I also grew my quilting skills with Mary Fons and Quilty. I binge-watched their videos. Then a friend recommended Missouri Star. Then Angela Walters. I found you when I googled "wooden yarn spinner" since I wanted to knit a sweater for my granddaughter. So, of course, I started binge-watching your channel and growing with you. You're right up there with Mary Fons, Jenny Doan, Angela Walters & Sugaridoo. You may not be as well known or famous, but you're an inspiration for all of us. And it's been fun watching your channel grow. I love your interviews. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
I learned from and enjoyed this youtube video a great deal! I used to watch the Fons and Porter videos and am glad that Mary is continuing to film. I did notice she had a decent sized following but I am sure it will be even larger after this video. I suscribed!
“The dishes don’t stay done, but a quilt block does.” If I remember nothing else, I will remember this line, and thank you for it! And yes, I subscribed to Mary’s channel.
I enjoyed Mary's mother and Liz's quilt legacies and hope they are enjoying their retirement. I have a soft spot in my heart for them :-) Thanks Karen for doing this AWESOME interview! I thoroughly enjoyed it and now am also following Mary on youtube:-)
What a great interview!!! Thank you Karen!! One take-away: labels on our quilts are not for us, they are for future generations to know about us! 🧵✂️❤️
CT, 2020 the Pandemic: I came to quilt making when, after sewing face-masks with other volunteers for 5 months in 2020, I wanted to use the fabric scraps that were left-over. I never knew the people who received my masks, but they are a part of my quilts now and so, a part of my life forever. Thank you Karen and Ann for highlighting quilt making as an important part of history.
Yes Karen, I’m a ‘covid quilter’. At the start of the first lockdown I got my old sewing machine out and started making mini clothes for my granddaughter’s dolls. It started just as something to pass the time but it re-ignited my passion for sewing and making. I’ve since made lots of items and am now teaching myself how to quilt - thanks for your help with that.
I loved this! It reminded me that when the quilt revival hit, and everyone around here bought quilt frames, and all the girls in church quilted banners; all of a sudden, my mother and my older female cousins turned around and noticed a THING that they hadn't before. Since forever, my grandma had been covering her plants in the garden with "old blankets." The "old blankets" were quilts. Much to-do went up about it. She didn't want to give up her old blankets because they were perfect for keeping her plants from freezing, and Oh, no! These are precious antiques! I think she finally had to promise to make everyone a quilt so they would leave her blankets alone. Needless to say, when she died, they were all snatched up. And, yes, there was a LOT of Depression Era green on them -- entire backs of the stuff. This was fun and interesting, and reminded me of a lot of things around quilts and the late 70's and the 80's. Thank you! Stay well!
Thank you, Karen, for all you bring to our lives through quilting. Thank you also, for this interview with Mary Fons. I subscribed to QuiltFolk right after viewing this interview.
As a fellow Canadian (from Québec) I'm proud of what you accomplished on RUclips, Karen. Your videos are always so informative and agreeable. And Mary Fons is so funny, and smart, and kind.
Karen, thank you! That was a wonderful chat with Mary Fonds. She is so much fun, warm hearted and a wealth of information. You looked wonderful and your recording area was nice and bright. The quilt behind you was a really good choice. Not to busy and the perfect compliment to you. WELL NONE!!
This was great! I used to watch Mary on PBS and it’s great to see her! I have sewn for too many years and have been struggling to find something to sew that gives me satisfaction. And maybe something that will help me supplement my fixed income. When the pandemic happened I started sewing masks and while I was sewing I watched sewing videos on RUclips. I found myself watching quilting vids and feeling like “I can do that!” I started making quilted gifts and made some memorial pillows and table runners with completed squares that my friend made before she passed from breast cancer. The satisfaction of completing something so special made me feel so good. Now I have finished my first quilt top along with many other items and am presently learning free motion quilting. I hope to find a good machine and quilt my own quilts as money allows. My husband is in the middle stages of early onset Alzheimer’s and is totally fascinated by my “skills” and hopefully we can start making fidget quilts for dementia patients soon. Right now I am reorganizing my workroom so I can be more efficient. I love your videos and definitely subscribed to Mary’s RUclips channel. I am always learning and you and your colleagues are truly a wonderful inspiration. We live in a time that is very different with this pandemic but I too believe that it is a great time to go back to our roots and use our hands to create our statements. What’s not to love? We have the freedom to make something warm and soft and an expression of ourselves to be a special way to keep our history alive!
In the mid-80s, when my kids were just being born and the dishes and the laundry just never seemed to end... That's when I started making quilts. "The quilt blocks stayed done." Indeed they did! Thanks for a terrific interview, Karen. And, yes, I subscribed to Mary's new RUclips Channel. Cheers!
I subscribed to Mary's RUclips Channel! When I first got interested in quilting, I was ADDICTED to Quilty episodes. Glad to see she's doing well. It makes my heart happy.
Great chat with Mary! I miss Mary and her mother, Marianne, on the 'Love of Quilting' television show. I learned so much watching them. So heartwarming to hear she is happy an still sharing of her vast knowledge. Thanks Mary I will head over to your RUclips channel. Thanks Karen for this interview.
