Sit & Sew Radio

Welcome to Episode 43 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast.

If you have been anywhere near your phone or a computer and you follow the who’s who of quilting celebrities on social media, chances are you heard the news that FreeSpirit has gotten a new lease on life. The brand that is home to some of the most well-known fabric designers in the industry was purchased by Jaftex, a family-owned company that also owns Henry Glass, Studioe, Blank Quilting and many more popular sewing industry brands.

Scott Fortunoff, one of the fourth-generation owners of Jaftex came on the show to talk about the acquisition, how they plan to make FreeSpirit profitable and how this was the deal of a lifetime.

The Kaffe Fassett Collective, Tula Pink, Anna Maria Horner and many other big designers are staying on with FreeSpirit under the new owners, and much of the support staff will remain in place as well.

Scott Fortunoff, fourth generation owner Jaftex

Scott and I also talk about the history of Jaftex, how it has evolved over its 88-year-history from Scott’s grandfather selling imperfect goods and leftover fabric lots to creating women’s sleepwear to acquiring fabric manufacturers that sell to retail chains and quilt shops. And with the acquisition of FreeSpirit, Scott is hopeful this means Jaftex will be around for his sons and nephews to be the fifth generations of Fortunoffs to run the company.

You can learn more about Scott on his blog, Tales of a Fourth Generation Textile Executive. Click here (http://studioefabrics.net/blog/#.WpgYfJM-eqA) to check out his latest entries.

If you would like to shop FreeSpirit fabric, we have lots to choose from over at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-category/fabric/free-spirit/). We are expecting to the complete line of Tula Pink All Stars to ship any day now. Plus, we have fabric from Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, Anna Maria Horner and FreeSpirit Essential Solids.

Welcome to Episode 40 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast.

This week we have Shell Rummel on, and I couldn’t be more excited to introduce her to you all. Shell is a fine artist whose watercolor designs are licensed by the Free Spirit/Coats team to bring fabulous modern coastal quilting fabric to all of us.

But Shell is far more than just a fabric designer. Her designs are also available as bedding and bath sets, rugs, silk pillows, wall paper and even house paint.

And between now and February 9, 2018 you can save 25 percent on all Shell Rummel fabric (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-category/fabric/free-spirit/quiet-moments/) we have in stock over at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com) using the coupon code SEWSHELL.

Real quick before we get to the episode, make sure you head over to shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com) to sign up for the Dimensions Block of the Month (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/dimensions-2018-block-of-the-month/) by January 31, 2018 when sign ups close!

I just love this Block of the Month design because each month we are just using two fabrics, one solid and one Kinkame Shades ombre fabric available through Clothworks. I have always wanted to design a quilt with ombre fabrics that really shows off the color changes that happen across the width of fabric, and Dimensions is that quilt.

Check out the video we made above to get a preview of this quilt and click here to sign up (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/dimensions-2018-block-of-the-month/).

Shell Rummel, Fine Artist & Designer

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I fell in love with Shell Rummel’s fabric long before I met Shell.

I am normally all for the bright and vibrant fabrics, but I just can’t get enough of Shell’s fabric. The soft color palette is just gorgeous and it challenges me in my fabric placement to create drama with the ranges of color, rather than relying on a bright focus print to do the work for me. The results are fabulous.

I used two of her fabric lines in quilts for my book, “Simple Quilts for the Modern Home” that is due out later this year, and tagged her on Instagram with a few sneak peaks. I had no expectations and just wanted to show other Shell Rummel fans what I was up to.

But Shell replied and before I knew it we were talking on the phone discussing future collaborations. None of those projects are out in the world yet, but stay tuned, they are coming later this summer.

I just love everything about Shell and I hope you do to. You can see more of her home décor creations at www.shellrummel.com. (http://www.shellrummel.com)

Welcome to Episode 39 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast.

This week we are excited to have Darlene and Andy Girton of Featherweightdoctor.com (http://Featherweightdoctor.com). This husband and wife turned their passion for Singer Featherweights into a business in which they buy and restore the fabled workhorse sewing machines. They restore the machines to their original beauty or if you want something a little funkier, can create some pretty crazy finishes as well.

We also give you a behind-the-scenes look into what Stephanie Soebbing is up to this week. Which basically is lots and lots of filming video tutorials for Dimensions - the 2018 Quilt Addicts Anonymous Block of the Month. Click here (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/dimensions-2018-block-of-the-month/) to read more about Dimensions and to sign up. Sign-ups are are open through the end of January and the first of 11 blocks, along with the pattern book, will be shipped in February.

