Our Story

Covid changed everything!
Some changes were good!

Global Quilt Connection was founded by Sue Bleiweiss and Lyric Kinard as a response to the shutdown of the travel teaching industry.
We began with a few zoom webinars, introducing teachers who were ready to jump on the rickety virtual bandwagon, to quilt guilds around the world.

Since 2020 we have evolved into one of the premier resources for Quilt Guilds to find virtual programming. We now serve our fabulous teachers with community and professional development opportunities via the Academy for Virtual Teaching. We look forward to the future as virtual programming is offered in addition to in-person events, opening greater access to quilters and their favorite teachers, from every part of our dear planet.

Lyric Montgomery Kinard

When Covid shut the world down, award winning traveling quilt teacher, Lyric Montgomery Kinard, quickly pivoted to online teaching. Even with experience in teaching online workshops, it was a mad scramble to figure out how to translate her in-person offerings to live zoom classes. Fortunately, Lyric loves a technical challenge!  

Through her involvements with the Global Quilt Connection she realized there was a great need for further professional training, helping the quilt, craft, and art teachers she loves to grasp and master the technical aspects of online teaching. She finds great joy in supporting her colleagues as they grow their virtual teaching businesses.

Susan Couch

Susan Couch is an avid quilter and a marketing expert, and she is happy to bring those skills to the Global Quilt Connection in 2023.  Her mission is to make sure guild representatives have the available resources to find and host the best virtual teachers for their guilds.

Susan began crafting and sewing at an early age, but was encouraged to pursue a career in engineering and business.  She eventually left that profession and after hand making costumes for a French Quarter walking parade with her dog, she purchased a preloved sewing machine.  Soon after that she was teaching people how to use their sewing machines at a local shop, where she discovered that art and quilting are her sewing passions.  She enjoys working with Lyric because Lyric is a fearless entrepeneur who creates community while helping people do what they love.