Running Stitch - A QSOS Podcast

Quilt Alliance

Running Stitch - A QSOS Podcast explores quilt stories, revealing the inner thoughts, feelings, and motivations of contemporary quiltmakers by drawing on Quilters S.O.S. -- Save Our Stories, the long running oral history project created by the Quilt Alliance in 1999.

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26 episodes
Updated Nov 21, 2025

Episodes26

Newest first

Nov 21, 2025 · 30 min
Technology and Quilting Community
In this episode of Running Stitch, host Janneken Smucker talks with quilt educator and entrepreneur HollyAnne Knight about how technology is transforming the way quilters learn, connect, and create. Drawing on a 2022 Textile Talks interview, they explore Holly Anne's path from new mom making her first T-shirt quilt to founder of String & Story, a thriving online hub for free-motion and longarm quilting instruction. Alongside excerpts from the QSOS archive, they dig into long-standing tensions between hand and machine quilting, the importance of community—whether around a frame or on Zoom—and how quiltmakers navigate tradition, innovation, and the joy that keeps them stitching. Learn more about Running Stitch at www.quiltalliance.org/runningstitch Visit HollyAnne online at www.stringandstory.com/
Apr 28, 2025 · 13 min
Voices from QuiltCon
Running Stitch is back! We're bringing you a special bonus episode: Voices from QuiltCon, featuring mini-interviews from quilters just like you, collected at the Quilt Alliance's booth at QuiltCon 2024. We invited show attendees to stop by and randomly select a question chosen from our Quilters Save Our Stories oral history project. Enjoy this mini-episode, and we'll be back in a week or two with three new episodes to close out our fourth season, focusing on the intersection of quilts and technology. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss these exciting episodes!
Feb 8, 2024 · 28 min
The Rotary Cutter
Other than the sewing machine, what tool has been the biggest innovation in quiltmaking? Yes, that's right: in this episode of Running Stitch, we're talking all about the rotary cutter. Our guest is Kristin Barrus, a PhD candidate at University of Leicester and a quiltmaker. Kristin's work explores 21st century quiltmaking through the lenses of women's studies, fan studies, and anthropology. We'll talk with Kristin about the origins of the Modern Quilt movement, and she also shares with us the fascinating history of how quilters came to use--and love--the rotary cutter. Learn more about Running Stitch at www.quiltalliance.org/runningstitch Visit Kristin online at www.kristinbarrus.com
Jan 29, 2024 · 44 min
Electric Quilt
We're back with our second episode of Season 4! We're continuing our focus on the intersection of technology and quiltmaking, but this time, we're going digital. We're exploring the backstory and invention of Electric Quilt, the leading quilt design software that's been changing how quilters create their work for more than 30 years. Join us for a conversation with Penny McMorris, co-founder of The Electric Quilt Company, and a key player of the late twentieth century's quilt revival. We'll hear how Penny and her husband Dean Neumann created Electric Quilt software, listen to snippets from quilters across the decades about how they use EQ to design their quilts, and reflect on Penny's journey through quilt history, hosting a PBS television show, and designing software specifically for quiltmakers. This episode of Running Stitch is sponsored by A New Deal for Quilts, a book and accompanying exhibit up now through April 2024 at the International Quilt Museum by Running Stitch host, Janneken Smucker.
Jan 16, 2024 · 29 min
The Industrial Revolution
We're kicking off a new season of Running Stitch, focused on the intersections of technology and quiltmaking. But it's not just about computers and digital sewing machines! In this episode we're going back to the roots of quilt making to discover how our nostalgic ideas about quiltmaking as a pre-industrial craft is just that: nostalgia. In fact, quilting as we know it exists because of the Industrial Revolution. New innovations like the factory-made sewing needles, cotton sewing thread, and eventually the sewing machine, created the environment in which quiltmaking flourished, democratizing the art from a form that only wealthy women could participate in, into one that women across economic classes might enjoy. Our guest is Dr. Rachel Maines, a visiting scientist in the Cornell University School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a seminar associate at Columbia University. Along with her many articles on needlework and textiles, she is the author of The Technology of Orgasm: Hysteria, the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction and Hedonizing Technologies: Pathways to Pleasure in Hobbies and Leisure.
Aug 19, 2023 · 58 min
Quilts Below the Radar
An interview with Roderick Kiracofe, quilt collector and author of Unconventional & Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000, and historian Janneken Smucker about quilts that defy convention, the creativity of quiltmakers, and what makes a museum-quality quilt. Listen as Rod talks about his career as a quilt collector and seller, and about the weird, wonky, wonderful beauty of American quilts made after 1950. This bonus episode was originally recorded as a Textile Talk in front of a live Zoom audience. See the quilts referenced in today's episode in the Textile Talk recording here.
Dec 16, 2021 · 39 min
Radical Quilt Histories
