Nic Bridges - Wollongong NSW

Nic has been involved in patchwork and quilting since 1992, and became a professional quilter in 2002.  Since then, she has established herself as a professional tutor, teaching contemporary quilt making techniques in Sydney, Wollongong and on the South Coast of NSW, in addition to her long arm quilting business and other  artistic endeavors.

Over recent years, Nic has been a regular contributor to Australian quilting magazines. She has won a swag of awards and prizes over the past several years at quilt shows and exhibitions all over Australia, in the UK and America.  Highlights include winning Best Use of Colour at the 2008 Sydney Quilt Show and Best Longarm Quilt at the 2006 Birmingham Festival of Quilts.

More recently, a collaborative quilt made with Lisa Walton won not only 1st prize in its category at the 2008 Sydney Quilt Show, but went on to be awarded a 3rd Prize at the 2009 AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, Kentucky, USA as well as a 2nd Prize in the Group Quilts category at the Birmingham Festival. of Quilts in the UK. She also paints and draws, and is currently studying for a Diploma of Fine Arts.
Nic has designed two workshops which will providing opportunities for students to take special three day creative journeys with this talented artists.
www.nicquiltz.com

Deborah Louie - Sydney NSW

Deborah’s background is in textile printing and the fashion industry. Following the birth of her first child, Deborah established her own home-based business quilting other peoples quilts.

Deborah has worked out the fastest and easiest ways to quilt on the domestic sewing machine with endless practice and now passes her extensive knowledge onto her many students.
She is an accredited teacher (Quilters Guild of NSW) ,travels extensively and is  much in demand as a  well known and popular tutor in shops, with groups, retreats, and conventions.
Deborah’s quilting workshops are designed to create individuality and style in quilting and Deborah has been delighted to have the opportunity to develop a special and exciting three day workshop for Be Creative by the Sea.
www.deborahlouie.com.au

Jane Sassaman - USA

Jane is a contemporary quilt artist, fabric designer, author and teacher whose critically acclaimed work inspires creative confidence in aspiring artists of all backgrounds. Her quilts are known internationally, for their bold designs, celebrating the energy and miraculous beauty of garden flowers and plants (and the occasional skeleton!). Jane's quilts are shown worldwide and can be found in many private and corporate art collections. Her quilt Willow was named one of the best 100 American Quilts of the Century. Jane is also an accomplished teacher of design and quilting for guilds and conferences around the world. She travels internationally, teaching groups and individuals how to nurture creativity, sharpen powers of observation and overcome creative obstacles.
Spring 2001 saw the publication of Jane's first book, The Quilted Garden
Jane spends part of her creative time designing fabric for the prestigious quilt fabric manufacturer FreeSpirit, in NYC and is currently at work on her third line of Fabric for FreeSpirit fabric. Jane's online store debuted in 2002 and carries an array of fabrics, quilt kits and patterns, books, and magazines all devoted to Jane's particular vision of color and design. Check out her website to learn more about this high profile teacher. We are privileged that Jane will be our international guest. www.janesassaman.com

Liz Scobie - Coffs Harbour NSW

Liz has taught patchwork, quilting and machine embroidery for many years. She now specializes in creative machine embroidery and her workshops continually inspire adults as well as textile students in NSW High Schools. Liz, in partnership with her husband Neil, produce painted wooden bowls, wood panels and screens with inserts of machine embroidery, which are in high demand by galleries through out Australia and overseas. Recently both Liz and Neil have traveled to the US to tutor and lecture as well as being popular tutors in New Zealand.
 This gifted and experienced teacher has so much to offer her students and will be tutoring for her ninth year at Be Creative. www.neilandlizscobie.com

Lisa Walton - Sydney NSW

 Lisa has been awarded many prizes for her quilts in Australia and overseas. Most recently she has received major prizes in the America Quilt Society Show in Paducah USA and the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK as well as prizes at the Sydney and Brisbane Quilt hows. She teaches all over Australia and overseas. In 2010 she has been invited to teach in Italy, France and England. She has also been featured in two DVD workshops which have been very popular. Starting with traditional quilt techniques she soon developed the urge to break the rules. Lisa also specialises in exciting hand dyed fabrics and has developed her very successful business Dyed & Gone to Heaven. This popular tutor returns for the third year to Be Creative by the Sea and her specially designed workshop features the versatility of her many techniques and talents. www.dyedheaven.com

Mariya Waters – Mebourne VIC

Mariya is an  international and Australian award winning  quilt maker and teacher. She currently specialises in hand appliqué and machine quilting but has also won international  awards for contemporary art and innovative quilts and teaching her special techniques – appliqué by hand and machine,  by hand and machine, when time allows.

Mariya began quilting in New Zealand in 1990 and since then has won many awards and acclaim around the world.. Since then Mariya has specialised in making quilts for  exhibition with most taking a year or more to complete. Read about her achievements on her website.
We are all familiar with her most recent quilt "Renaissance Revival" It has won Best of Show and Best Domestic Machine Quilting and  the inaugural Hangers' Award at the Quilters’ Guild of NSW June 2007 show in Sydney.

This was followed by Best of Category and  Viewers' Choice at the Victorian Quilters Inc July 2007 show in  Melbourne.  The Quilt won the Founders Award in the IQA show in Houston, USA in October 2007.

In February 2008 the quilt was awarded best of Australia (the Bernina Australian National Quilt Award 2007) at the Australian Council of Quilters  function in Melbourne. In April 2009 the quilt was awarded  Best of Show at the AQS 25th Anniversary Quilt Show and Contest  in Paducah USA and the quilt now hangs in the National  Quilt Museum in  Paducah. I know that you will be excited about the prospect of studying with this extraordinary quilter and teacher.www.mariyawaters.com