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On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about the Modern Quilt Guild and Project Runway with my guest, Alissa Haight Carlton. And, we’ve reached the 100the episode of the show! Yay!

Alissa Haight Carlton is a modern quilter, designer, author and the co-founder and Executive Director of the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG).  She has written two quilting books, Modern Minimal and Block Party. When not working in the quilting world, she heads up casting for Project Runway. Alissa lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

In this conversation we talk about the origins of the MQG from the early days when modern quilters were chatting on Flickr to the very first meetup organized by Alissa in LA. Alissa traces the growth and development of the organization including the reason they decided to become a non-profit organization and what that actually means day to day. We discuss the organization’s growing pains over the years and how the board has handled those. We also talk about the special projects the MQG undertakes including QuiltCon, a new PBS show called Fresh Quilting, and a forthcoming book with C&T (affiliate link).

In the second part of the show we talk about Alissa’s other life as the casting director for Project Runway, the hugely popular and long running reality TV show. Alissa has worked in casting for reality television for more than a decade and she explains what makes Project Runway a truly special experience for everyone involved.

Alissa is also the mom of two young children. We talk about being a working mom and Alissa shares her tips for managing it all.

And, of course, I ask Alissa to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Alissa recommends:

Keep up with Alissa on Instagram and learn more about the Modern Quilt Guild on their website.

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This episode is sponsored by Jacquelynne Steves. The I Love Home Free Block of the Month and Sew Along at JacquelynneSteves.com is starting soon! The patterns are free and you have an option for doing just piecing, or add applique or hand embroidery to your blocks. This is a great project for beginning to more advanced quilters! Patterns have lots of step by step diagrams, and there will be some video tutorials as well. Get lots of ideas for fabrics and colors, and tons of giveaways with incredible sponsors! Plus, join the fun Facebook community, Sew Quilty Friends, to share your photos, ideas, and questions. There is an optional fabric kit available too! Use discount code WHILESHENAPS2017 to get $6 off the regular price of the kit, now through July 10, 2017.
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You can listen to this episode by clicking on the green arrow below, or subscribe to the Craft Industry Alliance podcast in iTunes (where you can also rate and review the show) or on Stitcher (perfect for Android and Kindle) so you never miss an episode. If you enjoy the show, tell a friend about it! Thank you so much.

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