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TQS Quilting Legend 2018, Marianne Fons, welcomes Alex and Ricky to the turn of the century house she has called home since she was 39 years old. This home in Iowa was originally owned by her grandparents. She loves living only two blocks from the town square and being able to walk everywhere. A model of beauty and utility, the house is filled with books, works by her father (a commercial exhibit designer) and other items of personal importance. In the home we enjoy a bed turning of some of her more remarkable/interesting works.
Marianne discusses Quilts of Valor, an organization that Marianne has supported for many years, including as a board member. The Non-profit was established by Catherine Roberts in 2003 as a way to honor and recognize the sacrifice service men and women have given while serving the US military. Marianne says ‘nothing says love like a quilt’. She’s currently working on a quilt with pinwheel star block which she shares with TQS.
Marianne also talks about the beginnings of her career and meeting Liz Porter at the local quilting class. This unexpected meeting of two young women led to a long partnership (Fons & Porter) that has included numerous books, a magazine, and television shows.
Marianne is a voracious reader and loves a good story. A desire to become a fiction writer has now become a reality. She has completed one novel and is currently working on a second. This next chapter in her life which includes being on the board of the Iowa Quilt Museum and Winterset Theater (which she helped to save a restore, she gives Alex and Ricky a tour) have brought her full circle…she has fallen in love with her home town and is one of its biggest cheerleaders.
Alex and Ricky visit Marianne in her turn-of-the-century home in Winterset, Iowa. They tour the home and enjoy an old-fashioned bed turning of some of her remarkable quilts.
Marianne discusses working with the Quilts of Valor program.She’s currently working on a quilt with pinwheel star block which she shares with TQS.
A retrospective of Marianne's life including how she met Liz Porter at a local quilt class, her work with the Iowa Quilt Museum, and the work involved in saving the Winterset Theater.
Marianne talks about writing her first novel and a tour of the Winterset theater.
Ricky starts off the show with a super technique for adding a pop of color to a quilt binding using a Hong Kong edge finish. Then teacher and author Sue Heinz joins in to share the magic that one drawn design can do for filling your sashing areas, corners, or entire quilt. And what about those daunting circles? Well, Sue says that they aren’t difficult when you break them into segments. The teachers are in the house, so get your pencils ready!
Alex and Ricky welcome mixed media artist Libby Williamson to discover how the humble tea bag can be used to create charming, whimsical, and outstanding textile art. Libby’s tips of adding paint, thread sketching, hand embroidery and bits of fabric to build unique and one of a kind collage art quilts, will have you looking at tea bags in a whole new way.
Then it is TQS member Carolyn Hock's turn to share her ideas for developing your own quilting designs based on travel photos. The ideas are brewing, so grab yourself a “cuppa” and join in the fun.
Alex kicks off the show with a fast, fun, and cuddly quilt that can provide a warm hug for a loved one. Then, quilt teacher and author Lynn Carson Harris stops by the studio to share her love for using every last bit of fabric. Growing up on a farm, where nothing was wasted, fits perfectly with her style of quilting.
Spontaneously sewing small bits together for the sheer fun of it, resulted in stacks of small parts that later become the springboard for larger designs. Lynn says it’s about enjoying the process and not focusing on precision. And her tips for making small improv log cabin blocks will teach you not to toss your scraps aside. And, if that weren’t enough to get you thinking that small is good, wait till you see her teach Alex the cutest 2” finished Amish style basket block. We know you’ll be hooked on tiny. You won’t want to miss this show!
Eleanor Burns, the Queen of Quilting and 2011 TQS Legend, is celebrating her 40th anniversary. And she shows no signs of slowing down as she made her entrance along the red carpet! Join us as this teacher and entertainer shows you how to piece with precision, twirl your seams, and cut the fastest log cabin strips you’ve ever seen…all while making you laugh along the way. It’s a show not to be missed.
Susan Cleveland is in the house and that means precision, fabulous workmanship, and lots of laughs. Having avoided the Dresden plate for years because she wasn’t happy with her own results, she is now a full-fledged convert…working with a traditional block in an upbeat and contemporary way. With a nod of thanks to her quilt sisters of yore, Susan shares tips for creating perfect points, avoiding the dreaded wonky bias volcano center, and fun and contemporary ways to add spark and fun to this much loved block. A stickler for impeccable piecing, Susan then shares tips about thread, needles and feed dogs that can make a huge difference when it comes to results. Don’t miss this show!
