Three Quilting Queens…

Founded in 2016 The Thread House is a collective of three quilting friends, Lynne Goldsworthy, Karen Lewis and Jo Avery. Together they design quilts, teach online classes and host sewing retreats. Beginning with a range of stand-alone quilt patterns and one annual retreat they have continued to increase their offering through virtual retreats and an annual BOM club before launching their own online teaching platform in 2023.

The Thread House Academy offers a range of workshops from all three tutors which can be purchased as Term or Annual passes, both reinforced with live Zoom sessions and a community facility, or as a straightforward single video class. All three designers continue to inspire and educate with their creative endeavours, both individually and together.

If you want answers to any of our frequently asked questions about the Academy click the button below. 

Karen Lewis

Karen is a screen printer, fabric designer, author and quilt designer. She and her family live on the edge of Leeds, Yorkshire with much adored Cockerpoo, Scout and when Karen isn’t knee deep in paint and fabric, she and Scout can be found exploring around and about the fields by her house. Her work is regularly seen in Love Patchwork and Quilting and Today’s Quilter magazines. As well as running workshops at her home in Leeds, she has taught at the Fat Quarterly Retreat and around the UK, as well as in Denmark, at Quiltcon in the US and at Sewtopia. Karen is the author of Screen Printing at Home and Wabi Sabi Sewing. She has designed four fabric collections for Robert Kaufman and two for Figo Fabrics. She is author of Screen Printing at Home and Wabi Sabi Sewing.

Lynne Goldsworthy

Lynne is a quilt designer, author and regular magazine subscriber.  Her love of quilting started back in the 80s on a trip to Washington - dropping into a shopping mall on the way back to the airport she fell in love with the American quilts on show there.  She has been designing and making quilts with some level of obsession ever since.  She regularly contributes to Love Patchwork and Quilting and Today’s Quilter magazines, has designed for fabric companies around the world and has taught at quilting events around the world as well as running numerous quilting retreats in the UK.  She is the co-author of several books including 500 Quilt Blocks and the Fat Quarterly Colour Workshop and sole author of Quick and Easy quilts. 

Jo Avery

Jo has been playing with fabric and yarn for as long as she can remember, culminating in her current role as a designer, teacher and entrepreneur. Her natural affinity with expressive colour informs all her work and her love of intricate techniques such as needle-turn appliqué and embroidery allows her to embrace both modern and traditional quilting aesthetics. She is a regular contributor to a number of quilt and embroidery publications and enjoys inspiring others through workshops at events such as the Festival of Quilts. She spends her days designing and making in her Schoolhouse Studio in the grounds of her home, near Edinburgh. She is an Aurifilosopher with three Aurifil collections to her name. She is the author of New Patchwork and Quilting Basics and Modern Crewel Embroidery, both published by Stash Books.