Teachers Bios:
Sharon Schamber
Sharon Schamber and her husband Gene have lived in Payson for three years. Sharon was part of the Rim Country Quilt Roundup in Payson in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. We are proud to welcome our own local artist back to teach during the 2010 show.
She has won many national awards, in 2008, she won the $100,000 Quilting Challenge Magazine contest for her quilt "Scarlet Serenede". We are very proud to announce that Sharon has been awarded the title of Master Quilter from The National Quilting Association. To find out more about the NQA and the Masters award you can visit www.nqaquilts.org.
"I started my quilting just like most of you - buying the wrong fabric, using the wrong batting, and using the wrong needles. With time, I learned to use what really works for me, even though the product might not be known as the "right" one. However, I do not, under any circumstances, compromise my standards.
I had to learn what a scant quarter and a fat quarter were. Translating all those unusual terms that we use, so casually, was the next step. The first year was just a spin of learning and creating a base for future quilts. For a novice, the learning curve is quite steep.
I remember my grandmother quilting back in the `60s, but everything was so different when compared to today. I hope that the quilt world will be just as different for my grandchildren.When I first began I had no idea that quilts were being machine quilted. I remember only that quilts were all hand-pieced and hand-quilted.
I remember my Grandma Larsen counting the stitches per inch and ranting about being inconsistent, so that is where I went. I set out to find how many stitches per inch I needed to make my quilts "right." I asked the wrong person, and she told me that it was just rude to ask. This was the first indication that I needed to be a teacher. " She loves seeing the light come on in her students' eyes.
Sharon has the honor of being the number one ranked longarm quilter in America. She has won AQS's Paducah show in both 2006 and 2007. She is the only quilter to ever win back to back AQS Paducah shows. She recently won the "Scarlet Serenade" won the Best of Show Gammill Longarm Machine Quilting Award at the 2006 International Quilt Festival and the That Patchwork Place Best of Show in the Innovative Appliqué Large category in the 2005 International Quilt Association annual judged show.
A few of Sharon's Awards:
"Scarlet Serenade" took Best of Show at the International Quilt Festival in 2005. It won the Gammill Longarm Quilting Award at the America Quilter's Society Quilt show in April 2006 and another of Schamber's masterpieces, "Sedona Rose," won Best of Show.
"Flower of Life," a representation of Sharon's life, won American Quilter Society's Best of Show in 2007. Take a look at this quilt... www.imqa.org/2007Winners.htm
Despite all her quilting accomplishments, Sharon will tell you she is a teacher first and a quilter second. She loves seeing the light come on in her students' eyes. Her inventive quilting techniques, such as Piec-liqué, have taken the art form to new heights. "Everything I do is different, even down to the binding," she said.
Visit Sharon's web site for books and tips: www.sharonschamber.com .
Gina Perkes
Gina Perkes is a young talented long arm quilter and mother of three from Payson, Arizona. Check out Gina's latest quilting success, named "Silken Defiance"... www.azquiltersguild.org/quiltshowwinners08.htm This stunning quilt won "Best of Show" as well as first in the "Medium Quilt-Appliqued, Professionally Machine Quilted" category. Gina not only quilted this beautiful quilt, she designed and pieced it as well. Gina does her quilting on a non-stitch regulated Gammill Classic quilting machine.
Gina created the "Silken Defiance" quilt by machine using some new techniques she wanted to try and experiment with, such as redwork along the ultra suede appliqué pieces. Her class will demonstrate this new technique...so come join in the fun and learn to use fabrics such as silk and ultra suede!
Although a young quilt artist, she has already won many national quilting awards. "Masquerade" is the quilt, Perkes said, she has shown the most. It won her the first best of show she ever received from the Arizona Quilter's Guild a few years ago and was honored with a best of contest for Artwork at the Quilter's Society's Nashville 2005 show. It also won third place in a Machine Quilter's Showcase.
Gina has also been featured on “The Quilt Show” with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims where she demonstrated her quilting talents as a spokesperson for Gammill Quilting Machines. Many of you may recognize Gina, as she graces the inside covers of many quilting magazines in this role.
When Sharon Schamber moved to Payson, Gina and she became fast friends. "Gina does a good job bridging both worlds," Schamber said referring to Gina's quilting and mother roles.
Nancy Brenan Daniel
Nancy learned her love of quilts and her early quilt making skills from her maternal grandmother who encouraged her to play with fabric, templates, and to sew at a very young age.
In 1982 Nancy opened the Quilters’ Ranch in Tempe, Arizona. Nancy, and her two business partners, expanded the successful business twice in ten years before nancy sold her portion to her partners. She has since devoted herself to quilt making -- teaching, judging, designing and writing books and articles.
Before 1985 all of Nancy’s sewing was done on a Singer Featherweight sewing machine -- the same machine on which she made her wedding dress. By 1986 Nancy was designing quilts, clothing and dolls that required more polish than her trusted Featherweight could offer. Nancy did her research -- trying out many machines -- and bought her first modern sewing machine. It was a Pfaff 1469.
Nancy completed her prize winning “Stitch in Time” garment ensemble and, later, her ensemble “Jackrabbit Sunrise” for the Tenth Annual Fairfield Fashion Show on the Pfaff 1469 machine. That machine is still in operation... but, she now enjoys working on a new Pfaff Creative Vision. She is rapidly learning the joys of machine embroidery.
