Teacher Profiles

Kathleen Bowen

My name is Kathleen Bowen, and I am a Professional Quilt Instructor. I began my love of sewing as a young girl growing up in a large family of 8 children in a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio. While my children were young, I chose to be an at home mom, and worked from home as a private seamstress for the “Doctors Wives” in our area. I soon realized that quilting and appliqué were my true passion. Later, when my husband took a job transfer with the Maytag Co. we moved to Aiken, SC. It was there I started an Appliquéd clothing business and soon took on large orders from private schools for their appliquéd sportswear. About 10 years ago I started teaching appliqué and quilting classes…and I was HOOKED! I have taught a variety of age groups that span from 7 to 85 years old and my students vary from absolute beginners to advanced quilters. In the last 5 years I have started to write some of my own patterns and I really enjoy dreaming up new classes.

I take an unusual approach to teaching students, concentrating on individual attention and hands on learning. You will often hear me say that there are no silly questions and no mistakes that can’t be fixed. My years of teaching experience has taught me that every student learns at a different rate and I welcome the challenge to help each student move forward in class. When you sign up for a class with me, you will quickly learn that my classes are set up to be fun while having a high quality of learning in the process. I love what I do!

I look forward to joining the Quilt Shop of Anderson Family and hope to personally meet each and every one of you. So, please stop by the store and see what we have planned for you!

Cheryl Childers

Fabric artist, educator, businesswoman, wife, and full-time mom - Some of the many hats Cheryl wears on any given day. After getting her master’s degree in social work, and receiving a sewing machine as a graduation gift, Cheryl discovered her “true passion” in quilting, digitizing and machine embroidery. Cheryl is 100% self taught and has been in the industry for over 9 years. She teaches many computer, quilt and machine embroidery related classes, runs her own website www.hand-made-hugs.com, has been published in several issues of DESIGNS in Machine Embroidery Magazine and is currently working on a book. Cheryl has been affectionately dubbed as “The digitizing diva!” by many of her students and colleagues.

In addition to her teaching and busy schedule as a wife and mom, Cheryl also founded and currently leads the H.U.G.S. Quilt Ministry of North Hills Community Church in Taylors, SC., which makes and donates hand-made quilts for children who are in difficult situations or critically ill.

Cheryl is the proud wife to her husband, Jeff of 13 years, and has 3 awesome kids: Job (11), Gabriella (9), and Elijah-Luke (3).

Bonnie Ouellette

Bonnie Ouellette is a happy southern transplant and lives in Seneca. She began quilting 12 years ago in a very traditional style, hand piecing, hand drafting blocks and hand quilting. Gradually her attraction to primitive designs took hold and she learned to love hand applique. A seasoned traveler to Hawaii inspired her love of Hawaiian quilt design and she had made many award winning pieces. Several Hawaiian quilts have been shown internationally and in the National Quilt Association, American Quilt Society and International Quilt Association shows. Several pieces have been in traveling shows to Europe and Japan. Fabric dyeing became a whole new quilting world for her once she discovered how beautiful she could make her own fabrics. Her current work is mostly very abstract and out of the box with heavy embellishment. She felt somewhat alone in her pursuit of art quilting so founded an art quilt group called "Thread Heads" who have exhibited locally and had a showing at the Quilt Shop of Anderson.

Bonnie is the daughter of two teachers and teaching is in her blood. She lectures on vintage textiles, fabric dyeing and Hawaiian quilting in the South East. Bonnie has been teaching both Hawaiian quilting and Absolute Beginner Quilting at the Quilt Shop of Anderson since it opened and has many happy students.