I enjoyed the Mary Fons interview. She is so knowledgeable and gifted. I’m glad she is happy and feeling better. I have followed her career on and off over the years and have now subscribed to her UTube channel.
Thank you for having Mary Fons on Karen’s Quilt Circle. I loved watching you both! Great interview! I have followed Mary since she was on Fons and Porter Quilting show on PBS, and editor of Quilty magazine. I just subscribed to her UTube channel. Thank you again for sharing her with all of us.
This is meaty Karen! Holy cow. Thank you for the on-site. This is the stuff we think about ...a long time. How refreshing to know that quilts are such an important part of our history in America and in the world.
I'm delighted to see Mary Fons again! I feel like we are all catching up with an old friend. I was happy to subscribe to her RUclips channel, and I thank you for having her on!
This is an amazing interview. You did a great job allowing her to talk freely, but asked her all of the necessary questions. Great job! And it was lovely hearing Mary tell her story. Loved it.
This is one of my favorite interviews that I have watched. My background is nursing and I have been so blessed by my patients that told me about their passions, quilting, crocheting, knitting, tatting and even canning from their parents. I have learned so much from history and homemade things with love. My patients would tell the story about a picture of something or someone and I would record the story and type it up and slip it in the picture frame for their families. We are never promised tomorrow and make time for these stories. ❤❤❤
So happy that you interviewed Mary Fons. Love her stories. This video came up just after I finished listening to her talk about the four myths of quilt making. ❤️
Thank you for the interesting interview, Mary. You're right about covid bringing people to quilting. I hadn't touched my machine in 40 years. Making 600+ masks got me back into sewing. I didn't need another hobby, but I'm hooked! I've learned so much from you. Thank you!
Karen, thank you for having Mary Fons on. She is one of my favorite people, I am glad to see that she is back, I am a current subscriber to her channel. Also I do love following you. Thanks so much.
I LOVED this episode with Mary Fons! Thanks so much, Karen, for introducing us to all these interesting quilters. I did subscribe to Mary’s RUclips channel, and would really cherish the Quiltfolk book. Thanks for the opportunity to be in the drawing! Blessings on you and your generosity to share yourself with other quilters.
Loved this interview but have also liked all of them. So diverse! Fascinating hearing about the history of cheap fabric in Northern America and glad that we are not trying to bury history. It happened and we should both celebrate the quilts and learn from the appalling treatment of fellow humans. I have subscribed to Mary's channel. Our world wide quilting community is amazing. Best wishes to you all. X
This has been an interesting "interview". I always enjoyed watching Mary on PBS and Quilty. Love her sense of humor, knowledge and willing to share it with us. Signed up on her RUclips... and went to Quilt Folk site, too. All subscribed to both and looking forward to checking it all out. Thank you, Karen for this opportunity to connect with Mary Fons again. By the way Karen, I love your RUclips channel, too. Blessings to y'all.
I totally came into quiltmaking via mask making for the pandemic. I've always been a knitter, but I thought that I shouldn't be going through disposable masks so wastefully and learned how to make masks from RUclips. Eventually, the algorithms led me to quilting, and I can't look back. I made my first major quilt for my niece born on the very last day of 2020, and sure, it wasn't amazing, but wow, what a material representation of this year culminating in a meaningful gift for my baby niece. Thank you for this interview - it was awesome.
Thank you so much!! I love learning from Mary. I loved Quilty when I was a newbie. My mother is an uber crafter. You name it with a needle; she can do it. I was like Mary, watching my Mom do everything, trying quilting here and there, all thumbs. It wasn't until my 30's that I got serious. At 50, I'm still an intermediate quilter. I make what I like. Not too fancy, but fun for me. More often than not, I give them away to an unsuspecting receiver who loves the surprise and values the work that went into it. I would have geeked out over Ken Burns too!
Fantastic interview, as always! It's nice to hear from an interesting, authentic, real woman from my generation! Your interviews are always unique and interesting and I can watch them again and again! I subscribed to Marys channel!
Finding one's tribe... That's what you both represent to me, the way you have brought so many individuals into groups via social media, providing hope, re-enforcing our resilience, confidence, and belief in our ability to forge ahead with our own visions. I am more of a loner who doesn't feel comfortable with large groups of people, and I work at my own slow pace which would drive someone else crazy. But by watching tutorials, commenting, interacting, I can gather into myself a feeling of tribe, of my own legacy of mother and grandmother sewing and inspiring me. What magic! Thank you for sharing your hearts. -Sally from MO
I enjoy all Quilt Circle talks but Mary is definitely my favorite and I “ran” to her channel to subscribe. What a lovely person. I especially resonated with her comments about people’s reaction to our quilting, like “oh, that’s nice, my grandmother used to quilt”. I’ve had that reaction, and thus tend to shy away from sharing that part of me. I’ll have to work on that 🙂
Oh my, Karen I love every one of your chat videos, but this one has me totally inspired and pondering so many things, I found Mary fascinating talking about the history, it would be so nice if she wrote a book about the history of the American quilt. I am so proud that I'm a quilter, I taught my mum and my daughter yo quilt and my daughter (23) is making her own art quilts and she is part of the future, I love the fact we quilt together and hope she teaches her children in the future. Thank you Karen for the great video and I'm popping over to Mary's channel to subscribe right now.
