Cindy Erickson

Cindy Ericson started her career as an interior designer in Arizona and Utah, then specialized in creating applique wallhangings and clothing for boutiques. Since being introduced to the rotary cutter and half-square triangle she's been unstoppable.

Cindy makes commission quilts and samples for various international companies and individuals (including RJR and P&B). She is an NQA certified Quilt Judge and teaches quilting and clothing specialty classes at Bernina Sewing Center in Omaha as well as lecturing and classes around the country. She specializes in teaching rotary and sewing machine skills in all aspects of quiltmaking to all skill levels.

"Professional Quilter Magazine" nominated her for National Teacher of the Year in 2009. She has been published in Quiltmaker, Fons and Porters magazine and Leisure Arts publications. Cindy designed some book and patterns with Jo Morton. One of the patterns was on the cover of Keepsake Quilting catalog. Cindy's quilts have been shown in AQS, Houston, PIQS and NQA. You can read more about Cindy at her website, www.cindyerickson.com.

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Marcia Kaylakie

Marcia Kaylakie has been making, collecting, and appraising quilts since 1988, and is a Quilt and Quilted Textile Appraiser certified by the American Quilters Society. She is a member of the International Society of Appraisers and has many years experience working with textiles.

Marcia has appeared in numerous books, magazines, newspaper articles, and has been a guest on two television shows in Austin, Texas on the making of religious quilts. She was curator for Eye of the Needle, an exhibit of contemporary quilted textiles in 2007, and was guest curator for the exhibit Quilts In Our Community, displayed in the Great Hall of the Texas Memorial Museum of Science and History in March 2003. Marcia is guest curator for Gone to Texas: Women and Quilts, an exhibit of 19th century Texas quilts set in the context of immigration. The exhibit opens March 2, 2012.

Marcia is a member of the Austin Area Quilt Guild, the American Quilter's Society, The International Quilt Association, the American Quilt Study Group, and the Professional Association of Appraisers–Quilted Textiles. She currently gives lectures and workshops nationally on quilts and quilt history in the United States, as well as judging quilt shows and appraising privately. Her special interests include Mountain Mist quilts, coverlets, samplers, quilted textiles, Texas quilts and quiltmakers, and art quilts.

Marcia lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Bill, and their two dogs. They have two grown sons, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter.

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Connie Silber

Connie Silber was born and raised in Paris, IL, and graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a BA in chemistry. Until 1976 Connie worked as an analytical chemist for the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois. During the 1980's, Connie was self employed with custom sewing and alterations in her home. This venture led to her position as a Professional Stitcher for the Theater Arts Department of Texas A&M University from 1988-91, where she stitched for nine period productions.

In 1989 Connie began quiltmaking and, soon after, joined the Brazos Bluebonnet Quilt Guild. She has been the recipient of awards in her Brazos Bluebonnet Quilt Guild shows and at the National Quilters Association and is an active teacher and lecturer for guilds throughout Texas. Connie was also a participant in the NQA Quilt Judging Seminar in Omaha, Nebraska in June 1999 under the instruction of Anita Shackelford, Carol Butzke and Klaudeen Hansen.

In May 2001, Connie was one of three judges selected to judge the International Machine Quilters Association Machine Quilting Showcase in Springfield, IL. Since 1999 she has judged many quilt shows across Texas as well as shows in Oklahoma and Louisiana. In June 2008, Connie satisfied the requirements established by The National Quilting Association, Inc. and became a Certified Judge of Quilting.

Connie has been married to her wonderful husband Steve for 40 years, and they have two sons, Eric and Kyle. Eric and wife Carla are both Aggies, and they are the parents of grandchildren Nina and Seth. Kyle, who was named long before residing in Aggieland, is also a graduate of Texas A&M and working in Dallas. He and his wife Katie (RN, no Aggie) live and work in the Dallas area.

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