In this special crossover episode, I’m joined by Emily, host of the Patchwork Revival podcast, as we continue our conversation on the history of quilting in America.

This is Part 2 of our series, so if you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to head over to the Patchwork Revival podcast first—we cover early American quilting through the 1930s and set the stage for everything we dive into here.

In this episode, we pick up in the 1930s and explore how quilting evolved through the Great Depression, World War II, the Quilt Revival of the 1970s, and into the modern quilting world we know today. We talk about how quilters adapted during times of scarcity, how community shifted from small local groups to nationwide connections, and how quilting grew into the creative, expressive craft we love today.

We also chat about quilting co-ops, feed sack quilts, the rise of quilt guilds and shows, and how television (hello PBS!) helped shape how generations of quilters learned new skills.

This episode is all about connection—how quilters have always found ways to gather, create, and share knowledge, even as the world around them changed.

• Quilting during the Great Depression and WPA-era programs
• Feed sack quilts and resourcefulness in times of scarcity
• Quilting co-ops and community-based income
• The Quilt Revival of the 1970s and the Bicentennial
• The rise of quilt guilds, shows, and exhibitions
• Learning through television with early quilting shows
• How quilting shifted from necessity to creative expression

• Listen to Part 1 on the Patchwork Revival podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patchwork-revival-a-quilting-podcast/id1729505286
• Patchwork Revival Podcast: https://patchworkrevivalstudios.com/podcast
• Patchwork Revival Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patchworkrevivalstudios
• Patchwork Revival Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatchworkRevivalStudios
• International Quilt Museum: https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org
• A New Deal for Quilts by Janneken Smucker
• Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them by Ruth Finley
• The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America by Carrie Hall & Rose Kretsinger

If you loved this episode, come join me inside Quilt Scouts where we turn ideas like this into hands-on projects, badges, and creative adventures.

And if this episode sparked something for you, I’d love to hear—what part of quilting history surprised you the most?

What if your quilts could tell their full story—who they were made for, what season of life you were in, even the fabrics you used?

In this episode, I’m joined by Kiley Ferons, founder of Kiley’s Quilt Room and co-creator of the My Quilts app. We’re diving into something many quilters don’t think about until it’s too late: documenting and cataloging your quilts.

Kiley shares how her quilting journey evolved from longarming to pattern writing, fabric design, and now building a quilting-specific app with her husband. We talk about why quilt documentation matters (especially for future generations), how quickly quilt stories can get lost, and how to start cataloging your projects in a way that feels simple and sustainable.

If you’ve ever forgotten when you made a quilt—or who you gave it to—this episode is your gentle nudge to start preserving your quilting legacy, one project at a time.

• Kiley’s quilting journey (longarmer → pattern designer → fabric designer → app creator)
• The inspiration behind the My Quilts app
• Why documenting your quilts matters more than you think
• What happens when quilt stories aren’t preserved
• What to include when cataloging a quilt (photos + details)
• How to track works-in-progress and finished quilts
• The social and community features inside the app
• Built-in quilting calculators and tools
• Simple tips to start cataloging without overwhelm

• 📱 My Quilts App
  https://myquilts.app
• 🧵 Kiley’s Quilt Room
  https://kileysquiltroom.com
• 📸 Modish Quilter Magazine (mentioned in episode)
  https://modishquilter.com
• 🏛️ Quilt Alliance
  https://quiltalliance.org
• 🏛️ International Quilt Museum
  https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org

• 🏕️ Quilt Scouts Membership
  https://quiltscouts.com
• 📓 Quilt Scouts Badge Logbook
  https://quiltscouts.com
• 🎖️ New Badge Alert!
  This episode pairs with a brand new Quilt Cataloger badge all about cataloging your quilts—because your projects deserve more than a dusty pile and a vague memory 😉

  https://quiltscouts.myshopify.com/products/quilt-cataloger

Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of documenting all your quilts? Start with one. Just one project is enough to begin building your quilt story.

If you loved this episode, make sure you’re following along so you never miss a new campfire chat. New episodes drop weekly (unless it’s my birthday… then we celebrate first 🎂).

What really happens inside a quilt shop?

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Sandy, owner of Little Sandy’s Quilt Shop in Arvada, Colorado—a cozy, community-centered shop that started as a spontaneous idea and quickly became something much bigger.

Sandy shares the story behind opening her shop during a season of life that was already full (hello, five kids 😅), and what it’s actually like to run a quilt business—from inventory and emails to balancing family life and the unexpected emotional role quilt shops often play.

We talk about how quilt shops become more than just places to buy fabric. They turn into gathering spaces where friendships are formed, stories are shared, and people move through some of life’s biggest moments—new babies, grief, celebrations, and everything in between.

