Our Instructors
JESSICA GRADY – United Kingdom
Jessica Grady is an award winning embroidery artist, tutor and author from West Yorkshire, England. Her work is a colorful and creative exploration of hand stitch and mixed media, and she utilizes waste and recycled materials, which are transformed into exciting embellishments. Jessica is passionate about playing and exploring materials to create fun artworks that take otherwise discarded materials and turn them into embellished treasure. She creates detailed sculptures and wall framed artwork all showcasing her signature style.
Jessica’s work has been exhibited in the UK, Europe and Asia, and she shares her skills across the UK and beyond through workshops and lectures. She is a member of professional artist group: Art Textiles Made in Britain, and has previously exhibited at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England and the Tokyo International Quilt Festival in Japan. Her first book – Stitched Mixed Media was published in 2023 with Crowood Press.
ILARIA PADOVANI – United Kingdom
Ilaria Padovani grew up in Italy, where sewing, knitting and crocheting were part of her life since the age of four. Thanks to her grandmother, she learned very fast to get things right. If the work was not done the right way, it had to be undone and remade until perfect.
Since leaving Italy in 1999, Ilaria has been living in many different countries – including the US, Ireland and the UK. However, it was in 2003, while in State College, PA that she become fascinated with quilt making, owing to a guild of traditional quilters who took her under their wing. During those formative years, Ilaria developed a passion for hand sewn projects – hand appliqué, English Paper Piecing and Foundation Paper Piecing – which are still her preferred techniques.
In 2014, while living in Bristol where she still resides, it was Ilaria’s love for color and eye for perfection that led her to being recruited to work for Kaffe Fassett, making and coordinating his sample quilts for his popular Patchwork and
Quilting’ books.
As a passionate quilter, maker and traveler, Ilaria loves sharing her expertise through teaching, making her ambition to inspire creativity in others on her art, and loves to travel and meet new people.
DOT RONALDSON – United Kingdom
Dot comes from a long line of stitchers and has been creating with fabric for as long as she can remember. She spent many years making clothes for herself and her children, and her love of textiles has only grown stronger with time.
After 35 years of teaching technology in secondary schools, Dot turned her focus to embroidery—both hand and free machine—and hasn’t looked back since. She’s taken part in countless workshops, exhibited with an embroidery group, and now shares her skills and creativity through her own classes.
For the past seven years, Dot has been running workshops for stitch groups and creative studios. Her sessions are relaxed, hands-on, and all about sparking joy and curiosity. She especially loves working with fabric painting, collage, and hand embroidery—and she’s excited to explore these techniques with you.
Dot brings a playful, “let’s see what happens if…” approach to her teaching. Whether you’re an experienced stitcher or just beginning your creative journey, you’ll find her workshops to be welcoming, inspiring, and full of encouragement. Her goal is to help you discover new possibilities, enjoy the process, and leave feeling uplifted.