I loved this “interview” - really just a friendly chat. I too came back to quilting during the pandemic, and I WILL label my quilts. My son was the first to point out that I was giving him an heirloom that had a story, and that when he handed it down he would be able to share the history as the quilt was passed down. I did subscribe to Mary’s channel, by the way. What a great legacy she is creating, walking next to her mom’s footsteps and making her own trail. Thank you for all you share with this community Karen!
Hi Karen, thank you for having Mary on your show. I find her very interesting...I loved watching Mary and Mary Ann on the quilt show on TV. Yes I subscribed to her channel.
When I first started quilting, Mary Fons (Quilty) was the first RUclips channel I found on quilting. I cried when she announced she was leaving. I had grown so attached to her. She has a lovely personality. I wish your interview lasted for many more hours. I loved listening. Thank you, Karen, for having her on. I found and subscribed to her channel.
I loved your interview with Mary Fons! I've had so many questions about her and how and why she got started. Sounds like she has gone in a totally different direction than her mother and THAT IS JUST FINE! I am thrilled when someone finds a place in the quilting world because we are definitely the most interesting, giving, thoughtful bunch of folk. (Just my opinion, but I happen to be correct)! :) I subscribed to Mary's channel and look forward to hearing more about her adventures.
Subscribed to Mary’s channel then got out a pen to “label” a quilt I’m putting in the mail today! Thank you Karen for the diversity and quality of your channel. I’m happy to be in your tribe too! Best wishes for 2021 to you and your family.
This was a fantastic interview! The pandemic is exactly how I came to quilting this year and I love it! I subscribed to Mary's channel--she's a delight!
I watched so many of the Fons and Porter videos with Mary when I first started quilting just a few years ago. It's so nice to see her happy and healthy. I've subscribed to her channel. Thank you
enjoyed the interview... Use to watch her mom, MaryAnn and Liz on PBS back in the day.. along with Geogria Bonesteel and Eleanor Burns QIAD series. That is what put me on the quilt road. As for labeling my quilts... I 'sign' my quilts by quilting in a holly and the year as Roman numbers. It was easy with the year 2000...(MM) and last year was MMXX.... "to the MAXX baby!" LOL subscribed to Mary's channel. looking forward to watching her again.
Thank you for interviewing Mary Fons. I began quilting in 2014 after moving to a different state (in USA) to take date of my ill mother-in-law. After watching Mary on TV make quilting look easy, I attended a local Quilt Convention & was hooked. It is so good to see her doing so well! Thank you! (& thank for the link to subscribe to her channel. I’m subscribed and looking forward to watching her again.)
I'm glad I heard her mention the time before there was domestic fabric available. I had read that during the time when quilters here could only buy imported fabric, that was when all the scrap sewing got so prevalent. Then I was watching a Fons & Porter video and Mary mentioned the abundance of fabric and seemed to be brushing away the idea of scrap quilts coming out of scarcity. It was a side point and I felt maybe I was misinterpreting. Here she mentions the no-import rule, and alludes to a before-and-after difference. I guess that was eating at me because I so love to use old clothes in my patchwork, and if course I grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, and any yardage purchase was a huge event for Sunday best clothes. In my own family an elderly poet has written about great-grandma's log cabin quilt, where she wonders if the blacks were for mourning, the tan for best, the greys and brown for all work in home and field, plus a dash of red to keep things interesting. Going back to Mary's point and to illustrate the linear development, you do see old quilts from when yardage became more plentiful, where they still cut the fabric up into a zillion pieces then made an intricate two -color design. I wonder if they ever had the same thought Mary had in the middle of the night about life's broken pieces being put back together, so why not fabric?
Karen, what a great interview with Mary. She is so sweet and enjoyable to watch. She's the type of person that would make it easy to become instant friends. I can see why you're such a fan.
What a beautiful soul 🤗 I'm so happy to see Mary back and enjoying life and new directions. Quilty was my go-to channel when I started quilting, and I still remember her final video, what a tear jerked that was! But I could understand her need for something different. I have just subscribed to Mary's new channel to throw my hat into the ring for the book competition, but it is prize enough just to have her back in my quilt life! Thank you both for this wonderful interview, I enjoyed every minute of it ❤
Wow! What a great interview! Thanks so much. it was so inspiring and made me think about the "what's next" for me. Loved the moment where Mary made the connection between Covid mask making and a resurgence of quilting. Karen, you are an inspiration to us all!
I most thoroughly enjoyed this interview. I am the other half of the circle. I am a Machinist, a girl in a non-traditional field. I am also a proud quilter. I find the quilt math similar to work math which I dig. It is the closest to my trade that I can apply at home and it fills the quest for colour that I was missing. With quilts I can make pretty things. Sew On 🤟 Positive Threads 🇨🇦 Cambridge
Thanks for this interview with Mary. She was the first person I saw in the sewing/quilting world younger than me who was funny and engaging. Glad to see her on RUclips. You guys sounded like girlfriends having coffee! Would love the book also.
