Another favorite!

Someone I've been inspired by (but have not met nor taken a class from) is Margaret Miller. Her book "Easy Pieces" is a wonderful workbook for value studies. I've made numerous quilts using her techniques (it's not a project book) and think she has a real gift for color/value interpretation.

3 Favorites

I love this discussion! I have to say my favorite teacher would be Alex Anderson - she used to be my own personal teacher, right in my living room every morning and afternoon. Then just mornings, then earlier in the mornings - besides learning so much from her and her guests she also taught me to get up 1/2 hour earlier every day! I was a beginning quilter and soaked up everything I learned from her program like a kindergartener. I very much appreciate Sharyn Craig for writing LeMoyne Stars Made Easy (and demonstrating this on Simply Quilts) . She really does make it easy with her explanations and illustrations. And one more teacher/author I really like is Jackie Robinson. I've taken a couple of classes from her at the Houston Quilt Show. She has wonderful simple techniques for making intricate-looking blocks. Her books are well-illustrated and easy to follow, and her classes are always fun and full of great information. And, like everyone else, I could go on and add about 10 more, but the challenge of only 3 favorites is a good one! NancyH

Famous quilters

Eleanor Burns- two classes. One in Pad. Ky in 1998 at the big show. My first quilt show. Wow. I started quilting with her book on log cabins.
Second Mary Elen Hopkins, your own personal private quarter of an inch.
Eleanor Burns again-2 years ago here in Jax. Fla for the quilt retreat, she did a new way of trip around the world. It really isn't my style of quilting, but she is so funny, and such a good teacher. I gave the quilt to a friend who had gone to Russia the year before, and then was moving to Mich. shortly after I made the quilt. It seemed to fit.
Mary Lou Wideman-funky, wacky, I love her quilts. I think I am a Mary Lou type person. The Red hat quilt I did a few years ago was all her tenique.
Sara in Fla.
There are several local quilt teachers that are not famous, but great people and great teachers. I'm blessed to live in an area that values quilting. Both as art quits, and tradional quilting.

Where are the trends heading?

Thinking about my first quilting inspirations has also got me to thinking about the younger generation and where this might all be heading. I have been watching some of the younger ones for a while. There are many, but see what you think of these two. http://pinkchalkstudio.com/blog/ and http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com/ Have you been watching the younger generation? Who? Also express your thoughts on the future in textiles/quilting/sewing. Laura

Guess I lucked out

(Never Seen Any Famous Quilter Live and In Person) . Guess I am a very lucky person, then. When the quilting interest first began, the guilds in South Florida had Michael James, Virginia Avery, Ginny Beyer, Chris Wolfe Edmonds, and more whose names escape me right now. Had classes with all these wonderful people.

I was a Florida "delegate" to the First Continental Quilt Congress in Arlington, VA in 1978. It was an exciting time! (Remember that Holice Turnbow played Benjamin Franklin, which I have mentioned before, and I sent him all my pictures of him a couple years ago -- hey Holice you'll have to post one). Most memorable quilt of the time: Washington at Valley Forge by Chris Edmonds. There I also met Karey Bresenhan, who started the quilt festival in Houston which is now International, and it took me 25 years to be able to afford to go (I used my first Social Security check to pay for the plane ticket, LOL). Unfortunately was in a car wreck 12 days before, so didn't get to enjoy it to its fullest. Also at the Congress so many others we met: Elly Sienkiewicz, Marcia Aasmunstad and on and on.

After that, the Ray of Light by Ginny Beyer won $10,000 in the first (I think) magazine contest (was it Good Housekeeping?) and quilting was on the move for good. In 1996 we moved to Tennessee, where I was treated to meeting Ami in Chattanooga (Worst Quilt in the World lecture and contest), and there were quilts lying down a corridor which happened to be on the way to the ladies room. I spied a grandmother's flower garden made of giant hexagons and went nuts over it, so needless to say it didn't get the title of "Worst Quilt in the World."

More recently at Knoxville I finally met Merikay Waldvogel, whose historical works I have most admired for years. And last but not least, Mary Lou Weidman, who changed my life forever with her whimseys (for want of a better description, and it is only meant with total love) at a time when I had been going to give up quilting after the Pigeon Forge fray (my quilt has won eight more ribbons btw, including Best of Show, two firsts, a Judges Choice and a Peoples Choice). I have not met, but love the work of Hollis Chatelaine (hope I spelled her name right) of Western North Carolina (saw The Blue Men in person at Houston that year).

Sorry this is so long, but I have been really blessed to meet and learn from the world's wonderful quilters. To single one out is impossible -- each has his or her own particular talent, and thank God they are willing to share with us. Love to all, Lavinia-TN

Favorites

I too have to pick Ami Simms. Iwas lucky enough to be part of a class at WQI that included her applique stitch(hand) and her scrapbook quilts and a luncheon presentation on the Worst Quilts in the World that had me laughing so hard I almost fell off my chair. Not to mention I interviewed her about the Alzheimer's quilt collection she was presenting at the Its A Stitch Guild Show in May. Any chance to spend time with her is worth it.

