Velda Newman is an internationally recognized contemporary quilt artist, author and lecturer from Northern California. Known for her large scale, mostly organic designs, Velda creates original quilts of exceptional  beauty and craftsmanship. For the past 18 years Velda's work has appeared in many national and international exhibitions and has been featured in over 30 publications, including Quilter's Newsletter and Threads magazine. Velda lives in Northern California and is the mother of 4 and the grandmother of 12.

Sharon Schamber started her 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 circumstance 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, compromise my standards.  Sharon is the recipient of many (far too many to list) national awards.