Jaybird Quilts

Quilt Market Snapshots

2012-05-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Quilt Market was great! I have lots to share... but I'm still unpacking, shipping orders, & trying to catch up on sleep. In the meantime here are snapshots via Instagram of the 2 weeks leading up to Quilt Market & Quilt Market itself. I love how fast & easy Instagram is. For this market I didn't even bring my laptop... my iPhone and Instagram kept me connected to everything!

A few quick thank you notes.
1. A big shout out to Rachel for blogging my booth while I was gone.
2. Thank you to Candi for helping me in my booth again! I couldn't do it without you!
3. A big giant hug & lots of chocolate to my amazing quilter Angela. My booth would be empty without you.
4. My mom. Without her I'd still be binding quilts & bagging orders.
5. My family for help with photographing the covers, bagging patterns and supporting me through everything. You are amazing.

1. Quilt Market = new samples of quilts! (yes I follow my own patterns when sewing to not make mistakes!)

2. Just finished a baby size Radio Way quilt top in under 2 hours. That includes planning, cutting, sewing & pressing. I love how fast this pattern is!

3. A peek into today's photo shoot. By popular demand I'll be releasing Three in a Box as a pattern. Here is the original with the new bigger one made from Flea Market Fancy. The pattern will include directions for multiple size blocks!

4. Teamwork!! Mom & I did 254" of binding while riding in the backseat of the car earlier today.

5. New patterns are here! ...busy packing lots of orders of Yummy & Varsity to ship out Monday morning!

6. My quilts are on the cover of the Martingale catalog!!!

7. Chop... Chop... Time for more sample sewing. I seriously could use an elf to do my pressing! Where is Dobby when you need him!!

8. Baby size Yummy done! Fabric is Marmalade by Bonnie & Camille.

9. Heaven just arrived in the form of new Robert Kaufman Fabrics Kona colors!

10. Evidence of a productive day. Fabric = Cocoon by Valori Wells

11. Any guesses on what quilt I'm making?...

12. Sneak peek at my next pattern... Miss Aliyah made the cover. :-) I just counted and realized I've made 15 quilt tops in the last 3 weeks, no wonder I'm tired!!

13. Behind the scenes...

14. I can't sleep... So I decided to be productive & finish some binding. Fabric is Summerlove by Pat Bravo... 3:26 isn't too late for bed right?...

15. Happy Birthday to Aliyah! She's 2 today! Where does the time go? She's rocking her new dress featuring Ann Kelle knits for Robert Kaufman Fabrics as made by my sister-in-law Karin. Love it!!!

16. Quilt Market Prep = Haircut

17. 12 quilts bound & ready to go to quilt market. 8 more to bind... And then I'm calling it!!

18. The cure to a long week.

19. Basting a quilt. It's been a long time since I did this. I've been spoiled by Angela Walters.

20. Ombré version of my new Ditto pattern featuring Vanessa of V&Co's new fabric, Simply Color.

21. I cut into my Full Moon Forest stash to bind my new Ballerina quilt. If that isn't true Tula Pink love, I don't know what is!

