#machinequilting #artquilting #grafitti  Over 10 years ago Karlee Porter invented and made wildly popular her signature style of quilting - Grafitti Quilting. Machine quilting has never looked so gorgeous! Basically, it's a mashup of all kinds of unexpected designs in the same quilted area. But that's not all. Oh no! It also involves breaking lots of quilting "rules" to achieve a very unique, and extremely personalized look. In the first edition of her book "Grafitti Quilting", first...

Amy Freyn is one of only TWO longarm quilters in the entire country of Equador! She's a professor by day, and an avid quilter by night. She credits quilting with saving her life - twice! Her story of change and pivot and taking chances is truly remarkable. Amy's also the #dancingquilter. Take up her challenge and post your own videos with the hashtag. Let your happiness show ❤️ You can find Amy and her dancing REELs on Instagram as @quitoquilts. Want to try free motion quilting but don't...

Carly Brush and Lydia Kao are representing WHATNOT, which is a community marketplace all wrapped up in an app. They are both so excited to be building the Quilting and Sewing category of WHATNOT, and it is growing at a tremendous rate. It has been designed to serve small business owners, with simplicity and convenience and, really, it's a virtual store front for small businesses and individuals. You'll hear some really creative ways that crafters are getting involved. Carly and Lydia...

Adria Good has been quilting for a very long time! She's quilted through getting married...kids...homeshooling...basketball coaching...all the things. Her story is one of learning and growing. New idea?  Research and learn. New upgrade?  Practice, and expand capabilities. New challenge? Take it one step at a time. You CAN do the hard things. Listen to hear all these stories and more.  Adria has grown from sewing simple plush toys with her first sewing machine to working at an industrial...

Today I'm talking about a slightly uncomfortable topic - what to do when everything’s just going wrong. Just last week, I received a schooling in this! I regularly live stream quilting a project on YouTube and Facebook. I’ve dubbed it Live & Unscripted, and sometimes Quilting’s First Reality Show because it’s just that - real time process without any edits or “cleaning up”. I’ve always included the rough bits, like thread or needle breaks, or second-guessing design decisions, because my...

Sam Alberts was one of my very first podcast guests - see Episode #4. Now she's back to give us an update on her Quilting Curve Studio. Sam's been (of course!) quilting, lo, these many months. But also, she's made significant pivots in her business. She was finding that      a) there are only so many hours a body can quilt, and that translates into a ceiling on income      b) she has a wealth of experience to share with other quilters who are earlier in their journey      c) she missed the...

Dixie Thue (pronounced too-ee) is a fellow Canadian, and a quilter with broad experience, and stories to match! Listen in as we chat about her ranch life in northern Canada, raising St. Bernard puppies, and her collection of sewing machines. Quilters seem to be multi-talented people, and Dixie is no exception. Skim through her feed on Instagram and you'll find sourdough bread,  garden abundance, those ADORABLE St. Bernard puppies, grandkids, and so much more. You can find Dixie right...

Leah Nixon and Grace Nixon Peterson are a powerful duo - two sisters that create greeting cards rich with meaning.  The word "card" seems too simple - their artwork, the thoughtfulness of every word, their passion about writing to each other by hand - all these come together to create one-of-a-kind snail mail. We chat about the themes behind their annual collections, their personal stories that play hugely into their lives today, and the remarkable power of the written word. Plus, we dip...

In Dara's own words - "If you can make a quilt, you can do anything. That includes taking control of your life and losing weight that has been holding you back." Dara Thomasson is a longarm quilter and a quiltmaker.  She teaches all these skills, but also coaches and teaches women to love themselves thin. Her approach is positive, holistic, and REAL! Dara is based in Canada, and travels and teaches at many quilting guilds. She also has a podcast dedicated to helping women in their weight...

Jenn Geisbrecht lives in central Alberta, Canada, which means she know allll about long, cold winters. Jenn also knows a lot about building a machine quilting business. In this episode we chat about growing a clientele, building a brand and visibility, using social media to aid in growth, and - gasp - doing new things outside your comfort zone that make you relatable, and in fact, attract new and long-term clients. Jenn can be found in these places: Website: jenngquiltco.com Instagram:...

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review here. FLODESK email service provider coupon for $19.99 per month unlimited ALL-OVER FEATHER sign-up for free quilting class And here's where you can find more of my work: YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes Website - for more information on classes and quilting services Facebook - current projects and photos Instagram - current projects and photos Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials Want to try free motion quilting but...

Today's episode is a little departure from the podcast norm....I'm giving some backstory on why I created a comprehensive course on the art of machine quilting. It was born directly from the need I felt as a novice quilter to have some solid and extremely practical guidance as I got to know my machine and my own style of quilting.  What type of quilter or creator might want that? Who is it intended to help? And of course, what can you expect to discover or learn? And how will it help you...

