Hailing from the Hudson Valley of upstate New York, Justin Stafford moved to Manhattan in 2006 to attend The Fashion Institute of Technology and has been there ever since. Having thoroughly explored the city and everything it has to offer he finally settled down in the East Village, which he draws from for inspiration in much of his artwork. With over 10 years of experience sewing, quilting and crafting, Justin is pursuing his dream of teaching, writing patterns, designing fabric and creating fiber art to share his unique perspective and the joy of quilting with the rest of the world. It all began in May 2016, when he was announced the 2nd prize winner of the National Bernina Quilts for Furry Friends competition. From there, Jo-Ann fabrics named him their handmade hero, with him going on to star in a video for them and accompanying them as their special guest to the 2017 American Folk Art Museum Gala. In 2018, he was named an Olfa Ambassador, Oliso Ambassador, and Aurifil Artisan and also started writing guest blogs and tutorials for Sizzix. His quilts appeared in a Saks Fifth Avenue window in fall 2019 and he's also got a line of quilting cottons in development!