Join us as Paula Doyle shows you how easy it is to create beautiful and complex designs using one large-scale print fabric. It’s a stack, pin, cut, and off-to-sew method that leaves zero waste. Don’t believe it’s possible? We didn’t either… until we saw it demonstrated. Then, Lea McComas unlocks the secret to making fabric color choices work nicely together. This fast and simple method saves you hours of frustration before you make that first cut into your fabric.
Alex and Ricky welcome back Jamie Wallen who shares the touching story of how the quilting community came to his aid during the 2016 Houston Quilt Festival after the entire contents of his trailer with 70 quilts, products, and class materials were stolen the night before the show opening.
With eyes forward, Jamie is excited to share his method of flushing out ideas on paper to avoid problems later during the quilting phase. Along with tips for planning and building a border design, Jamie shares ways to make your machine stitches pop and removes the fear of a complex medallion by dividing it into manageable pieces. It’s all just another day in the office for this talented artist.
As a quilt teacher and designer, Patty Murphy has heard the frustration of quilters who struggled to ‘get it right’ when it came to their patchwork. Patty loves a sharp point and perfectly pieced block and wants to help others get off on the right foot to quilting success. She shares a wide range of techniques for improving your cutting and piecing skills, cutting off minor imperfections at the pass, as well as clever ideas for combining orphan blocks into fun and colorful quilts.
Then quilt historian, curator, and quilt broker, Julie Silber reveals the secrets to deciphering a true antique crib or doll quilt vs. an imposter. These rare, made with love, little beauties are sure to charm you.
Fabric Die Cutting Expert Ebony Love’s dream came true when she discovered that using a die cutting system would make cutting more efficient and time saving for quilters like herself. Along with clever ideas for prepping your die, she shares tricks for reducing fabric waste, assembly line cutting, and dynamic variations that take one block from nice to wow!
Then quilt historian, curator, and quilt broker, Julie Silber, joins Alex and Ricky to teach the importance of signing a quilt for future generations. Many of the antique quilts Julie has acquired over the years came with no information about the maker or why it was made. You don’t want to miss this fun and information packed show.
Alex starts the show with help for those who fear finished appliqué. Fast, easy, and very doable techniques are sure to inspire the timid to take the plunge. Her charming Holiday Stars Quilt is the perfect project to test your newfound skills.
American born fabric designer, author, and Australian quilt shop owner, Kathy Doughty, is firmly rooted in tradition, but her use of bold-colored, texture-rich quilts bring classic patterns into our modern times. Kathy shares tips for showcasing large print fabrics by placing them in a 16-piece wedge circle border. Varying the center print results in some unexpected and interesting results.
Inspired by the nature of her Australian surroundings, Kathy has begun working in a more organic method, which translates well to her appliqué. Kathy’s fun and easy viewing templates, as well as her method for making organic undulating bias stems, take appliqué to a whole other world.
Alex and Ricky welcome back longarm expert and international award-winning quilt artist Cathy Franks. This powerhouse of exuberant energy shares a dizzying number of creative techniques on the longarm. You’ll never look at a cone of variegated thread again, once you see her embroidered and tulle-like flowers using a razor blade and tulle. Flower stems and painterly leaves appear, as if by magic, as Cathy manipulates bits of fabric and knitting yarn. And, did you know that by manipulating just one stencil, you can create dozens of interesting and unique quilting designs with just a twist and turn of the wrist? The creative ideas just keep coming as Cathy is guaranteed to keep you enthralled.
Series 2300 begins with a burst of color and personality as Renaissance man, Mark Sherman, unlocks the secrets for creating truly unbelievable Tiffany style stained glass quilts based on inspirational photos, hand-dyed fabric, and his deft touch at realism. With effervescent personality and humor, Mark shares tips and tricks, so that you too can stitch up your own stained glass masterpiece. And if that weren’t enough to get your creative juices flowing, Ricky designs a stunning contemporary quilt based on an antique string pieced tumbler design. It’s a double dose of fun and inspiration in one show. Don’t miss it!
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SIZZLE by Becky Goldsmith
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Comments
and so happy to be a part of the Quilting World.
Thank you Marianne for continuing to be an inspiration to all women.
Deb
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