Our Teachers

Nancy McGilvary

Naming where Nancy came from is not a short answer: She was born in Virginia but quickly moved to Pennsylvania, then on to Maryland and California before returning to Pittsburgh where she graduated from high school. She went to college in upstate New York, and then moved to the Boston area, all before moving to North Carolina over twenty-five years ago.  Aside from spending as much time as possible in her sewing room, she loves family vacations at the beach, reading, walking, and her job at Carolina Friends School.  She usually makes either pieced quilts using mostly batiks and Asian fabrics or embroidered quilts, but she loves technology and is busy learning QuiltMotion and the software side of the Cutwork Tool.  At Thimble Pleasures Nancy teaches the Artista Software V6 Mastery classes.




Stephanie Pennington-Grant

Originally from Darby, PA, a small town outside of Philadelphia, Stephanie moved around the US, Canada, and the Caribbean before arriving in NC in 1977.  If she is not quilting, then she is either reading a book, or traveling somewhere.  Her main interest in quilting, is piecing, and she really, really, really likes curved piecing.  Recently, she began to incorporate embroidery into piecing, either as the main focus of the block, or, as a quilting element.  At Thimble Pleasures, she hopes to introduce you to your Embroidery Module during Embroidery Mastery Classes, guide you through a monthly Embroidery Software Session, help you gain confidence to do Free Motion Quilting with your DSM and finish that queen size quilt, and assist you in whatever piecing project happens to strike your fancy.




Sharyn Floriani Cole

Sharon and her husband  moved from Seattle, WA to Cary, NC in 2007 to be closer to their grandchildren and their parents.  In addition to quilting, she spends a large amount of time with her grandchildren and manages to squeeze in: cooking, reading, serving her church community and exercising in whatever time is left.  Needle-turn appliqué is her first love, however arthritis has motivated her to perfect machine-applique that resembles needle-turn.  Her machine appliquéd quilts have won ribbons at several national competitions.  Lately she has become known at Thimble Pleasures as “the Tuffet Lady” because of the many tuffet-making classes she has taught.





Susan Powell

Susan moved to Carrboro, NC 12 years ago from Ft Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to quilting Susan enjoys vegetable gardening, hiking in the mountains, grooming her shih tzu, Stella, a good book, red wine and gathering with family and friends.  Her quilting style..abstracts, cityscapes and anything that doesn't require a ruler or seam ripper!





Lucille Amos
 
Lucille is from Virginia but has lived in NY, MN and now NC. She teaches the Judy Neimeyer foundation paper piecing method at Thimble Pleasures. Her other interests include: reading, gardening, cooking (She works at Southern Season!), and traveling.











Tammy Triglianos

Tammy is originally from New Jersey and moved to North Carolina 6 years ago for a "change of pace". When spending time in her sewing room, she is either working on a quilt or sewing a new bag/ purse. She has recently added machine and hand embroidery to her obsession of handmade loveliness. Most of the classes Tammy teaches at Thimble Pleasures are various bags and some quilts. Her other interests include gardening, cooking, baking, and reading while playing with her two young sons.  When she is not hanging out at the quilt shop or playing with her boys, she works as a nurse practitioner at The Cancer Center at UNC.  Her career reminds her daily of the importance of embracing the ones (and hobbies!) she loves.










Roxane Lessa

Roxane was born in Brazil and  grew up in Boston, MA. She teaches art quilting and surface design classes at Thimble Pleasures. Her other interests are dancing and knitting.  Roxane has her own website.

Connie J. Walker

 Connie began quilting twenty years ago after taking a beginning quilting class at her church in Salisbury, MD.  Her hobby quickly became her passion when she moved to Raleigh in 1997 and began working at a local quilt shop.  In 2001, Connie opened The Whistle Stop Quilt Shop in Selma, NC.  In 2006 the Whistle Stop was named a Top Ten shop and featured in American Patchwork and Quilting’s Top Ten Quilt Shops of North America issue.  Since then Connie has designed and published numerous quilts and patterns under the name Whistle Stop Designs.  Her patterns have been featured in several quilt magazines including, American Patchwork and Quilting and Quiltmaker.  In addition, Connie also teaches and presents workshops and lectures on various techniques and topics at shops and guilds in our area.  In 2010, she moved her shop to Cary but recently made the decision to close the store to focus on her family and a new career.  In her spare time Connie continues to work on new designs and provides long arm quilting services from her home.  Connie lives in Garner with her two boys and a Basset Hound named Maggie.  To follow Connie and see more of her designs you may find her on Facebook (Connie Johnsen Walker/Whistle Stop Designs).