Thank you for this. Mary’s outlook and perspective entrances me. When her videos started showing up in my feed I was delighted and subscribed immediately.
Your best interview so far. I have been watching Mary Fons since her time with her mom after Liz Porter resigned on their PBS program in IA. So glad to find her again. Thank you for the opportunity to subscribe to her channel
Thank You so much for this great interview. I remember asking my grandmother how to quilt and would she teach me? I was in my 20s and it was 197?. Her reply was. "Carlita, you can just buy one these days. It is cheaper and easier. And I have no idea how use the sewing machine." I have the last three quilts she made in the 30's and 40's. They are Grandmother's Garden, Double Wedding Ring, and a Friendship quilt made at her extension club in 1939. Now I made a start in quilting in the 90's and now I just retired from teaching and I have my craft room/office.
Thank you so much for this interview. Just brilliant! Have subscribed to Mary's channel. Covid brought me back to quilting, a passion I picked up from my grandmother. I am working on one of the projects she was never able to finish now and hope to do her proud. Thank you for acknowledging our Mothers, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers. They really are the backbone to our passion.
Mary struck a chord with me when she talked about nobody understanding why you quilt but the museum did. My friends don't understand why I love quilting and sewing. It's nice, heartwarming to be told I'm part of a community. Thanks Mary
Thank you Karen, what a great “chat” with Mary, she feels like a friend, loved Quilty and learned a lot from her, her Mom, and Liz. ❤️ Subbed her channel!
Karen, you are a wonderful inspiration and so-down-to-earth. I really enjoy going to your channel since I have subscribed to it. The Quilt Circle interviews have been engaging and eye opening with histories, I didn't know much about it. I subscribed to Mary's channel. Quilt designs are all over in unexpected places.
I just subscribed to Mary’s channel. Thank you for having her on your podcast. She is extremely inspiring and I love her perspective of art and quilts. I look forward to more podcasts with future guests. Thanks so much!
Wonderful interview! So interesting and I really enjoyed how your frirndship shined through. Just subscribed to Mary's RUclips channel. Thank you so much for this interview. Side note- I have been trying to think of ways to honor my mother, who passed away last May. Among her many talents, was quilting. After watching this episode, I have decided one way to honor my mother, is to start quilting. ❤
Well, it’s finally here. Mary is such an interesting person. I could have talked with her for hours I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.
I also grew my quilting skills with Mary Fons and Quilty. I binge-watched their videos. Then a friend recommended Missouri Star. Then Angela Walters. I found you when I googled "wooden yarn spinner" since I wanted to knit a sweater for my granddaughter. So, of course, I started binge-watching your channel and growing with you. You're right up there with Mary Fons, Jenny Doan, Angela Walters & Sugaridoo. You may not be as well known or famous, but you're an inspiration for all of us. And it's been fun watching your channel grow. I love your interviews. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Subscribed to Mary’s RUclips. Great interview
I did subscribe to Mary's channel, enjoyed the interview very much, big Fonz and Porter fan, enjoyed the programs Mary did with her mother.
I learned from and enjoyed this youtube video a great deal! I used to watch the Fons and Porter videos and am glad that Mary is continuing to film. I did notice she had a decent sized following but I am sure it will be even larger after this video. I suscribed!
Great interview it is fun to watch the change in one’s quilt making journey and history of quilt making
"When your life is torn up into a million pieces, it makes sense to cut fabric up into a million pieces and sew it back together" - Mary Fons
I think this works for explaining why covid has drawn so many to quilting too!
Great video! Yes, quilting saved my sanity in 2020!
“The dishes don’t stay done, but a quilt block does.” If I remember nothing else, I will remember this line, and thank you for it! And yes, I subscribed to Mary’s channel.
Subscribed to Mary's channel. Thank you Karen for doing the interview with Mary she has so much knowledge to share with us.
I enjoyed Mary's mother and Liz's quilt legacies and hope they are enjoying their retirement. I have a soft spot in my heart for them :-) Thanks Karen for doing this AWESOME interview! I thoroughly enjoyed it and now am also following Mary on youtube:-)
What a great interview!!! Thank you Karen!! One take-away: labels on our quilts are not for us, they are for future generations to know about us! 🧵✂️❤️
Thank you for a great interview with Mary Fons! I was lucky enough to meet her in person at Quilters take Manhattan. What a sweetheart! So talented!
I miss Mary on PBS. I think the resurgence of quilting during the pandemic is partly because it is therapeutic to keep hands and mind busy!
And online ability to stay connected🙂
Sewing saved my sanity!
I have loved Mary Fons since my beginning quilting days. Quilty was a godsend!
Yes! Mary Fons is so cool. I love the way she talks about quilts.
I like that so many men are finding joy in quilting!
CT, 2020 the Pandemic: I came to quilt making when, after sewing face-masks with other volunteers for 5 months in 2020, I wanted to use the fabric scraps that were left-over. I never knew the people who received my masks, but they are a part of my quilts now and so, a part of my life forever. Thank you Karen and Ann for highlighting quilt making as an important part of history.
