Our Instructors

Founder of SewCal Craft Studio & Teddy Bear Necessities LLC Jaimee Gerard is the passionate creator behind SewCal Craft Studio and Teddy Bear Necessities LLC, where she brings her lifelong love of crafting to life. With years of experience and a deep appreciation for handmade artistry, Jaimee specializes in teddy bear making and a wide range of creative craft classes designed to inspire makers of all ages. She learned the timeless art of teddy bear making from her beloved mentor, teacher, and dear friend, Evelyn Penfield, and is honored to carry on that tradition in her Teddy Bear Necessities classes. Jaimee’s teaching style blends technique with warmth, encouraging creativity, sparking imagination, and creating lasting memories for her students. Her next available class features felt ornament making, a fun and festive way to learn new skills and create keepsakes you’ll treasure. Whether you're stitching your first bear or crafting your tenth ornament, Jaimee is excited to welcome you into a space filled with joy, creativity, and community.

As an artist and craftsperson, Kathy Davis has explored and taught various media including doll making, felting, surface design, sculpting, papermaking, and metal clay. Students of all ages have enjoyed her sharing through classes for over the past 30 years. Kathy really enjoys exploring materials and connecting artists to unfamiliar media. She also loves to experiment with combinations of materials. Whether it’s concrete or fiber, resin or polymer: the possibilities are endless!

Sally has a Degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising and has retired from a career managing design and pattern rooms in the garment industry. She also has taught at college level, teaching pattern making, draping, sewing and textile science at FIDM, OCC and Santa Ana College. As an expert at patternmaking and fit, as well as sewing techniques, she loves to teach others these skills. She is knowledgeable about sewing machine function and maintenance and is happy to share helpful tips. She enjoys working with students of all ages. Sally grew up at the beach and you will find her at Pier Plaza watching the waves and surfers and hanging out with her dog, Naysi when she isn’t sewing.

Danna is an accomplished artist and educator with over 13 years of experience teaching a wide range of art classes. She specializes in alcohol ink art on diverse surfaces such as YUPO paper, ceramic tiles, jewelry pieces, ornaments, and more. Recently, she has expanded her artistic repertoire to include shrink art, offering engaging classes where students create earrings, charms, magnets, and other small-scale designs. Danna’s creative journey began in childhood, where her love for drawing, painting, and creating set the foundation for a lifelong passion. Initially pursuing a path in commercial art with dreams of illustrating album covers, she adapted to the shifting landscape of digital media, ultimately building a successful career as a professional web designer. In 2013, Danna rediscovered her love for painting through alcohol inks, a medium that inspired her to embrace abstract and contemporary styles. She is captivated by the vibrant colors and unpredictable flow of ink on YUPO paper, a combination that allows for both experimentation and expression. Today, Danna is dedicated to sharing her techniques, inspiring students, and fostering creativity through her workshops and classes.

I can remember my mom sewing when I was very young and the words “Do not touch my sewing machine”. What a way to intrigue a child. My interest in sewing began. When my mom was getting ready to move to Texas to help my aunt with our grandparents, I asked her to show me how to make a quilt. She took the time to teach me how to make a “9 patch” quilt. What a glorious day we had! I took what she had taught me and pulled out the old fabric from the attic and began playing. I began working with Hoffman California Fabrics in May of 2008. My first season with Hoffman was a blessing in my eyes and was so honored each time I was asked to design for them. I cannot express my gratitude to Hoffman California Fabrics. Occupation Design, sew, and write instructions for our company called “The Quilted Button” Design quilts and write instructions for Northcott Silk, Inc.. I have been teaching people on projects for several years now and have developed a following and currently teach at: North Orange Continued Education (NOCE), OC Sew & Vacuum (Garden Grove), and The Sew n’ Sew (Glendora). Accomplishments Sulky Teacher Certification Program Sew Fun Club (Moore’s Sew & Vac) 15 Lectures in 1 week - 2010 Trunk Shows, Lecture, and Class for various Quilt Guilds across the nation. Quilt Festival of Ireland – Summer 2012 – Quilt Exhibit Publications Quiltmania Magaxzine (Towering Cookies) 1st Quarter 2009 Quilter’s Home Magazine (Annabelle Adams) August/September 2010 Quiltposium (Article about Larene) Summer 2011 Quiltmaker Magazine (Diamond Fortune) March/April 2012 Quilt Magazine (Red Hot Peppers) Apr/May 2013, Simple Quilts & Sewing (Picnic in Paradise) Spring 2013, and Quilt Magazine (Galileo’s View) August/September 2013 Quiltmaker Magazine (Snow Friends Collection by Quilting Treasures) November/December 2013 The Quilt Pattern Magazine (Log Cabin Rendition) July 2014 – Just to name a few. Summary I love to work with tools and concepts to sew projects. I also enjoy teaching, and the best part is when you see in the student’s eyes that the light has clicked on and they understand. I am currently working with Pre-Cut fabrics to see what can be done so that the waste of fabric is almost nothing. I design projects that look complicated but are simple to sew once broken down into sections.

More than forty years ago, I began bear making, which led to designing, pattern making, and teaching classes that took me across America and around the world. Recently my attention has been devoted to designing, pattern making, and teaching pincushions, ornaments, and dolls. It is enjoying and fulfilling to teach all my new designs and especially observing the creativity of students.

