Our Instructors

Meet Our Instructors

Karen Hill

Karen Hill loves to teach and has a passion for quilting. She was an APS teacher for 25 years. Her retirement goals include teaching quilting, travelling, and spending more time with her grandchildren.

Her quilting career began with Quilts of Valor for wounded soldiers during the Iraq War. She has lost count of the number of quilts and wall hangings she has completed in the last 10 years, “I have never seen a pattern I wouldn’t like to sew.” She also enjoys traveling with her husband and the Quilter’s Travel Companion Book in their 5th wheel, attending quilt shows in Houston, Tx., Paducah, Ky., Madison, Wi., as well as visiting countless quilt stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas and Mexico.

She would love for you to join one of the many classes offered at Abby Lane. It is fun to learn, laugh, and share with one another. She is a member of NMQA and the Modern Quilt Assoc.

Remember a fat quarter is not a body part!

Mary Elder

Mary loves teaching and brings enthusiasm, vibrancy, and a true love of the craft with every lesson she gives. Mary learned to sew at age 10 on her mother's foot-pedal treadle machine and has not stopped since. Mary says she has sewed on just about everything over the years, including all of our products. She says she sews because of the joy she experiences in creating beautiful and functional things. Her projects include clothes for 3 children and a husband, couch covers, pillows, and even outfitting the interior of a tent! Mary's message is "anybody can do it!". She is excited about sharing the joy of sewing with everyone she teaches.

Georgia Knazovich

Georgia is our resident quilting expert. She is dubbed "crazy lady" quilter, due to her passion for cutting up perfectly good cloth into little pieces just to sew it all back together. Georgia is a lifelong sewer and crafter and loves working 1-on-1 with her customers, to share her knowledge and love of the craft. In her "spare" time, Georgia does moulage (injuries simulated by using make-up) for the State and runs a one-person travel agency.

Pat Lauffenburger

Pat has been sewing for 55 years (we think she started in the womb). She has operated her own sewing business and professionally designed and sewn all types of garments, from suits to wedding gowns.

Pat co-coordinates the "Sew What Club", which meets at Abbey Lane on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10 to noon. The club is open to all sewers and embroiders to share ideas, techniques, and trouble shoot problems.

Char Punke

Char is drawn to color and texture. She loves to teach and share her 30 years of experience in fiber arts with students. She will be instructing bag making and designing original jackets here at Abbey Lane. You can find her work at Nob Hill Gallery on Montgomery and the New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair in June. She also teaches Painting and Sun Printing classes at CNM Emeritus Academy.