A Quilter's Life

Erin Grogan was able to leave a job that she didn’t care for to start her own quilting businessLove Sew Modern.   Her goal with the patterns she designs is to create the beauty she wishes to see in the world and to help others find their creative voices too.  Erin has a unique style that everyone is falling in love with. Erin and I recorded this episode before QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, NC, so we t...

“I’m just an old fashioned lady.  Been around a long time.”  That’s how Elsie Coleman introduced herself to me.  I had the privilege of going to Elsie’s home to interv iew this centenarian and seeing her beautiful quilts.  She continues to make amazing quilts. Newspaper articles about Elsie in 1995 and 1999 Quilt that was raffled in 2012 and info on it Some of her quilts Quilt that her Aunt Ella m...

Jen Frost of Faith and Fabric finds inspiration from the everyday things around us. Her faith is central to her family’s life, and is often reflected in her full Scripture Quilts™ patterns and the smaller Scripture Quilts™ blocks . She also values the skill of sewing, and thinks it’s one that we need to continue to teach each generation. If you’re new to sewing, Jen invites you to try out some of...

So many of the quilt shop owners I’ve talked to share that they don’t get to make the quilts themselves much anymore, but I am so impressed with Sheila Squires that she makes it a priority to take time to quilt.  She is very involved with the community and you’ll be amazed how many quilts these quilters in Seward, Alaska, are making! Connect with Sheila on Facebook: Sew 'n Bee Cozy Short video of...

Andi Sanfield realized that her style of quilting and teaching can encourage others to express their creativity in a tangible way.  She decided to create fabulous designs with easy-to-follow patterns for the adventurous quilt makers in the world.  People are excited about the designs and eager to enroll in her online quilting classes. As I mentioned last week, Andi and Tori McElwain have come toge...

Back in May of 2021 I had the privilege of sharing Tori McElwain’s story.  Tori and Andi Stanfield have come together to bring us another wonderful quilting podcast called Quilting on the Side.  So I reached out to them to bring you these updates of what’s been happening in their lives since we last spoke, you’ll get to hear Andi’s next week. Tori has a passion for helping others develop their ski...

With patience and using her God given talents, Audra Rasnake has created amazing quilts!  Her first show quilt came home with 16 ribbons…many of them were blue, a couple of them were for Best Hand Quilting, and it was her first of 3 AQS ribbons she has received over the years. Audra has a passion to share needle turn applique and hand quilting as she wants this incredible art form to have a reviva...

A millennial and serial entrepreneur with a million ideas floating around, Ashelyn Downs began her quilting journey while running yet another business and realized her love for design and married the two passions to bring more fun and modern quilts to the ever-expanding quilting world. Her mission is to create a community for other modern quilters to find the confidence and inspiration to make bea...

It’s been exciting to see the quilting community grow so much in the last few years.  Along with that we are seeing more quilting podcasts being made.  A few weeks ago I had the privilege of interviewing Amanda Oros of Not Your Granny’s Quilt Show.  And while chatting with her she told me about Lacie and Ashelyn of The Grateful Thread Podcast.  Of course, I’m thrilled to get to share these quiltin...

Hard to believe that I’m publishing this episode of A Quilter’s Life on the first day of 2024.  I had a wonderful 2023 and I hope you did also.  Of course, one of the blessings I had over the past year was getting to visit with so many of you wonderful quilters.  And I’m heading into 2024 with great expectations of visiting with more of you. In each episode of A Quilter’s Life I always ask, “What...

Merry Christmas!  This episode of A Quilter's Life is being published on Christmas Day, 2023!   I hope you’ve enjoyed the stories of the wonderful people behind the beautiful quilts in 2023.  I’ve gathered their tips for this episode of A Quilter’s Life.  This year we’ve heard some great tips that will help us along the way in our quilting journeys.   We start with   Just make it. ...

I interviewed Sarah Fulks almost two years ago and I wanted to chat with her again to update us on what she’s been doing.  She has gone from having SnuggleBugStitching as a side business to having it as her main business.  Sarah keeps busy with making quilts, quilt patterns, providing quilt alongs, and becoming a 2024 Benartex Ambassador besides being a busy mother of two. Connect with Sarah: Webs...