We've all cringed at those words. C'mon, admit it! This is my exploration of edge to edge and custom quilting, and why and when you might want to choose one over the other. Custom quilting is specific to areas, or blocks, or borders; may include stops and starts or thread color changes, and is often more complex or intricate. It is definitely more time consuming than edge-to-edge, so that's a huge consideration. But there ARE times when it fits the bill. Maybe you want something very WOW as...

Carina Gardner and I chat about business building and entrepreneurial skills. Tenacity...the willingness to learn and stretch...these are essential. There's no magic - it takes time and determination to establish and grow a business, but Carina's successes will encourage you! Carina has a Ph.D. in Design from the University of Minnesota. She has been a Creative Director for a scrapbooking company and children’s company. She has designed everything from dishware to bracelets under her brand...

Does the idea of creating a scrappy quilt just overwhelm you? Where to start? How to choose fabrics? How to make it sparkle? Eva and I both love a good scrap quilt, so we're sharing the things we've learned about fabric selection, scrap storage, even pre-cutting into sizes we know we use often. We've got some simple tricks for determining color value and placement (hint: your smart phone is an epic tool) and also suggestions for additional support (think sewalongs and dedicated Facebook...

Quilt shows - you gotta love them! There's something new around every corner - quilts in every style, color, size. There are classes and demos. There are dealers with machines you can take out for a spin. There are vendors with delicious fabric! And, usually on the last day, there are ribbons to ooooh and aaaah over. Our local show is coming up in a few short weeks, and we are so excited! The opportunities to meet up with fellow quilters we haven't seen in a spell! The fabulous on-site...

Shop Hops are a great way to explore a variety of quilt stores - and get free patterns to boot! Eva and I chat about the details; from mapping and planning your route, to snacks and take-alongs, to collecting the free patterns that are unique to each shop, and even the contests that are available for speedy piecers! You'll want to come along for the ride! -------------------- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review here. STITCH FIX use this link to receive $25 credit...

Quilt retreats - what's not to love? They are a chance to visit and giggle with your friends...a time to get in some uninterrupted work on a challenging project...a chance to finish up some WIPs. My friend Eva and I were recently at a rather rustic retreat, so we'll tell you what we loved best, and what we learned. Plus tools and supplies you might want to pack. Suggestions for organizing meals and snacks. And wine. That's important. It's a pretty casual, and not very linear chat, but I...

Shannon Fraser became a quilter unexpectedly - in fact she says she had discounted quilting as an interest entirely! Never say never! Shannon tells the story of textile exploration that eventually led her to quilting and pattern design. We chat about her love of saturated colors, and graphic designs, and improv as a quilter's version of a palette cleanser. Shannon gives us a glimpse into pattern designing, and how her goal is to make each project achievable, no matter your skill level. It's...

Lorinda Davis loves making pretty things, but she also loves being organized.  We chat about her journey into the art of quilting - the first time she tried it she thought "that's not for me!" but eventually she was drawn in in an unexpected way. And then we explore the wonderful world of planners...organizers...checklists, and how writing things down helps us keep balance and priorities in our lives.  And of course, it's not all about productivity, it's about crafting a life you love....

Courtney Kimball first learned to sew in special some one-on-one time with her grandmother, and she's been "making" ever since. In 2017 she and her husband and family moved to Honduras to develop their existing business.  And over time, Courtney became acquainted with the desperate needs in the slums right next to their apartment complex. It began by meeting and learning to know one woman, Jocelyn,  and exploring her circumstances, her dwelling, and her struggles. Then came...

Courtney Kimball first learned to sew in special some one-on-one time with her grandmother, and she's been "making" ever since. In 2017 she and her husband and family moved to Honduras to develop their existing business.  And over time, Courtney became acquainted with the desperate needs in the slums right next to their apartment complex. It began by meeting and learning to know one woman, Jocelyn,  and exploring her circumstances, her dwelling, and her struggles. Then came...

Pat Sloan - designer, author, and YouTuber truly has a deep passion for making quilting fun for herself and everyone around her.  She's made over 800 quilts!! Pat has a vast experience of all aspects of quilt making and design, from patterns and sewalongs, to fabric design and teaching online. We chat about some of her most favorite things about creating, and some of the less-favorite. Pat gives some tips for contributing designs to magazines, and also great encouragement for makers who are...

Darlene Girton has been making pretty things from fabric for a lot of years, but these days she has fallen in love with Singer Featherweight sewing machines. They have some unique qualities that make them beloved by quilters all over North America and beyond. Truly they are time capsules that we get to use and appreciate nearly 90 years later. Darlene does some surprising things on her Featherweights, like freehand quilting, and even sewing light weight leather!  She's a born teacher, and so...