All Agave members should save the 1:00 p.m. April 1 meeting for Master Quilter Sharon Schamber. Sharon has a wonderful studio in nearby Payson where she creates all of her fabulous quilts. The Agave Guild is very lucky to have Sharon as a presenter where we will be able to see her quilts up-close and personal. Mrs. Schamber is undoubtedly one of the most respected quilters in the world, having won award on top of award. For example, Scarlet Serenade won Best of Show in 2005 at the International Quilt Association (IQA); and in 2006 Serenade also won the Gammill Long Arm Machine Quilting Award at the International Quilt Festival. In 2008, Scarlet Serenade went on to win first place in the $100,000 Quilting Challenge. Due to all of her awards, Sharon Schamber is now ranked as the number one long arm quilter in America. Schamber also won the American Quilter’s Society (AQS) Paducah show in both 2006 and 2007. She is the only quilter to ever win back to back AQS Paducah shows with different quilts. Another of Sharon’s well-known works, Mother of Earth, took Best of Show at the International Quilt Festival in 2008 where it was awarded a $10,000 first prize. In 2011, she won the Maywood Master Award at the International Quilt Festival; and most recently, she was given the title of Master Quilter from the National Quilting Association (NQA). This title, reserved for a very select few, is akin to being knighted by the Queen of England. In spite of her numerous awards, Sharon is very humble and says she is a teacher first and a quilter second. She loves seeing the light of knowledge and in her students’ eyes when they finally understand a new method like Piec-liqué, a technique she invented, and perfected for quilters of all levels.

Since this is a very special event for Agave please come early for best seating and remember to wear your name tag. Please enter only through the inside doors of the Oakwood Ballroom where you will be checked for current membership. All guests and past members will be charged an admission price of $5 for this special event. No seat saving allowed for individuals not checked in.

As always, Agave meets in the Oakwood Ballroom of the Oakwood Country Club on the first Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m.