In 2008, Anne Hall and her husband, son, and dog emigrated to beautiful Fernie, BC, from the UK.  She very quickly found the local fabric store (although it did perhaps help that it was next door to the chocolate shop).  However, it was the fabric store that provided the most treasures.  The sumptuous fabrics, particularly the beautiful batiks, were simply irresistible.  Her first quilt was painstakingly hand pieced, until Santa brought her a sewing machine for Christmas.

On one fateful day in the fabric store (which was rapidly becoming more like a second home), she noticed a Judy Niemeyer pattern and, with a sinking heart, realized that “there was no way on this earth that I could EVER do that.”  But Anne never does anything the easy way, and after a number of courses with Judy, she became totally addicted to the intricate patterns.  She loved the logicality of the organization and techniques involved, and resolved to become a Certified Instructor so that she could share her enthusiasm for teaching and inspire others to learn these techniques so that they, too, could learn to create something that they initially thought was totally beyond their capabilities.

She has already taught a number of workshops, both in her newly renovated studio on Vancouver Island, Canada, and for Guilds in Canada and the UK.  Her students love her jolly sense of humor, and her unending patience, which comes from having trained as an elementary school teacher in the UK.  In fact, she is still teaching a class of extremely spirited small people in her “spare” time.  Anne already knows how rewarding it is to see the enjoyment and pride on her students’ faces on mastering something difficult, and resolved to share her love of teaching with quilters as well as her Grade 1s and Grade 2s.  After all, there’s not that much difference between them, apart from a year or two … is there?

Visit her website for more information:  www.sewpeaceful.com