Nancy has contributed to the success of many quilting events such as: The International Quilt Festivals in Houston, Chicago and Long Beach; The American Quilters’ Society; The National Quilters’ Association, Inc.; The East Coast Quilters Alliance; The Smokey Mountain Quilters; The Montana Heritage Center; The Pine Tree Quilters; The North Carolina Quilt Symposium; Colorado Quilting Council; Minnesota Quilter’s; Lowell Quilt Festival and many others.
Throughout each year she is hosted by many guilds where she offers lectures, workshops, and frequently performs her duties as a quilt judge.
She is a member of The National Quilters’ Association, Inc. and is a NQA Certified Judge and Certified Teacher. Nancy is active in several other local, national, and international guilds. She earned a BA and Ma in Art History and also holds Art Education certification for grades one through twelve and an Adult Education Certificate from the Maricopa Community College District.
Active in the quilt and doll making world for many years as a popular teacher, judge, and designer Nancy has authored twenty one books on sewing crafts and quilt making. She has contributed to quilting and craft magazines. Her quilts and crafts have been on the covers of engagement calendars for The American Quilters’ Society, Better Homes and Gardens and numerous other magazines.
Nancy is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of three. She makes time to volunteer in her community and is the companion of one ‘furkid’ -- Sashie the Border-collie-mix.
Lyn Mann
Lyn Mann started quilting in 1981 and has been “hooked” ever since. Six years later, Lyn started teaching and found that this was where her real gift was. Over the past years, she has taught thousands of students and loves the one on one approach to teaching.
Ever active in her quilt community, Lyn was a past president of Flying Geese Quilt Guild and belongs to 3 Orange County quilt guilds. She is also a member of both Northern and Southern California Quilt Councils.
Besides teaching for guilds through-out the United States, Lyn has taught at “Road to California”, “Quilt Utah”, “Camp Watch-A-Patcher” and “Quilt Camp In The Pines” quilt conferences.
Lyn has taught on 7 quilting cruises including Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands and a cruise from the West Coast of Africa to Barbados.
In 1998, she was the featured artist for the Christmas exhibit at the La Conner Quilt Museum in La Conner, Washington.
Lyn has made over 440 quilts and designed approximately 70 for mysteries alone. She has had quilts pictured in 5 different major quilt books and 6 different quilting magazines. The featured book for the 2004 So. California quilters run was ”Hit The Pavement” a book that Lyn wrote. She also wrote a series of 8 articles for Quilters’ Newsletter called “Slick Tricks”.
Currently, Lyn is working on a series of “skewed” quilts that use a special template to produce a very wavy looking block that is still mathematically designed so that all the seams fit together.
Lyn sells her book and patterns thru her company called Penache. It was also the publisher of “Hit The Pavement”.
J. Michelle Watts
J. Michelle Watts is a quilt artist that loves living in the Southwest region of the U.S.. Michelle has been quilting for over 22 years. She has spent the last 15 years creating wearable clothing and quilts and that express her love of the Southwest. Michelle designs southwestern quilt and wearable art patterns, southwest fabrics, teaches classes and lectures throughout the U.S. She is also the author of 3 quilting books. Most of Michelle's quilts are machine pieced, machine appliquéd and machine quilted.
Michelle's Quilting Vision
Michelle's quilts blend with both traditional and contemporary furnishings. Michelle wants quilters throughout the world to experience the beauty of the southwest through the quilts and wearables she creates. She likes to introduce quilters to the designs that make this region unique.
Michelle's Inspirations
As a quilt designer, she is continuously inspired by the beauty of her surroundings. She draws inspirations from Native American weavings, pottery, woven baskets, jewelry, and beadwork, Spanish tinwork, ironwork, wood carvings, tile architecture, churches, missions, and the landscape are also used for inspiration. Through her use of rich color, strong design and texture, Michelle creates objects of beauty to the eye and comfort to the soul.
Professional Associations
Charter member of Pecos Valley Quilters, Roswell, NM since it started in February, 1983.
Ogallala Quilters Society
Mildand Quilters Guild
American Quilter's Society
Pecos River Artist
Margaret Wood
Margaret Wood is a fiber artist of Navajo and Seminole Indian descent. In 1981, she published Native American Fashions: Modern Adaptations of Traditional Designs, which was revised and reprinted in 1997. She opened her business, Native American Fashions, Inc., in 1981 and designs and produces quilts and clothing inspired by Native American clothing and artifacts. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the country. She served two terms as board member for Atlatl, the national service organization for Native American arts and served for six years on the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Consultant/Researcher/Co-curator, 1999. Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona. Served as consultant/researcher/co-curator for the Fashion Fusion Exhibit at the Heard Museum North, July 10, 1999 to July, 2000. Wrote drafts of some text and labels, researched photos for graphics panels and did background research of some exhibit themes. Loaned clothing, jewelry and photos for use in the exhibit.
Native American Fashions: Modern Adaptations of Traditional Designs. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1981. Reprinted 1997.
Marsha MacDowell and Kurt Dewhurst. To Honor and Comfort Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1997. Authored chapter titled "Contemporary Native Quilt Artists".