Elaine Schmidt

As a child, Elaine Schmidt grew up "making things". At a young age her mother and grandmother taught her how to sew and knit and crochet. Her father taught her the finer points of good design and color. Never content to work with available patterns, Elaine started designing dolls and creating her own unique designs for clothing, accessories and quilts. Her love of textiles and crafts led her to major in Textiles and Design in college.

Elaine has worked in the education and design departments for Vogue and Butterick patterns, been the design coordinator for a chain of ribbon stores, and served as product development director for an import craft and gift company. She now does free-lance product design and consulting as Elaine Schmidt Designs.

She has developed new concepts for a variety of companies who manufacture products for the craft and hobby industries - from fabric to paint to wire and more. Elaine's original design ideas are featured at trade shows and in books, magazines, project sheets, and TV segments for HGTV, DIY and QVC.

Elaine enjoys teaching, demonstrating and thinking up new products ideas that will make sewing and crafts fun and easy. Elaine lives in Long Valley, NJ and loves being surrounded by her growing stash of fabric, fibers and the "fun stuff"- buttons, beads, ribbons, trims...