MARCH, 2023
Join Kathy at AQS DAYTONA 2024! Can’t wait to meet you in one of my classes or events! Kathy’s Student Portal tab above has supply lists and photos of projects and dates for you. 2023-2024 info coming soon!
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SUMMER 2018
Hello there, Quilting Friends!
I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful Summer, wherever you are! I would like to take this moment to send prayers and best wishes for those affected by weather issues and disasters...
New inspirations and quilting opportunities are around every corner for us, during this time of the year. My wish for each of you is that you have the time to enjoy Summer’s abundance of quilt shows, classes, shops and guilds. Here, in my household, there is a "renewal" beginning to take hold and I am ready to share it with you. With much prayer, patient guidance and conversations with my Dear Family, this is a letter that I pen to you with difficulty, but with excitement, as well.
As many of you know, TKDAA™ is a four year “young” event that has its roots as a volunteer operated “continuation of sorts” from the academy that Elly Sienkiewicz owned and hosted for 19 years.When Elly came to me with hopes that I might continue her event as she stepped away into retirement, I received “her blessing” to begin anew with this event. My Dear husband, Matt, had felt my dismay at her academy closing and challenged me to ask myself, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” Oh, how my heart still pounds over that incredible joy and uncertainty! Conversations with Dear Elly, my amazing mother – JoAnn Hudgins, brilliant Faye Labanaris and of course, precious Matt, took up most of the early days of our new event on the horizon. When I owned my quilt store in Valdosta, GA called The Quilted Peach™, I had always known that when Elly retired, I WOULD take the reigns. And Fate is a funny thing; we hear “be careful what you wish for” but in my case, Fate found me and I was so thrilled! TKDAA™ came into existence with the hopes that every appliquer’ would have a chance to take classes with new and favorite teachers, all while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow quilters, "under one roof". And a huge part of what molded TKDAA™ was recognizing what an incredible and gracious lady we were honoring by following in Elly’s footsteps. We carved out a gentle, yet exciting “stage” for Elly to teach for four more years, but also to allow her to “take in” what she means to the quilting world. We are so very proud that we have been able to host Elly and so many of you were able to take classes with her! The plan after Elly officially retired from teaching after February 2018’s event, was to take this academy and continue to bloom and grow. We have searched high and low for a Corporate Sponsor that could move us forward, and for the “perfect” venue, all while realizing that a volunteer event cannot always compete in the business world. It truly takes so many people to make an event like this work. The calendar pages are turning way too fast and I realize that it will be unfair to push deadlines onto the busy teachers that we love so much. Without a venue in hand and a date on the calendar, I can see that our February date of 2019 is becoming unattainable. And as I have been shopping for perfect venues that can keep us all under one roof and not just become a “school of applique”, I have accepted the fact that there are so many events that spread us quilters all around. That means, to me, that I don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The opportunities for us are limitless to take classes. The worry of affording this event from my pocket, while carrying this so very close to my heart, is not a struggle that I can go forward with. I have always tried to keep my word and feel that I have done what I could to keep this event growing and flourishing. I know that as you read this, some of you will be sad to hear this news, (my heart is heavy, as well) but my hope is that you will continue to support the other applique events that are being held each year. They all need your support and I hope that you will consider taking classes at places like:
Applique Away on Galveston Bay, Baltimore on the Prairie and Academy of Applique. I know that there are other wonderful events as well, but these groups need your eager support.
And what will I be up to, after having shared my news with you? I will continue this website as The Kathy Dunigan Academy of Applique™ and I will continue to teach quilting, for it is what I love to do and I hope to see you in classes all across the globe. I will also announce from time to time, small applique gatherings featuring a few of your favorite teachers and myself, in a smaller venue. I have quilts to design, a wonderful new technique to share soon with you, and all kinds of ideas that I am working on. But mainly, I need to concentrate on my family and on moving forward in the quilt world. I feel certain that I am getting the wind back in my sails and I am so excited about what lies on the horizon!
And for my incredible past attendees who put so much faith in us with Sneak Peek payments, please know that I will begin returning monies due back to you or you may choose to hold your place for a future venue and have the first chance to attend. You will receive an email soon with a form to choose a refund or hold your place, (then email back or mail). I will be fielding many questions and open to suggestions, possible sponsorships or donations, etc. so please don’t hesitate to reach me by email at: quiltedpeach@gmail.com
My friends, this isn’t goodbye, not at all! Just a change in the wind... PLEASE keep my website bookmarked and watch for newsletters from time to time, announcing quilting news that I will want to share.
