quiltology...

Quilty—the new online show hosted by Mary Fons—has gone live.  The show is designed to provide lots of basic information and inspiration for new quilters—and its filmed right here in Chicago at Quiltology!   

If Mary’s last name sounds familiar to you, that’s because she’s the daughter of celebrity quilt educator/author Marianne Fons, and the new co-host of PBS’s nationally-aired hit quilting show “Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting.” Two years ago Mary appeared as a guest on “Love of Quilting,” and the viewer response was amazing.  People loved her—and why not?  She’s bright, funny and articulate.  And because she’s been bitten BIG TIME by the quilting bug, she understands the kind of basic information new quilters need to succeed.  So when Liz Porter retired in 2010, Mary joined her mother as co-host, offering a “newbie” quilter’s perspective alongside her expert quilter mom.

The idea for Quilty has been percolating in Mary’s head for a couple of years now.  She said, “I have lots of friends who want to make a baby quilt or a quilt for charity, and I know that the first thing they do is Google ‘baby quilt’ or search YouTube.”  But the results she found online weren’t that appealing.  “There wasn’t a truly youthful, approachable show that was teaching quilting.”      

So Mary set her sights on developing the kind of show she would want to watch.  “I wanted to give beginners something that feels like there’s a friend right there next to them, showing them how to make a quilt.”  And because Mary realized that many new quilters may not have a lot of basic sewing experience, Quilty will focus on the fundamentals.  

“There are no dumb questions,” Mary says.  And to prove her point—the first two episodes of Quilty provide info on selecting the right fabric for the right project and the basics of rotary cutting.  Let’s face it—none of us are born knowing this stuff.  Using the wrong fabric (like home dec or rayon) in a quilt can prove disastrous.  And sometimes we all need a little refresher on stuff like cutting.   

Weekly episodes of Quilty will be posted on Wednesdays at QNNTV.com.  (NOTE: you don't have to have a membership to view Quilty.  Simply link through the "Watch Now" button at the top of the page and scroll down to the Quilty episodes!)   You might also want to check in on Mary’s blog when you’re looking for a little quilting fix or just some general chit chat!  I have a feeling that Mary’s infectious enthusiasm and down-to-earth style may make her everyone’s new quilting BFF.

Kudos Mar on a job well done!  No pressure—but we’re all anxious to see more.