The Quilter on Fire Podcast

Latest Episodes:

QOF Episode 278 - Karen Bolan Sep 22, 2026

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Karen Bolan is a teacher, lecturer, pattern designer and traveller. She's an artist who loves sharing her joy and her process and bringing people along with her. Quilting started as a quiet counterbalance to her career as an Engineer, something she picked up on the side. But that side pursuit kept pulling at her until she finally took the leap into a fully creative life. Today, Karen is based in Santa Rosa, California, working as a quilt teacher, lecturer, and pattern designer. Her designs are out of the box, blending geometry, experimentation, and layered texture, and she brings an encouraging, engineering-influenced approach to her teaching. Her quilts have shown in national exhibits and major publications, and her creative voice keeps growing with every new piece.

Find Karen Bolan right here: https://karenbolan.com/

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QOF Episode 277 Aline Bugarin of Orbital Quilting Sep 15, 2026

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My guest today is Aline Bugarin, she is half of the Brazilian duo that also includes Natasha Bugarin and their quilty biz is called Orbital Quilting.

Natasha came to quilting from architecture, while Aline 's background is in character design for film. Together, they've built a creative business around helping quilters gain confidence with free-motion quilting and design.

They're the brains behind Orbital Quilting Architecture, their own approach to custom quilting, as well as a growing collection of tools, books, classes, and quilting methods. Their work is all about movement, creativity, and making the whole process feel a little less intimidating.

Find Orbital Quilting right here: https://orbitalquilting.com/

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QOF Episode 276 - Eva Saunders Sep 08, 2026

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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

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QOF Episode 275 - Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

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/

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QOF Episode 274 - Gail Heller of Erie Quilt Art Aug 25, 2026

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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.

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QOF Episode 273 - David Taylor Aug 18, 2026

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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/
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QOF Episode 272 - Marylin Armand Aug 11, 2026

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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

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QOF Episode 271 - Cindy Grisdela Aug 04, 2026

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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/

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QOF Episode 270 - Catherine Redford Jul 28, 2026

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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/

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QOF Episode 269 - Cecilia Koppmann Jul 21, 2026

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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

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