Some people just have the touch.

Wow, $100,000 is a LOT of money. The quilt is absolutely beautiful though.
I suppose if you're doing it as a "job" and devote regular hours to it then it's possible. It's not like most if us who fit it in as a hobby among the 101 other things we have to get done in the day.
morag

Yes, guess it is different if it is your job.......but, even if it was, I couldn't do something so gorgeous--besides, I like the piecing much more than the quilting......
Happy quilting!
Lenore

Don't forget that the winner is chosen by ballot of the magazine readers (and the web site visitors too.) Sharon's business website posted a large photo of her quilt, and asked for votes. Many of the winners of the various months/categories are not in the business and do not have means to promote their entry. Sharon's work is absolutely lovely, but many of the other entries were equally fantastic, IMO. It is so hard to choose a favorite, sometimes people just go with the quiltmakers they recognize. PAT in VA/USA

i also noticed that the voting was for the best quilt of '2007'. she made this quilt a few years ago. i think i saw it at the 2005 Houston show. there was at least pix of it online before then somewhere. so it wasnt a quilt finished in 2007 by any means. i'm unsure what constitutes 'of 2007'. in local quilt shows here they stipulate the quilt has to have been finished the year of the show, our big show is in oct. shows here earlier in the year also say finished within the past twelve months. they want new quilts, not ones that have been in heaps of previous shows. tho to be fair, this is voted on by the general public so i guess that negates that, eh, lol. up early again, groggy again, didnt sleep well again in the south pacific, j.

I'm gonna be contrary and say that at some point these famous well known 'professional' quilters (the ones who are able to make a substantial living from quilting) should step aside and let someone else have the chance to win in these contests. They have proven how good they are and we all deeply admire their amazing and vast talents, but still.....
Give someone else a chance to get that kind of exposure and make their way into the 'best of the best' of the quilting world. I kinda got a bad feeling towards Sharon when she came out with this membership thing- she wants more for her few online quilting demos than some pay for their television cable or satellite television service 24/7 each month with a good selection of 'famous quilters' on many different quilting programs. No, I did not subscribe to Sharon's membership thing- I would if the cost had been $5 a month- but $20 a month.??? No way.
Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

Leslie, I'm feeling contrary too! I agree with not spending $20 a month for that subscription, but then I'm feeling contrary about a lot of things lately. I stopped all my quilting mag subscriptions except for Mark Lipinsky's (He just cracks me up) and QNL. They had all started looking just alike and often featured the same fabric lines and nearly identical quilt patterns and often the same features.
And I am deciding quickly that while there is a lot to learn out there from more experienced quilters, that I generally fare better if I grope my way around and find my own "style" than if I try to incorporate part of some other quilter's style into my work. I just get frustrated that way. I've never been a good copier.
Anyway, that's my contrary self for today. I'm having a sort of out of sorts weekend and I'm not saying another word until sometime next week.
Sunny

Howdy!
Doesn't every artistic medium have this state of affairs? The Stars! I'm thinking of seeing the same actors, over and over and over, being given leading positions, whether or not they can give an adequate performance: they are The Stars. Painting, quilting, music, dance, writing, fashion, design (of all kinds), acting, even sports & home repairs!-- The Stars are too-few and often over-sold. Some people are better (have the touch) at self-promotion; some have better agents. Other artists may be standing back, knowing their own accomplishments are as good or nearly so, or better!, wondering, "So what am I? Chopped liver?!" One of the reasons I don't attend the Big Quilt Shows every year, and don't buy (or even look at) all the quilt magazines is because the same quilters show up over & over again. Some (maybe most) of them deserve the honors. But I think the judges need to open their minds and take another look at what they haven't seen before. It's easy to recognize the style of many of these well-known quilters, so a judge can feel comfortable in choosing a known winner, without giving much consideration to New & Different. There's safety in popularity.
However, some of these artists really do work harder at their craft, put in the extra hours, give the attention to fine details, and their work is recognized and will continue to shine up there at the top.
As for the $100,000 quilt competition, if it's by "people's choice"--- well, many, many, many of us quilting people never heard of it, never saw it, didn't vote, and in some cases didn't care. Nice prize pot; does one quilt/quilter win it all? Sharon Schamber: Looks like this quilter is a business woman; good for her.Beautiful work. If she can get people to sign up and send money, well, she'sgot that "touch", fer shur. ;-P But as much of it ismachine work, well, that's not my Number One favorite kind of quilting,and I'm already a good handquilter so I don't reckon I'll lay any money downfor this opportunity. I admire her organization to get so much done.She really does go the extra steps, tho', to create her art: R/Sandy-- sometimes The Stars help keep the craft going...
On 1/13/08 1:11 PM, in article snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net, "Leslie &
*snipped* Jeanne, weren't you in Houston in 2006? Time passes quickly....