Yes Karen, I’m a ‘covid quilter’. At the start of the first lockdown I got my old sewing machine out and started making mini clothes for my granddaughter’s dolls. It started just as something to pass the time but it re-ignited my passion for sewing and making. I’ve since made lots of items and am now teaching myself how to quilt - thanks for your help with that.
Oh my, perfect! When your life is torn in pieces, quilting makes sense! Wow, exactly!
I loved this! It reminded me that when the quilt revival hit, and everyone around here bought quilt frames, and all the girls in church quilted banners; all of a sudden, my mother and my older female cousins turned around and noticed a THING that they hadn't before. Since forever, my grandma had been covering her plants in the garden with "old blankets." The "old blankets" were quilts. Much to-do went up about it. She didn't want to give up her old blankets because they were perfect for keeping her plants from freezing, and Oh, no! These are precious antiques! I think she finally had to promise to make everyone a quilt so they would leave her blankets alone. Needless to say, when she died, they were all snatched up. And, yes, there was a LOT of Depression Era green on them -- entire backs of the stuff. This was fun and interesting, and reminded me of a lot of things around quilts and the late 70's and the 80's. Thank you! Stay well!
Because of this interview, I've subscribed to Mary's channel and have watched EVERYTHING she has posted! Many more than once!
🤣😆😂😆🤣
Thank you, Karen, for all you bring to our lives through quilting.
Thank you also, for this interview with Mary Fons.
I subscribed to QuiltFolk right after viewing this interview.
As a fellow Canadian (from Québec) I'm proud of what you accomplished on RUclips, Karen. Your videos are always so informative and agreeable. And Mary Fons is so funny, and smart, and kind.
Thank you Elise
Karen, thank you! That was a wonderful chat with Mary Fonds. She is so much fun, warm hearted and a wealth of information. You looked wonderful and your recording area was nice and bright. The quilt behind you was a really good choice. Not to busy and the perfect compliment to you. WELL NONE!!
Thankyou Karen for introducing this beautiful young woman to the likes of me.
Absolutely terrific, life changing interview. Found it just when I needed inspiration, laughter and joy. Thank you, Karen!
Mary’s awesome. She’s a great conversationalist and seems like a fun person. I could listen to her all day. So knowledgeable!
This was great! I used to watch Mary on PBS and it’s great to see her! I have sewn for too many years and have been struggling to find something to sew that gives me satisfaction. And maybe something that will help me supplement my fixed income. When the pandemic happened I started sewing masks and while I was sewing I watched sewing videos on RUclips. I found myself watching quilting vids and feeling like “I can do that!” I started making quilted gifts and made some memorial pillows and table runners with completed squares that my friend made before she passed from breast cancer. The satisfaction of completing something so special made me feel so good. Now I have finished my first quilt top along with many other items and am presently learning free motion quilting. I hope to find a good machine and quilt my own quilts as money allows. My husband is in the middle stages of early onset Alzheimer’s and is totally fascinated by my “skills” and hopefully we can start making fidget quilts for dementia patients soon. Right now I am reorganizing my workroom so I can be more efficient. I love your videos and definitely subscribed to Mary’s RUclips channel. I am always learning and you and your colleagues are truly a wonderful inspiration. We live in a time that is very different with this pandemic but I too believe that it is a great time to go back to our roots and use our hands to create our statements. What’s not to love? We have the freedom to make something warm and soft and an expression of ourselves to be a special way to keep our history alive!
In the mid-80s, when my kids were just being born and the dishes and the laundry just never seemed to end... That's when I started making quilts. "The quilt blocks stayed done." Indeed they did! Thanks for a terrific interview, Karen. And, yes, I subscribed to Mary's new RUclips Channel. Cheers!
I miss seeing Mary on RUclips so glad she’s coming back!🙂 great interview and so interesting. Thank you so much 😊
This lady is hilarious and so nice to see her passion of the history.
I subscribed to Mary's RUclips Channel! When I first got interested in quilting, I was ADDICTED to Quilty episodes. Glad to see she's doing well. It makes my heart happy.
I miss Mary Fons. She was entertaining, funny and very creative. I am so so happy that she is back.
I pushed the send button too fast. I have subscribed to her channel and look forward to all her videos. Bring them on!!
Great chat with Mary! I miss Mary and her mother, Marianne, on the 'Love of Quilting' television show. I learned so much watching them. So heartwarming to hear she is happy an still sharing of her vast knowledge. Thanks Mary I will head over to your RUclips channel. Thanks Karen for this interview.
I enjoyed the Mary Fons interview. She is so knowledgeable and gifted. I’m glad she is happy and feeling better. I have followed her career on and off over the years and have now subscribed to her UTube channel.
Mary and her mother appeared at our quilt guild a few years ago. Fascinating discussion of hidtory of quilts.
I was so fortunate to take a quilt workshop with Mary and I felt like I had know her for years and we were good friends! It was good to see her again.
