I am a Judy Niemeyer Certified Instructor from Bloomer, Wisconsin, a small town in Western Wisconsin.  Bloomer is located approximately two hours east of St. Paul/Minneapolis.   I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1998 with a degree in chemistry and math education.  I have spent the last nineteen years teaching mathematics to high school students in western Wisconsin, the last nine years in Bloomer.  As a teacher I want to make sure that I connect with each and every one of her students, giving them personal attention and making them feel at ease.  Many of my high school and quilting students comment on my patience and willingness to always answer their questions no matter how many times they ask.  My commitment to my student’s education was recognized in 2009 when I received the Golden Apple Award.  I was one of only nine educators selected from thousands of applications to receive this award.  This award is based on nominations from students, my high school students were so impressed with my ability to teach, my dedication to their education, and my ability to answer their questions they nominated me for the Golden Apple Award.

 Crafts have always been part of my family including needlepoint, crochet, hand embroidery, plastic canvas, woodworking, and garment making. As a little girl, I was exposed to several quilters in my family, but never quilted until my sister got married in 2003. On a whim I made a Trip Around the World quilt as a wedding gift for my sister and her husband.  With the help of a close friend that was a family and consumer education teacher, I was able to learn the basics of quilt making.  That was all it took for me to become hooked on fabric, rotary cutters, cutting mats, and the process of making quilts.

 In 2007 on a quilt shop hop with my sister Angie, we made a stop at a quilt shop in Rogers, Minnesota called Quilted Treasures.  One of Judy’s quilts, Autumn Splendor, was hanging on the wall announcing a two-day class with Judy coming up.  I loved the fabric used in the sample and how complicated the quilt looked.  Never having paper pieced I felt that this would be a wonderful opportunity to learn this technique.  From that two-day class a flame was ignited for paper piecing in particular Judy’s patterns.  I love the idea that you can take what looks to be a very complicated quilt and break it down into a very organized process that gives excellent accuracy to the quilt making process.  The passion for educating others and my love for Judy Niemeyer’s patterns led me to apply for the certification process.

 In 2012 I became a certified instructor and have been teaching Judy’s techniques to ladies all over the Midwest.  My time as a Judy Niemeyer Certified Instructor has been a very rewarding experience.  With my certification I have had many wonderful opportunities and been able to meet lots of wonderful people all over the Midwest.  I have had the opportunity to work with numerous guilds throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and the U.P. of Michigan including Keepsake Quilters (Cedar Falls, IA), Hayward Piecemakers (Hayward, WI),and the Northern Lights Machine Quilters Guild (Duluth, MN).  I also have many wonderful quilt shops that allow me to come in and teach their customers including Rather Bee Quilting (Lake City, MN), Busy Bobbin (Rice Lake, WI), All In Stitches (Zumbrota, MN), Lou Ann’s Quilt Garden and Retreat (Oelwein, IA), and Calico Shoppe (Eau Claire, WI).  Besides working for guilds and quilt shops I have also worked with a local retreat center, Woodland Ridge Retreat Center (Downsville, WI), to offer week long classes where students can come and work on any of Judy’s patterns.  I have also had the opportunity to offer several classes at the 2014 Minnesota Quilt Show, and in the summer of 2015 I was able to teach at the Quiltworx Retreat Center.  In the fall of 2016 I am traveling to Madeline Island to help teach at the Madeline Island School of Art where Quiltworx University will be held.  My sister Angie and I have also had the opportunity to sew several samples for Judy Niemeyer to be displayed at International Quilt Market.

 I would love the opportunity to work with your organization or quilt shop.  We are available to do classes for guilds or quilt shops, and can easily manage classes of up to thirty students.  Our trunk show contains well over seventy quilts that are all Judy Niemeyer designs, with over fifty different patterns being showcased.

Click on the images below to find Jodie’s gallery of quilts on Facebook!