Seems to me if she won she met all the criteria to participate in the contest. She is a really talented, nice woman. Is there a reason women have to beat up women that are successful? (maybe that isn't a woman thing but a 'people' thing) Heck, if she sent me one of her quilts I would be proud to have it ; )
I'm not sending her $20 a month for her programs But I have one of her books. It is a really nice book. Her work is very different than mine but I am so inspired by what she has done I think she has just added a whole lot to the quilting community. I hope she will continue to do that. Taria

Oh I hope I didn't start a thread to bash Sharon. That wasn't my intention at all. Her work is awesome. I've taken one of her classes and she expects a level of precision from herself and her students that would win a ribbon for almost anyone who followed her instructions. But her extra level of creativity in her design and color isn't one that can be easily taught. She owned a bridal gown business for many years and did couture sewing. She's worked hard to come as far as she has. I don't subscribe to her site either, but I'm sure the instruction there is top notch. I wouldn't hesitate to pay for one of her tutorials if I felt it fit my need at the time. Congratulations Sharon!

no idea who wrote this, jus reading thru the replys on the thread and ran across this. yes t'were indeed 2006. craft syndrome strikes again. i spent the whole time with sore feet and sore jaw from the walking and gaping in wonder. could of been i saw sharons quilt as winner at 2005 online show. geez, who knows. i'll never get to houston again i dont think. right now walking round the house is an effort. my feet are still sore. no idea why but i can not walk barefoot, need some cushioning under the left heel or i favour that side and limp. i really should just have a fulltime nap. save all the hassle and nonsense here. j.

I am also very happy for her and think her work is awesome and that she deserves the grand prizes.
Maybe what quilt shows need is a "Professional Division"- not just for those who teach or write articles or books (they are not necessarily in the same category as the quilters who repeatedly win at just about every major quilt show they enter) but for professional quilters who make a substantial living at it- just like I said in my original post. Or perhaps there could be a division where their work is displayed but not judged in the competition in order to give others a chance at the prizes and recognition.
Caryl Breyer Fallert comes to mind- it got to where she would always win at Paducah whenever she entered- I really don't much follow other major quilt shows- and her wins were all well deserved. She got established in the quilting community- now her name is a household word among quilters. She sells her fabrics, her quilts, her patterns and books on her website and has a retail store in Paducah. Sharon has reached that same point- if she enters a contest it's pretty much a given that she will win and she has her retail enterprises.
I don't believe anybody has 'bashed' Sharon. We have a right to our own opinions- and to state them in this unmoderated group- and if we decide to subscribe to a website or not is our prerogative. It has nothing to do with bashing- I'll decide how I want to spend my income and if I feel justified/satisfied with the cost of a particular item..... or subscription.
Leslie

Taria: I do hope you realize I was not bashing Sharon. She IS very talented. I was only pointing out that certain circumstance, such as having a commercial business, can influence the viewers' choice votes. It is up to the voters and the judges to decide in the end.
I would also like to point out that as I read the rules, the viewers' choice votes count for 25% while judges points count for 75%.
Pat in Virginia

If it's heel pain == you might want to read up on plantar faciaitis. I have it in my right heel. Hurts like the devil. A few years ago I felt nearly like an invalid. Could barely walk across the room -- and when I did the pain was horrendous!!

The other possibility if it's on the sole of the foot is a bone spur.....
Both benefit from a doctor.
--pig
On 1/17/08 15:42, in article rJOdnWPLbfcqIBLanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com,

Mr Joe was just diagnosed with this. He has to wear a GOOD support shoe (Walkers Tennis shoes with LOTS of cushioning), do certain stretch exercises, and if it doesn't settle down in a coupla weeks he goes back and is fitted with a shoe insert
HTH Butterfly

Are you talking about heel pain at the back of the heel or on the bottom? I have pain in the back, but it's intermittent and by the time I get to the doctor, it's gone, but comes back in a few week.
Linda PATCHogue, NY
Linda PATCHogue, NY

Be prepared to buy the insert. I have them. Expensive but well worth it. I almost couldn't stand to even stand up, much less walk. I was even getting foot cramps when I was off my feet too. Debra in VA See my quilts at

ah gee, thanks for starting this thread, Kate. i read thru the info i found online about the plantar faciaitis. i dont think it is that as i have a good arch and the sites i read said it usually came with flat feet.
its the actual pressure on the heel when i walk barefoot that hurts. its not intense pain but enough to annoy me. so i have to wear, pretty much all the time, some kind of well cushioned shoe. right now i have two pairs, one is a slip on running shoe, the other a slip on tennis shoe. both have enough cushioning to fix me properly. i just find it annoying to have to put them on when i get up in middle of the night to go to the loo.
i dont think it is a spur either. as it sometimes doesnt hurt, very occasionally tho. i think i probably damaged it on the last trip to usa, all that walking thru airport concrete floor terminals without good shoes on will do it i guess. yes i know it was over a year ago now but at my age i'm a slow healer. lucky i dont have a lot of walking to do, eh. i'll keep my ears open to other ideas to research to see if i find anything else that it might be. cheers, j.

still sounds like plantar faciatis Jeanne. If your heels hurt when going barefoot...that's almost a sure sign. Wearing shoes almost always takes the intense pain away..."almost" and only the intense...it still hurts some