Quilt enthusiasts have been writing about the craft's history for over 100 years now, first focused on collecting and sharing patterns based on historic quilts, and later collecting and trading published patterns, in essence building an analog database of quilts. These women began to interpret and synthesize quilt history, eventually moving their newspaper clippings and mimeographed copies to digitized forms. Today, quilt history flourishes in thousands of books and articles, online spaces, and exhibit galleries that collectively have expanded our understanding of the history of quilts and quiltmaking. The QSOS oral history collection of the Quilt Alliance has further contributed to that history by recording and preserving interviews with living quiltmakers. And Running Stitch now mines that archive, sharing highlights from the collection of over 1200 interviews with you. Jess Bailey is adding another layer to our understanding of quilt history. A young and relatively new quiltmaker, Jess makes quilts as a one woman studio called Public Library Quilts, a moniker she discusses with host Janneken Smucker in this episode. In addition to making quilts, Jess is an art historian currently living and working in London, where she studies medieval manuscripts. She combined her interest in quilts and historical research in her recently published zine, Many Hands Make a Quilt: Short Histories of Radical Quilting, published by Common Threads Press.
Dec 10, 2021 · 38 min
Sewing with Purpose
Sara Trail, and the non-profit organization she founded in 2017, the Social Justice Sewing Academy, has built on a long tradition of quilt artists who use quilts as part of their activist practices. Sara has been sewing and making quilts since she was a child, and transformed her work as a quiltmaker and fashion designer into that of community organizer. The Social Justice Sewing Academy has a mission to quote "empower individuals to utilize textile art for personal transformation, community cohesion, and to begin the journey toward becoming an agent of social change." Looking back to the nineteenth century, abolitionists, suffragists, and temperance activists all made quilts that espoused their beliefs, an essential outlet particularly during a time in which women could not vote or run for political office. Quilters continued this practice of using quilts in their activism into the twentieth century, projecting opinions and supporting causes, with Red Cross quilts, quilts celebrating New Deal programs, and quilts supporting political and social causes. Again in the late twentieth century, quilts emerged as a potent symbol of the feminist movement, along with loved ones who memorialized those who died of AIDS with quilt panels, and others who advocated against nuclear weapons, environmental destruction, and gun violence through their quilts. And quilts have remained an important means of communicating about racial injustice, a sad reminder that abolition, emancipation, and the civil rights movement have not in fact left us with a racially just society.
Dec 2, 2021 · 33 min
Going Pro
We often think of quilters as hobbyists, typically women who like to stitch beautiful bedcovers for use around the home, or to lovingly give to new babies or show off at quilt guild meetings. But for centuries, alongside hobbyist quilters have existed professional quilters, those who find a way to earn money for their craft and even quit their so called day jobs. Going pro requires a big leap of faith, especially for younger quiltmakers, like the ones we are featuring during season three of Running Stitch. And today's guest has recently taken that leap. A few months ago Zak Foster was still earning a living as a high school Spanish instructor, something he had been doing for 18 years. But this fall he made the leap to professional, and in this interview he shares with us his motivations for doing so, some of the ways he is marketing his services, and he'll tell us about the quilt he helped make that recently appeared on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
Nov 17, 2021 · 30 min
Song Quilts
One of the most exciting aspects of the quiltmaking tradition is that within it, artists continue to innovate the form. Eliza Hardy Jones, has done just that with her remarkable Song Quilts series, combining folk music, oral history, and her creation of a notation system that transcribes music into quilt form. If that sounds completely cryptic, join Eliza, a professional musician, as she joins Running Stitch host Janneken Smucker, to discuss her Song Quilts project. They also listen to QSOS interview excerpts from Michael Cummings and Ricky Tims, who both, like Eliza, incorporate music into their quiltmaking.
Nov 10, 2021 · 30 min
Learning to Quilt
Some people made sourdough, some people got pandemic pets. Sarah Steiner became the @pandemicquilter, learning how to quilt from youtube and Instagram, and making over 20 quilts since summer of 2020 after not previously knowing how to wind a bobbin. Sarah joins Running Stitch host, Janneken Smucker, to listen back to QSOS interview excerpts about how quilters learned their skills during earlier eras, sharing how the pandemic inspired her to quilt.
Oct 26, 2021 · 2 min
Season Three Trailer
Coming soon: season three of Running Stitch, a QSOS podcast. This season, we're focusing on younger quiltmakers -- quiltmakers who build on quilting traditions and contemporary influences to make something that's uniquely theirs. We'll listen back to interview clips with quilters from the past two decades, and talk with these quilters about the role of quilts in their lives and in society. Subscribe now and don't miss an episode of our third season of Running Stitch, a QSOS podcast!