Thank you for having Mary Fons on Karen’s Quilt Circle. I loved watching you both! Great interview! I have followed Mary since she was on Fons and Porter Quilting show on PBS, and editor of Quilty magazine. I just subscribed to her UTube channel. Thank you again for sharing her with all of us.
So happy to be able to see Mary Fons again! I watched so many Quilty videos when I first started! Subscribed with joy!
This is meaty Karen! Holy cow. Thank you for the on-site. This is the stuff we think about ...a long time. How refreshing to know that quilts are such an important part of our history in America and in the world.
Great interview!!!! Thanks Karen for bringing these great guests to us. Mary was awesome. I was sad the conversation ended.
I'm delighted to see Mary Fons again! I feel like we are all catching up with an old friend. I was happy to subscribe to her RUclips channel, and I thank you for having her on!
Great interview Karen! This was such a relaxed conversation between you and Mary Fons. I enjoyed it so much!
This is an amazing interview. You did a great job allowing her to talk freely, but asked her all of the necessary questions. Great job! And it was lovely hearing Mary tell her story. Loved it.
Karen thank you for a special evening with Mary! I enjoyed the chat very much.💙
This is one of my favorite interviews that I have watched. My background is nursing and I have been so blessed by my patients that told me about their passions, quilting, crocheting, knitting, tatting and even canning from their parents. I have learned so much from history and homemade things with love. My patients would tell the story about a picture of something or someone and I would record the story and type it up and slip it in the picture frame for their families. We are never promised tomorrow and make time for these stories. ❤❤❤
I'm so happy that Mary has her own channel! I subscribed! Quilty was my first quilting knowledge source.
I loved this interview. Such a fan of Mary and you brought this to me. Thank you. I subscribed to Mary's channel and to Quiltfolk!
So happy that you interviewed Mary Fons. Love her stories. This video came up just after I finished listening to her talk about the four myths of quilt making. ❤️
Thank you for the interesting interview, Mary. You're right about covid bringing people to quilting. I hadn't touched my machine in 40 years. Making 600+ masks got me back into sewing. I didn't need another hobby, but I'm hooked! I've learned so much from you. Thank you!
Always have loved Mary and her Mom.. So glad I found this interview..I feel so much better about my weird quilts !!!!
Thank you for bringing Mary on. I will subscribe to her channel. Thank you again for a most inspiring guest
just love Mary Fons...... so glad she is back
subscribed to her channel
Karen, thank you for having Mary Fons on. She is one of my favorite people, I am glad to see that she is back, I am a current subscriber to her channel. Also I do love following you. Thanks so much.
I LOVED this episode with Mary Fons! Thanks so much, Karen, for introducing us to all these interesting quilters. I did subscribe to Mary’s RUclips channel, and would really cherish the Quiltfolk book. Thanks for the opportunity to be in the drawing! Blessings on you and your generosity to share yourself with other quilters.
What a fabulous interview and a lovely lady!
Such a precious story about Mary helping you. I can imagine the whole situation. Loving.
Loved this interview but have also liked all of them. So diverse! Fascinating hearing about the history of cheap fabric in Northern America and glad that we are not trying to bury history. It happened and we should both celebrate the quilts and learn from the appalling treatment of fellow humans. I have subscribed to Mary's channel. Our world wide quilting community is amazing. Best wishes to you all. X
This was FABULOUS! Thank you, Karen!! ❤️ I especially liked the fresh perspective on feminism/value for women who quilt.
This has been an interesting "interview". I always enjoyed watching Mary on PBS and Quilty. Love her sense of humor, knowledge and willing to share it with us. Signed up on her RUclips... and went to Quilt Folk site, too. All subscribed to both and looking forward to checking it all out. Thank you, Karen for this opportunity to connect with Mary Fons again. By the way Karen, I love your RUclips channel, too. Blessings to y'all.
Love Mary Fons!!! She was the first I watched on RUclips when I began my quilting journey! So exciting today!!!
Loved the show. Wasn't aware of Mary's interest and knowledge of the history of quilting. Can't wait to check out Quilt Folks and her blog.
I totally came into quiltmaking via mask making for the pandemic. I've always been a knitter, but I thought that I shouldn't be going through disposable masks so wastefully and learned how to make masks from RUclips. Eventually, the algorithms led me to quilting, and I can't look back. I made my first major quilt for my niece born on the very last day of 2020, and sure, it wasn't amazing, but wow, what a material representation of this year culminating in a meaningful gift for my baby niece. Thank you for this interview - it was awesome.
What a great interview - not hard to imagine this beautiful soul helping you after a tough day.
Thank you so much!! I love learning from Mary. I loved Quilty when I was a newbie. My mother is an uber crafter. You name it with a needle; she can do it. I was like Mary, watching my Mom do everything, trying quilting here and there, all thumbs. It wasn't until my 30's that I got serious. At 50, I'm still an intermediate quilter. I make what I like. Not too fancy, but fun for me. More often than not, I give them away to an unsuspecting receiver who loves the surprise and values the work that went into it. I would have geeked out over Ken Burns too!
Fantastic interview, as always! It's nice to hear from an interesting, authentic, real woman from my generation! Your interviews are always unique and interesting and I can watch them again and again! I subscribed to Marys channel!