We also dive into:

• What surprised Sandy most about owning a quilt shop
• How quilting helps people process life and tell their stories
• Why shopping in-person hits different than online
• What it looks like to run a Quilt Scouts Base Camp without a classroom space
• Creative community experiences (like stargazing on quilts under the Colorado sky ✨)
• How small shops create big impact in their local communities

This episode is a love letter to local quilt shops—the heart, the people, and the magic that happens between the bolts of fabric.

Resources Mentioned:

• Little Sandy’s Quilt Shop website: https://littlesandysquiltshop.com
• Little Sandy’s Quilt Shop Newsletter: https://www.littlesandysquiltshop.com/newsletter.htm
• Little Sandy’s Quilt Shop on Instagram & Facebook: @littlesandysquiltshop
• Quilt Scouts: https://quiltscouts.com
• Garden of Quilts (Utah event)
• Lori Holt fabrics (Bee in My Bonnet)

Connect with Quilt Scouts:
Join the Quilt Scouts membership: https://quiltscouts.circle.so
Follow along on Instagram: @quiltscouts

Listener Love:
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps more quilters find their way to the campfire 💛

Happy trails,
Megan

What does it take to preserve quilts for future generations?

In this episode of the Quilt Scouts Podcast, I’m joined by Carolyn Ducey, former curator of collections at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. Carolyn spent 27 years helping grow and care for one of the largest publicly held quilt collections in the world, which now includes around 9,000 quilts and textile objects from across centuries and cultures.

We talk about what visitors can expect when they step inside the museum, how quilts are preserved and cared for on an institutional level, and why quilts are such powerful historical documents. Carolyn shares practical advice for preserving quilts at home, including how to protect textiles from light damage, why quilts should be refolded regularly, and why archival storage matters for heirloom pieces.

We also dive into the importance of labeling your quilts. Carolyn encourages quilters to document the who, what, where, when, and why behind their quilts so future generations — and future quilt historians — can better understand the stories behind the work.

If you can’t visit the museum in person, the International Quilt Museum offers many ways to explore its collection virtually, including an online quilt database, virtual exhibition tours, recorded lectures, and educational resources about quilt history.

This episode pairs perfectly with the International Quilt Museum Badge and Quilt Historian Badge inside Quilt Scouts.

International Quilt Museum
https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org

Plan Your Visit
https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org/visit

Current Exhibitions
https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org/exhibitions

World Quilts (educational quilt history resource)
https://worldquilts.quiltstudy.org

Quilt of the Month newsletter
https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org/about/quilt-month

International Quilt Museum YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/internationalquiltmuseum

Quilt Index (quilt research database)
https://quiltindex.org

Craft in America
https://www.craftinamerica.org

Follow or subscribe to the Quilt Scouts Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes. Leaving a review is one of the best ways to help more quilters discover the show.

You can find more from Quilt Scouts at quiltscouts.com.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Martin, Chief Development Officer at Dark Sky International, a global nonprofit working to reduce light pollution and restore our connection to the night sky.

We talk about:

• What light pollution actually is
• The five principles of responsible outdoor lighting
• How artificial light impacts wildlife and even scientific discovery
• How to find International Dark Sky Places around the world
• Simple ways to advocate for darker skies in your own neighborhood

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Dark Sky International

Website: https://darksky.org

Find a local chapter: https://darksky.org/who-we-are/chapters/

Five Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting: https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/

International Dark Sky Places interactive map: https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/

Community advocacy toolkits: https://darksky.org/what-we-do/advancing-responsible-outdoor-lighting/darksky-outdoor-lighting-codes/

“How to Talk to Your Neighbor” guide: https://darksky.org/resources/what-is-light-pollution/light-pollution-solutions/lighting/my-neighbors-lighting/

Capture the Dark Photography Contest (submissions open in June, winners announced in August) https://darksky.org/what-we-do/events/photo-contest/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darksky_org

International Dark Sky Week

April 13–20

Dedicated website with toolkits, trivia night guides, book display ideas, and community event resources https://idsw.darksky.org

Stargazing App

Star Guide (mobile app for identifying stars, planets, and satellites)

Books Sarah Recommends

Sleepless by Annabel Abbs-Streets

Night Magic by Leigh Ann Henion

Want to Keep the Adventure Going?

Quilt Scouts is an online membership for adventurous quilters who want more creativity, confidence, and connection — one badge at a time.

👉 Learn more and join here:

https://quiltscouts.com

In this episode, I’m joined by Brooke Bauman, a communications specialist with the National Park Service (NPS). Brooke works in the Water Resources Division, supporting more than 430 park sites across the country — not just the big-name national parks, but also national seashores, monuments, recreation areas, and more.

Her role? Helping scientists translate complex research about lakes, rivers, groundwater, and marine ecosystems into stories that everyday visitors can actually understand. In other words, she helps make the science behind our parks accessible and meaningful.

