Leisha Farnsworth has been machine quilting for over 17 years! Many, many quilts were done completely freehand, but she now shares her skills and creativity by creating digital quilting designs. She's also developed a set of rulers, born directly from a need she saw, as well as an online course and on-demand classes. Leisha has some excellent tips to share regarding building a business and brand, and setting yourself up for long term success. If you're interested in making quilting your...

Bethanne Nemesh is a classically trained artist with degrees in art and art therapy.  She's been mastering the art of machine quilting and creating for over 23 years. She has extensively shown her quilts and won many major awards at national and international levels. Her deepest love, though, is teaching. Bethanne has taught quilters all over the world to love quilting, and to find their own voice of creative expression through the stitched line. Listen as she tells some stories of her...

In Ann's words - "For 40 years I have been making original quilts that use color, fabric and tradition to create abstract landscapes of the imagination." Ann's creations are made one strip of fabric at a time, and are so evocative of wide open outdoor spaces. They range from eyeglass cases to a 140-ft series. She gives us a little tour through her studio (open to the public!) and even her village in Massachusetts, which supports artisans of all kinds.  We chat about creator's block and how...

Karlee Porter is an artist! In her own words: "I excelled in the clay pencil holders of elementary school; I dominated the 10 minute drawing warm ups of my inner city middle school art class; and, against my mother’s most polite wishes, I skipped most of my high school core classes to escape to the art studio on the 3rd floor of my art-deco-from-the-great-depression high school." Happily for us, these days she considers fabric and thread her medium. We chat about her first entry at Houston...

Jenny Kae Parks came to this (audio only) interview in clothes coordinating with the quilt behind her. That's how passionate she is about color and its appeal! Jenny Kae home-schooled for many years, and has honed those teaching skills to now teach quilters to develop their own eye for color and style. In Jenny Kae's words: "Don't stop until the combination is something you LOVE." We chat about the difference between an OK quilt and one you LOVE, rhubarb pie and chutney, mountain retreats,...

Tiffany Groff's words about herself: "Insomniac Quilter, Random Conversations, Disabled living with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and still LOVE & LIVE Life!" Tiffany knows all about the therapeutic qualities of quilting.  She has MS, and at one point was wheelchair bound. Quilting became her passion, her motivation, and her joy, and these days she shares all of these on her YouTube channel, Tiffany's Quilting Life.  Like Tiffany herself, it's casual, often impromptu, and a...

Sue Heinz is a gem of a teacher, but WHAT she teaches is equally remarkable. Her quilting tools and designs are in a class of their own. Sue shares some rich (and maybe never-before-heard?) stories about personalities and history in the quilting industry. We chat at length about the value of giving credit where it's due, and the life-changing power of connections. Plus we give a good plug for Elmer's sticky stuff (NOT glue, you understand). Sue is absolutely genius in her development of...

Audrey Esarey is an artist - no doubt about it! Her quilts are graphic, highly original, layered in interest and details, and, well....just a feast for the eyes. Audrey and I chat about her journey from her first quilt class to here - how that involved exploration, and trying out new skills, and even a complete hiatus for some years. But all those things served to clarify and refine her esthetic. And who knows what other new things may be over the horizon? For now, hand-dyed fabric, radial...

Christa Watson's quilting accomplishments are enormous! Pattern writer, fabric designer, quilting TABLE designer, and now host of ChristaQuilts.TV. Her enthusiasm, and heart for teaching and sharing is so evident in all she does. We chat about...so many things! How to chase your dreams. How to take a quilt from bright idea to finished product. How to build a business as a couple. How to refine your quilting style. How to mask mistakes in machine quilting. You'll have to listen to find that...

PJ Jacobsen is a quilter with a story! She's been a lot of places in her life, but a massive medical emergency resulted in a complete start-over for her and her husband. They purchased an abandoned church from Ebay, and set out to build a home for their family, and then a quilting retreat, with their own hands. These days the Crazy Quilter Retreat Center (in central Washington state) hosts up to 20 crafters with all kinds of lovely amenities like sauna and hot tub, and PJ even washes the...

Tammy Thielman has a remarkable clinical practice - she offers counselling on her farm in southern British Columbia, Canada. Animals...corrals...forest trails...toy herds...quilts...cabins...fireside armchairs...all these are part of her multi-faceted approach to therapy. Tammy and I chat about these points of connection, and also about how quilting and creating helps fill up HER mental cup. It's so true, the value in creating has nothing to do with skill level, and everything to do with the...

Brett Lewis (of Natural Born Quilter) is a very talented fabric designer, and a fellow northern Canadian. His fabric collections are rich with flora and fauna from his life and travels, and even family mementos and stories. And color! Lots of gorgeous color! In this episode we chat about the process of creating fabric, from concept to sketch to color, and the "roses and thorns" of being a quilt and fabric designer. Brett's newest collection, WILD, will be coming to quilt shops in August...

Connie Kincius Griner is a quilt artist with a twist. Word play, puns, and many pi references are the hallmarks of her signature style. She is so gifted at telling a story, or indeed a joke, in her original designs. Even her labels and show ribbons continue the narrative. So we chat about how Connie got started making quilts, where some of her ideas spring from, and her love of quilt shows and the connections that are formed there. Take a quick sec and follow Connie's Instagram feed -...