Great interview ! Love you both!
Finding one's tribe... That's what you both represent to me, the way you have brought so many individuals into groups via social media, providing hope, re-enforcing our resilience, confidence, and belief in our ability to forge ahead with our own visions. I am more of a loner who doesn't feel comfortable with large groups of people, and I work at my own slow pace which would drive someone else crazy. But by watching tutorials, commenting, interacting, I can gather into myself a feeling of tribe, of my own legacy of mother and grandmother sewing and inspiring me. What magic! Thank you for sharing your hearts. -Sally from MO
I enjoy all Quilt Circle talks but Mary is definitely my favorite and I “ran” to her channel to subscribe. What a lovely person. I especially resonated with her comments about people’s reaction to our quilting, like “oh, that’s nice, my grandmother used to quilt”. I’ve had that reaction, and thus tend to shy away from sharing that part of me. I’ll have to work on that 🙂
Oh my, Karen I love every one of your chat videos, but this one has me totally inspired and pondering so many things, I found Mary fascinating talking about the history, it would be so nice if she wrote a book about the history of the American quilt.
I am so proud that I'm a quilter, I taught my mum and my daughter yo quilt and my daughter (23) is making her own art quilts and she is part of the future, I love the fact we quilt together and hope she teaches her children in the future.
Thank you Karen for the great video and I'm popping over to Mary's channel to subscribe right now.
I loved this “interview” - really just a friendly chat. I too came back to quilting during the pandemic, and I WILL label my quilts. My son was the first to point out that I was giving him an heirloom that had a story, and that when he handed it down he would be able to share the history as the quilt was passed down. I did subscribe to Mary’s channel, by the way. What a great legacy she is creating, walking next to her mom’s footsteps and making her own trail. Thank you for all you share with this community Karen!
Hi Karen, thank you for having Mary on your show. I find her very interesting...I loved watching Mary and Mary Ann on the quilt show on TV.
Yes I subscribed to her channel.
When I first started quilting, Mary Fons (Quilty) was the first RUclips channel I found on quilting. I cried when she announced she was leaving. I had grown so attached to her. She has a lovely personality. I wish your interview lasted for many more hours. I loved listening. Thank you, Karen, for having her on. I found and subscribed to her channel.
I loved your interview with Mary Fons! I've had so many questions about her and how and why she got started. Sounds like she has gone in a totally different direction than her mother and THAT IS JUST FINE! I am thrilled when someone finds a place in the quilting world because we are definitely the most interesting, giving, thoughtful bunch of folk. (Just my opinion, but I happen to be correct)! :)
I subscribed to Mary's channel and look forward to hearing more about her adventures.
Subscribed to Mary’s channel then got out a pen to “label” a quilt I’m putting in the mail today! Thank you Karen for the diversity and quality of your channel. I’m happy to be in your tribe too! Best wishes for 2021 to you and your family.
Enjoyed ur interview and happy to catch up on Mary Fons who seemed to have disappeared. I love this quilting world.
This was a fantastic interview! The pandemic is exactly how I came to quilting this year and I love it! I subscribed to Mary's channel--she's a delight!
Yay, welcome to the community
Found her! I love the history and craftsmanship of quilts.
I watched so many of the Fons and Porter videos with Mary when I first started quilting just a few years ago. It's so nice to see her happy and healthy. I've subscribed to her channel. Thank you
Loved the show. It was wonderful to see Mary.
enjoyed the interview... Use to watch her mom, MaryAnn and Liz on PBS back in the day.. along with Geogria Bonesteel and Eleanor Burns QIAD series. That is what put me on the quilt road. As for labeling my quilts... I 'sign' my quilts by quilting in a holly and the year as Roman numbers. It was easy with the year 2000...(MM) and last year was MMXX.... "to the MAXX baby!" LOL subscribed to Mary's channel. looking forward to watching her again.
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Thank you for interviewing Mary Fons. I began quilting in 2014 after moving to a different state (in USA) to take date of my ill mother-in-law. After watching Mary on TV make quilting look easy, I attended a local Quilt Convention & was hooked. It is so good to see her doing so well! Thank you!
(& thank for the link to subscribe to her channel. I’m subscribed and looking forward to watching her again.)
I'm glad I heard her mention the time before there was domestic fabric available. I had read that during the time when quilters here could only buy imported fabric, that was when all the scrap sewing got so prevalent. Then I was watching a Fons & Porter video and Mary mentioned the abundance of fabric and seemed to be brushing away the idea of scrap quilts coming out of scarcity. It was a side point and I felt maybe I was misinterpreting. Here she mentions the no-import rule, and alludes to a before-and-after difference. I guess that was eating at me because I so love to use old clothes in my patchwork, and if course I grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, and any yardage purchase was a huge event for Sunday best clothes. In my own family an elderly poet has written about great-grandma's log cabin quilt, where she wonders if the blacks were for mourning, the tan for best, the greys and brown for all work in home and field, plus a dash of red to keep things interesting. Going back to Mary's point and to illustrate the linear development, you do see old quilts from when yardage became more plentiful, where they still cut the fabric up into a zillion pieces then made an intricate two -color design. I wonder if they ever had the same thought Mary had in the middle of the night about life's broken pieces being put back together, so why not fabric?