My second choice is Judy Hopkins who writes the Around the Block quilt block books. She takes the math out of piecing for me with all the cutting instructions for different sizes included. Being dyslexic, this makes life so much easier.

My last choice is a local one for me. Gretchen Hudock teaches quilting for Nancy's Notions and she taught the first quilt class I ever took at a place called Greene's Variety. She was also the reason I love to do the stained glass method using the clover tape.

I love this idea of sharing--let's keep the ideas flowing

Shelli

Never Seen Any Famous Quilter Live and In Person

Jill's comment about being lucky to learn from so many well-known quilters in person made me a bit envious ... I have never seen any famous quilter "in the flesh". I've seen them on television (via Simply Quilts) and on my computer monitor (via The Quilt Show) but I think Jill was leaping to a conclusion when she thought I was referring to being influenced by famous quilters by seeing them in person. It's all been through purchasing and reading books. (Well, I did meet Ted Storm once but that was not a class, that was a social event.)

I've never had a class or attended a seminar from a famous teacher because I am not in a guild and I live in a rinky-dink small town. As a matter of fact I was totally ignorant of anyone named Sharyn Craig until Jill posted about her on the BB. Looked Sharyn up by googling the name and realized I am ignorant of her because her style is not the type of quilting I am interested in.

Judy

3 quilters

I would have to say Caryl Bryer Fallert, Ricky Tims, and Joyce Schlotzhauer. The first two for their use of color and design, and their magnificent machine quilting, and Joyce for teaching me the concept of "quality control" through every step of the quilting process.

Pat in Rockport, TX

Fun Topic!

This is so much fun seeing where everyone's inspiration originates. I agree we are so very lucky to be able to take these classes & hear these great quilters.
I didn't sign up for Sharon Craig's classes this coming year (thought I'd give other's a chance) at guild. Now I realize it's her last year & I'm so sorry. Road to Ca classes were full when I saw her name . DutchRose, do you want to meet & say Hi? I'm pretty sure I'm going (only to the show).

I think it's interesting that people react differently these days when there find out your a quilter. It used to be "oh my Granny did that" Now's it', Oh I love the quilts, or oh, me too, or my sister's a quilter, she has a long arm. I think we have joined the main stream!
I was thinking the other day as I cut Nickel 5 squares, imagine if I had to do these with a cardboard template!
Jill, from Portland, hoping to start a heart dissapearing nine patch today with some of those Nickels!

Dutchrose Made a Good Point

In her final paragraph of her posting BBer dutchrose made a good point about modern quilters who have a sense of humor and playfulness about quiltmaking. My grandmothers and the women before them were serious about their quilts (or at least they seem to me to be serious in their attitudes).

My Grandma Miller (born in 1888) pursued perfection and beauty in her quilts and also strove for usefulness at the same time; if something wasn't right she ripped it out and did it over. She would not understand the use of clashing "brights" or dots on plaids and things that are slightly crooked (what we call "wonky") would give her the shivers. Our reckless (dare I say extravagant?) use of fabric is so much fun but it would stun her thrifty soul. :-)

It would be fun to have my quilt making grandmothers come back to my sewing room for a couple of hours but if I could do that they would be stunned speechless so I would probably have to get out the smelling salts to revive them.

Judy

top 3

this is a great thread, and i really like the idea that we aren't "hiding" our responses. more like the old BB days ;)

my first and most influential quilter is certainly sharyn craig. i was fortunate enough to know her in her very early years when she began as a teacher of adult education. those were great years and i have always taken advantage of any opportunity to hear her lecture. earlier this year i took a workshop and just signed up for a class with her at road to california in 2009, her last hurrah before retiring. she taught me to draft, accuracy, setting designs, and so much more. certainly she is the MOST inspirational quilter in my life.

altho not a "favorite" teacher, i have to say that eleanor burns makes my list also. my very first quilt class was based on her log cabin book and taught at a stretch & sew store. they lost a very good customer after that as i found my place in the quilting world. i've made several quilts from her books since then, and altho they are no longer challenging for me they did make quilting accessible to me at a time when quilting was not as popular as it has become today.

a third person is very difficult to choose because i have been influenced by so many other top-notch quilters. i'm a "techniques" person, and gravitate towards new and different ways to accomplish the ordinary. and i'm also very traditional in the type of quilt that catches my interest. because of this, i'm going to have to say that probably barbara brackman will have to be my third choice. my interest in quilt history has led me to appreciate the work and research that has been done in this field and she is probably one of the best known and authoritative names in that venue. i value her commitment and contribution to accurate information.

so those are my top 3, but i love the humor and free spirit of ami and mary ellen; the preciseness of sally collins, judy mathison, and marsha mccloskey; and the patterns of ruby mckim and nancy page.

dutchrose ---{-@