About Our Tutors : Welcome to Thread Bear

Linda’s been hooked on glass and jewellery every since her husband brought an old enamelling kiln home from a junk shop! She works primarily in silver using cloisonné and champlevé techniques (you can ask her what they are!), but you can use silver or copper in this term’s class. Linda also teaches locally in adult education and has won awards for her work, which she exhibits around the country.

Juanita Dodd

Juanita is a terrific designer who has won awards for her quilts, and brings boundless enthusiasm and humour to her skills as a teacher of quilting. She holds City & Guilds Patchwork Level 2 and C&G Design for Craft and has taught in adult education for a number of years.

Heather Esswood

Heather is a knitting design consultant for Rowan and teaches knitting and crochet workshops around the country both for Rowan and independently. We know her as a gentle and friendly lady, patient and encouraging - a great teacher, and enormously skilled in her knitting techniques.

Gail Lawther

We’ve gained huge pleasure from author and designer Gail’s workshops thus far with her inspirational designs, not to mention her charming personality, excellent teaching skills and sense of humour! Her wonderful designs are easy to achieve with no previous experience, so Gail's workshops are an ideal choice for those who’ve not done any quilting before.

Jenny Le Crossette

We often refer customers to Jenny, from World of Sewing in Croydon, for help and advice - so we’re delighted that she is now teaching regularly at Thread Bear, putting her many years of sewing - and sewing machine - expertise at our disposal, helping us get to know and love our sewing machines! Jenny enjoys sewing of all kinds - historically mainly dressmaking and home furnishings, but admits to an increasing fascination with quilting (in other words - she’s hooked like the rest of us!)

Sharon Lidbury

A lacemaker of over 20 years’ experience, Sharon is a founder member of the Croydon Lacemakers, and member of the Lace Guild. It’s a pleasure to have Sharon running the regular lacemaking classes at Thread Bear and she has a terrific rapport with all her students who, she says, she is immensely proud of! (We think they’re pretty proud of her too!)

Amanda Paul

Patchwork and quilting is an obsession for Amanda; when she is not teaching she is designing quilts for her students, family and friends! She has been teaching in adult education for many years and loves sharing her ideas, techniques and projects with everyone in her classes. Amanda regularly has her designs published in British Patchwork and Quilting magazine and with the help of her students she has raised over £9000 for local charities from group quilts. She collects antique sewing machines and has dozens of collectable miniatures. Amanda’s loves hand-quilting and her classes are perfect for those who enjoy hand rather than machine-quilting.

Gail Penberthy

We’re delighted that Gail is with us again this term to teach her hugely popular fleece quiltwork technique, as well as a super crazy patchwork quilt or cushion. Gail’s a City & Guilds graduate and prize-winning quilter and designer, and is full of original ideas. We’re particularly proud to have Gail teaching here, as it was at Thread Bear that Gail started as a beginner around 6 years ago! To add to her skills, Gail is a charming lady and you’ll really enjoy her teaching and her company.

Chris Range

Chris took up patchwork whilst in acting to pass the time during long rehearsals, where it served the dual purpose of occupational therapy and, as the quilt grew, warmth … these rehearsal halls can be draughty places! Chris still finds that patchwork is an all-consuming pastime; a wonderful way to relax with worthwhile results! Following her personal motto of, “If There’s A Quick Way To Do It, An Easy Way to Do It …’, this term she invites you to a workshops that give you the chance to do just that!

Sue Sharp

Sue, known to her students as ‘Queen of the Quick Quilt’, is always looking for shortcuts that give great effects with minimum effort! She has been quilting for more than ten years, and has taught in the UK, Europe and the US for seven years. She also runs residential quilt retreats and workshops next to her rural village home in France. When you meet her, ask her how she came to be arrested at a quilt group meeting!