Also over at Quilt Addicts Anonymous, the Semi Annual Clearance Sale is going on. There are nearly 100 fabrics, patterns and books marked down 40% to 60% OFF. This is beautiful, high quality fabric from all the names you love, we've just had it for a while and it is time to make room for our new 2018 arrivals.

There are lots of bolts that still have nine or more yards of fabric, making them great for quilt backs, so check out the sale, stock up and get some fabulous fabric for your stash! Click here to check it out.

Darlene & Andy Girton, the Featherweight Doctors

Darlene's love affair with the Featherweight 221 began about 15 years ago with Esther.

Darlene was a self-taught quilter who was lugging around a "big, boat anchor sewing machine" to local classes in Washington state. One day the handle snapped off, and she decided she needed a change. Darlene, who eventually would become a professional long-arm quilter and machine quilt educator, needed something lighter. Something portable. She was starting to teach her own classes, and her old "boat anchor" wasn't cutting it any longer.

Her husband, Andy found her a classic 1953 black Featherweight that weighed about 8 pounds. She called her Esther, the name of the original owner that was engraved all over the machine.

"And that is where the love affair started," Darlene said.

Esther became Darlene's traveling companion on retreats and classes. Soon Andy and Darlene began collecting the machines, picking them up at garage sales, antique shops, wherever they could find them. A few years ago the couple moved to the Phoenix area and things really took off.

Andy would clean the old machines up, and Darlene would take them to classes and sell them. That's when they decided to make a family business out of the venture with featherweightdoctor.com (https://featherweightdoctor.com/). Andy does a lot of the restoration, with the help of their 18-year-old son as well as Andy's dad. Darlene finds the machines and tests them to make sure they are working as they should. Their daughter pitches in as well, with the official title of design assistant and queen of fun.

In the podcast interview Darlene and Andy tell more about their story and the restoration process.

Darlene says that while many prefer to restore the machines to their original glory, there is an up-and-coming group of ladies from the younger generation of sewers who prefer a fresh and fun look for their antique machines.

Visit Featherweightdoctor.com (http://Featherweightdoctor.com) to learn more about Andy and Darlene and to see their work.

Welcome to Episode 38 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast.

This week we are excited to have quilt blogger and traveler Anna Bates on the show. We found Anna on YouTube when we came across her Quilt Roadies channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChlaj7Rkm1Yi0NnsWiW2cEA). More than a year ago Anna and her husband, G, bought a small motorhome and decided to hit the road with their dog, Enzo, to see the country – and, naturally, all of the quilt shops along the way!

The couple decided to document their quilt stops with videos on YouTube to promote all of the wonderful, and unique, brick and mortar quilt shops out there.

We are also excited here at Quilt Addicts Anonymous to announce that our limited edition Medallion Star quilt kits (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-category/fabric/quilt-kits/), in both Lyla Damask (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/medallion-star-quilt-kit-pattern-book-lyla-damask-version/) and Pixie Dots (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/medallion-star-quilt-kit-pattern-book-pixie-dots-version/) colorways, are ready to ship! We’ve talked about Medallion Star (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/medallion-star-pattern/), the latest pattern by Stephanie Soebbing, on the podcast before. Just type in MEDALLION10 when you check out at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com) to save 10 percent on your kit! The coupon expires on January 4, 2018.

 

Anna Bates, Quilt Blogger and Traveler

Anna and G are originally from Sisters, Oregon, recognized as the quilting capital of Oregon and home of the largest outdoor quilt show in the world each July – the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (http://sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org/).

Anna and G have been retired for about five years, and a couple years ago they bought a small motor home and decided to travel across the United States.

Anna, a quilt blogger of five years at wooliemammoth.blogspot.com (http://wooliemammoth.blogspot.com/), decided to document her travels by highlighting the many, and we do mean many, brick-and-mortar quilt shops her and her husband visit.

That led to the creation of Quilt Roadies YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChlaj7Rkm1Yi0NnsWiW2cEA), which has more than 5,000 subscribers in just over a year since they began. Anna also documents her travels for TheQuiltShow.com (http://TheQuiltShow.com) in a blog called Anna & G on the Road.

They’ve already been to California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nebraska and South Dakota. They are planning to get to Texas and Oklahoma soon and eventually the northern Midwestern states. But first, her and G are headed on a quilting cruise to begin 2018.

