Meet Emily McKenna of Emily McKenna Made! - Ep. 155

This week on Not Your Granny’s Quilt Show, my guest is Carl Brown, PhD, RN, FAAN—also known as QuiltCarl. After a 20-year career in the Army and a lifetime in nursing, Carl is now channeling his energy full-time into fiber art. With a lifelong love of creative hobbies, Carl blends techniques from a range of artists and quilters to develop his own vibrant, expressive style. His mission? To share the joy of quilting and invite others to join the fun. Are you in? Find him at quiltcarl.com or on Instagram @quiltcarl.Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on Not Your Granny’s Quilt Show, my guest is Abigail Wade—Certified Financial Planner, LPL Financial Advisor, and co-host of the brand new podcast Wade Through It All: Success Simplified. Abigail runs a financial planning business with her dad, where they help people navigate both personal and business finances with clarity and confidence. In this episode, Abigail shares practical ways creatives and small business owners can prepare for the inevitable ups and downs—because financial planning doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. Find out more at rmwadeco.com, on Instagram @rmwadeandco, or tune into their podcast.Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on Not Your Granny’s Quilt Show, I’m joined by the unapologetically bold Maddie Kertay of The Bad Ass Quilter’s Society. Maddie is known for speaking up, standing strong for progressive values, and carving out space for radical inclusivity in the craft world. We dive into the trends she spotted at H+H Americas, the tough calls creatives face when trying to align their spending with their ethics, and why—while she may adore vintage quilts—she’s never subscribed to vintage values. You don’t want to miss this one.Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on Not Your Granny’s Quilt Show, I’m joined by the fiercely original and visually provocative Emily McKenna of Emily McKenna Made. With a background in economics and mathematics, Emily took a bold leap into life as a full-time artist in Georgia. She once ran a thriving sewing and art studio called You’re Maker, which continues on with a former employee, but Emily felt the pull to create on her own terms.Her work is fueled by emotion and contradiction—she finds inspiration in angry music and loves combining it with themes that defy expectation. Emily’s goal is to challenge viewers, spark curiosity, and stir up feeling through every piece she makes.Explore her work at www.emilymckennamade.com.Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week, I’m joined by the wildly creative Teresa Fiehn Millies—quilter, teacher, tarot enthusiast, and the mind behind the *Quilter’s Inspiration Deck*. Teresa blends her love of improv quilting and tarot to spark spontaneous, intuitive creativity with nothing more than fabric scraps and a shuffled deck. We talk about her journey from traditional quilting to making bold political statements with her art (hello, "Quilters Against Fascism" stickers!), teaching patchwork at College of DuPage, and how learning to trust herself has shaped her practice.Teresa also shares her dream of seeing her work in an art museum, reflects on her past podcast about tarot, and gives us a peek behind the scenes of her colorful world—both online and off.Explore more of Teresa’s work at [teresafiehnmillies.com](https://teresafiehnmillies.com/) and on Instagram [@queen.of.marigold](https://www.instagram.com/queen.of.marigold).Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on Not Your Granny's Quilt Show, Genavieve Moyer of Thunderbird Hand Crafted shares her sewing story with us. Gena is an every-woman and has a wide range of expreiences that inform her work. Currently, she prints custom-designed fabric collections quarterly. All fabrics are printed in the U.S. She also ice-dyes fabrics during the summer to sell on her website all year. Gena also has a YouTube channel where she does live sewing on Sundays as well as tutorial videos. She’s also aother amazing sponsor of the Bad Ass Quilters Society, and belives that sewing is for everyone! Find Genavieve at www.thunderbirdhandcrafted.com and on her instagram www.instagram.com/thunderbirdfarmpa Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on *Not Your Granny's Quilt Show*, we’re joined by the dynamic and joy-filled HollyAnne Knight—founder and CEO of **String & Story**. HollyAnne’s creative journey took root in childhood with sewing, blossomed through years of dancing and painting, and eventually became a lifeline during postpartum depression. With grit, grace, and a DIY spirit, she taught herself to make a t-shirt quilt—and never looked back. From launching an Etsy shop to building a vibrant online quilting community, HollyAnne turned her passion into a thriving business that now includes an in-person shop, popular free motion quilting courses, and teaching at major quilting events. She’s also a proud sponsor of the Bad Ass Quilters Society and a firm believer that creativity should be *fun* and *spark joy*.Explore her world at [www.stringandstory.com](http://www.stringandstory.com) and tune in for an inspiring conversation that proves quilting is anything but old-fashioned.Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

In this episode of Not Your Granny's Quilt Show, I sit down with Aline from the powerhouse duo behind Orbital Quilting. Aline and her partner Natasha are award-winning free-motion longarm quilters from Brazil, known for their stunning artistry, educational content, and creative journey.Before diving into quilting, Aline was immersed in the world of makeup design for film, while Natasha was charting a course in architecture. But big city life just wasn’t cutting it. After relocating to a smaller town and being introduced to quilting by Natasha’s mom, they discovered a new calling—and they’ve been stitching their own path ever since.Listen in as Aline shares their story, insights into their creative process, and how they’ve built a vibrant online quilting community through courses, YouTube tutorials, and their must-read newsletter packed with expert tips.Don’t forget to check out their breathtaking work on Instagram at @orbitalquilting, and sign up for their newsletter to stay inspired!Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on Not Your Granny's Quilt Show, we’re chatting with the incredibly inspiring Luci Camorani of Sea Garden Sewing! By day, Luci works as a services coordinator supporting families through her county’s developmental disabilities services—an area she’s deeply passionate about, especially as someone living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. By night (and weekend!), Luci is a colorful creative force in the quilting world. Since picking up quilting in 2019, she’s been blending bold, bright fabrics with classic quilt blocks for a fresh, modern twist. Luci shares how a pattern writing course sparked her love for reimagining the traditional—and how being a Riley Blake Influencer keeps her trying new things. Tune in for a heartwarming conversation about advocacy, creativity, and finding joy in the unexpected.Check out Luci’s work on Instagram @seagardensewing and visit her shop at seagardensewing.com!Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!

This week on Not Your Granny's Quilt Show, Amanda is joined by Zachariah of Sewlarium in Portland, Oregon. After struggling to find a creative foothold in the corporate world, Zachariah made a bold pivot—stepping away from the endless sea of gray upholstery and diving headfirst into the vibrant world of quilting. He started stitching for family, got himself a longarm machine, and never looked back. These days, he's not only creating gorgeous quilts but also teaching others how to use the longarm with confidence. His love for rich, saturated modern fabrics is on full display at Sewlarium—and trust us, the fabric selection is *chef’s kiss*. Go show Sewlarium some love while you listen! https://www.pdxsewlarium.com/ Want to see more? You can find it here: NYQGS Merch Shop: nygqs.printify.me Patreon: patreon.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourgrannysquiltshow https://www.instagram.com/sweetpeadesigncompany YouTube: https://youtube.com/@notyourgrannysquiltshow Want to be on the show? Send us a message!