The Quilter on Fire Podcast

My guest today is Canadian Quilter Krista Russell! She trained as a teacher, and it shows in everything she does with quilting. She’s got the beginner in mind and designs patterns that tell a story, including a mystery quilt that comes with its own companion novel you can read at your own pace, and there’s a second one in the works. She’s also a long arm quilter who has taken her teaching beyond her own studio, running classes at the local library so more people in her community can learn to sew. Whether she’s guiding a total...

My guest Shirley Hauck built her creative roots in a quilting guild, surrounded by friends who encouraged her love of colour, texture, and what she calls "creative freestyle art." Back in 2015, she watched an artist win a design competition who added fabric to her paintings, and the idea stuck with her. She didn't try it herself until a few years later. Now she's known for her prairie landscape paintings of old barns and abandoned homesteads tied to her own family history. She works in a mix of paint, fabric, and collage. Her art quilts once took top honours in...

My guest today is Author Barbara Emodi. She has spent decades teaching people to sew — she's written sewing books, edited for major sewing magazines, and built a career teaching people to sew garments. She's a Canadian author of the Gasper's Cove Cozy Mystery series, set in a small coastal town in Nova Scotia — not a real place, but close enough that you want to hop on a plane and go find it. And I wish you could meet the characters in real life too. She's still crafting a career of sewing and teaching, but now she's writing cozy mysteries on t...

Matt Wilding has been taking the quilting scene by storm — by 3D storm, I should say. He's won back-to-back top prizes in the Quilt Creations category at Festival of Quilts, Birmingham - first for "Wear Your Wings With Pride" in 2025, then for his quilted sphere, "Pride Around The World," in 2026. Have you seen this giant quilted ball on Instagram? It’s an exemplary lesson in design just to witness. I was so pleased to be able to see this 3D giant quilted sphere in person this summer in Birmingham. Alongside all that success, Matt teaches quilters his innovative techniques on a...

Eli McCann is a lawyer, writer, and podcaster based in Salt Lake City. He writes a monthly humor column for the Salt Lake Tribune, and has cohosted the Strangerville podcast and live show since 2016. His writing has run in the Washington Post, Newsweek, HuffPost, and the BBC. Now he's published his first novel, Stitched, and the story unfolds around a small Utah quilting guild. Eli grew up under a quilters frame but he’s never made a quilt. So his mom's real quilting group gave him the details he needed to write this book with the real dr...

Today I'm sitting down with a quilter whose journey has taken her from traditional patterns learned decades ago, to a bold, modern design practice worked out of a tiny studio outside London that's floor to ceiling in fabric. We're talking old meeting new — traditional patterns reimagined modern through her own lens, mostly in linen for that timeless texture, and a slow practice of hand quilting that is Sarah's favourite part of the entire process. Her quilts have been in major shows like QuiltCon and The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham and some have been acquired for museum collections and ga...

Today's guest is Vendulka Battais — I had the joy of judging alongside her at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham this summer, and let me tell you, she taught me so much and made the whole experience an absolute blast. She's a textile artist, tutor, speaker, long arm quilter, and certified quilt judge whose creative roots go all the way back to sewing with her mother as a young girl in the Czech Republic. A beginners patchwork class many years ago lit a spark that's grown in every direction since. This quilter has a gift for exploration. She has wo...

Karen Bolan is a teacher, lecturer, pattern designer and traveller. She's an artist who loves sharing her joy and her process and bringing people along with her.  Quilting started as a quiet counterbalance to her career as an Engineer, something she picked up on the side. But that side pursuit kept pulling at her until she finally took the leap into a fully creative life. Today, Karen is based in Santa Rosa, California, working as a quilt teacher, lecturer, and pattern designer. Her designs are out of the box, blending geometry, experimentation, and layered texture, and she brings an e...

My guest today is Aline Bugarin, she is half of the Brazilian duo that also includes Natasha Bugarin and their quilty biz is called Orbital Quilting.

Natasha came to quilting from architecture, while Aline 's background is in character design for film. Together, they've built a creative business around helping quilters gain confidence with free-motion quilting and design.

They're the brains behind Orbital Quilting Architecture, their own approach to custom quilting, as well as a growing collection of tools, books, classes, and quilting methods. Their work is all about movement, creativity...

My guest today is Eva Saunders, the designer, teacher, and creative mind behind Gingerly Quilt Co.

With a background in visual arts, design, teaching, and filmmaking, Eva brings a fresh perspective to quilting. She's known for creating modern, approachable skill-building quilt patterns that help quilters build confidence. And she has a unique “quilt painting” workshop where you make the iconic Starry Night by Van Gogh. Eva has a wonderful way of bringing out the quilt artist in you. But today, we are about to feature her latest adventure which has gripped my attention like...

Today I’m chatting with Brigitte Heitland, a quilt and fabric designer from Germany known for her modern quilting style through Zen Chic Studio. She has one of the most recognizable brands in the quilting world and when you scroll her Instagram feed you’ll know why. 

She’s built an incredible career designing fabric collections, writing quilting books, teaching internationally, and creating modern quilts known for their clean lines, balanced colour, and approachable style.

Her work has inspired quilters around the world who love modern design with a sense of calm and simplic...

My guest today is is Gail Heller, the owner of Erie Quilt Art Inc. based in Calgary, Alberta. Gail spent years working as an intensive care nurse and then a manager in the medical industry before shifting her focus to the quilting world. She started out representing fabric lines and eventually established a wholesale company that distributes top tier quilting and sewing products to businesses across Canada. In addition to managing the business, Gail is a quilting teacher and certified Aurifilosopher and she supports and mentors quilting businesses and shops across Canada.

Find Gail's website here: https...

My guest today is David Taylor. He's known around the world for his stunning pictorial appliqué quilts featuring birds, animals, and nature. The closer you look, the more incredible they become. Every feather, every shadow, every detail is created with fabric and thread. And behind all that award-winning work is a funny, down-to-earth teacher who believes quilting should tell a story and make people feel something. GO LOOK AT THE QUILTS IN THE GALLERY ON HIS WEBSITE (I don't often use all caps.)

David Taylor Quilts website: https://www.davidtaylorartquilts.com/

New England Quilt Seminars: h...

My guest today is Marilyn Armand, founder and creative force behind Le point visible, a modern quilting studio based in Quebec's Eastern Townships.

Raised by her grandmother and aunts, all talented seamstresses, Marilyn grew up surrounded by fabric, creativity, and the traditions of making by hand. Today she's one of the few quilters recognized as a Professional Artisan by the Quebec Crafts Council and she has built a thriving business creating contemporary quilts, wearable art, and custom textile pieces from reclaimed and sustainable materials. Her work has been featured in publications including House Beautiful, The Globe and...

Today I’m chatting with quilt artist, teacher, and author Cindy Grisdela. I recently met her at QuiltCon interviewing her about her quilt that was accepted into Quilt National 2025. 

Cindy is known for her bright, modern improv quilts and her relaxed approach to creativity. She creates freehand curved quilts without patterns or templates, and her work has been shown in galleries and quilt exhibits across the U.S.

She’s also the author of Artful Improv, Adventures in Improv Quilts, and Freehand Curve Quilts, where she encourages quilters to let go of perfection and h...

My guest today is award-winning quilter, teacher, author, and machine quilting expert Catherine Redford.

Originally from England and now based in Illinois, Catherine is known for her beautiful machine quilting, innovative techniques, and her ability to teach complex ideas in a really approachable way. 

You may know her from her book Modern Machine Quilting, her appearances on Quilting Arts TV and TheQuiltShow.com, or from the many workshops and lectures she’s taught across the quilting world. 

Whether you love piecing, quilting, embroidery, or handwork, Catherine believes there’s room for all of...

My guest today is Cecilia Koppmann! She is an internationally recognized textile artist, teacher, and colour expert based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cecilia has been creating and teaching textile art since 1998. 

What she's especially known for is her incredible understanding of colour. Through hand-dyed fabrics, art quilts, workshops, and lectures around the world, Cecilia helps makers see colour in a completely new way. She has taught throughout North and South America and Europe, served as a juror for major textile festivals, and she spent 14 years bringing patchwork and quilting into homes across Latin America through television. 

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Stephanie Organes is a graphic and surface designer with a background in advertising, which lends itself so well to being a quilter and pattern lover. She’s known for her soft colour palette, very pretty details, and joyful storytelling in her fabric designs. From sewing quilted accessories for her children and starting her brand called Pretty Please to designing multiple collections for Andover Fabrics, she’s built a creative business inspired by her family culture in Mexico City and her love of nature.

Find her website here: https://www.stephanieorganes.com/

Follow her on IG here...

My guest today is Tara Evans of Tara Lee Quiltery. She is an artist who didn’t just find quilting—she claimed it as her medium after years of creating in all kinds of ways. From painting to photography to raising four kids, her creative path has been anything but straight—and I love that. Now she’s known for bold, graphic, modern quilt designs that really stop you in your tracks. With over 30 quilt patterns designed and in her shop, and a passion for originality and inclusivity, she’s bringing something fresh to the quilting world with her bold desig...

Today I’m sitting down with Abigail Vargas, a contemporary textile artist based in Winters, California, whose work is vibrant, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in storytelling.

Abigail creates quilts inspired by nature, science, and family to name a few—often combining contemporary fabrics with vintage and repurposed materials to add layers of meaning and texture to her work. Her quilts have been exhibited at shows like QuiltCon and Quilt National, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles as well as international exhibits in Taiwan. 

Abigail brings together so many influences—modern art, folk art, co...

My guest today is Karla Overland from Cherrywood Hand-Dyed Fabrics, a company with a beautiful history that started over 35 years ago. From humble beginnings, Cherrywood has grown into a globally recognized name, known for its rich, luminous colours and that signature soft, almost suede-like texture. Karla Overland is the colourist who creates and maintains 200 formulas for gorgeous colours. She is also a quilt designer, pattern designer and graphic designer. Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics is known worldwide in the quilting industry, and employs ten women in Brainerd/Baxter, Minnesota.

Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics - https://cherrywoodfabrics.com/

Today I’m chatting with quilter, teacher, shop owner, author, and community builder Jean Wells of the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon. From opening her quilt shop over 50 years ago to helping build Sisters, Oregon into a quilting destination known around the world, Jean has spent decades bringing quilters together through creativity, education, and community.  Jean opened Stitchin’ Post back in 1975, making it one of the very first quilt shops in the United States. Over the years, she’s become one of the most respected voices in quilting through her 30 books, her classes, fabric collections, and her huge influence on the qu...

My guest today is Cornelius Quiring, a Canadian garment maker, educator, and one of the most thoughtful voices in the sewing world right now. Cornelius is known for his deep understanding of pattern drafting and garment construction—but what really makes his work stand out is the why behind it. Cornelius has been on a journey in garment making that has grown into a whole platform where he teaches others how to draft their own patterns, sew their own garments, and rethink what clothing can be. From online courses to collaborations in the sewing industry, his work is all ab...

My guest today is Toni Smith – we all know her as Quiltoni! Pixelated quilts that make you smile and fabric for everyone especially if you like video games, comics, pop culture and more.…if you want to enter a world full of smiles, geekiness, some crazy antics as well as be inspired by some massive action with heartwarming charity work then it’s time for you to meet QUILTONI! Phew! Today we will have an action packed episode talking about all the wonderful, weird and geeky things Toni brings to the sewing and quilting world. Her smiles and laughter are co...

My guest today is Tami Jones, the creative force behind Hometown Quilt Company. She has built a huge following by simply being real. Tami has this incredible gift for taking the ups and downs of quilting like the bobbin drama, the wonky seams, and the moments we all quietly struggle with, and turning them into something we can laugh about and learn from. Her content has reached hundreds of thousands of makers because it feels honest, relatable, and refreshingly human. She doesn’t just teach techniques, she teaches mindset. Tami is bursting online with creativity, curiosity, and permission to no...

My guest today is Bianca Springer of THANKS I MADE THEM, SEW CAN YOU! She has been touted as a Black Change Maker by Love Crafts for “her passion for sewing and her talent as a maker to spark change in the craft world!” I’ve seen her vendor booth in the past at big shows like QuiltCon From pattern weights to DIY Kits to sewing-themed jewelry, her  product line features refreshing, quirky and inspirational designs. Bianca Springer is well known as a vibrant, trendy garment maker, instructor, embroidery artist and the author of her inclusive embroidery book, “Represent!" Grab a cu...

My guest today is Tina Craig of Seaside Stitches! has been stitching since 1990 — when a beginner sampler class turned into a lifelong passion. After moving to a seaside town in Rhode Island, she launched Seaside Stitches. Tina is known for teaching quilters how to master precision piecing — especially foundation paper piecing and English paper piecing — along with domestic machine quilting. Her work has won awards at regional shows, been exhibited internationally, and she’s even taught at major events like the International Quilt Festival in Houston. And we’ll also chat today about her recent appearance on theQuiltshow.com. So settle...

My guest today is Ursula McClintock. She is half of the team also comprised of Roy Zhao the owners of LDH Scissors in Toronto, Canada. Their scissors are designed for makers—quilters, sewists, textile artists—anyone who appreciates a tool that works beautifully and feels good in your hands. From traditional fabric shears made with industrial-grade carbon steel to specialty snips and pinking shears, their tools are built to cut through layers of fabric with precision and comfort.

Ursula's Website: https://ldhscissors.com/

Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/

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My guest today is Carson Converse, an artist and designer whose work lives right at the intersection of dynamic modern sensibility and grounded in tradition. Carson originally studied sculpture at Boston University before going on to earn a master’s degree in interior design from the New England School of Art and Design. That mix of artistic training and design thinking shows up beautifully in everything she creates—from hotel interiors to award-winning modern art quilts her work is thoughtful and bold, with a strong sense of form, beautiful materials, and a real attention to detail. And if that does...

Today I’m chatting with Monika Henry from Penny Spool Quilts, where bright colours, bold shapes, and simple, fuss-free patterns help you build confidence—one block at a time. Today we’ll talk about her Quilt the North Boxes, which are a fun way to bring beautiful regional themed and Canadian designed projects right to your doorstep.

If you love traditional quilt patterns with bold fresh fabrics, FPP block patterns, and printable tutorials —and you’re ready to feel a little more ease and joy in your quilt making—this episode’s for you.

ORD...

Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh are thriving creative quilters each to their own but put them together and some kind of magic happens. I think it’s called friendship and when you bring that to an event, a workshop, or any kind of experience it becomes fun for everyone. Jenni and Kay are the hosts for Quiltfolk Magazine’s "Adventure Workshops," delivering virtual quilting experiences that combine travel, storytelling, and in-depth sewing techniques. Based in Yorkshire, England, these two are experienced quilting teachers known for their work with Liberty of London and for creating projects that promote creativity and well...

My guest today is Tania Tanti, a Melbourne-based art quilter who loves screen printed fabric paint and embroidery thread! She uses painting and stitch to create bold, expressive art pieces. Her work often lands somewhere between abstract landscapes and portraiture, usually with strong colour, lots of contrast, compelling messaging that opens up the conversation and more than a hint of humour.

Tania's Website: taniatanti.com.au

Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/

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My guest on the podcast today is Robert Bosscher— an artist who explores what it means to make, and why quilting fits so beautifully with his passions for art, history, and speaking through quilts. Robert studied Studio Art and Art History in Michigan, explored many creative mediums along the way, and ultimately found his way to fiber and textile art — quilting in particular. As the child of a quilter, he brings both a curiosity to explore new directions and an emotional connection to his work based on growing up with quilts as a form of comfort and care. His quil...

Lisa Solomon is an accomplished mixed media artist and teacher whose previous books include A Field Guide to Color, The Color Meditation Deck, Crayola: a Visual Biography, and 20 Ways to Draw a Chair. Colour is her kryptonite in the best way ever – because she loves to do that deep dive and today we’ll do a deep dive into her latest book - Art, Craft, Color! She is also an instructor on Creative Bug, reaching thousands of students worldwide. Let’s find out how colour can guide us, calm us, and even challenge us creatively with Lisa Solomon.

You...

My guest today is Lorena Uriarte. She is an internationally recognized, Sydney-based textile artist, a modern quilter, and educator known for her vibrant designs, intricate handwork, and innovative use of repurposed fabrics, often creating unique quilted coats. With over two decades of experience, she teaches patchwork and quilting workshops locally in Australia and globally, merging traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics, and she was the 2024 QuiltCon Raleigh Charity Quilt designer. 

A quote from this podcast episode:

"It's really important to constantly be learning and try new things. And part of that is that not e...

If you love scrappy goodness, and lots of tiny pieces… you’re going to love this episode. My guest today is Leanne Parsons – the Devoted Quilter. She’s a Canadian pattern designer with over 40 patterns in her shop, a quilt teacher, and free-motion quilting lover, who has been quilting since the late ’90s, blogging for over a decade, and designing quilt patterns that blend contemporary style with a love for traditional blocks. She has a scrappy membership you’ll love to help you turn those treasured scraps into quilts! And she was featured as the first designer in the all new Quil...

My guest today is Mike O’Dell of Legit Kits! With a full time job as a nurse anesthetist, Mike had the luxury of trying out a side hustle that didn’t need to put food on the table. He’s been sewing for decades so his newfound joy with the FPP project in 2020 was the perfect fit to give it a try. Legit kits now has a team of full-time employes, and brings in freelance designers to boost its offerings with fresh new designs that cater to quilters of all levels from beginner to advanced and everything in betwee...

Sara Larson Buscaglia is a self-taught organic farmer, natural dyer, quiltmaker and founder of Farm & Folk. She has amassed 100K followers on social media attracting an audience that is joyfully invested in hand-stitched quilting, natural dyed materials, and the art of creating lasting heirlooms. Her first book launched in 2023 and it is called Farm & Folk - Quilt Alchemy – A high country guide to natural dyeing and making heirloom quilts from scratch.  

You can find Sara's website right here: https://www.farmandfolk.com/

OUR SPONSOR for this episode is COTTON CUTS<...

Hillary Goodwin has been a modern quilter from the early days of the establishment of the Modern Quilter Guild and has had at least one and often several quilts juried into every Quiltcon since 2015 (minus Quiltcon away when she was busy ER doctoring during the pandemic and didn’t submit any). Before there were restrictions on the numbers of quilts juried into Quiltcon per person, she has had the most on record-8 of her own and 1 in a group quilt in 2017.  She has a Best of Show Quilt from Quiltcon 2022 and she was also part of a group quilt tha...