Quilter Angela Walters didn’t actually know what a quilt was until she met her husband. His grandfather, who started quilting in retirement, made quilts as a way to entice family members to attend the annual reunion. He would make one quilt for every generation, and in order to win a quilt, you had to be present. “If you have ever been to a family gathering where things got tense over, let’s say, potato salad, you can imagine what happens when the stakes are as high as a quilt,” says Walters, who caught the quilting bug.
Now, Walters, who owns the Liberty quilting shop Quilting Is My Therapy (2 E. Franklin St., Liberty), has 190,000 YouTube subscribers and nearly 70,000 Instagram followers from across the globe.
Nearly 1,000 fans, some from as far away as Ecuador, will gather at Walters’ store in historic downtown Liberty to celebrate the 7th Annual Quilt Walk on June 7. The walk is a quilting show-and-tell, hosted by local shops, that includes demos and giveaways for quilters and non-quilters alike. An array of quilts from vintage to modern day quilts will be on display, and each shop will be handing out free quilt block patterns to make the 2025 Quilt Walk quilt designed by Walters.
Kansas City magazine spoke with Walters to learn more about her work and the ever-popular Quilt Walk.
How did you learn to quilt? I learned how to make quilts from my husband’s grandpa. He was the most encouraging and fun teacher that I could have ever had. He patiently showed me how to sew quilt blocks, how to hand-quilt the layers together. He also encouraged me to get a longarm quilting machine. Even though I didn’t know anything about machine quilting, his confidence in me gave me the courage to do it. Now, when I teach new machine quilters, I channel Grandpa’s encouraging teaching style.
Most people probably think of quilting as something grandparents did with leftover bits of cloth. How is this different from the style of quilting you teach? That’s definitely a common perception, and it’s not entirely incorrect. Quilting has been around for over 100 years, and while it’s evolved over time, the basics of the craft haven’t changed too much. But one thing that has changed over the years is the fabrics and tools we have available now. Sewing machines and longarm quilting machines have definitely improved over the years. Machine quilting can act as another layer of art on the quilt top—it’s also my favorite part of the whole process. I like to compare it to doodling with thread.
You now have 190,000 YouTube subscribers. What made you decide to start making videos? I love that gives me another way to teach and share my passion for machine quilting. Over the years, I’ve noticed more and more younger people becoming quilters. Being able to share and learn online has helped introduce more people to quilting.
Tell me about your brick-and-mortar storefront in Historic Downtown Liberty? I opened the Quilting Is My Therapy shop in 2015. I had been running my business out of my house for 10 years at that point and was eager to separate my home and work. The quilt shop has allowed me to meet so many people.
How did the Quilt Walk get started, and what makes it special? The Quilt Walk was actually the idea of a couple of shop owners in downtown Liberty. Our main goal was to introduce quilters to all the amazing shops and restaurants there while also hanging quilts on any surface that I can.
I think it’s so special because it’s unique to us. I design the featured quilt pattern, and attendees can visit shops to pick up the pieces of the pattern for free. Another reason that it’s so special is that neighboring businesses participate as well. Whether handing out the patterns, hosting exhibits and promoting the event—I am so fortunate to have their help.
How many quilts have you made? Shoot … I wish I knew for sure, but I don’t. I have quilts all over my house, event center and quilt shop. But you can never have too many quilts.
Follow Angela Walters on YouTube @AngelaWaltersfmq and on Instagram @Angelafmq. To learn more about the Quilt Walk, visit historicdowntownliberty.org.