In the interview Anna talks about some of the joys, and pleasant surprises, of her travels.

“Each shop has its own personality, and that comes from the owner and the culture of the community,” Anna said.

Anna also gives some of her tips for sewing on the road, and talks about how she plans out her projects and fits in her sewing into her travels. She specifically mentions her cordless Panasonic iron she says she can’t live without.

Follow Anna on Instragram at wooliemammoth53 (https://www.instagram.com/wooliemammoth53/?hl=en) and also find her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010163231847).

Welcome to Episode 37 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast.

This week we are thrilled to have Sit & Sew Radio alum Christa Watson back on the show for a third time. I interviewed Christa for this week’s episode here at Quilt Addicts Anonymous headquarters after she taught a class at our shop.

Also joining us on this week’s show is Tiffany Jawor-Smith, the Marketing Brand Manager at Ink & Arrow. We chat a bit about her background and then get into the Ink & Arrow brand, which is the modern arm of Quilting Treasures, and what’s next for the fabric company.

We are big fans of Ink & Arrow, because without them our latest pattern, Medallion Star (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/medallion-star-pattern/), could not have happened! And speaking of Medallion Star, we have limited edition quilt kits available in two colorways with guaranteed Christmas delivery! Click here to order yours. (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/medallion-star-quilt-kit-pattern-book-lyla-damask-version/)

There is no coupon code for this week’s podcast, but be on the lookout for our upcoming 12 Days of Christmas deals beginning Friday at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com)! If you’re not signed up for emails, make sure you click here (http://www.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/email-sign-up/) to sign up so you can know about all the sales.

[caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="1200"](http://sitandsewradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_2194.jpg) Christa Watson works with a student during her free motion quilting class at Quilt Addicts Anonymous headquarters in Rock Island, IL.[/caption]

Christa Watson, Quilting Triple Threat

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Christa Watson has pretty much done it all in the quilting world. She’s written three books. She’s an expert in machine quilting and a talented pattern designer. She’s also a fabulous teacher, which the Quad-Cities quilting community found out first hand this past weekend.

And now, she has added fabric designer to the list. Last month Christa released her first fabric line, Modern Marks, through Benartex. In our interview, Christa and I chat about how she got started on her first fabric collection and the process to bring it to quilt shops near you.

We also chat about her third book, “Piece and Quilt with Precuts.” (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/piece-and-quilt-with-precuts/) The book includes 11 projects, all made from precuts, that come with patterns to make the quilt tops as well as step-by-step instructions and diagrams to quilt them.

Christa also gives some of her top tips for machine quilting. No. 1? Practice, practice, practice.

Click here (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-tag/christa-watson/) to check out all of Christa’s patterns, books and fabric at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com). And learn more about Christa at christaquilts.com (https://christaquilts.com/). And check out her Craftsy class, Start Up Library: Quilting (http://shrsl.com/okq7) and The Quilter's Path (http://shrsl.com/okqk).

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Tiffany Jawor-Smith, Ink & Arrow Marketing Brand Manager

Welcome to Episode 36 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast. This episode is all about travel opportunities for quilters. I personally love checking out new quilt shops when I travel and we've got some really fun shop hops and fiber activities you can check out while you are on the go.

This week we don't have a coupon because we have already started our Black Friday madness over at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com. Our Black Friday Preview Sale is already live with nearly 100 fabrics and bundles on sale for 50% off. And we're about to announce a bunch more deals and pretty much everything in the store.

So make sure you sign up for emails so you will be the first to know about all the fabulous deals.

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April Jouse, Director of Opperations, EVFAC

(http://sitandsewradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/April-Jouse-Director-of-Operations-300x300.jpg)April Jouse works at a pretty cool place. The Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center is a haven for fiber artists in northern New Mexico. The 7,000 square foot facility has classes for kids and adults on basically anything you would want to know involving fiber.

This weekend the EVFAC is hosting the Fall Fiber Fiesta in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The festival is filled with fiber creations from more than 50 artists in the Santa Fe area. You can find anything from woolen gloves to garments and home decor items.

They also host the New Mexico Fiber Crawl (http://www.nmfibercrawl.org/) which offers opportunities for crafters to learn new skills in a variety of mediums at locations from Albuquerque to Taos, New Mexico. Listen to the interview to learn more about the Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center, and check out its website evfac.org (http://www.evfac.org/) for info about visiting and upcoming classes.

