My passion started in the year of 2019 when I received my first embroidery machine. Ever since then, my ideas for embroidery projects have been endless such as embroidering on clothes, house decorations, in the hoop projects, etc. This was then carried out by expanding the capabilities of the sewing machine creating bags, tea covers, placemats and more.

I am still exploring different techniques in embroidery. This year I have tried to draw and use cut work in my embroidery machine and even adding crystals to my embroidery.

Teaching is my passion as I love to share my knowledge with all embroidery enthusiasts. My advice is always learn how to use your own machine, use different materials and then start to sell your product or even digitize your own design!

Having grown up in Romania, I made the move to Kuwait in 1993 to work as a project manager. I then decided to focus on my lifelong passion for textile and fiber arts. As a child, my mother and grandmother instilled in me a deep appreciation for the artistry of crochet, knitting, weaving, spinning, felting, and embroidery. These skills, honed over time, became more than just hobbies—they became a source of joy and fulfillment. My deep-seated love for textiles blossomed, with felting emerging as a particular passion alongside crochet and embroidery. Joining the Kuwait Textile Arts Association (KTAA) in April 2010 marked a pivotal moment, igniting my involvement in the vibrant textile arts community. Initially serving as a photographer for KTAA from 2011 to 2015, I later assumed the role of assistant coordinator for fiber arts. In 2017, I took on the responsibility of fiber arts coordinator, and more recently, as quilt coordinator and have won numerous ribbons at the annual KTAA judged exhibition.I am grateful for the opportunity to share my passion for textiles and contribute to the rich artistic landscape of Kuwait.

Hello and Welcome...

I’m Norah Alali, a former French teacher turned textile artist from Kuwait, and a certified SAQG quilt instructor. But how did I end up here? Well, let's rewind the clock a decade...

Shortly after retiring, I stumbled upon a beginner's patchwork workshop at Sadu House run by the KTAA. With my only sewing experience being my children’s school pants alterations, I decided to enroll and find out what it was all about. My family encouraged me to pursue this new creative outlet as my presence in the house after retirement was already driving them up the wall!

I was immediately hooked to the craft from the very first day when we were all bundled up and sent to the old souk to buy fabrics. Needless to say, my retirement story had taken quite an unexpected twist, and I was loving every moment of it.

From then on, I tried to embrace all aspects of piecing and quilting techniques to satisfy my insatiable curiosity and perfect my art. My new hobby was rewarding as all of my quilts submitted to exhibitions locally and abroad have returned back to me with a ribbon!

Amidst the challenges of 2020, an opportunity arose to enroll in the SAQG teacher’s certification program. I dived head first knowing that with this new qualification I was gaining the best of both worlds: reigniting my passion for teaching while playing with fabric. 

In my classes, I strive for comprehensiveness, aiming to leave no thread unturned, figuratively and sometimes literally. My teaching style is all about infusing fun and engagement into the learning process. Interacting with my students brings me immense joy. My teaching motto is: everyone is capable, at their own pace.

So, if you're ready to embark on this crafty journey with me, I promise to make it as delightful as that first trip to the souk. Let's sew, create, and most importantly, have a ton of fun!

I create textile paintings and sketches made from a rich palette of my hand-dyed fabrics complemented by extensive, textural stitching demonstrating the transformative power of stitch. Abstraction is a persistent and insistent force. Working improvisationally, I capture the essence of my subjects to impart a sense of wonder of the natural world and a strong affinity to place.

Daily walks are a creative habit integral to my studio practice whether I am home or travelling. By closely observing my surroundings, and taking hundreds of photos, I have a bountiful inspiration bank that informs my work. I also embrace the serendipity factor. From the dye pot, to the design wall, to the sewing machine, I am always open to the possibility of a glorious accident.

Emily Jo Gibbs is a British Artist who over the last two decades has established an international reputation for her delicate textiles. In her current practice Emily creates hand-stitched Portraits and Still Lifes with a  graphic quality, observing the quiet beauty of the overlooked. Gently advocating The Value of Making by creating work that celebrates the skill, dexterity and the creative problem solving of people who make things.

Emily has received significant critical acclaim and examples of her work are in The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Crafts Council Collection and The Museum of Fine Art, Houston. She is a member of Contemporary Applied Arts, The 62 Group of Textile Artists, and the Artworkers Guild.

Lorry’s first quilted project was a Christmas stocking for her newborn daughter. Nearly three decades and hundreds of quilted projects later, she still considers a day incomplete unless it involves quilting in some manner...including fabric shopping, gazing upon her many unfinished projects, or fondling her impressive collection of fat quarters!

