Quilts Below the Radar

About this episode

An interview discussing unconventional quilts and the creativity of quiltmakers with Roderick Kiracofe and Janneken Smucker.

An interview with Roderick Kiracofe, quilt collector and author of Unconventional & Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000 , and historian Janneken Smucker about quilts that defy convention, the creativity of quiltmakers, and what makes a museum-quality quilt. Listen as Rod talks about his career as a quilt collector and seller, and about the weird, wonky, wonderful beauty of American quilts made after 1950. This bonus episode was originally recorded as a Textile Talk in front of a live Zoom audience. See the quilts referenced in today's episode in the Textile Talk recording here .

People in this episode

Guests: Roderick Kiracofe, Janneken Smucker

Topics covered

• quilts
• creativity
• quiltmakers
• museum-quality quilts
• American quilts
• textile history

Keywords

• quilts
• Roderick Kiracofe
• Janneken Smucker
• American quilts
• textile talk
• quilt collecting
• museum-quality

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Unconventional & Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000

More episodes of Running Stitch - A QSOS Podcast

• Technology and Quilting Community · November 21, 2025 · 30 min
• Voices from QuiltCon · April 28, 2025 · 13 min
• The Rotary Cutter · February 8, 2024 · 29 min
• Electric Quilt · January 29, 2024 · 45 min
• The Industrial Revolution · January 16, 2024 · 29 min
• Radical Quilt Histories · December 16, 2021 · 39 min