michael Miller Fabrics. Yay! She’s also a designer for Accuquilt and sells her patterns on her etsy store, her website and with Connecting threads.com                              

We asked her some fun questions to help you get to know her better!

1. How long have you been sewing/quilting? Since 2004
2. What other hobbies do you enjoy? What other hobbies are there?? I do machine embroidery and try to incorporate that into my quilting. My original “craft” was probably crocheting, which I taught myself when I was a child.
3. What was the biggest change in your life in 2019? In December I got my computerized long arm machine, I’m having SEW much fun with it! Personally, I think it was when my oldest got his driver’s license and he is now able to drop off and pick off one of his siblings from school! That’s a GREAT help, as my kids are at 3 different schools, plus a toddler at home.
4. What is your favorite food? I like the normal homemade dishes, but one thing I MISS from Denmark is Black Licorice! It’s black and strong and salty, not like this sweet twizzler stuff, the read Haribo black licorice is so strong that when you bite into it, you feel it in your ears like you do with lemon, then it’s GOOD STUFF! LOL
5. BLUE!What is your favorite color?
6. Do you have any pets? We now have 2 cats, one is a grey long haired cat from a shelter, his name is Swiffer (Swift Fur), the other cat Kronk, we got recently, from a friend who was moving, he’s a BIG black cat, weighing 20 lbs! he’s HUGE!! He’s like a black panther.                                                                                       

Be sure to follow her to see all the Michael Miller fun she'll be sharing!

Website: www.beaquilter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beaquilter/
Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/beaquilter
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bealeequilter/

Become a Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador. Apply now!

ATTENTION QUILTING INDUSTRY DESIGNERS & BLOGGERS

Want to gain exposure while sewing with the best fabric?

APPLY TO BECOME A BRAND AMBASSADOR!

Michael Miller Fabrics provides bold design, inspires creativity and offers exceptional customer service, all while “Making it Fun!”. Now is your opportunity to join the team as a Brand Ambassador!

What it means to be a Brand Ambassador:

1.    Share your love for Michael Miller Fabrics

2.    Participation in our online quilt along/block of the month by designing a block to be included in a quilt.

3.    Broaden your skill set and explore new techniques in group challenges.

4.    Create buzz around new product launches by featuring Michael Miller fabrics on your blogs and social media platforms.

5.    Include our “I Like Mike” promo badge on your website and social media.

6.    Tagging @michaelmillerfabrics on posts and using the hashtags #ilikemike, #michaelmillerfabrics #makingitfun.

7.    Provide feedback to our marketing team.

Perks of being a Brand Ambassador:

1.    Free fabric and goodies.

2.    Promotion of you and your brand by sharing your content on our social media channels.

3.    Opportunities for you to be featured on our blog and marketing channels.

4.    Sharing our “I Like Mike” promo badge and other graphics and images for your posts.

5.    Opportunities for your patterns/projects to be included in our catalogs and marketing materials.

6.    Connections to magazine publications for your projects using Michael Miller fabric.

What we looking for: 

This program is targeted at QUILTERS. This is the perfect opportunity for those actively building a brand in the quilting industry. We are looking for enthusiastic designers and bloggers to promote our brand and fabric through social media, online or in-person events and social media channels. Our Brand Ambassadors must have active social media outlets, be experienced quilters and engaged in the quilting community. This year we are specifically looking for 1-2 Brand Ambassadors to work exclusively with our Minky products. Minky is super-soft, 100% polyester fabric - great for baby blankets, quilts, scarves, stuffed animals and more! In your application, please indicate interest in Cotton or Minky. 

What is required:

Projects will vary from group challenges to monthly events. We will provide all fabric required for program-related projects, plus other goodies. We will promote two campaigns per quarter (8 per year). Ambassadors will make projects and post about them. You may offer free patterns or patterns that you sell commercially. We are looking for posts from the opening reveal of what’s in the box to the final project. Facebook live, Instagram Live, videos and product demos are encouraged.

Ambassadors may be asked to provide projects for our sales reps, Quilt Market and magazine outlets. Ambassadors are expected to actively participate in a private, ambassadors-only, Facebook group and respond to emails. MEETING DEADLINES IS A MUST!

This ambassadorship runs January 1, 2020-December 31, 2020.

If you have questions, please email: susan@michaelmillerfabrics.com or visit the Michael Miller Fabrics booths (414 & 415) at Houston Quilt Market and speak with our marketing team.

How to apply:

Click link below and fill out the application. Applicants will be assessed by the marketing team at Michael Miller Fabrics based on your blog content, posting regularity, social media content and photography. Thank you in advance for your application!

CLICK HERE for Michael Miller Fabrics "I Like Mike" 2020 Brand Ambassador Application

April "Making it Fun" Blog hop by our Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassadors!

Our Brand Ambassadors are "Making it Fun!" this month! Check out our fun filled schedule below and learn more about our latest collections and the fantastic projects you can create with them!

