DARLA HUNT

Darla has taught exclusively for Whitby fabrics for over 20 years. With all that experience, she still feels that she continues to learn as much as she teaches. 
Darla’s training is in technical fashion design construction, and couture sewing. She has a love of all things hand-made and firmly believes that you should “let the fabric talk to you….it knows what it wants to be, you just need to listen.” Fun is the main focus of Darla’s teaching style and her philosophy is simple: make it fit perfectly and finish it right. You will often hear Darla telling her students that "all things are possible with a little help” and “no mistake is irreversible”. With her passion for embroidery, Darla’s other favourite saying is “let’s embroider that!” 

SUSAN RODESKY

Susan is a textile artist and free-lance sewing educator whose business specializes in uniquely designed and hand-embellished Holiday stockings.   Her obsession for fashion and garment making started in high school and over the years, her sewing journey has led to an eclectic mixture of sewing techniques. As a competitive ballroom dancer, she has designed and made many of her own gowns and accessories. Hand-beading and machine embellishment are her passions along with dyeing and various other methods of fabric manipulation.

ELIZABETH DARBYSHIRE

You might say Elizabeth has a little obsession with sewing.  From the first elementary school Home Ec class she was hooked.  She has studied Sewing and Design at Seneca College and considers herself a professional student taking classes whenever she can.

After enjoying a 15 year career in the Telecom industry, Elizabeth decided to stay home and focus on her young family.

Elizabeth enjoys the duality of sewing that unites both the creative and technical aspects, and appreciates the challenge sewing offers to even the most experienced seamstress. 

           GLENYS LUSK

Glenys became interested in sewing as a teenager, though she almost lost that interest after a less than happy experience in high school sewing classes. Luckily, her Mom came to the rescue and taught her the basics of sewing, and Glenys quickly regained a love of sewing that has continued ever since.

Glenys went on to expand her sewing knowledge through sewing classes, many of them here at Whitby Fabrics Sewing Centre. In the past few years she has focused on finding and perfecting patterns for her body type.

Glenys says her true passion is the art of colour and the use of fabrics to create unique one of a kind garments that are both useful and beautiful. She believes that “sewing should be fun and a way to express our personal creativity.”

ESTHER CAMPBELL

Esther has been involved in sewing all her life.  She learned to sew as a young girl, gaining a wealth of knowledge from her father, who was a tailor.  She graduated from Sheridan College as a Graphic Designer Illustrator and worked in that field for 12 years.

For over 10 years now Esther has worked at Whitby Fabrics, where her creativity and her sense of fashion is much appreciated by customers.  She also teaches Specialty Workshop classes and has a large group of students in the Whitby Fabrics Junior Sewing Academy.

Esther’s passion for fashion and her superb sewing skills make for a great combination!

JUDI GOTTFRIED

Judi is a local Whitby resident, who retired from the world of system/
business/test analysis 9 years ago. She discovered machine embroidery
approximately 5 years ago, about the same time she started quilting.
Since that time, she has pretty much forsaken all previous enjoyments,
preferring to spend her spare time making large bed size embroidered
quilts, collecting designs, stash building, and now teaching.

DIANE HILLMAN

Diane’s love of sewing began as a very young girl, when she first learned the skill from her mother. As an adult, she went on to pursue and enjoy other creative interests, but sewing always remained her passion.
Diane worked as an elementary school teacher until 1988, when she realized her lifelong dream of entering the sewing and business world. For 17 years, she and her sister Laurie owned and operated Whitby Fabrics. During those years, Diane began her second “teaching career”, this time in sewing. Her classes included quilting, dressmaking, children’s clothing, home décor, the Junior Sewing Academy and many others.
Diane retired from Whitby Fabrics Sewing Centre in 2005, while Laurie has continued the business, but she will never retire from sewing. Diane is now busy developing new sewing projects that she can share with others through her teaching, and of course, sewing for her grandchildren.