Lorry has been teaching and lecturing since 1994, and since 1999, has been a quilt judge certified by the National Quilting Association. Besides being active in her local guild, she has written articles for websites and magazines. Her award-winning work has been included in calendars and magazines, and has been selected as cover art for several musical recordings. Her current quilt-related interests include exploring a traditional but little-known foundation method of applique that she calls “Down-Under Applique” and is a proponent of "slow" quiltmaking. She continually crosses the line between traditional and contemporary in her original design work. She currently resides with her family in upstate NY, in a house pleasantly full of quilts.

As a member of the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges, Lorry considers it a privilege to be able to evaluate the current body of work being produced by quilters, and bring to the judging arena a sense of respect and appreciation for all levels and types of quiltmaking.

The threads that link the ancient and the modern are an excellent starting point to describe the work of Cape Town-based artist, Danielle Clough. Danielle’s colourful, delicate embroidery celebrates the joining of the old with the new in a wistful and playful manner that is thoroughly modern in approach, yet nostalgic at heart. She utilizes a craft that is perceived as archaic but takes inspiration from current pop culture icons and the timeless beauty of nature. Her choice of materials also reflects this fascination with time and her vibrant picture-scapes are just as likely to adorn a vintage tennis racquet as they are a rusty chain link fence or a brand-new pair of Gucci sneakers.

Danielle learned the ins and outs of creative expression at The Red and Yellow School where she studied art direction and graphic design. She then began her career as an artist in the fields of visual art, digital design, and the making of bright fluffy things.

A lot of rather fancy people have enjoyed Danielle’s work (none as fancy as you though). She has been profiled by Instagram, Colossal, CNN, Vogue.com. Beautiful Bizarre, Hi-Fructose and the Creators Project, and has been published in the New York Times, Casa de Jardim, Hemslöjd, Evening Standard, Inspirations and Homespun amongst others. Her work has caught the attention of prominent clients such as Gucci, Adobe, The African Innovation Foundation, the United Nations, Origins, Nike, Kanye West, and Drew Barrymore.

For Danielle, her creative goal is to express the best of human emotion through art, and for each and every stitch to mark the passing of time spent with love and care. If her work evokes the slightest bit of happiness in you, then her intention has been achieved, and her gratitude is intertwined with your joy in a tapestry so radiant that all the colours in the galaxy could not do it justice.

Carolina Oneto is an Industrial Engineer with a Master's degree in Business Engineering. She worked in the industry and was a university professor for more than 10 years. The year 2010 leaves Santiago to live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she discovers the patchwork. She studied patchwork and quilting with Cecilia Koppman and Teresita Leal, since then, she travels every year to specialize in the USA with experienced quilters from that country. In 2016 she studied "Interaction of Color" at the art school of the Catholic University of Chile. This has marked the development of her work, where color and its interaction are a relevant part of each of her quilts. Her quilts have been exhibited in many Quilt Festivals around the world,  such as Quilt Week (Paducah, Lancaster, Des Moines, Daytona Beach, Grand Rapids, Virginia Beach), Quiltcon, Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, Houston Quilt Festival, European Carrefour du Patchwork, Fiberart International, Schweinfurth Art Center, Festival do Patchwork Gramado and Floripa Quilt Festival (both in Brazil). Additionally, her work has been featured at art centers and galleries in Europe, USA and Chile. Since 2020 she teach online quilting and design classes, and she also creates many on demand classes for those who need to learn at their own pace and time. Online classes allows her to connect with students from many different countries, which is a very enriching experience. She has taught many quilters and quilt guilds from all around the world. Carolina currently lives in São Paulo, Brazil, where she has her own studio, from where she continuous creating and developing her art and teaching that WE ARE ALL CREATIVE. Currently Carolina is a Janome Maker for Janome America and a Wonderfil thread specialist for Wonderfil Specialty Threads. 

Allison has been quilting since the mid 1980s, right about the time the rotary cutter was introduced, and sewing since she was 10. She has a strong interest in quilt history and lectures frequently on Civil War era quilts (and other topics). She is a member of the American Quilt Study Group and the Wisconsin Quilt Study Group. She has trained to appraise antique, vintage and contemporary bed and wall quilts, and can write appraisals for insurance purposes. Allison judges at quilt shows. In 2014, she was accepted into the National Quilt Association’s Judging Certification Program. NQA folded in 2015, but the program lives on under the auspices of the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges. There are less than 100 CJs nationwide.  Receiving certification is a lengthy and rigorous process.