A Love Letter to Mary Fons

There is something you should know about me. I have a major, full-fledged, epic crush on Mary Fons. Almost everyone in my life knows about Mary Fons even though most beloved people of mine are not quilters and would have no reason to know who she is. My husband Bryan refers to her as "Fons" which I think is cute and hilarious.

When I first began quilting in the fall of 2015, I was learning most things from my grandmother Carole (who is the most amazing grandmother you will ever meet). My grandma is a Wonder Woman. She happens to be a rock star quilter who used to be a home economics teacher. This makes my whole learning experience that much more fantastic because not only does she know many things, Gram C also knows how to teach them. My primary quilting teacher does unfortunately live a couple hours away and when I was first starting, I would get stuck on many different things between our visits. I needed to start outsourcing.

And I found Mary.

Photograph from Mary Fons's website: www.maryfons.com.

I happened on her by accident at a Half Price Books. Make + Love Quilts found its way into my hands and on my nightstand. I would hop into bed as usual with my novel but find myself eventually opening up Mary's book before closing my eyes for sleep. I would read parts over and over and stare at those pictures. I had never bought a book with quilts in it. It rocked my damn world. For those of you who don't know this book, it is full of freaking magic. I had not ever seen quilts like this. Naturally, this led me to look up Mary Fons online. I found that she had a magazine and a television/internet show to help beginning quilters figure out what in the world they were doing at their machines and on their cutting mats. Quilty (Mary's magazine and show) taught me a ton of skills that have made me the creator I am today.

I have seen Mary speak twice and both times, I was a total fan geek. I took a personal day in January to see her speak at the opera house in Woodstock, IL near where I live. She talked about quilt history, her famous quilting mom, and her own path into the art. Here are my top three things I loved about her Creative Living talk:

3. It was super informative. I was scribbling notes like a weirdo. Mary talked about a lot of things I didn't know that were crazy fascinating. Did you know there were very few quilting books even available before 1970 but that the craft has been documented as early as the 1800's? Did you know that the Industrial Revolution was a primary force in the quilting explosion because of the increase in fabric manufacturing? That the Whitney Museum in New York City showcased quilts "off the bed" and in the art world for the first time? Did you know Mary made her first quilt when she was 28? It is shown below...I was ungodly incredulous that this was her first quilt ever.

Photograph from Fons and Porter's website.
Pattern originally appeared in Quilty Magazine, Spring 2012.

2. During the talk, there was a lady in the audience who accidentally had left her phone on. This poor lady's phone was blaring a repetitive, beepy alarm that was impossible to ignore. On top of that problem, she could not for the life of her figure out how to silence it. Mary was up at the front and made it clear she was trying to ignore it, but when she couldn't and when everyone in the audience couldn't...do you know what she did??!? She-- kindly, sweetly, and with grace-- left her post on stage to walk into the audience and help turn off the lady's phone. Mary made everyone clap and laugh instead of feeling annoyed and angry at the poor women who couldn't get her phone to shut up. It was amazing.

1. At the end, Mary showcased a number of her quilts and when one of them was held up and unfolded, people in the audience literally gasped. Loudly gasped. Including me (duh). Gasped! It wasn't until that moment until I really appreciated a good gasp. A gasp is that feeling of absolute wonder in action-- so much so, you lose your breath for a hot minute.

Not only is Mary a quilter, she is also a fantastic writer. Please stop what you are doing right now and leave this blog to go read hers. Part of the reason I decided to start a blog is because her blog is so amazing and if I can inspire and comfort one person the way she inspires and comforts me, it's worth it. Mary shares her life vulnerably, bravely, and beautifully...and she can be quite hilarious, too. So go! She is really, really cool.

http://blog.maryfons.com/

In case you read this one day, Mary...thank you.

You changed my life.