Industry News

Susan Shie named 2008 Quilt Teacher of the Year

Susan Shie of Wooster, OH, has been named 2008 Quilt Teacher of the Year by The Professional Quilter magazine. The award was announced in the Spring issue of the magazine.

Nominated for this award by her students in recognition of the quality of her teaching and the enthusiasm she generates for the world of quiltmaking, Susan, a self-described outsider artist, is best known for suspending the rules while encouraging her students to find the joy of self-awareness and self-expression. Her students leave her classes energized and working without judging themselves. Susan’s own work is personal diary work with themes focusing around the kitchen and family, St. Quilta the Comforter (a character she based on her mother), astrology, tarot, peace and the environment, with a lot of emphasis on peace and compassion-centered politics.

Other nominees for this award included Pamela Allen, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Laura Blanchard, Midlothian, VA; Susan Cleveland, West Concord, MN; Rosalie Dace, Durban, South Africa; Ellen Anne Eddy, Porter, IN; Beth Ferrier, Saginaw, MI; Cathy Franks, Carmel, IN; Linda Hahn, Manalapan, NJ; Carol Lewis, Mountain Home, AR; Merry May, Tuckahoe, NJ; Pam Mostek, Cheney, WA; Sue Nickels, Ann Arbor, MI; Linda Poole, Milford, PA; Jane Sassaman, Harvard, IL; Anne Smith, Madison, WI; Cyndi Souder, Annandale, VA; and Deb Tucker, Cogan Station, PA.

This is the 22nd year the award has been presented by The Professional Quilter. Teachers, who are nominated by their students or employers, are judged based on the answers to a questionnaire. The criteria include commitment to development of fine workmanship and personal expression of students; involvement in and contributions to the field of quiltmaking; and professionalism, including personal code of ethics and serving as a role model.

Judges for the 2008 competition were Dixie Haywood, a teacher, writer and awardwinning quiltmaker; Jeannie Spears, former editor of The Professional Quilter and Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine and NQA certified teacher; and Rosemary Eichorn, 2007 Quilt Teacher of the Year.

Nominations for the 2009 Quilt Teacher of the Year award should be sent to Teacher of the Year, 22412 Rolling Hill Lane, Laytonsville, MD 20882. Or you can nominate by e-mail to teacheroftheyear@professionalquilter.com.

Include the name, address and phone number of the nominee along with a short statement about why she or he is an outstanding quilt teacher. Deadline for nominations is Nov. 30, 2008.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, June 2008