And here’s what makes this conversation extra special for us: Brooke is also a quilter. She learned from her grandmother, an incredible maker who passed down both skills and stories. From family reunions at Rocky Mountain National Park to quilts inspired by Alaska wildlife, Brooke’s story beautifully weaves together creativity, patience, family tradition, and conservation.

We talk about:

• What science communication inside the National Park Service actually looks like
• The surprising scope of the 430+ sites in the NPS system
• How storytelling deepens our connection to parks
• Leave No Trace principles and how small habits protect big landscapes
• The parallels between quilting and nature (patience, seam ripping, and accepting what’s out of your control)
• Junior Ranger memories — and how kids can still participate today
• Ways creatives can engage in conservation
• Hiking with quilts and photographing them in natural light

Plus, we wrap with a rapid-fire round: sunrise vs. sunset, favorite park smells (hello petrichor), classic PB&J trail snacks, and machine vs. hand quilting.

• National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov
• Find Your Park tool: https://www.nps.gov/findapark
• Junior Ranger Program (in-person + virtual): https://www.nps.gov/kids/junior-rangers.htm
• Volunteer Opportunities: https://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm
• Artists-in-Residence Program: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/arts/air.htm
• National Park Foundation: https://www.nationalparks.org

You can also find individual park social media accounts through each park’s page at nps.gov.

If this episode sparked something in you — maybe a desire to hike with a quilt, stitch inspired by landscapes, or slow down and notice the details — you’re going to love Quilt Scouts.

Quilt Scouts is an online membership for adventurous quilters who want more creativity, confidence, and connection in their quilting life. Each month includes a new badge theme, tutorials, patterns, and creative prompts designed to help you try something new.

✨ Learn more or join us at: https://quiltscouts.com

In this episode, I’m joined by quilt photographer Megan Saenz, known online as The Quiltographer, to talk all things quilt photography — from her start in high school darkroom classes to becoming the photographer behind five quilt books.

We chat about:

• What makes quilt photography different from other types of photography
• Common mistakes quilters make when photographing their work
• Easy lighting and editing tips (even if you’re using your phone)
• The behind-the-scenes reality of photographing full quilt books
• Her epic rainbow balloon arch shoot in Harper’s Ferry

If you’ve ever wanted your quilts to shine on Instagram, in a pattern release, or maybe even in a future book of your own, this conversation is packed with both encouragement and practical advice.

📸 Follow Megan on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_quiltographer

🌐 View Megan’s portfolio & galleries:
https://megansaenz.smugmug.com

🎈 Rainbow balloon arch shoot:
https://www.instagram.com/the_quiltographer/p/Cug5ugiODZc/

📚 Books Megan has photographed:

• Merry and Bright: Modern Christmas Quilts for All Year Round
• Retro Curved Pieced Quilts by Erin Grogan
• Modern Day Quilter by Kylie Ferons
• Stylish Quilter: Traditional Craft for a Modern World by Kylie Ferons, Megan Saenz, and Elyse Thompson

Inside Quilt Scouts, we have a dedicated Quilt Photography Badge to help you document your quilts beautifully and confidently.

Explore the membership and all the available badges at:
https://quiltscouts.com

Come join us and turn your next finished quilt into a full-on photo adventure.

This week’s episode is short, personal, and straight from the sewing table. I’m sharing the story behind something I’ve admired for years but kept putting off… a temperature quilt.

After a little nudge from one of our Quilt Scouts (hi, Brendan in New Zealand 👋), I decided this is the year. And I’m walking you through exactly how I planned it — in a way that feels doable for a full 365 days.

• What a temperature quilt is (and the different ways you can track it)
• Why I chose to track daily highs and lows
• How I built a 16-color gradient using Pure Solids from Art Gallery Fabrics
• How I designed a temperature key that won’t fall apart in extreme weather
• The simple HST layout I’m using (one half = low, one half = high)
• Why simplicity is essential for a year-long project

I started with fabric first — pulling from my stash and building a 16-color gradient from coldest to warmest.

All of the fabrics I’m using are Pure Solids from Art Gallery Fabrics (available in the Quilt Scouts shop if you want to copy the palette).

Most quilters use 10–20 fabrics depending on their design. Sixteen felt like the sweet spot for me: enough movement to show change, but not so many colors that it feels chaotic.

Historic temperatures where I live range from -27° to 102°, which is a huge spread. Instead of dividing that evenly, I:

• Tightened the temperature ranges in the middle (where most days live)
• Widened the ranges at the extremes

This creates more visible color shifts during common temperatures and keeps extreme days from overwhelming the quilt.

Small tweak. Big difference.

Each day = one half square triangle.

One half represents the daily low. The other half represents the daily high.

