Join us Sunday, September 17, For a Special Lecture from Mary Fons: Standing On the Shoulders of Giants: A Brief History of the American Quilt

September 12, 2017
The Chicago MQG is delighted to host lover of all things quilting and Chicago MQG member, Mary Fons, for our meeting on Sunday, September 17! This lecture will be held in a special venue, the DuPage County Historical Museum in beautiful downtown Wheaton. The Museum is located at 102 E. Wesley Street, Wheaton, IL 60187. The lecture is free for members, and $10 for guests.

Please note that this meeting will be from 1:00-4:00 because the Museum closes at 4:00 on Sundays. Don’t be late! 


In 2010, Mary Fons created Quilty, a weekly online how-to program for beginner quilters, and served four years as editor and creative director of Quilty magazine. Mary is a bi-monthly columnist for Quilts, Inc., (The Quilt Scout) at Quilts.com. She is co-host of Love of Quilting on public television alongside her mother, Marianne Fons. Mary is the author of “Make + Love Quilts: Scrap Quilts for the 21st Century” and “Dear Quilty,” a retrospective and pattern book from the pages of Quilty magazine. Mary lectures and teaches widely and is an enthusiastic spokesperson for BabyLock sewing and quilting machines.

Small Wonders, Mary’s debut fabric line in partnership with Springs Creative, launched recently along with a Small Wonders pattern line in association with McCall’s. Mary is an amateur quilt historian and enjoys learning about the history of the American quilt as much as she likes designing and making them. She currently serves on the board of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. To read daily posts on her popular blog, PaperGirl, visit MaryFons.com.


Mary will give her lecture “Standing On the Shoulders of Giants: A Brief History of the American Quilt,” which was a smash hit at this year’s QuiltCon. The story of the American quilt is the story of our nation: innovation, community, technology, teamwork, intellect, and oh, all that glorious fabric! In this tour de force lecture, you’ll get the most action-packed hour of quilt love you’ll ever experience. From Amish to Hawaiian quilts, from Gee’s Bend to Baltimore Albums, this lecture is a must-see.

This special meeting will have time for show and tell, so bring your latest finishes to share with the group!

Free street parking surrounds the DuPage County Historical Museum, and there are two marked public parking garages within two blocks. Please do not park at the public library. The Museum is located four blocks from the Wheaton Metra station. Come early to enjoy one of Wheaton’s many restaurants including Egg’lectic CaféEgg Harbor CaféFront Street CantinaMuldoon’s, or Wok N Fire. Chicago MQG member and Wheaton resident Rebecca Cynamon-Murphy recommends Gia Mia or a quick stop to The Little Popcorn Store.

And be sure to leave some time for a quick walk through Adams Park, directly across the street from the museum!


We look forward to this incredible lecture and meeting from 1:00-4:00 on Sunday, September 17 at the DuPage County Historical Museum!

All meetings are 2-5 pm on the third Sunday of the month, unless otherwise noted.

This month’s meeting is on Sunday, Septmber 17, from 1-4pm at the DuPage County Historical Museum in Wheaton.

A list of our meetings can be found here.

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We hope to see you there!

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Photo: Triangles quilt by Erika Mulvenna