Karen, what a great interview with Mary. She is so sweet and enjoyable to watch. She's the type of person that would make it easy to become instant friends. I can see why you're such a fan.
I would never ask for my 20’s again. They were tough.
i loved getting to 30 because you're just considered "young", naive....which now at 60 I know it was true, life experiences are valuable
My 20’s were great. My teens on the other hand were just awful.
I would in a heartbeat ,knowing what I know now
What a beautiful soul 🤗 I'm so happy to see Mary back and enjoying life and new directions. Quilty was my go-to channel when I started quilting, and I still remember her final video, what a tear jerked that was! But I could understand her need for something different. I have just subscribed to Mary's new channel to throw my hat into the ring for the book competition, but it is prize enough just to have her back in my quilt life! Thank you both for this wonderful interview, I enjoyed every minute of it ❤
I love, love this interview. I first became interested in quilting watching Maryanne and Liz and Mary close to the end of the series.
Wow! What a great interview! Thanks so much. it was so inspiring and made me think about the "what's next" for me. Loved the moment where Mary made the connection between Covid mask making and a resurgence of quilting. Karen, you are an inspiration to us all!
I'm such a fan of Mary Fons! I watched as many Quilty shows as I could find! Thanks for a lovely interview - I've subscribed to her channel.
Mary is so insightful and articulate!
I most thoroughly enjoyed this interview. I am the other half of the circle. I am a Machinist, a girl in a non-traditional field. I am also a proud quilter. I find the quilt math similar to work math which I dig. It is the closest to my trade that I can apply at home and it fills the quest for colour that I was missing. With quilts I can make pretty things. Sew On 🤟 Positive Threads 🇨🇦 Cambridge
Thanks for this interview with Mary. She was the first person I saw in the sewing/quilting world younger than me who was funny and engaging. Glad to see her on RUclips. You guys sounded like girlfriends having coffee! Would love the book also.
Thank you for this. Mary’s outlook and perspective entrances me. When her videos started showing up in my feed I was delighted and subscribed immediately.
Your best interview so far. I have been watching Mary Fons since her time with her mom after Liz Porter resigned on their PBS program in IA. So glad to find her again. Thank you for the opportunity to subscribe to her channel
Thank You so much for this great interview. I remember asking my grandmother how to quilt and would she teach me? I was in my 20s and it was 197?. Her reply was. "Carlita, you can just buy one these days. It is cheaper and easier. And I have no idea how use the sewing machine." I have the last three quilts she made in the 30's and 40's. They are Grandmother's Garden, Double Wedding Ring, and a Friendship quilt made at her extension club in 1939. Now I made a start in quilting in the 90's and now I just retired from teaching and I have my craft room/office.
Karen, you were NEVER crappy!!!!!! I have loved your videos from the very first!!!!!! Great Interview
Thank you for hanging in while I figure out the sound
Mary Fons has imposter syndrome
This in itself made me feel so much better about my personal journey with quilts.
I’m so excited to see her back
RIGHT?!? Me too!
Thank you Karen and Mary for enriching my love for all things quilting related!
Thank you so much for this interview. Just brilliant! Have subscribed to Mary's channel. Covid brought me back to quilting, a passion I picked up from my grandmother. I am working on one of the projects she was never able to finish now and hope to do her proud. Thank you for acknowledging our Mothers, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers. They really are the backbone to our passion.
Mary struck a chord with me when she talked about nobody understanding why you quilt but the museum did. My friends don't understand why I love quilting and sewing. It's nice, heartwarming to be told I'm part of a community. Thanks Mary
Thank you Karen, what a great “chat” with Mary, she feels like a friend, loved Quilty and learned a lot from her, her Mom, and Liz. ❤️ Subbed her channel!
Mary is wonderful.
Karen, you are a wonderful inspiration and so-down-to-earth. I really enjoy going to your channel since I have subscribed to it. The Quilt Circle interviews have been engaging and eye opening with histories, I didn't know much about it. I subscribed to Mary's channel. Quilt designs are all over in unexpected places.
I too have subscribed to Mary’s channel and wonder at times what the new quilt stories will be. A quilt is a long distance hug.
I just subscribed to Mary’s channel. Thank you for having her on your podcast. She is extremely inspiring and I love her perspective of art and quilts. I look forward to more podcasts with future guests. Thanks so much!
The tactile thing really chimed with my love for Project Linus, making quilts for people who need a hug
Wonderful interview! So interesting and I really enjoyed how your frirndship shined through. Just subscribed to Mary's RUclips channel. Thank you so much for this interview. Side note- I have been trying to think of ways to honor my mother, who passed away last May. Among her many talents, was quilting. After watching this episode, I have decided one way to honor my mother, is to start quilting. ❤
Thank you Mary and Karen, I love the history of our craft. Looking forward to subscribing to Mary’s channel. Happy quilting from Kyneton Australia.