Apr 7, 2021 · 41 min
Outlier Quilts
What do one-of-a-kind, unusual, or outlier quilts tell us about the quiltmaking tradition? In this episode, Joe Cunningham joins host Janneken Smucker to revisit their 2007 interview and discuss how American quilt history reveals a tradition of experimentation, problem-solving, and creativity that today's quilters can draw on. Joe further contemplates the relationship of art and quilts, recalling his own evolution and liberation as a quiltmaker.
Mar 3, 2021 · 43 min
Researching Quilt History
Have you ever wondered how quilt historians can unravel the story of a quilt with just a few threads? Do you want the inside scoop on how researchers look for "clues in the calico"? Our guest this week is celebrated quilt historian Barbara Brackman. Running Stitch host Janneken Smucker talked with Barbara about quilt history research and how it's evolved in the 21st century, how quilts can be used as a lens for women's history, and the new, expanded edition of her Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. This episode was recorded live, as part of the Textile Talks free weekly lecture series.
Feb 3, 2021 · 37 min
Quilts and Authenticity
What makes a quilt "sing"? Join us for this episode of Running Stitch, with our guest Denyse Schmidt, to explore that question and more. We'll talk about what it means—for an object OR its maker—to be 'authentic'. Denyse is a groundbreaking quiltmaker, and the designer of numerous patterns and fabrics, the author of Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration and Denyse Schmidt Quilts. We'll revisit her 2012 QSOS interview, explore the places and eras that inspire Denyse's work, and end our conversation discussing her upcoming fabric line, "Five and Ten".
Jan 27, 2021 · 29 min
Temperature Check on the Quilt Industry
For well over a century, quilts have meant business. A thriving quilt industry has existed since the 19th century, publishing patterns, selling fabrics and supplies, promoting quiltmaking, and offering celebrity endorsements. In today's age of social media and online retail, the business side of quilts has continued to thrive, while navigating all sorts of bumps in the road, including, most recently, a global pandemic. This week, we talk with Linda Pumphrey, Senior Account Executive for Mountain Mist. For decades, Linda has worked for quilt companies, criss-crossing the country managing her accounts. This year, she has stayed home, Zooming with her customers and colleagues. We'll talk with Linda about how quilt businesses have adapted, and the role of celebrity in the quilt industry, both today and in the past.
Dec 16, 2020 · 34 min
Great Quilts
Quilters S.O.S. – Save Our Stories oral history interviews often include the question, "What makes a great quilt?" Running Stitch host Janneken Smucker asks today's guest, quilt historian Merikay Waldvogel, to answer this most challenging question, while they also listen back to other interviewees' responses. What's the answer? Good planning? Lots of fabrics? First place ribbons? Immortality? Tune in to hear from one of the world's foremost quilt authorities, who has seen 10,000s of historic quilts, and finds something to like about each one.
Dec 9, 2020 · 31 min
On Creativity
Running Stitch is back for Season Two, again digging into the QSOS oral history archive to explore the meaning of quilts in American life. In this episode, host Janneken Smucker talks to quiltmaking legend Ricky Tims about the role of creativity in his life. As a quiltmaker, musician, composer, co-host of The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, and founder of Quilt Life magazine, Ricky embodies creativity. We'll revisit his first interview for the QSOS project, recorded two decades ago in 2000, and continue the conversation with a new interview exploring the intersection of music and quilting, his perspective on the creative spirit, and Ricky's new novel, Lizzy Albright and the Attic Window, co-written with Kat Bowser.
Dec 1, 2020 · 2 min
Season Two Trailer
Join us for a very special sneak preview of our second season of Running Stitch. We'll be sharing more amazing interviews from fascinating folks in the quilt world, including Ricky Tims, Merikay Waldvogel, and Carolyn Crump. From an exploration of the creative spirit to a conversation about America's quilt history, you won't want to miss these new episodes!
Jul 30, 2020 · 40 min
Quilts and Writing
This episode--our last episode of season 1 of Running Stitch--features a panel discussion about quilts and writing moderated by host Janneken Smucker. Our four panelists are quilt journalist Meg Cox, novelist Frances O'Roark Dowell, quilter and mathematics professor Chawne Kimber, and poet and educator Gwen Westerman. All four are writers and quiltmakers and you'll hear them discuss connections between quiltmaking and writing, their creative processes, and the intersection of quilts and words. The discussion was recorded live as part of the Textile Talks lecture series, featuring public programming from six quilt and fiber art organizations across the country. Video of this, and other Textile Talks, is available via YouTube.

Running Stitch - A QSOS Podcast

Technology and Quilting Community

Voices from QuiltCon

The Rotary Cutter

Electric Quilt

The Industrial Revolution

Quilts Below the Radar

Radical Quilt Histories

Sewing with Purpose

Going Pro

Song Quilts

Learning to Quilt

Season Three Trailer

Outlier Quilts

Researching Quilt History

Quilts and Authenticity

Temperature Check on the Quilt Industry

Great Quilts

On Creativity

Season Two Trailer

Quilts and Writing