[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="1024"](http://sitandsewradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Quilt-Trail-Shop-Owners-and-Representatives-1024x768.jpg) Quilt shop owners from the Missouri Highway 36 Quilt Trail.[/caption]

Beth Carmichael, St. Joseph, MO Visitors Bureau

(http://sitandsewradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Beth-Carmichael-214x300.jpg)If road trips, quilting and shop hops get you excited, then check out the Missouri Highway 36 Quilt Trail in 2018.

A program organized by the Missouri Highway 36 Heritage Alliance, the Quilt Trail seeks to highlight the 16 shops located on Missouri's historic Highway 36, and the people who were born there. And they've got some famous names with connections to Highway 36. Walt Disney, J. C. Penny Mark Twain and Gen. John J. Pershing all have connections to the area. Plus it is where sliced bread and the Pony Express were invented.

The Quilt Trail opens on April 3, 2018. Participants can visit 16 shops along the highway, get the free pattern for that shop's block and get your passport stamped. Then you have until October 31, 2018 to finish your quilt top for a chance to win some awesome prizes. Listen to the interview with Beth Carmichael with the St. Joseph, MO Visitors Bureau to learn more about them.

To learn more about the Missouri Highway 36 Quilt Trail, check out their Facebook page facebook.com/MoHighway36 (https://www.facebook.com/MoHighway36/). And keep scrolling to see all the shops that are participating in 2018.

* Bits & Pieces, Hannibal

* By The Yard, Rayville

* Cornerstone Fabric, Smithville

* Crossroads Quilting, Cameron

Welcome to Episode 35 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast.

This week we are thrilled to have renowned fabric designer Tula Pink as our guest. Tula, who just released her 25th fabric collection at Fall Quilt Market this past weekend, has withstood the test of time and remains a creative force in the industry.

Speaking of market, we just unveiled our own new pattern, Medallion Star (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/medallion-star-pattern/), to glowing reviews in Houston. Use this week’s coupon code MEDALLION10 to save $2 on a Medallion Star pattern at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com. (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-category/patterns/designer/quilt-addicts-anonymous/)

It was so much fun to talk to Tula Pink, but this episode brought with it some new challenges.

I spoke to Tula the week before market about her fantastic new products, AND I COULDN’T SAY A WORD ABOUT IT TO ANYONE. Not even my husband.

In our interview, Tula discusses her great efforts ahead of this year’s market to keep her newest fabric collection top secret. In the past, word always seemed to creep out ahead of time. Now that market is over, I can’t wait to share this interview with you. Tula discusses her milestone 25th collection, Tula Pink All Stars, which is an incredible accomplishment that is not lost on Tula.

To commemorate the occasion, Tula’s All Stars collection recreates some of her most iconic and coveted prints from her archive and gives them a color makeover. That includes the original Owl from Full Moon Forest, which is from her very first collection and holds special meaning to Tula as she notes in the interview. There’s also the Bee from Flutterby, Tail Feathers from Plume, Squirrel from The Birds & the Bees, Raccoon from Acacia and Frog Prince from Prince Charming.

“With this 25th (collection) I wanted to really offer something special,” Tula said. “It felt like a big deal and I wanted to make it a big deal.”

We also talk about Tula's new book, Coloring with Thread: Stitching A Whimsical World With Hand Embroidery. In this book, which is available for pre-order at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440248117/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1440248117&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwquiltaddic-20&linkId=1bc03015d47ce6e6c1176d238561e9d7), Tula’s most memorable fabric designs are brought to life by needle and thread along with instructions so you can do it at home.

In our interview, Tula discusses the connection with her collaborators who stitched her designs featured in the book.

“It was just a really cool way to bring in my followers and the people I’ve connected to on social media into a project with me, to let them have some ownership of it, because that’s really what I do,” Tula said. “I create a raw material, but it’s everything that everyone else makes out of it that sort of completes the collaborative process.”

Also in the interview Tula opens up about her creative process, which is a fascinating listen coming from one of the most inventive creators in the business.

To learn more about Tula Pink please visit tulapink.com (http://www.tulapink.com/).

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Welcome to Episode 34 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast. In this week’s episode we chat with Teresa Silva and Linda Pumphrey, two women who have carved out a career in the quilting industry and have recently released books.

We also introduce this week’s coupon code! Just type in STASHIN at checkout to receive 25% off your first month when you order a Stashin’ with Stephanie subscription. Each month Stephanie will send you 12 fat quarters for $29.99 plus shipping of her favorite, and often brand-new, fabrics in our shop. Read more about Stashin’ with Stephanie here (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/stashin-with-stephanie/).