Susan Smith and I had a wonderful conversation catching up on how Stitched by Susan continues to grow. She is so busy helping longarm quilters to create with confidence, freedom, and joy.  I was so occupied asking her about her classes that I failed to ask about her monthly membership, Advance.  Susan knows that machine quilting can be very solitary, especially on a longarm.  It’s just not that ea...

I invited Brandy Maslowski back onto A Quilter’s Life to share an update as to what she has been doing the last couple of years.  If you missed her previous episode you’ll want to go back and listen.  Brandy is not only a leader and teacher in the quilt industry, but also is the podcast host on The Quilter on Fire podcast where she and her guests go from having insightful discussions about quiltin...

Like so many of the guests sharing Thankful Notes this year mentioned the blessing of family, I am also very thankful for the family I have.  People that are close to us tell us that they can’t imagine me without Guthrie or Guthrie without me.  Maybe that’s why when one of our oldest nephews was little he called us GuPa.  Just one word to describe us.  So it’s just natural for Guthrie and I to hav...

This is the 3rd and final episode of the 2023 Thankful Notes from guests on A Quilter’s Life this year.  Plus a few that we recorded before November but won’t be published until later.  Brandy Maslowski will be in December and the last three are guests that will be published in January of 2024.  I am so thankful for each and every guest that has been willing to be interviewed.  I hope you have bee...

We continue listening to Thankful Notes of guests that were on A Quilter’s Life in 2023.  I think many of us are thankful for many of the same things, but every once in a while we realize there is no way to relate.  Yet, we too can be thankful for them that they have reached a place to be thankful. Did you play along in the last episode to try to remember each guest?  How many did you remember? On...

In the United States the months of November and December are very busy with holiday celebrations.  So I decided to try something new this year.  Almost all of 2023 I asked the guests that were interviewed on A Quilter’s Life to share something they were thankful for.  Since this was also new for me, I did forget to ask a few of the guests and for that I’m sorry.  I do realize that some other count...

Lynn Lancaster Gorges is a lifelong quilter.  She has a passion for combining fabric, color, and design to create unique, one-of-a-kind works of art.  She draws inspiration from traditional quilting techniques, but also enjoys pushing the boundaries and exploring new methods and styles.  Lynn is a textile conservation and restoration expert specializing in antique and vintage quilts, clothing, mil...

It was so much fun to realize that Sheila Drevna lives in the town where several of my children went to college.  So I can easily picture the places she talked about.  And since my mom was born and raised near there it was also fun hearing some of the names of places that my mom had talked about.  After a serious illness, Sheila was so determined to get better that even her doctor told her she was...

Karin Soderholm is a teacher and artist whose love of education and textiles has led her on a wild adventure around the world. Her love of textiles is rooted in family tradition and the joy found in materials and process. Her artwork has been displayed in university and private galleries in the U.S., Korea, and China. A special thank you to my friend and fellow podcaster, Sue Donaldson the host of...

If you had told Elizabeth Chappell back when she was 13 years old that she would become a quilter, she would have laughed in disbelief.  Yet, a few years ago she discovered the world of quilting and fell in love.  Elizabeth is a quilterpreneur, educator, and creator.  She serves quilters who own or want to start a business in the quilting industry.  She doesn’t seem to have down time as she also i...

I had the opportunity to interview Shirley Cox in her shop, Side Stitchin’, which is on the main street in Belpre, Ohio.  Shirley said she was fine with the traffic and customers shopping in the background while we had the interview.  After this interview I had the opportunity to shop at Side Stitchin’ and each time Shirley was so helpful so that I could find just what I needed.  Although we’ve bo...

Beth Upstill is the owner of West Coast Wool.  Who knew that dyed wool could be made with so many beautiful colors?  She focuses on a brighter color palette which she offers on her website along with patterns, unique notions, and many other wonderful items.  Besides dyeing wool, Beth teaches wool applique workshops at local shops.  Thanks to Linda Williams for sending Beth to share with us on A Qu...

I bet if you’ve been around quilting for the last few years you’ve probably seen the quilting themed comic By the Yard created by Jennifer Lopez.  I know they always bring a smile to my face.  Jennifer brings the silliness of our quilting lives out in her comics in a way that we can relate.  And her humor is always good hearted and kind.  She doesn’t just draw comics, but is also a quilter and a q...