Sharon Schamber — Couture Quilter

Behind the Scenes at TheQuiltingSchool.com
Sharon Schamber
— Couture Quilter
Sacred Threads
2011 Exhibit
Designing Wholecloth Quilts
. . . and a free pattern offer from April Sproule
Sharon L. Schlotzhauer
in The Art Studio
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Sacred Threads
2011
24
Kit Robinson
Photography by Barbara Hollinger
32 design ideas
Quilting Using Preprogrammed,
Decorative Stitches
Diane Rusin Doran
Sharon Schamber
— Couture Quilting
40
n
FREE desig
,
download
57.
see page
52 design elements
The Anatomy
of a Wholecloth
60 art studio
My Quilting
Journey
Sharon L. Schlotzhauer
April Sproule
November/December 2011 | Machine Quilting UNLIMITED
3
6 from the editor’s desk
8 contributors
10 tool box
12 communiqué
14 bookshelf
Kit Robinson
16 foundations
Beyond Binding
Barbara Hollinger
48 ask kimmy!
In a Bind
Kim Brunner
58 show circuit
59 filler finesse
Diane Rusin Doran
65 focus on business
Behind the Scenes at
The Quilting School
Vicki Anderson
70 noteworthy
Quilts from our Readers
73 tech talk
Keeping an Eye on your Feet
Todd Fletcher
75 subscription information
78 jaw dropper
Birding in the Everglades
Machine Quilting Unlimited™
Vol. XVI, No. 6
November/December 2011
Executive Editor
Vicki Anderson
vicki@meanderpublishing.com
Managing Editor
Kit Robinson
kit@meanderpublishing.com
Copy Editor
Joan Strosin
Graphic Designer
Jonathan Miller
jonathan@jlmgraphics.com
Photographer
Gregory Case Photography
www.gregorycase.com
Circulation Manager
Tiffani Hahn
tiffani@meanderpublishing.com
800.910.1925 ext. 4
Advertising Manager
Sara Duffert
sara@meanderpublishing.com
800.910.1925 ext. 5
MEANDER PUBLISHING INC
CEO/Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vicki Anderson
Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Anderson
Editorial Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kit Robinson
IT Director/Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Vanek
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Citizen Printing, Fort Collins CO
Renewal: Check the expiration date on your mailing label.
It states the last issue that you will receive.
Back Issues: Visit www.mqumag.com for availability and
ordering information.
Manuscripts: We welcome unsolicited manuscripts on
topics of interest to machine quilters. Please send an email
query titled “Article for Submission” to submissions@
mqumag.com.
New Products and Media Reviews: We are happy
to review publications (both print and electronic) and
products of interest to our readers. Please send samples
or review copies to the above address.
Advertising Rates: Available upon request:
ads@meanderpublishing.com.
Mission Statement: To provide a forum for discussion
and exchange of ideas for the betterment of machine
quilters worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 Meander Publishing Inc: All Rights
Reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without
WRITTEN permission of the publisher. Copyright of
individual articles are retained by the contributor.
We welcome your suggestions, editorial comments
and concerns, subscription renewals, back issue
inquiries, and advertising.
© 2011 Melody Randol
Machine Quilting Unlimited (USPS 000-230) Published six times per year by Meander Publishing Inc, 1801 Aspen St., Fort Lupton, CO 80621 (Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov),
info@mqumag.com, www.mqumag.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1 Year – 6 Issues, 2 Years – 12 Issues. USA 1 Year $30US, 2 Years $52US, Canada 1 Year $45US, 2 Years $78US,
International 1 Year $60US. Prices subject to change without notice. Periodical Postage paid at Fort Lupton CO, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send change of address
notices to: Meander Publishing Inc, PO Box 918, Fort Lupton, CO 80621, 800.910.1925 or 303.710.9537, tiffani@meanderpublishing.com.
4
Machine Quilting UNLIMITED | November/December 2011
from the editor’s desk
Throughout the year I have the pleasure of
meeting new writers and artists
On the Cover:
Mystique, by Sharon
Schamber, 102 × 102
inches.
who contribute to Machine Quilting Unlimited,
but our communications are frequently limited
to phone calls and emails. Fortunately, my
work at the magazine brings me to several quilt
shows where I am often lucky to connect with
artists who I have only previously corresponded
with online. Our friendships can grow in a
broader way as we finally meet in person. This is
especially true at the annual International Quilt
Festival in Houston, where Executive Editor
Vicki Anderson and I are planning to be in early
November. I will be making a lot of new friends,
seeing many of the acquaintances I have made
long distance over the past year, and catching up
with several of my buddies who live in different
areas of the country. This is one of the wonderful
things about quilt shows that we can all enjoy,
the camaraderie of quilters of all stripes coming
together in one place.
I had several enjoyable phone conversations last
summer with Sharon Schamber, our featured
artist this issue, and I am looking forward to
meeting her in Houston. A detail shot of her Best
of Show quilt, Mystique, from the 2010 World of
Beauty contest at the International Quilt Festival,
is shown on our cover, and it highlights the
perfection of Sharon’s amazing machine quilting. She shares more of her award winning quilts
along with her personal and professional story in
her article, Couture Quilting. Diane Doran, who
I met online years ago and has since become one
of my best quilting friends, gives us several ways
that decorative stitches can be used in quilting,
and Sharon Schlotzhauer (I met her at a local
quilt show last year!) shows us her exceptional,
diversely-themed quilts in The Art Studio.
April Sproule’s Anatomy of a Wholecloth
provides invaluable information on all aspects of
this genre, complete with stunning examples of
her work, and Barb Hollinger takes us Beyond
Binding in her excellent Foundations column.
Vicki Anderson gives insight into the filming of
instructional quilting in Behind the Scenes at
The Quilting Show. We feature select art works
from the biannual exhibit, Sacred Threads,
including the heartfelt artist statements that are
such an important element of this collection.
Melody Randol’s intriguing and lovely Birding in
the Everglades, from her National Park series, is
the November/December Jaw Dropper.
As always, our Noteworthy section includes
outstanding quilts from our readers, and I hope
that you will be contacting me (and becoming
my new online friend!) to submit your own
wonderful machine-quilted pieces for possible
publication in this section. Please go to our
website, www.mqumag.com, for instructions on
how to submit your quilt.
Gregory Ca
se Photogra
We love to meet our readers and hear about what
they are up to, so if you see Vicki or me at a quilt
show, whether in the MQU booth or on the floor,
please come up and introduce yourselves. It is
always a thrill to make new friends!
phy
Kit Robinson
Managing Editor
kit@meanderpublishing.com
6
Machine Quilting UNLIMITED | November/December 2011