Our first guest on this week’s episode of Sit & Sew Radio is Teresa Silva, who is a self-taught longarm quilter who recently released her first book, Longarm Quilting Workbook: Basic Skills, Techniques & Motifs for Modern Longarming. Teresa has been longarming for customers for six years and her clientele includes some of the biggest names in the industry, including Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts, who wrote the foreword for Teresa’s book.

In the podcast interview Stephanie and Teresa discuss certain elements of her book as well as how she got to this point in her career. Visit Teresa’s website at quiltingismybliss.com (http://quiltingismybliss.com) to learn more and you can also find her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In the next segment, Stephanie chats with Linda Pumphrey, a fifth-generation quilter who has made quilting her life’s work. In addition to being an award-winning quilter and designer, Pumphrey is also a quilt historian who serves on many international and national quilting boards and for 20 years worked at Mountain Mist.

Her latest book, Red & White Quilting: An Iconic Tradition in 40 Blocks, focuses on the power and history of the classic colors in quiltmaking. Proceeds from the book go to support the International Quilt Study Center.

Find Linda on Facebook at facebook.com/linda.pumphrey.5 (http://facebook.com/linda.pumphrey.5).

For Episode 33 I hit the road to DeKalb, IL to check out the "Quilts and Human Rights" exhibit at Northern Illinois University's Pick Museum of Anthropology (http://niu.edu/pick-museum/).

“Quilts and Human Rights” includes more than 50 quilts centered around themes of social justice from all over the world. These quilts were powerful, relevant and at times uncomfortable to look at while touching on important topics such as civil rights, sexual assault, immigration, race relations, apartheid and more.

Real quick before we get into some really important topics in the quilting world and in society today. We have a special coupon code for this episode so listeners can save 25 percent on any single regular priced item at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com). Just enter SEW33 at checkout to save.

Laura McDowell Hopper, textile curator

Back for her third appearance on the Sit & Sew Radio podcast is Laura McDowell Hopper. She is a curator at the Pick Museum by day and a quilt blogger at SonicStitchesQuilts.com (http://SonicStitchesQuilts.com) by night. Laura takes Stephanie through the exhibit as they discuss their favorites and most eye-opening pieces on display.

With the visual element of this podcast so compelling, we decided to do an extended version of the podcast on YouTube so our listeners can look at pictures of the quilts as Stephanie and Laura discuss them in detail. You also will get an extra 19 minutes of content that just wouldn't fit in an hour long podcast episode.

Following the interview, listen to an excerpt from a speech given by Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. at the opening of the exhibit as he discusses his personal connection with quilts and their social relevance.

Check out our previous episodes featuring Laura!

Episode 8 - Sonic Stitches and Freddie's Friends (http://sitandsewradio.com/episodes/episode-8-sonic-stitches-and-freddies-friends/)

Episode 28 - The 2017 Quiltcon Edition (http://sitandsewradio.com/episodes/episode-8-sonic-stitches-and-freddies-friends/)

Watch the unabridged episode with photos

We at Quilt Addicts Anonymous are proud to announce the return of the Sit & Sew Radio podcast! Plus we have a special 25 percent off coupon code that you can use on products we sell over at shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com) by all of our previous guests!

It’s been awhile since we last spoke to you, April 21 to be exact. So much has happened since then, and we’ll tell you all about it in Episode 32! At the end of the episode, we'll give you the coupon code as a gift to all of our fans that missed the show while we were gone!

The sale covers more than 350 items including products from Kaffe Fasset, Alison Glass, Aurifil thread, batiks and much much more! But you’ll have to listen to Episode 32 to get the coupon code, which will be good for through 11:59 p.m. PST Saturday, September 23, 2017. Click here to browse all the great goodies that are included in the sale. (http://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-category/sit-and-sew-radio/)

Quilt Addicts Anonymous husband Adam Soebbing returns as guest in Episode 32 to chat with me, QAA creator/designer/owner Stephanie Soebbing, about all that we’ve been up to since the last episode. Hint: Lots and lots (and lots) of sewing!

Things got so crazy there for awhile after opening up our shop that we had to put the podcast on the backburner for a bit. But going forward, we are committing to giving you a new episode every other week with the same awesome new guests and great interviews that you came to expect from the Sit & Sew Radio podcast.