Hi I'm Thea McCurry - I started to sew in the mid 1950's.  My teachers included great grandmothers, grandmothers and aunts.  I helped make a quilt with my grandmothers when I was nine, and have been quilting ever since.  I was always given the scraps to play with, and still enjoy scrappy quilts!

I have taught sewing and quilting since 1989, and continue to polish my quilting skills by taking classes and workshops from well known teachers every chance I get - including judging, evaluation, and garment classes as well as quilting.  I'm always learning, not just from other teachers, but also from students.

I have entered my quilts and garments many shows, and am very proud to have won second place with my garment in the Hoffman Challenge.  I've also won numerous ribbons at local quilt shows.

I enjoy going to quilt shows, trying new tools, and experimenting with fabric, dye, paint, and embellishments.  I am pleased to have this opportunity to share my skills with you online quilters.

I also enjoy knitting, crochet, embroidery, beading, and playing in my button boxes and fabric stash.  Travel is a big part of my life, too, and I've been to Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and England.  Someday, I hope to visit Australia and New Zealand, as well as Ireland and Scotland.

I am the proud mom of two sons and a daughter who do not disclose their ages.  I'm also the grandmother of Jonathan and Madison.  My husband is retired from the US Air Force.  I'm also the well-trained servant of a very elderly Chihuahua named DeeDee.

My quilting passions include machine piecing, free-hand machine quilting, machine appliqué, machine embroidery and felting.  I use an HQ16 on a frame to do my machine quilting when I'm not using my Bernina or my Viking.

If you ever have any questions about my classes please feel free to contact me through my email.

Learn more about me through my blog.  The reason the blog is entitled "missingsamtoday" is because Sam was my ‘other' Chihuahua, who used to press the foot control on my Viking to remind me to turn off the sewing machine and play!

You can contact me directly by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Currently Teaching:

BOM (Block of the Month)  - Thea will be teaching all our BOM workshops on the site. The first pattern is expected to release March 1st.

What is a BOM and how will it work?

After purchasing the pattern, you will be added to a special email group which is for that pattern only; we will send all instructions by email.  Blocks will be sent once a month untill your have received all the blocks to complete that quilt.  You will receive your blocks and instructions on the same prescheduled day each month.  You will be sent instructions on how to save your patterns in the first email.  Once the pattern is finished you will be sent one final email telling you when you will be removed from the email list.

Each pattern will be assigned to their own email group which means you could be on more than one group at a time and work on more than one BOM at a time!

Kathy Hansen is married to John, and is the mother of 3 sons:  Daniel (30), Jared (24) and Trent (21).  They also have a daughter Jody (26).  Included in her extended family is daughter-in-law Widya and son-in-law Skott.  Kathy and John are also proud grandparents for six lovely grandbabies, two boys and four girls.  John and Kathy live in a rural area on 40 acres their "fur-babies".  They have four cats, two toy poodles, a Pomeranian, and staffer cross.

Kathy has been doing patchwork and quilting for 12 years and says she has lost count as to how many quilts she has made.  In addition to her quilts she also enjoys making toys, bags, clothing as well as knitting, crochet and embroidery!

Here is a little more about Kathy's love for crafting, sewing and quilting, in her own words:

I have made my own clothes for years, since I was a pre-teen and was taught to use the treadle (Singer treadle sewing machine).  I made my first throw/baby blankets almost 31 years ago, for my children. Although I made many crafty things in between including embroideries and cross stitch applied to my children's clothes and bedding, I did not make another quilted item until 1998.  I was working as a caregiver for individuals with intellectual or physical disabilities, and sometimes had huge blocks of quiet time while they rested and I was unable to do anything else.  One client liked to go to the library and I joined too.  I started getting out any craft books to read, just to pass the time, and found all the quilting books, and all the past issues of quilting magazines, especially the American ones.

I bought some fabric, and also used up lots of what I had at home from dressmaking too.  I bought every magazine I could find in the newsagents and lots of books as well.  I joined an online quilting group called SCQuilters (Southern Cross Quilters) and found there were about 30 local members I could join up with every week for company, and these ladies freely gave of their knowledge and experience.  I am still a member of SCQuilters and there are presently in excess of 2000 members.  I tried as many different techniques as I could, and participated in swaps both online and locally.  I attended retreats and workshops. The first conference/workshop my sister and I attended was by Mary Ellen Hopkins in 2003, and we were both blown away with the ease of construction and planning in her method, also by her vibrancy and energy.  Of course, we bought her books.  I was hooked and tried to get everyone else I knew involved as well.  My baby sister is my greatest swap mate, and we talk every night about what we are making and what we have bought, she is only 30.

I have made in excess of 100 quilted items, mostly bed quilts, but also wall hangings, book (bible) covers, bags, jackets, and placemats and table runners.  My favorite techniques include appliqué, embroidery, paper piecing (English and curved), and hand quilting, but I will have a go at any new technique.  I also love dyeing fabric to use in my own quilts and like to experiment with all the new paint products on the market today.  So far I have not made a whole cloth quilt, but will one day.

You can contact Kathy Hansen directly by email.

Currently Teaching:

Double Wedding Ring -  Learn a fast and easy way to create this traditional pattern. Whether you make a table runner, or full size quilt this pattern is sure to be a winner.  Great gift for weddings, aniversaries showers and and so much more!