"I LIKE MIKE" Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassadors Blog Schedule 

April 9th, 2019  - Angie of Gnome Angel 

April 11th, 2019 - Melanie T. of Southern Charm Quilts

April 16th, 2019 - Erica Jackman of Kitchen Table Quilting

April 18th, 2019  - Jennifer of Sweet Tea Pattern Co

April 23rd, 2019  - Kris of Poorhouse Quilts 

April 25th, 2019  - Karly of Paisley Roots

April 30th, 2019  - Elizabeth of Just Wanna Quilt

Be sure to follow along! 

Happy hopping! 

Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador - Elizabeth Townsend Gard

We are so pleased to introduce Elizabeth Townsen Gard as our ninth Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador! 

Dr. Elizabeth Townsend Gard is the host and director of Just Wanna Quilt podcast, which now boasts over 200 interviews in its first year. Some special guests include Marianne Fons, Tula Pink, Jenny Doan, and Rob Appell, among others, and interviews industry leaders and regular quilters.  Elizabeth is also a copyright law professor at Tulane Law School, and Lepage Entrepreneur Fellow at the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane. She has been quilting since age 13, and quilts every night as part of this project. 

 The Just Wanna Quilt project has grown into a movement (called the Quilting Army) -- of conversations about quilting on our lives, entrepreneurship, charity quilting, and intellectual property, among other topics.  Elizabeth, along with her law students, are working on the Copyright Workbook, which will include Chapters with Patterns to learn copyright and other aspects of intellectual property.  The first Chapter, Basic Training, was debuted at QuiltCon 2019.  The Just Wanna Quilt project was featured in Quiltfolk magazine for Louisiana in July 2018.  We had an interactive booth for the first time at Houston.

1. What was your first sewing project?

My first sewing project was an embroidery and cross-stitch project on burlap when I was about 5.  I've always sewed, mostly hand sewing, with my mom.  But we also dabbled in quilting, beginning at age 13, which was in 1979.  It was a pink basic block quilt that we tied.  We went to a quilt shop and I remember picking out the fabric.  We powered through that first quilt in a weekend. 

2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?

Hmmmm....binging just about anything on Netflix. 

3. What is your favorite color?

Hot pink.  But I wear mostly black. 

4. Where is your dream vacation?

A quilting cruise to Cuba.  I've never been on a cruise and I've never been to Cuba.  But that sounds pretty awesome.  Especially if the cruise left from New Orleans, where I live.

5. Who taught you how to sew?

My mom.  She passed away about ten years ago.  So, I always feel really connected to her when I sew.  Mom-time.  She made elaborate Danish cross-stitch masterpieces, and also knitted.

6. What food could you eat everyday?

Dark chocolate, French fries and pot stickers.  That's what I had for breakfast this morning.  Just kidding.  Well, not the chocolate and fries.

7. What do you want to be doing in five years?

Well, that's interesting.  My kid will be in college.  I hope that we've turned our house into the Just Wanna Quilt clubhouse (a New Orleans duplex) for hanging out and sleepovers, which we are in the process of doing right now.  I'm still teaching law, but maybe visiting as a professor at wherever the kid is in college. We have the Law and Entrepreneurship Center up and running to help others with their dreams, which again we are working on now. And the Quilting Army really has become a movement of kindness and community.

Thank you Elizabeth! 

Check out her podcasts and content on:

www.justwannaquilt.com

Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador - Karly Nelson

We are so pleased to introduce Karly Nelson as our eighth Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador! 

Hi! I'm Karly from Paisley Roots. I started my stitching journey 15 years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child. Being tall (6' to be exact) and coming from a creative family, I was always intrigued with making my own clothing. During the last 6 years, my main sewing focus has been clothing my 5 long-bean children but I've been very excited to bring my focus back to quilts this year.   I'm very honored and thrilled to be on the Michael Miller Ambassador team and can't wait to share some of my creativity with you!

1. What was your first sewing project?
My first sewing project was a simple and the super basic of baby quilts. Yarn ties and all!

2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?

Travelling, reading, watching documentaries, doodling, knitting, astrology, eating chocolate....

3. What is your favorite color?

A myriad of teals.

4. Where is your dream vacation?

All around the world!

5. Who taught you how to sew?

Trial and error, pattern tests and YouTube. Although my mother (who has never sewn) says I got my sewing talent from her! 😂

6. What food could you eat everyday?

Brownies...maybe topped with some strawberries and raspberries but mostly the brownie.

7. What do you want to be doing in five years?

I want to be sitting on the beach in front of my beach house, eating brownies while planning my girls prom dresses while I'm also neck deep in a dozen other projects! A book and fabric line may be part of those projects.

Thank you Karly and welcome to the brand ambassador team!

To see what she is currently working on, check and follow her main channels:

Blog: http://www.paisleyroots.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paisleyroots

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paisleyroots

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmpbWnXbG4GfhQPSWuzw75A

Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador -

We are so pleased to introduce Jennifer McClanahan as our seventh Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador! 

Jennifer McClanahan is a pattern designer, a mother of three amazing children, a soon to be grandma and a loving wife.

