I'm thrilled to be the curator for the Hoffman Challenge! This job has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to use the many skills I've acquired over the last several years, and the chance to interact with the competitors and hundreds of exhibitors, guilds, and shops who display this impressive and creative collection of quilts, garments, dolls, and accessories.

Here's a little information about my background. I've designed a fabric line, many patterns, and have written several books. I was a hand model and "stunt quilter" in the movie How To Make An American Quilt, have been on Home and Garden Network's Simply Quilts three times and Alene's Creative Living, and have created quilts used in television advertisements. In 2001, I was a Hoffman Fabrics of California Challenge Judge, and featured artist for the Flying Geese Quilt Show in Orange County the same year. I travel to lecture, judge, and teach internationally on crazy quilting, painting on quilts and use of other pigments, and several other fiber art topics. To view my teaching brochure, please visit www.jukeboxquilts.com.

Although I was educated in the science and art of nursing and continue to work (part time) as a high-risk labor and delivery nurse, I have always been very interested in textiles and art. I began quilting in 1988, and shortly after that began both my family and my company, Jukebox Quilts.

JukeboxQuilts / Galloping Rabbit, Inc. (www.jukeboxquilts.com) publishes books, cards, and patterns for the quilt market, as well as carries other supplies for quilters. We specialize in humorous and whimsical designs and represent many other fiber artists. We are currently in production on a series of How-To videos featuring many of the top award winning quilt artists and their techniques. This business has grown over the years to the point where my husband now works for me, and our children are actively involved in every aspect - from design to production! We work out of a large studio in North Tustin, and also offer local classes and services, including long arm quilting; a method of quilting that uses a hand guided 7' x 12' sewing machine.

I am an active member of the Flying Geese Quilters in Irvine, and recently served six years as the president of the Southern California Council of Quilt Guilds, an organization that oversees and provides education to our eighty plus member guilds (www.sccqg.org). I work with many organizations to create fundraising quilts with children, and to date have worked on quilts that have raised nearly $100,000 for schools and charities like the American Cancer Society. Our family has taken on the very fun task of becoming puppy raisers for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. Although our second dog, a German Shepard named BillieJo recently was "career changed" (and remained with us as a humble family pet), we continue to support this wonderful program, and invite you to visit www.guidedogs.com for more information.

The position of curator is a huge job, and without the support and help of my husband, Jim and three children; as well as my super energetic and efficient Carolyn Kowalski, and many wonderful volunteers, I'd never be able to do any of these things. The Challenge is very much a team effort, combining our gang here with the Hoffman Fabrics crew.

If you have any questions about entering, exhibiting, volunteering, or the travel schedule, please contact Kelly by phone, letter, fax, or email at: