What do you do when the company you work for closes and your family needs help? Open a quilt business, of course. Ronni Chavez was able to make it all come together through a rough time in her life. Now Ronni is designing entertaining quilt patterns, offering tutorials, and has even written her first book, The Crazy Quilter. Ronni made this Disappe…

I need to add a note to this episode before it begins. I had emailed Mel a few weeks ago for a follow up and didn’t get a reply, but I know she’s a busy lady and didn’t think much about it. Then today I received a note from Carolina that she had also reached out to Mel several times with no response. So Carolina did more digging and found Mel Shiel…

I am so thankful to Mel Shields for introducing me to Erika Pinkley. I love Erika’s “can do” attitude. She seems to be consistent in seeing what she wants to accomplish, finds a way to do it, and then be told that was one of the hardest things to do. We didn’t chat about Erika’s logo during the interview, but as I was again looking through her webs…

Sam Hunter is busy making patterns, YouTube tutorials, lectures for guilds, blogging, guiding retreats in Europe and last year she started the podcast Rev Craft Biz where she has conversations with business owners in the craft industry. Sam’s philosophy for Hunter’s Design Studio is to design things that you can enjoy. Her tagline is “Helping peopl…

Threads & Ewe is the fulfillment of Shelly Martella’s lifelong dream to own a combination yarn and fabric store. Her goal is to provide a wide variety of exceptionally made fabrics and yarns, from around the globe, that will support the creative needs of sewing enthusiasts and fiber artists. Shelly is thrilled to finally be working in a career that…

The work on Kim Brownell’s quilts gravitate towards animals, nature scenes, and bright colors. Her techniques include and blend: fabric collage, free form art quilts, raw-edge applique, as well as many others. Kim has a passion for entering quilt challenges which spark her imagination and inspire her. She says her dream is to also inspire you to ha…

This remarkable interview with Dana Jones is a little longer than the average episode of A Quilter’s Life, but you know how it is when you get chatting with quilters. Dana loves teaching quilting from beginning classes to advanced techniques, from teaching her own designs to teaching quilts designed by others. And she shared with us many of her won…

Christa Watson is passionate about all things that have to do with domestic machine quilting. She is an award-winning quilter, pattern designer, author, and digital educator! After the interview I remembered I should have asked Christa about the sewing cabinet that she co-designed with Arrow. I’ve seen it demonstrated and it looks fabulous. Then a …

Bea Byrne is a quilter, artist and entrepreneur living in Oakland, California. She has a love of anything to do with textiles but her real passion is quilting. After a career in tech and events Bea realized that organizing and hosting an online conference would be the perfect way to merge the two worlds. She has created the Quilt n Learn events whi…

You'll probably noticed before you start listening, this episode with Theresa Benson is about twice as long as our average episode. Theresa has so much to offer! Her workshops are a fusion of art and technology, where quilters of all levels discover that color theory and AI can go hand in hand. Whether she’s unraveling the mysteries of tech for the…

Sondrasa has found quilting to be the perfect pallet for her creativity. Playing with the mediums of fabric and thread to create her own unique brand of fabric art for international quilt shows and also creating her own quilt patterns which are designed to help even a confident beginner create beautiful quilts. Sondrasa sees every quilt as a work o…

I knew when Mel Beach shared that at a young age she had memorized who the artist was of each sculpture in the museum near her, that she was going to be sharing some brilliant information with us and I wasn’t disappointed. We can easily see how her life experiences molded her into an inspiring quilt teacher. I loved the quote from her coach that “I…

Tonya Dunning started her business to get the word out about fidget quilts. Since then she has expanded her line with other fidget items. She learned how to write quilt patterns and realized that she loves editing and writing. So she not only writes her own patterns but is able to edit patterns for other quilt designers. Examples of Tonya's fidget …

I’m excited to share the favorite quilting tools of my guests on A Quilter’s Life podcast from 2024. I love how this list changes from year to year. You’d think that they were sharing the new and improved tools that we all love to get our hands on. But it seems we are all so thankful that we have some basic quilting tools that allow us to make our …

Sharing a tip has always been a question for each of my guests on A Quilter’s Life podcast. But this is the third year I have put them into an episode sharing just the tips from the year.. This year I’m going to add who gave the tip so if you want to look them up you can. We received so many great tips this year. I wanted to have a top 10 list, but…

I don’t know how Ashli Montgomery keeps up with all the things she has going on! I’m guessing that the support from her family helps with so many of the projects she’s doing. This is my second interview with Ashli. I wanted to touch base with her as she has some new books available under her pen name, Virginia’dele Smith, that you might want for a …

Guthrie and I share our thankfulness in this episode. We are especially grateful for the opportunity to have this podcast and to meet all of the wonderful quilters. Happy Thanksgiving!!By Paula Chamberlain

I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to these Thankful Notes from 2024. I am so thankful for each and every guest that has been willing to be interviewed. And I’m especially thankful for each of you that has taken time to listen to A Quilter’s Life podcast. Did you keep track of how many of the guests that you remembered from their episodes? If you did,…

This is the second out of three weeks that we get to share these short and sweet Thankful notes of guests that were on A Quilter’s Life in 2024. “The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy” is a quote from Mother Teresa. I have seen this gratitude and thankfulness in the wonderful quilters that I get to sh…

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States I decided to again share the Thankful Notes that I gathered from guests on A Quilter’s Life this past year. 2023 was the first year I tried this and it was fun to gather these notes from each guest to be able to share such positive praises. It was surprising when I looked at the list of…

It’s never too late to learn to quilt! Juanita Roby is in her 80’s and learned to quilt not even 10 years ago. I was so happy to have the opportunity to visit with Juanita and share our enjoyment of quilting. This is the quilt that Juanita said she named Nightmare. Her favorite type of quilt - Dutch Girl / Boy A few of Juanita's Christmas quilts…

I first interviewed Kathryn LeBlanc in 2021. It just doesn’t seem like three and a half years have passed since then. This is our fourth visit and I’m thrilled to get to share with you what Kathryn has been up to. She continues to write lighthearted, humorous cozy mysteries under the pen name Kathryn Mykel and has published so many fun books that i…

I am so glad that Jenifer Gaston listened to the Quilting on the Side podcast episode where Andi and Tori interviewed me. Jeni and I didn’t know each other even though we only live about 15 minutes apart. After our interview for this episode on A Quilter’s Life, we continued to chat and found out that she had known my husband’s grandmother and even…

Emily Dodd’s roots run deep in the desert of West Texas and she believes there is nothing like a desert sunset to inspire creativity. She lives there with her husband and babies, and it is where her heart feels at home. When Emily is not sewing, she’s probably chasing babies, drinking coffee, or working at the hospital where she practices the art o…

We had to drive on back country roads in West Virginia to meet Reberta Hall. Ginny Guthrie Caplinger had told me about Reberta a while back and I’m so glad it worked out for me to meet her. Should I have been concerned when Ginny and her husband, Jim, climbed into the truck to take me and said to each other - Do you remember to get there? And then …

Jean Pickering Collins is one of my heroes. Every time I have the opportunity to chat with her she’s been on a new adventure. It astounds me that she accomplishes so much and she makes such beautiful quilts. I don’t know how she has gotten it all done. And then here locally whenever her name comes up people have such glowing remarks to share about …

If you not only love quilting, but also books and travel, you’re going to want to find out about this new community that Lynn Christiansen has put together. It’s always mind blowing to see how all the pieces come together in our lives to be used in such a wonderful way. Lynn is a passionate quilt pattern designer whose creativity is fueled by the r…

Ellie Perez, better known as "Ellie the Quilter," started social media channels to teach creative minded people how to quilt and ended up building a supportive crafting community. The mission of Mojave Farms Quilting Company is to provide an inclusive community for all makers, and to make quilting and crafting more accessible to everyone, no matter…

How exciting for me for a quilter to sign up on my calendar without me contacting them first. Thank you Mary Shepherd for sending Patricia Moller my way! What a blessing to hear Trisha’s story. She calls herself a fourth generation quilter, but the third generation was skipped. I agree with her that time flies when you are involved in what you love…

Eva Saunders, also known as the “Gingerly” Quilter, has come a long way literally. She was born and raised in Germany and found her way to Los Angeles, California, in the United States for school. Later she moved to the eastern side of the United States where she is excited to have launched Gingerly Quilt Co. If you’re looking at quilts on Instagra…

Dora Cary loves quilting for the creativity and freedom of expression it gives her, and she loves the quilting community for the amazing generosity and sense of camaraderie. Her quilts have been displayed in many of the larger quilt shows. I am so thankful that Dora shared about becoming a citizen of the United States and how the freedoms that we t…

