Jenny Haskins, Pfaff Sewing Celebrity
Jenny Haskins is a witness to the talent that God passes through her but not of her and in using her God given talents and sharing them freely is the way in which Jenny acknowledges her Creator. She lives by the belief that if you 'believe in yourself all things are possible' and 'it is never too late to be what you could have been' and that you can do anything that you set your heart on.
Passionate about colour and its many facets Jenny was an artist for years using a variety of mediums, her favourite being on glaze painting on porcelain which she taught in her studio for many years. She has painted on fabric, silk, wood and canvas and as her children (Simon, Samantha and Jason) state if you stand still long enough mum will paint you.
Temporarily trading her brushes and paint for needle and thread using 21st century technology Jenny now explores the creative world or machine embroidery. In 1991 she joined the Pfaff sewing machine company in Australia as the National Education and Training manager, later being promoted to National Marketing manager she continued working in this capacity until 1997 at which time Jenny decided to venture into the world of publishing and in 1999 started her own company.
Now being considered one of the leading forces in the machine embroidery world Jenny is hailed for her original designs and easy techniques. Her classes and seminars are inspiring and frequently life-changing events for her students who, with Jenny's guidance, learn to bring artistry to their work. Jenny runs regular workshops in the United States and Australia and is the author of eight books (currently working on her 9th) and has edited five popular machine embroidery magazines as well as five sold out quilting books including 'Color Purple', 'Federation Quilt' and the 'Millennium Quilt'. These quilts are a testimony to her skills as an artist and editor.
Jenny started her own family company Unique Creative Opportunities Pty. Limited/Jenny Haskins Designs through which she publishes and sells her products as well as doing promotional/teaching tours in the US in such places as the Martha Pullen School of Fashion and Design held twice a year in Huntsville AL, Martha Pullen Quilt Academy, has been a guest artist for coming up ten years at the Pfaff Dealer Convention held annually in the USA - in 2001 she was a feature artist with a fashion parade show casing a decade of Pfaff embroidered garments which is available on Video, as well as being a feature artist at the Puyallup Sewing Expo in Washington State, guest speaker at the Paducah Quilt show, and teaching at the International Quilt Market and numerous other sewing and craft shows around Australia and the US. Jenny has also appeared as a guest on Sewing with Nancy and America Quilts Creatively with Karen Good and Sue Hausmann.
In 2003 Jenny won a 1st and 3rd place for her quilts Beyond Color Purple and Creative Fantasy at the International Quilt Market and Festival in the inaugural machine embroidered quilt class, promoting machine embroidered quilting a special passion of hers. She also won first place in the 2003 Pfaff Educators Fashion parade.
At present Jenny is the Editor of Creative Expressions (machine embroidery and quilting magazine) which is published by Pride publishing and was launched in October 2003 at the Houston Quilt Market and Festival and was received with overwhelming accolades from quilters and machine embroiderers alike. The aim of Creative Expressions is to inspire, educate and motivate all those who own a sewing machine and want to get the most out of it.
Jenny is continually working on new design CDs and new and beautiful quilts and garments. Not only does Jenny design the embroidery motifs on the CD's but creates uniquely inspirational concepts of using them in such items as quilts, garments, home décor giving the sewer ideas to not just stitch out a single design but design combinations, techniques and effects.
Jenny is now joined by her son Simon, who made his quilt début in 2003, touring with and managing Jenny and her business. Jenny and Simon both look forward to working creatively for many years to come.
Jenny's embroidery design collections and the Jenny Haskins School of Creative Inspiration are available at your local Pfaff dealer.