It captures contrast, adds movement, and keeps the sewing manageable. When you’re committing to 365 days of something, simple is smart.

Temperature quilts aren’t really about weather. They’re about noticing. About marking time. About letting a quilt quietly collect memories.

At the end of the year, it won’t just be a gradient — it’ll be a visual record of what this season of life felt like.

If this project has been whispering to you too, I made a free planner to help you get started.

Inside you’ll find:

• Space to map your color palette
• A temperature key worksheet
• A 365 (and leap year–friendly 366) day tracking chart
• Room to record highs, lows, or averages

It turns temperature tracking into a simple daily ritual instead of a mental burden.

👉 Download the free Temperature Quilt Planner here!

If you enjoyed this episode, follow or subscribe to the Quilt Scouts Podcast so you don’t miss what’s next. Leaving a review helps more quilters find this creative little corner of the internet.

Happy trails. 🧵✨

Grab your comfiest quilt and a warm drink because today’s episode is extra cozy. I’m chatting with Abby Luchsinger of Abby Maed (pattern designer, Art Gallery Fabrics fabric designer, Nine Patch Quilt Collective pal, and now… published author!).

We talk all about Abby’s brand-new book Cozy Quilts for the Modern Home, including what it felt like to finally hold the physical copy (spoiler: newborn baby energy), why the book is organized by seasons, and how she designs quilts and fabric with real-life making in mind. Plus: creative ruts, mom-life rhythm, and a lightning round that reveals Abby’s one-word creative season right now: playful.

• How Abby describes what she does and why she keeps it open-ended for whatever comes next
• What it’s like to write a book over nearly two years and then finally hold it in your hands
• Why seasonal structure made sense for Abby (Wisconsin’s four distinct seasons = big inspiration)
• The surprising deeper meaning behind the Watercolor Hearts quilt
• Design “rules” she loves to break (multi-sizes, multi-colorways… maximum options, maximum effort)
• The hardest part of creative business life as a mom of four (and the constant balancing act)
• The best surprise: the deep friendships that come from the quilting community
• Upcoming: Abby’s Social Bee Collective collection Summer Homestead coming in March

Abby plans to be at QuiltCon and will do a meet & greet / book signing at the Art Gallery Fabrics booth on Saturday (time is approximately 2pm—check her updates for the final details).

Abby Maed Website: abbymaed.com
Instagram: @abbymaed
Book: Cozy Quilts for the Modern Home
Where to buy: Abby’s site (signed copy if you’re in the US), plus Amazon, Barnes & Noble, C&T Publishing, and additional international retailers listed in Abby’s IG book highlight.

Contact Abby:

• Quick question: Instagram DM (@abbymaed)
• Longer question: email [email protected]

Quilts aren’t fragile museum pieces — they’re meant to be used, washed, loved, and lived with.

In this episode of the Quilt Scouts Podcast, Megan explores some of the most adventurous Quilt Scouts badges — the ones that get you out of the sewing room and into the world. From hiking with a quilt for photos, to picnicking in the park, to bundling up under the stars, this episode is all about using quilts to collect memories instead of dust.

Megan shares personal stories, the origins of several early Quilt Scouts badges, and why these experiences “count” just as much as precision piecing or perfect points. If you’ve ever wondered whether quilts are really meant to touch grass… this episode is for you.

• Why some Quilt Scouts badges are intentionally “sideways”
• Letting go of the idea that quilts are too precious to use
• Quilts as everyday companions — not just display pieces
• Hike for Quilt Photos and why it was one of the very first badges ever created
• How taking quilts outside changes how we see them
• Quilt Photography as a way to document, not perform
• Learning to photograph quilts honestly — indoors and outdoors
• Picnic on a Quilt as iconic quilt usage (and a sweet mom-and-kid picnic memory)
• How quilts naturally create gathering spaces
• Stargaze on a Quilt, space-nerd energy, telescopes, and glow-in-the-dark patches
• Using quilts for warmth, grounding, and stillness
• Why the quilts that matter most are often the most used

Quilts are made to be washed.
They’re made to be repaired.
They’re made to collect memories — not dust.

• Hike for Quilt Photos
• Quilt Photography
• Picnic on a Quilt
• Stargaze on a Quilt

(You don’t have to earn them all — just pick one and go.)

When life gets busy, dinnertime doesn’t have to be another source of stress.

HelloFresh takes the planning out of meals with simple instructions, flexible options, and recipes that fit real life — leaving you with more time and energy for creativity.

👉 Get your first HelloFresh box free

You don’t have to hike miles or camp under the stars.
Just choose one quilt.
One small adventure.

And let your quilt be part of your life — not just your sewing room.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future campfire chats. Leaving a review is one of the best ways to help other quilters find this podcast.

🌲 Show notes, badges, and more: quiltscouts.com

Until next time — happy trails, Scout