Have a look at my updated teaching schedule on this website under Kathy Dunigan info and if you can join me somewhere soon, I would love that! Keep stitching and share the joy everywhere and anyway that you can. I have been honored to host an event that filled me with gratitude, pride, excitement and so very much happiness. I have made SO many new friends and I really hope to see you "down the road" somewhere soon! I can never thank everyone that has been a part of our four short years but I MUST thank Cathy Spurlock and Joann Hudgins for all the work they put in. Family and friends, (some quilters and some not) all had generous hands to make the load lighter. So Thank YOU one and all!!!
"Thanks" to our past Wonderful Sponsors and Vendors that have always made our events a success!
Flower Garden Ribbons - Faye Labanaris - [www.fayelabanaris.com]
Hanah Silk Ribbons - [www.hanahsilk.com]
Superior Threads - [www.superiorthreads.com]
Mercy and Jim Savage - sponsor of 'The Elly' tuition
Sakura of America - [www.sakuraofamerica.com]
The Applique Society - www.theappliquesociety.org
Bernina USA - www.bernina.com
Texas Quiltworks - www.txquiltworks.com
Janome USA - www.janome.com
Thomas Sewing Center - www.thomassewing.com
Aunt Myra's Fabrics - www.auntmyras.com
Blue Ribbon Quilt Shoppe - [blueribbonquiltshoppe.com]
Happiness Is... Quilting - www.happinessisquilting.com
Log Cabin Fabrics - www.logcabinfabrics.com
Savvy Quilter - [www.savvyquilters.com]
Sherry Worley Hand Dyes - [www.facebook.com/sherryworley]
The Scissor Guy/Scentsy
Many thanks to our Incredible Past Teachers, Lecturers, Guest Artists and Quilt Exhibitors that we have learned so very much from; We could not have made these past four years work without their expertise and giving spirits. You are all Gems! (in no particular order)
ELLY SIENKIEWICZ - http://www.ellysienkiewicz.net/
CYNTHIA COLLIER - https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.collier.7731
LINDA POOLE - www.lindampoole.com
JANET LINDSEY
MYRA FORBYN - http://www.auntmyras.com/
MEG MAEDA -http://www.facebook.com/megshawaiianquilt/
SUE NICKELS - www.sue-nickels.com
KATHY MCNEIL - https://www.kathymcneilquilts.com
LINDA NEAL - taqg.org/teachers/neal-linda
CRISTY FINCHER - https://purpledaisiesquilting.com
CINDY ORAVECZ - www.quiltersfancy.com
MARY KOVAL -marykovalantiquequilts.com
MARYLOU MCDONALD - baltimorequiltlady.com
DEBORAH TIRICO - deborahtirico.com
JOANNE PARKS - myquiltplace.com/profile/JoanneParks
KAREN KAYE BUCKLEY - karenkaybuckley.com
JILL GREEN
BETTE AUGUSTINE
SHARON SCHAMBER - www.sharonschamber.com
MELISSA SIMROSS - www.honeybeefabrics.com
FAYE LABANARIS - www.FayeLabanaris.com
CYNTHIA WILLIFORD - cynthiawilliford.blogspot.com
EVELYN CROVO-HALL - stellabellaapplique.blogspot.com
MELISSA SOBOTKA - www.msfiberart.com
ALICE WILHOIT - www.alicewilhoit.com
MERCY SAVAGE -tropicalapplique.blogspot.com
BONNIE TURNER - www.bonnieturner.com
RICHARD LARSON - http://taqg.org/richard-larson/
BARBARA MCCRAW - www.quiltasart.com
BRENDA PAPADAKIS - www.dearjane.com
MJ FIELEK
A NOTE FROM MAMA - also known as JOANN HUDGINS:
Since 2014, I have been there for Kathy through four Academies. I am so proud of her for giving all her efforts to make TKDAA™ the best Appliqué event around. Her desire to have the best teachers you could imagine teaching the best projects for you, came with her desire to make all attendees have the greatest experience they could. Things will change, but her love of Appliqué will not! So keep watching the newsletter for upcoming information! Best wishes to you all and thank you!
Please visit our website at www.kathyduniganappliqueacademy.comto see photos and fun information that will be posting shortly! Watch for an update from Elly on our website, too, with beautiful photos of what she has been up to!
May I leave you with a favorite and very appropriate verse?
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
All my best,
Kathy Dunigan
*And as always, we thank you for all of the past support with this All-Volunteer Incredible Event!