Shereece Spain combines her love of sewing, crocheting, and pirates in her business name - such an impressive play on words! We talk about all these loves, and how they've grown to provide a source of income for Shereece's family, allowing her to stay closely involved in her kids' lives, and to have them involved in her business too. Her upcoming pattern release was in fact inspired by a Shrek marathon with the kids. What's not to love? Shereece recently designed and donated the pattern...

Linzee McCray has a deep love for textiles of all kinds, and feedsacks in particular. She shows them...speaks about them...and has written a book about them with 850 gorgeous images!! Linzee has stories galore, both about her experiences and opportunities as a writer, and about the people and circumstances which made feedsacks the collectible fabric they are today. And bonus connection - she learned to sew on a treadle sewing machine too! Linzee's work can be found in all these...

I first met Heather as a dealer of the longarm brand I use. She's joining me to tell waaayy more stories - we cover shop hops, converting a husband to a quilter, raising kids in a barn, and even micro mini cows.  You can find Heather in all these places: www.quiltbarn.blogspot.com www.gammill.com And to see the mini cows: https://www.facebook.com/idahogallowaycattle  @idahogallowaycattle on Instagram -------------------- If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review here....

Tracey Russell of Whirls n Swirls Quilting is a dynamo! She made her very first quilt out of triangles, and taught herself to quilt on a longarm machine way before YouTube University was a thing. Now Tracey finds great pleasure is helping new quilters "flatline the learning curve", and find confidence in their quilting. She teaches and encourages both online and in her brick and mortar shop in Whitby, ON, Canada. In this episode we chat about how to approach new skills without fear,  getting...

As we talk, Joan Parker's face shines with warmth and enthusiasm and hospitality.  She has been making (many!) quilts for many years, all while raising and home-schooling 8 children. Her story is one of great creativity, often propelled by financial needs, and the desire to serve and help others.  She has a mother-heart the size of her whole state. PLUS, she's got some great tips for a bullet journal to corral your project to-do list, and some thoughts on creating frugally and finding ways...

Giuseppe Ribaudo is definitely a man of many talents. His background is in theater, but over time he has focused his creativity on fabric and pattern design. For sure he brought his storytelling skills into his design process, and I, for one, can't wait to see the lovelies in store for us quilt makers in the coming weeks. In this episode Giuseppe gives us some Andover history, introduces us to his Nonna's fabulous lamps and chairs, and has tips for keeping creativity fresh. Look for the...

Liz McDade is passionate about pursuing a zero waste lifestyle, and no trace products. In her own words "no trace products are reusable, washable alternatives to their evil disposable twins". So we chat about how that passion grew, how her hobby has grown into a business, and Liz gives great tips for reducing waste in your cooking, and even in your bathroom! Liz has tons of YouTube tutorials for making re-usable storage and shopping solutions, publishes patterns, and if you're in a hurry to...

Get your 70s on!!  Maude MacDonald lives in the gorgeous Niagara area of Ontario, Canada. She's a mom and wife, making and designing modern quilts with retro vibes and flair. She's a newcomer to the world of quilting, but in a short space of time has mastered many skills and is now sharing her passion with others. Sewing...quilting...pattern designing...all with unmistakable retro style. We chat about haircoloring and how that translates into quilt design....competitive roller skating...and...

Sheila Drevna woke up one early morning unable to use her hands and feet, and even lost her sight over the next few weeks. Doctors said she'd never walk again. Scary stuff.  But Sheila is a calm, matter-of-fact and determined woman, and today she is an award winning longarm quilter, with a business and blog of her own. Lucky for us she loves to teach and pass on what she has learned - both in her craft, and in her life. I know you'll be encouraged and even energized by our visit. Never say...

So many of us know Vanessa Christenson for her gorgeous ombre fabric lines, but she is SO much more! Here she is, in her own words: Vanessa Christenson is  a wife and mom of four humans and two cats who likes to quilt, sew, decorate, run her mouth, hang out with other women who can stand her, and fake organize the death out of anything (i.e. get rid of things). She started V and Co back when her husband was deployed (because why wouldn’t a mom of four add yet another thing to her plate) and...

For Belle Brunner, quilting began as a hobby at the onset of the 2020 pandemic and as a way to create joy for not only herself, but for others by gifting them quilty goodness. Little did she know, she'd become hooked to all things quilts! Her only regret is that she didn't discover it sooner than age 45. She's a self taught quilter thanks to YouTube University, a lot of trial, error - ahem! - 'teaching moments',  and patience. Belle's attitude of generosity and community spirit are very...

Jenny Gallo is an artist in many mediums.  Her specialty is making one-of-a-kind stoles, the beautiful scarf-like garments worn by clergy. We chat about some of challenges in making these unusual “quilts”, and some of her most unique creations, and more recently also her exploration of painting and creating digital prints. Jenny offers lots of prints, calendars, stickers, and coloring sheets in her Etsy shop. Jenny can be found in all these places, and check out her website for some free...