The mixed media art by talented artist, Elizabeth Jewell Butterfield is a reflection of her passion for a multitude of carefully chosen and unusual objects. The variety of materials Elizabeth selects might include anything from found or discarded treasures to beautiful handmade papers with a tasteful mix of her own personal photography incorporated. Elizabeth began her venture into this very stylized technique of "layering upon layering"; of assorted textures while studying in Monterey, California. Under the direction of an inspirational art instructor who had the ability to open the aspiring artist's minds, those students were motivated to see beyond their own blank canvases. It was there that Elizabeth found her niche and successfully developed her own individual personalized style by the layering of art materials and mediums, much to the delight of not only her art instructor, but to those she shared her art works with. In addition to her "love of layering", Elizabeth has also been able to enjoy yet another passion, her photography. By her careful selection and use of her own favorite photographs, either taken or collected by her of things and people she loves, she only further enhances her already very personal pieces of art. It has been a heart warming path in the art world that Elizabeth has had the pleasure of taking, but more importantly, a genuine benefit to those who have had the opportunity to acquire a "one-of- a-kind"; piece of art lovingly made by her. Not only are we thrilled with her works that warm our hearts today, we also find value in her art as it will continue to bring future generations pleasure and joy, while at the same time allowing a "layer" of our past to live on in her gifted work . . . and these, too, will someday become very much a part of our own legacy.

Alex has a degree in art and has taught drawing, painting, ceramics and design at the high school and college level for many years. She currently teaches various crafts classes to adults, with a focus on paper crafts. Alex believes in supporting and promoting the artistic expression of her students in an environment that is fun and stress-free.

Self-taught mobile art instructor, I've been teaching since 2018. Started at a local paint and sip studio, then went mobile during the Covid shutdown. I have fun, zero stress vibe with step by step instructions. I look forward to painting with all of you!

My fascination with beads began in my youth while working in a bead store to feed my habit. As I grew up, my interest in jewelry design and all aspects of beading never faded. I found that my passion for this art was fueled by my love of color. In 2006, my dream of owning a bead store came to fruition and Beadology was born. Our weekend classes bring a wonderful community of like-minded crafters to the table. Some of the many techniques I teach at Beadology are stringing, knotting, loom weaving and off-loom bead weaving. Working with and teaching others for the last 19 years has continued to inspire me. I have also taught classes at the Pasadena Bead & Design Show, Embroidery Guild of America, as well as the American Needlepoint Guild. I have been published in Bead & Button magazine and have received an award from The HeART of Orange County (Tustin Area Council of Fine Arts) and multiple awards from the Orange County Fair.

Arlene Baker is a needlework and bead artist, designer, author, and teacher. Her work has been featured in Victoria, Romantic Homes, Beadwork, and Piecework magazines. She is an avid collector of beaded flowers and vintage ribbonwork for more than 35 years. Some of her collection was showcased in the popular book "The Artful Ribbon" by Candace Kling. Arlene delights in sharing her extensive collection with students during workshops that re-create vintage techniques and designs.

Pam’s creative journey began at just ten years old when she launched Pam’s Poetic Potholder Company. Using a small loom, she wove colorful potholders and paired them with playful poems—an early sign of her love for both making and sharing art. Ever since, Pam has continued to find joy in creating. Over the years, she has become proficient in a wide range of textile and paper arts. Crafting has always been her source of comfort and inspiration, especially during life’s tougher moments. For Pam, teaching and sharing her skills brings as much fulfillment as the making itself. She has taught in private homes, within close-knit friendship circles, and at the two guilds she is an active member of: the South Coast Weavers and Spinners Guild and the Orange Coast Classic Rug Hooking Guild. Wherever she’s teaching, Pam brings joy, creativity, and encouragement to those around her.

Craft Yarn Council Certified Instructor: Knitting & Crochet   My Nana taught me to knit and crochet when I was about 10 years old. I continued dabbling in crochet over the years, but knitting didn’t stick until 20 years ago. Since picking up the needles again, I have not put them down!   I teach in a local yarn shop as well as in my local community. It brings me joy to share my love of all things yarn and to ignite that love in others as well.   While knitting and crochet are my first loves, I am currently diving into decorative mending, especially needlepoint and sashiko.   There’s just no end to the creative potential a bit of string can bring!

I'm a Certified Zentangle® Teacher based in Orange County. I discovered Zentangle in April of 2014 after a very stressful time in my life and an episode of Bell’s palsy. Persuaded by a friend, I took a Zentangle class, but I felt intimidated and vulnerable as I didn’t believe I was artistic or creative. That belief, unfortunately, came from a high school art teacher who criticized my work in front of others, leaving me convinced that art wasn’t for me. However, in that first Zentangle class, something shifted. I had fun, I enjoyed the process and realized I could create something beautiful. I was so encouraged by the changes it made in my life that I attended the certification training in Rhode Island in April of 2015 and began teaching that same year. Zentangle has made a huge impact in my life, giving me the confidence to try new things, and it has inspired me to share this empowering art form with others.

Hanne (Mama) Lohde’s love for stitching began at the age of five, sitting on the floor of her mother’s sewing room. While her mom worked on a summer dress, little Hanne stitched a tiny dress for her doll—and she’s been stitching ever since. As a teen, she created much of her own clothing and even sold her knitwear during college. Over the years, stitching, storytelling, and designing by hand have become not just creative outlets, but lifelong sources of joy and relaxation. In 2020, during the quiet of the pandemic, Hanne brought her long-held dream to life: she designed her very first wool story quilt and founded Mama Lohde—a creative studio built on sharing the magic of slow stitching, wool applique, and thread-based storytelling. Since then, she has been teaching her special embroidery techniques to other stitches in her weekly Open Stitch with Mama Lohde classes as well as teaching at retreats nationally and overseas. She has won many awards and recognitions of her unique work. In 2023, Hanne also became a published author with her children’s book, Bubbles—a whimsical tale rooted in her love for storytelling and endangered sea life. She lives in Southern California with her family and beloved dogs and continues to design, teach, and inspire others to create from the heart—one stitch at a time.