The Quilter on Fire Podcast

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 a good magical mystery novel – we are going to dive into every detail that we are allowed to share so far about the DARK MAGIC SAMPLER. Eva believes there's an artist inside every one of us—we just need the confidence to let it out. And she has assembled a collection of designers with skill that is pushing boundaries and she’s rolling this sampler out in a way that makes it achievable for everyone. Grimoire DARK MAGIC SAMPLER Americans: go to https://gingerlyquiltco.com/ONFIRE5 Canadians (and all non-US): go to https://gingerlyquiltco.etsy.com/listing/4564385437 and use the code ONFIRE5 for 5% off Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 simplicity. And today we’ll talk about creativity, colour, quilting, and how her design background continues to shape everything she makes. Brigitte Heitland's website - https://www.brigitteheitland.de/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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://eriequiltart.com/ anf follow Erie Quilt Art on Instagram. Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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: https://newenglandquiltseminars.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 Mail, Elle Canada, and more. Marilyn’s Instagram caught my eye because she's taking an art form that has deep roots in women's history and bringing it into modern homes in a beautiful and meaningful way. Le point visible modern quilts website: https://lepointvisible.com/en Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 have more fun with colour and design. Her work just feels happy. Her quilts are bold and artistic, and full of personality. Cindy's website: https://cindygrisdela.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 it—and that quilting should bring joy, not pressure. Find her website here: https://catherineredford.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including Houston, Birmingham, France, Brasil, and the Excellence in Fibers Show San José Museum of Quilts & Textiles in California just to name a few. She has presented major solo exhibitions and retrospectives of her work. You know if you. Hear the word retrospective they’ve been at the top of their game for a while. Find her website here: https://ceciliakoppmann.com/en Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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: https://www.instagram.com/prettyplease.mx/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 designs, and meaningful storytelling. Check out my interview of Tara at QuiltCon in front of her quilts at QuiltCon: https://youtu.be/5uR_s3fHXXY?si=lv3zeTE50GGDvr8B Find Tara's website here: https://www.taraleequiltery.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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, collaboration, even science—and turns them into quilts that feel emotional and alive. I first saw her work at QuiltCon when I interviewed her for Quilt National and I was instantly drawn into her quilt Bumblebee Jasper to look at every detail. She’s also the creator of the collaborative Exquisite Quilt Project , inspired by the Surrealist “Exquisite Corpse” game, where multiple artists contribute without seeing the full design ahead of time. Abigail Vargas Designs - https://www.avargasdesigns.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 quilting world. Find the Stitchin" Post Quit shop right here: https://stitchinpost.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 about empowerment through making. Visit Cornelius' website here - https://cornelius.ooo/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 contagious, and her heart explodes all over everyone she meets in her charity work. Listen in to hear her story. Find Toni's website here: https://quiltoni.com/ Link to donate to Starlight here: https://quiltoni.com/collections/50k-for-50q Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 not get it perfect every time. You can find Tami's website Hometown Quilt Company right here: https://hometownquiltcompany.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 cup of tea and check out her Instagram feed because you will be there for a while! Find her website here: https://biancaspringer.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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 in…this is a good one. Go to Tina's website right here: https://seaside-stitches.com/ Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.

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't get you to listen in, she has won more ribbons at QuiltCon than any other quilter. Carson's Website: www.carsonconverse.com Today's advertiser is Qraftful (AccuQuilt). Discover your next favourite quilting must-have like the GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter RIGHT HERE . Quilter on Fire Website - https://quilteronfire.com/ Square One Textile Art Workshop Join Brandy’s email list Free Quilter on Fire Holiday Table Runner VIDEO SUPPORT THE PODCAST by becoming a Quilter on Fire Podcast Angel for as little as $3 per week. Support the show Thank you for listening to the Quilter on Fire Podcast.