Jennifer spent the majority of her childhood in beautiful southern Indiana, learning many crafts, including sewing, from her mother, aunts, cousins and grandmother. A couple of years after graduating, she married her high school sweetheart and embarked on a 22-year journey of traveling the world with her Navy husband and kiddos. Jennifer credits these world travels and variety of cultures for expanding her creativity and influencing her modern, artistic and bold style of design.

Once Jennifer’s husband retired from the Navy and her children began spreading their own wings, she decided to share her passion for quilting and unique design with others. Thus—Sweet Tea Pattern Co. was born!

 Jennifer feels blessed and fortunate that she can spend her days in her studio doing what she loves—creating, designing, sewing and quilting. When she is not in her studio, you can find Jennifer binge watching reality TV, cooking and enjoying time with family and friends.

Here are some questions we asked her and responses:

1. What was your first sewing project?

Its been a long time, I learned to sew when I was around 5 years old, so I believe it was a blanket for my doll.    

2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?

 All types of sewing, but I enjoy drawing, reading – fiction and nonfiction and cooking.

3. What is your favorite color?

 Its so hard to pick a favorite color I love all brite colors.  I guess if I have to choose one I tend to lean towards Blue.

4. Where is your dream vacation? Ireland

5. Who taught you how to sew?

I come from a large family that all sews. I’ve learned different things (crocheting, cross-stitch etc) from different family members but I would say sewing/quilting ultimately came from my Grandmother.

6. What food could you eat everyday?

            Anything Mexican

7. What do you want to be doing in five years?

            I want to still be sewing everyday and playing with my future grandkids. 

Thank you Jennifer! We look forward to working with you and are excited to see what you create for Michael Miller Fabrics. 

To see what she is up to follow her social media accounts and pages below: 

Website:  www.sweetteapatternco.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sweetteapatternco/

Facebook:  facebook.com/sweetteapatternco.com

Blog:  sweetteapatternco.blogspot.com

  

  

Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador - Angie Wilson

We are so pleased to introduce Angie Wilson as our sixth Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador! 

Hello! Hello! My name is Angie Wilson and I am the voice behind GnomeAngel.com. I’m a 40-something half of a smug married couple who lives in the Capital of Australia, Canberra, with the apple of their eye, their adorable son. I am the custodian of 2 cats; Sonic and Llink (don’t worry, it’s not a typo – he’s named after both Lloyd from Lego Ninjago and Link from the Adventures of Zelda).  We live in an exceptionally brown 1980’s home in suburbia.

I’ve been sewing since 2011 and it’s been an adventure in horribly crooked seams, miss-cut fabrics and broken needles. I’m not a “natural sewist”. It’s a lot of practice, practice, practice. I am the creator of the #100Days100Blocks challenge. It’s been one of the best things I’ve ever had a hand in. It’s an annual challenge where participants are asked to sew 1 block a day for 100 days from a specific pattern. (The pattern for 2019 is Kinship: 100 Block Fusion Sampler which I co-designed with a friend and self-published, it’ll be available for purchase 23 March 2019 and #100Days100Blocks2019 kicks off 1 July 2019.)

I’m the author of the book, Fussy Cutters Club, and a self-proclaimed fabric addict. I’m addicted to both sugar and saturated fats; it’s a lethal combination. I’ve never had coffee, tea or wine (with the exception of Champagne). I’ve also never seen The Sound of Music. My go-to colour palette is rainbow or black, white + another colour. I have a bit of a thing for gnomes, anchors and the history of the British Monarchy

. 

1. What was your first sewing project?

 A pillowcase in my High School economics class. I totally botched it and my teacher decided that from that point on the world would be a lot safer if I didn’t have a sharp implement in my hand.

                                                                       I’m proud to say that I proved her (and my first quilt teacher) wrong by persisting through the horrible cluster that was my sewing technique to now dominate with a sewing machine, rotary cutter and a stack of fabric.

2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?

Who has time for a hobby outside of a full-time creative career and a family? *wink* When I find myself with down time or I’m actively avoiding (i.e. procrastinating) I love to play video games and read. I’m am the poster child of a healthy lifestyle.

3. What is your favorite color?

That’s like asking who’s my favourite Winchester brother! I go through phases but I always come back to black, white and rainbow.

4. Where is your dream vacation?

I really want to go to Hawaii. But right now, I’d settle for a comfy bed, someone else to cook dinner and a few hours uninterrupted to get some sleep or read a book (or both).

5. Who taught you how to sew?

A really patient and understanding lady who was running a beginner’s quilt class. She was able to see past my bull-in-a-china-shop approach and encourage my love of colour and pattern.

6. What food could you eat everyday?

Hot chips (fries). All.day.every.day.

7. What do you want to be doing in five years?

On the personal front: being a good parent and spouse.

On the work front: encouraging and supporting people to pursue their creative dreams and passions. The world needs people who make with their hands and their hearts. It’s not about being the best or the most popular, it’s about using your own unique and special brand of creativity to express who you are.

Thanks so much Angie Wilson! 

Be sure to follow her platforms below to see what she is up to and what she will create for Michael Miller Fabrics!

Website: https://www.gnomeangel.com

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/gnomeangel/

Online Shop: https://shop.gnomeangel.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gnomeangel/