Episodes

  • Karlee Porter - the Queen of Grafitti Quilting
    Mar 6 2024

    #machinequilting #artquilting #grafitti

    Over 10 years ago Karlee Porter invented and made wildly popular her signature style of quilting - Grafitti Quilting. Machine quilting has never looked so gorgeous!

    Basically, it's a mashup of all kinds of unexpected designs in the same quilted area. But that's not all. Oh no! It also involves breaking lots of quilting "rules" to achieve a very unique, and extremely personalized look.

    In the first edition of her book "Grafitti Quilting", first published in 2017, Karlee broke down her system into a step by step process that even non-doodlers like myself could learn to quilt.

    In her upcoming 3rd edition, she has MASSIVELY enlarged on the printed content of the book, plus added tons of QR codes, linking to all kinds of in-depth video training.

    Listen in as we chat about the new book, traveling the world, the marvels of digital learning, and much, much more.

    If you can't wait to take Karlee's class, here's a sweet $25 off for you! Use the code SBS25
    class registration: https://bit.ly/3v1ZD0u

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • Amy Freyn - Quilting in Quito, Equador
    Apr 13 2023

    Amy Freyn is one of only TWO longarm quilters in the entire country of Equador! She's a professor by day, and an avid quilter by night.

    She credits quilting with saving her life - twice! Her story of change and pivot and taking chances is truly remarkable.

    Amy's also the #dancingquilter. Take up her challenge and post your own videos with the hashtag. Let your happiness show ❤️

    You can find Amy and her dancing REELs on Instagram as @quitoquilts.

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    24 mins
  • Carly and Lydia - The Shopping Channel Reimagined
    Mar 15 2023

    Carly Brush and Lydia Kao are representing WHATNOT, which is a community marketplace all wrapped up in an app.

    They are both so excited to be building the Quilting and Sewing category of WHATNOT, and it is growing at a tremendous rate. It has been designed to serve small business owners, with simplicity and convenience and, really, it's a virtual store front for small businesses and individuals. You'll hear some really creative ways that crafters are getting involved.

    Carly and Lydia weren't able to join at the same time, so this conversation is in two parts, and you'll get to hear both of their stories and perspectives. They have lots of examples of ways crafters are using the platform to not only buy and sell, but to support charitable goals, and to promote community.

    Check out the app for yourself - listen in on some live presentations....see what other crafters are doing...and see if this might be a good fit for you and your particular niche.

    FOR A $15 CREDIT on your first purchase, head to whatnot.info/stitchedbysusan

    Instagram - WHATNOT main profile
    Instagram - WHATNOT Handcrafted

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • Adria Good - the growth of a longarm quilter
    Feb 28 2023

    Adria Good has been quilting for a very long time! She's quilted through getting married...kids...homeshooling...basketball coaching...all the things.

    Her story is one of learning and growing.
    New idea?  Research and learn.
    New upgrade?  Practice, and expand capabilities.
    New challenge? Take it one step at a time. You CAN do the hard things.

    Listen to hear all these stories and more.  Adria has grown from sewing simple plush toys with her first sewing machine to working at an industrial longarm quilting machine. She now produces YouTube video and online courses, teaching women all over the world the art of free motion quilting.

    Adria can be found in all these places:
    Facebook
    Quilting school
    Instagram
    YouTube
    Tiktok

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • Being Candid - there are HARD days!
    Feb 22 2023

    Today I'm talking about a slightly uncomfortable topic - what to do when everything’s just going wrong.

    Just last week, I received a schooling in this! I regularly live stream quilting a project on YouTube and Facebook. I’ve dubbed it Live & Unscripted, and sometimes Quilting’s First Reality Show because it’s just that - real time process without any edits or “cleaning up”. I’ve always included the rough bits, like thread or needle breaks, or second-guessing design decisions, because my goal is to help viewers see what a quilting studio really looks like. See how long things really take. See if I really do quilt in bare feet and manual mode!

    Well, this particular live stream started off with a lurch. About 8 minutes before going LIVE, I discovered that the backing of the quilt was about 2” shorter than the front. That’s a problem.  A big problem.

    It kind of went downhill from there….re-doing while loading…tension problems…camera problems…a loose seam catching the hopper foot and stitching it in…and so it went, until finally I just called a halt.

    So this is some candid talk about how that feels....and what I learned from YOU, the viewers.

    And spoiler - it's all good❤️

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    9 mins
  • Sam Alberts - building and pivoting a crafting business
    Feb 15 2023

    Sam Alberts was one of my very first podcast guests - see Episode #4. Now she's back to give us an update on her Quilting Curve Studio.

    Sam's been (of course!) quilting, lo, these many months. But also, she's made significant pivots in her business. She was finding that
         a) there are only so many hours a body can quilt, and that translates into a ceiling on income
         b) she has a wealth of experience to share with other quilters who are earlier in their journey
         c) she missed the companionship of other quilters

    So! Sam's quilting has entered the digital world. She's launched a YouTube channel, as well as several on-demand courses, and also been traveling to local and national quilt shows.

    Listen in as Sam lets us see behind the shiny bits - the new skills that have to be learned (video editing!)...the prioritizing that takes place (fewer customer quilts)...and ultimately the reward of seeing her quilting business grow, and her students flourish.

    You can find Sam in all these places:
    YouTube
    Tiktok
    Instagram
    Website

    FLODESK 50% off your first year 
         https://flodesk.com/c/FLODESKISAWESOME

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • Dixie Thue - Quilts & St Bernard Puppies
    Feb 8 2023

    Dixie Thue (pronounced too-ee) is a fellow Canadian, and a quilter with broad experience, and stories to match! Listen in as we chat about her ranch life in northern Canada, raising St. Bernard puppies, and her collection of sewing machines.

    Quilters seem to be multi-talented people, and Dixie is no exception. Skim through her feed on Instagram and you'll find sourdough bread,  garden abundance, those ADORABLE St. Bernard puppies, grandkids, and so much more.

    You can find Dixie right here:
    Instagram

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    33 mins
  • Tiny and Snail - Creating Cards With a Mission
    Feb 1 2023

    Leah Nixon and Grace Nixon Peterson are a powerful duo - two sisters that create greeting cards rich with meaning.  The word "card" seems too simple - their artwork, the thoughtfulness of every word, their passion about writing to each other by hand - all these come together to create one-of-a-kind snail mail.

    We chat about the themes behind their annual collections, their personal stories that play hugely into their lives today, and the remarkable power of the written word.

    Plus, we dip into creating a business around your passion, and how interests, mission, and joy all intersect to form the perfect business.

    Grace and Leah can be found in these places:
    Website
    Instagram

    And....sign up for their newsletter (written by Leah) to receive 20% off your first purchase!

    Want to try free motion quilting but don't know where to start? Here's 3 simple steps to get going.

    Support the show

    ------------------------

    If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review here.

    Resources:

    ADVANCE, my monthly subscription membership

    FREEHAND QUILTING MASTERCLASS, an on-demand comprehensive course

    ALL-OVER FEATHER, sign-up for a FREE quilting class

    And here's where you can find more of my work:

    YouTube - LIVE & UNSCRIPTED episodes
    Website - for more information on classes and quilting services
    Facebook - current projects and photos
    Instagram - current projects and photos
    Pinterest - photo galleries and tutorials

    Show more Show less
    43 mins