When Megan Fowler is not behind a sewing machine or chasing a toddler, you can find her enjoying the Colorado outdoors. Yet if that wasn’t enough she is running not only one quilty business, but two! Megan’s dream for Modern Moon Quilt Studio is to marry her special love for vintage design and her fondness for modern quilting to be able share her v…

It was fun to realize that this episode would be released during the week of Melissa Struttmann’s open house celebrating Osage Hills Retreat’s 2-year anniversary. Melissa has put so much thought, work, and love into creating a wonderful place for crafters to gather. She has learned through her life with the excellent work she has accomplished to br…

Imagine living in Houston and not knowing about the International Quilt Festival, then a friend takes you to see all the wonderful quilts. What an incredible introduction to quilts for Ellen Happe Phillips. Ellen fell in love with this craft and never looked back. With each step she improved her skills and now uses her long arm quilting to help oth…

When Jody Leonardo suggested that I interview Rochelle Rice, I was thrilled. I’d been wanting to connect with Rochelle and her co-host, Leslie Bercher, for awhile, but hadn’t done it yet. Rochelle and Leslie are the co-hosts of the Inappropriate Quilters Podcast and I guess I had them up on a bit of a pedestal. So when Rochelle told me that she’s b…

Purple Daisy Quilt Designs is the culmination of Jody Leonardo’s experiences of participating in sewing groups, working in quilt shops and selling handmade quilts. Now she has expanded to offering quilt patterns to allow individuals to make their own quilts. This is a dream come true for Jody and she’s so excited to share a little piece of her crea…

Mary Shepherd and I met at QuiltCon2024 in Raleigh, NC. She is an avid quilter and the president of the Delaware Modern Quilt Guild. Since Mary’s retirement from being a mathematician and computer scientist she has become an author with her first quilting cozy mystery, Free Motion Murder. Here's some of Mary's quilts. Mid Century Energy Nemish Flim…

It was so fun to get to know Robyn Capps. Her daughter had posted a picture of one of Robyn’s quilts on her Facebook page and my sister happened to see it. I’m so glad this led to an interview. So, thanks Sadie and Ruth for helping this connection to happen. Here's pictures from Robyn's Chicken Quilt We also talked about Jerriann Massey and the Chr…

Lisa Shepard Stewart encourages others to express themselves creatively through culturally relevant techniques and materials. Although she loves African fabrics with every fiber of her being, she also loves to learn and share about other cultures from around the world. The intro on this episode is going to be a bit longer than normal because during…

Teri Henderson Tope is an internationally recognized teacher and lecturer who loves all types of applique. She is creative and full of life which shows up as she’s up early and gets more done before noon than most others accomplish all day. I meant to ask Teri about her motto “Well behaved women seldom make history, so let’s make a little history”.…

I had such a wonderful time at QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, NC, this past February. While there I had the opportunity to meet several people that I have interviewed on A Quilter’s Life and also many others became new friends. Carrie Dell, the executive director of American Quilt Study Group,was in their booth when I walked in and introduced myself. I …

At my eye doctor appointment I was able to ask about getting glasses so that I could see the TV and also see the close work when working on a binding. It is so wonderful that my eye doctor, Holly Sprout, is a quilter and knew exactly what I was wanting. She even named the new combination Quilting in her software. The day that I returned to intervie…

Jan Lockhart hasn’t been quilting all that long, but she has fallen in love with our craft! I am awestruck by the stunning Feathers quilt she made using a pattern from Alison Glass. Jan sent a picture of this quilt to be used as the feature picture for this episode. You may also find it on her episode page on A Quilter’s Life website. Here's the Al…

Jackie Perry started quilting as a hand quilter and loved teaching hand piecing and hand quilting. As she continued to learn more techniques, she added to her classes. She recently retired from teaching, but she loves the fellowship with other quilters. Jackie also enjoys designing original work and participating in challenges. Many of her quilts h…

I’ve always been amazed by whole cloth quilting, but Karlee Porter has taken it to a whole new level! She has developed graffiti quilting which is a very unique technique that encompasses a copious amount of quilting designs. Ten years ago Karlee wrote a book to share this technique with others and quilters fell in love with it. Graffiti Quilting h…

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 episo…

“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 interview 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 …

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 n…

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 Sh…

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 …