Alex and Ricky welcome contemporary quilter Timna Tarr to the show, where she talks about her new series of quilts devoted to maps. Timna starts the show by sharing a fast and fun way to use your state as a graphic and a contemporary quilt. She then shares a fun technique for creating a contemporary flower quilt using a mosaic technique that includes finished edge machine appliqué. 

Afterwards, quilt historian Mary Fons, daughter of Marianne Fons, shares the interesting history on quilts and quilt making in the United States. From quilting in the 50s to the revival in the 70s, Mary discusses how quilters found their voice as quilting continued to evolve. She then discusses the Modern movement and how it has emerged as a strong and vital progression of quilting today.

Inspired by an antique 1940s sampler quilt, Alex and Ricky decide that it would make for a good challenge to start the show off by each of them recreating a new quilt based on the antique. After calculating the block measurements needed to remake the quilt, using the antique as an example, Ricky focuses on the line of rings that are positioned vertically. Then, following Ricky's presentation of the sampler, it’s Alex’s turn to share her interpretation of the antique quilt.

With the antique challenge complete, Alex and Ricky are introduced to Latifah Saafir, co-founder of the LA Modern Quilt Guild, pattern, tool and fabric designer, and chat with her about the early days of quilters wanting to share and find a community (off the web) where they could meet. Latifah ends the show by sharing a modern take on an old favorite, a fun technique for making individual 2 ½” block that, just like cross-stitch be combined with other blocks to build oversized ‘duckface’ characters (girl, boy, bride, groom, etc.).

The Quilt Show welcomes Lisa Walton as she shares her love of hand dyed fabric and surface design. As the first non-American SAQA president, she discusses SAQA and what it’s about, its founder Yvonne Porcella, and the vast scale of exhibits across the globe that they present. Next, Lisa shares a fast and fun fusible quilt design, that is also a fantastic stash buster, using fine weave fabrics. Lisa then shares a technique, inspired by Bargello quilts, for creating a cityscape using staggered strips of fabric sewn to a PFD hand-painted sky. She also talks about her textile tours for quilters that include hands-on workshops.

Gayle Schliemann then stops by to talk about Cosplay, how it includes fans of costumes, comic book characters that gather at conventions around the world, and the work that goes into making a costume. She discusses how her sewing skills and BERNINA capabilities allow her to do unexpected and unique details on her costumes.

Ruth Chandler, one of the founders of Textiles West, comes to TQS to share the focus and vision of the organization that is dedicated to promoting and continuing the tradition of creating textiles through education and exhibitions. Ruth starts off by explaining the tools, fabrics and assorted types of fibers that can be used for hand embroidery work. She then shares how through manipulation, layering, overlapping and variety, simple and basic stitches can take on a whole new level of adding texture and interest to your work. Ruth follows this up by sharing the what, who, where and why of Boro, a Japanese repair work stitch form used to lengthen the life of garments for the poor in the Aomori prefecture.

Then, Wendy Grande comes back to The Quilt Show to share with us the techniques for creating several styles of silk ribbon roses (single wired side, double wired sides) and one using gradient colored silk ribbon. It’s then on to making a carnation that becomes a fascinator embellishment enhanced with the addition of a few pearls.

Nina McVeigh, the 2018 Educator of the Year for BERNINA, stops by The Quilt Show for the first time as a guest after having been featured in mini BERNINA teaching videos with TQS since 2007. During the show Nina shares tips and tricks for working with watercolor paper, leather, and even cork. Nina’s creative ideas will have you rethinking what your longarm can do. Then Nina shares a fun wool tote that features perfect machine quilted circles.

To close out the show, quilt historian, and current Editor of Quiltfolk Magazine, Mary Fons shares her family history with quilting, Fons & Porter, learning to quilt on camera, and how she came into quilting at the age of 29. She talks about the magazine, its coverage of quilters around the US, and quilting culture.

Alex and Ricky are introduced to Shelley Scott-Tobisch and Bernie Tobisch of Easy Precision Piecing, creators of the Acorn Easy Precision Piecing Seam Align Glue, Easy Press Solution, Easy Press Pen, and the Block Builder Base. Shelley has been quilting for twenty years, while Bernie has had a forty-three year career as a sewing machine tech. Combined, they offer students a wealth of knowledge when it comes to achieving perfection in their piecing results. Having serviced over 50,000 machines, Bernie walks TQS through tips to help resolve issues that all quilters face, like tension, tilting stitches, and the proper needle for the job.

