Mary Fons is a writer and editor who specializes in the history of the American quilt and the life of quilts in popular culture.
The current editorial director of Quiltfolk Magazine, Mary previously served as editor and creative director of Quilty magazine and from 2009 to 2015, produced and hosted nearly 250 episodes of Quilty, the online how-to show for beginner quilters. In that time, she also co-hosted Fons & Porter’s “Love of Quilting” how-to program on PBS. Mary is “The Quilt Scout” columnist for Quilts, Inc. (since 2015) and her articles on quilt history and culture in America have appeared in numerous periodicals, including Curated Quilts, Modern Patchwork, and Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting, among others.
In 2016, Mary made her curatorial debut with “Beauty In Pieces: Scrap Quilts for the 21st Century,” for Quilts, Inc. at Spring International Quilt Festival. She is currently at work on “Patchwork/City,” a debut exhibit for the Chicago Design Museum connecting quilts and the urban environment. (Coming April 2019.)
Mary currently serves on the board of the International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and is an in-demand lecturer and teacher. She has a significant social media presence and Mary is proud that her blog, PaperGirl, which she has faithfully maintained since 2005, has many thousands of fierce and loyal subscribers. Visit MaryFons.com and Quiltfolk.com.