 This WBGU-PBS national series exposes a common thread that so many have come to enjoy, through quilting, to the general public. Featuring the history, the many works of quilting artisans and demonstrations of techniques Quilting with Penny McMorris provides and excellent resource for anyone interested in this fabricated art form.
Quilting has been around since the colonial times in the United States and represents “Americana” in it’s truest form. It is a versatile pastime that can result in many decorative pieces, useful and meaningful gifts or even personalized bedding to accent the home. Starting with the Quilting Bees in the 1800s and spanning into current times, quilting has come to represent a sense of community, heritage and creativity in a tangible timeline of history.
 Join host Penny McMorris along with a variety of other guests, as they celebrate the traditions and new developments throughout the quilting world. Quilting and Quilting II episodes dissect, then piece together, all of the elements used throughout this art form - investigating color and design, combining blocks, appliqué and more. These specialized how-to programs offer templates, examples and steps to viewers interested in quilts or quilting. Michael James, a quilter from Somerset, Massachusetts, demonstrates simplified techniques for the beginner - yet ones that are challenging enough for the experienced quilter.
This series highlights quilting projects such as Crazy Quilts, Central Medallions, and Photoprinted Quilts as well as the basics of quilting. You’ll witness the unique style of Ed Larson from Libertyville, Illinois who uses appliqué to tell a story by creating “visual folksongs” out of fabric. In addition, viewers will also learn about the history of Afro-American and Hawaiian quilts through artisans such as Elizabeth Akana, Joyce Gross and Cuesta Benberry - before learning how to create their own. Yet this show is not just about making quilts. Penny exposes viewers to various exhibits such as Jonathon Holstein's Amish Quilt Collection located at Ohio's Miami University and a Contemporary Quilt Exhibit featured at Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio to prove that these mediums can be masterpieces.
 Penny McMorris was the art curator for Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation and is currently the vice president of The Electric Quilt Company. She has a Master of Arts degree in art history and is a former quilting teacher. She was the director of “Ohio Patchwork 76,” an exhibition of contemporary Ohio quilts and the author of numerous books including: Quilting and Quilting II guides that accompany this series, as well as Penny McMorris and Crazy Quilts and The Art Quilt which are must-have-resources for anyone interested in quilting.
Michael James is a world-renowned quilter that has had his works included in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the American Craft Museum and the International Quilt Study Center. He is also an author of two books: The Quiltmaker’s Handbook and The Second Quiltmaker’s Handbook that are great references for quilters. He was also featured in the 1999 PBS production A Century of Quilts: America in Cloth.
This WBGU-PBS local production was directed by Paul Lopez, and ran for two seasons in 1981 and 1982. Each season consisted of 13 episodes and featured innovative Quiltmakers and designs from around the country. Celebrating the traditions and creativity of this American pastime, Quilting and Quilting II with Penny McMorris was generously funded by a grant from: Stearns & Foster, Company, and Mountain Mist Product Group.
For episodic information about the series  click here.
 Purchase the guides to accompany this program:
Quilting and Quilting II
Downloadables:
Check out more on Quilting:
The Great American Quilt and The Art of Quilting
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