Then, Bernie and Shelley talk about the special features of the Block Builder Base, a portable patchwork block base developed to keep pieces in place and aid in assembly without shifting when it comes time to move from the cutting area to sewing. Bernie and Shelley cap off the show by talking about the many wonderful years they spent living on a boat.

TQS opens its doors to improv quilter extraordinaire Sherri Lynn Wood, who embraces the idea of working with what you have. With a Masters in Theology and Fine Art, Sherri Lynn brings a voice to her works, where she considers her quilts to be sculptures. Then using the traditional Hole in the Barn Door block, Sherri Lynn and Alex cut and build a variation to explore pattern as they build a "new" block. We follow this with Sherri Lynn discussing the process of making bereavement quilts, using garments owned and worn by a lost loved one, and how these quilts become a tangible item that gives you emotional comfort.

Ann Myhre finishes up by offering a look at her collections of intended work and how she likes to store them, via vintage tea cups, baskets, small containers, and other various objects. Ann then presents a collaged work featuring a fox that includes a multitude of techniques.

Sarah Ann Smith, a TQS member from the very start, shares her story of discovering quilting while working in Bolivia, teaching herself using Quilter’s Newsletter magazines. Sarah Ann shows us how we can achieve realistic results for recreating photographs using a variety of techniques that can be done individually or layered in a collage effect. She ends the show by teaching how threadwork and the type of thread you use can blend, enhance or accentuate an area of your work.

Also in this show, Ricky demonstrates two techniques for sewing a perfect mitered border corner, one involving pressing a crease and the other using a ruler. He follows this up by offering tips for avoiding puffy or tapered borders and how you can use this same process to create a multiple border mitered corner.

Alex and Ricky meet Amy Milne, Executive Director of the Quilt Alliance, who shares the history and samples of quilts made by children. Amy also discusses the Kids Initiative, for which a kit has been created. The kit is a backpack with a wholecloth quilt designed for hand sewing as a way for children to learn to quilt. Amy also talks about the importance of documenting your quilts and the various ways to create a label.

Also in this show, Alex shares her experience with her parents' Alzheimer’s and the help she received to make an Activity mat for her mother. She discusses how you can make your own activity mats geared toward individual needs.

Susan Cleveland is back for her 4th appearance on The Quilt Show. She has taken the Dresden Plate block to a whole new level with fussy cutting, arches, piecing, and interlocking parts. Using her Dynamic Dresden Ruler, she gives you ideas for new ways to create these fun and interesting blocks. You'll also get a peek at her latest book, which has 7 projects from which to choose.

Susan also gives you tips for stitching in the ditch and finishing the edges of your quilts.

Alex loves straight line quilting and wanted to avoid the stop and start process. She starts the show off by sharing a fun Bubble quilt with machine appliquéd circles using turned edge appliqué after the background was quilted.

We are then introduced to eclectic quilter Jayme Crow, a fabric designer for Island Batiks, who dabbles in many different styles. Jayme shares a fun technique for creating a strip design using batik fabric with zero waste. To wrap up the show, Jayme shares her diamond shaped Boondoggle ruler and the basics of cutting and assembly with the ruler to make an infinite variety of quilt designs.

TQS gets another visit from "Down Under" as New Zealand quilter Sheila Christensen stops by. On this show, Sheila offers up fun and exciting ways to utilize the versatility of the triangle with her triangle patchwork technique. From there, Sheila uses these techniques to show how to create a Star Tip block involving triangles in a row by row assembly method.

We end the show with a fashion free-for-all as Tami Pfeil visits to demonstrate all the different types of apparel and accessories you can make out of unusual fabric, culminating in an audience member fashion show.

Our TQS Quilting Legend for 2019 is the one and only Jean Wells. Jean, founder of the Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon and author of over thirty books, welcomes Alex and Ricky to her home for a tour of her garden and provides a walkthrough of the many quilts she has made. Throughout the show, Jean expresses her love for the process of color exploration, gives a tour of the Stitchin' Post, shares a mini-history lesson of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, and then gives her own thoughts on all the different things she has accomplished in her long lasting career. You don't want to miss a wonderful end to another great series here at The Quilt Show!