
Threadmakers
Quilt Studio
is about sharing a love for quilting. Founded in 1996 by quilt-lover Melanie
Normann, Threadmakers is the home of the Quilter's Weekend Getaway. Every
year, Threadmakers runs app. 20 getaways to beautiful Strasburg, PA. Our
goal is to provide a relaxing environment where quilt-lovers can interact
with other quilters, improve their quilting skill, and enjoy beautiful
Lancaster County.
About our Founder
Melanie Normann started quilting in 1973 at the age of 17. In
1978, she opened The Quilt Workshop, one of the first quilt shops
in NJ. Her
quilts were featured in many national shows and several won national awards.
Over the years, Melanie lectured and taught at Quilt Guilds throughout
the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.
In
1996, Melanie started Threadmakers Quilt Studio and the Quilter's Weekend
Getaway was born. The getaway quickly gained popularity amongst area quilters.
Threadmakers has hosted 200 or so of these Lancaster County getaways to
date. Melanie's grandest undertaking was the formation of the The
State Quilt Guild of NJ, which she co-founded in 1997.
Tragically,
Melanie lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2005, but Threadmakers
and the Quilter's Weekend Getaway lives on in her memory. Now owned by
friend and fellow quilt-lover Geri Wolf.
About
Geri
Geri began quilting in 1994 when she began volunteering with
the AIDS Quilt. Her grandmother was from Lancaster County so she
grew up with an Amish influence and was always fascinated with their beautiful
quilts. In 1994 she began taking lessons and fell in love. Geri
and Melanie met around 1996 when Geri first attended "Threadmakers"
which quickly became her favorite thing to do. Melanie and Geri bonded
from the beginning and as the saying goes "the rest is history."
With Melanie's influence Geri joined The State Quilt Guild of NJ.
She has been the Secretary for many years and the Registration Chairman
for the State Quilt Show each year. She belongs to many guilds,
including some as far away as Alaska and Las Vegas. Geri was recently
accepted by the National Quilting Association as a candidate for their
Certified Judge Program.
When Melanie became ill and felt she would have to sell "Threadmakers",
Geri and Melanie went to the White Oak to meet a prospective buyer.
Geri went with the idea of purchasing a featherweight machine. Somehow
during the weekend she instead purchased "Threadmakers"
(and two machines) and a new part of her life began.
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