22. A peek inside my book, Skip the Borders. This quilt is called White Stars & features Prince Charming by Tula Pink.

23. My new stickers for Quilt Market just arrived!

24. Seven more quilts to bind before Tuesday. Starting to panic a bit!

25. Happy Birthday Aliyah! Aliyah is rocking another dress my SIL Karin made her. This one features Dr. Seuss prints!

26. My new patterns are here!! {Since this photo they have all shipped to stores and are available now!!}

27. Four quilts bound... Three more to go. I couldn't have done it without help from my amazing mom.

28. First Mother's Day in 15 years that my mom has both her kids together! :-)

29. Busy making Biscuit pincushion samples with my mom... for Quilt Market Sample Spree!

30. Purple won the vote!

31. Mom is busy binding the last quilt! I'd be lost without her.

32. Last quilt done!! Time for some sleep before I head to the airport. Fabric = Cocoon by Valori Wells

33. At the airport. Quilt Market here I come!

34. In Kansas City with Angela Walters. :-)

35. My booth in boxes. Tomorrow this will all magically turn itself into a booth. (or so I can hope!)

36. Hanging out with my book quilts for the first time in a very very very long time!

37. My dinner. It's a good thing that Angela Walters took me to five guys for lunch.

38. Lunch at Angela Walters's subway with Candi.

39. Thank you Liz!!!!

40. Day one of booth setup is done.

41. End of one long day... Time to rest up before tomorrow.

42. I'm an author!!!

43. Rocking my good luck charm.

44. Schoolhouse was great!! I was talking about my new book, Skip the Borders. Thank you to everyone who came & packed the room!

45. More from schoolhouse. Quilt shown is White Stars.

46. One of my book quilts! It features Stitch by Betz White for Robert Kaufman.

47. My quilts in the Dear Stella booth! They had Dance Floor & Chopsticks both featuring their new Petal Pusher fabric line!

48. Tula Pink is popular. It was pretty much impossible to get a shot of this during her schoolhouse without other phones/cameras in the shot!!

49. I'm at Tula Pink's schoolhouse

50. Quilt from Quilts from the House of Tula Pink book... Love it!

51. The booth is ready for show day #1 :-)

52. Is it nap time yet?

53. Quilt Market at night.

54. Hanging out with Valori Wells in my booth in front of my new Radio Way made out of her Cocoon fabrics.

55. My view from the floor. I need a nap.

56. Lots of fun at my demo earlier!!

57. Hanging out with Vanessa of V&Co.

58. Hanging out with Katy & superbuzzy at the Modern Quilt Guild Meetup! :-)

59. Modern quilt guild event at Quilt Market.

60. Jessica Levitt's Timber... Emily Herrick won it... And I'm trying to bargain with her!!!

61. Hanging out with the mom of Tula Pink.

62. Hanging out with Marmalade Fabrics! Love these gals!!

63. Just spent 20 minutes looking through Patty Young's book, Sewing Modkid Style, & I love it!!! Super excited to make some new things for Aliyah when I get home.

64. Hanging out with Candi in my booth. (#730)

65. Emily Herrick... Aka the Crazy Old Lady!!

66. We were spotted by the Dear Stella team! We won a bundle of Gilt Trip that Candi will be giving away on her blog soon.

67. And just like that it's a memory!!

68. Ever wonder what it looks like to have 31 quilts on one bed?

69. Congrats to Quilt Asylum Quilt Shop for winning my shop sample! They are now the proud owners of Radio Way in Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater.

70. The glasses girls. (Anna Maria Horner) ... Getting ready to go home.

71. Booth on a cart! Happy to be taking less home than I brought with me.

72. Home sweet home. Loved Quilt Market, but love this guy more.

73. I finally got to bring my book quilts home! This is Framed Coins from my upcoming book Skip the Borders. It features 4 Robert Kaufman Fabrics Kona Green Solids with an assortment of black and white fabrics.

I'll be back soon to announce the winners of my 3 year anniversary giveaway & show you photos I took on my actual camera!!

For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

rock the booth: jaybird style

2012-05-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

hey y'all.
rachel here. reporting live from my couch.

while i'm on my couch, in jammies no less, miss julie is about to meet & greet everyone at quilt market in kansas city.

and i just happen to have a little jaybird quilts booth tour for y'all. {booth #730}

so without further ado, let the oohs & ahhs begin . . .

julie sure can rock it out with an awesome booth!!!

i have to show y'all a close up of those chairs.
aren't they ridiculously amazing?!?!
ummm yes!!!

and i think we're all SUPER proud that julie gets to sport this badge around.
miss julie herman. author.

it goes without saying that since julie's down on the market floor, she's obviously a little busy.
but never fear - there's more goodies to show & tell.

so stay tuned to a blog near you for all things jaybird!!!
:)

♥ rachel
www.psiquilt.com

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Three Years Ago

2012-05-15T06:17:00.001-07:00

Three years ago today I started my blog. One choice, that has changed so many things in my life. I won't get all emotional, because I need to get to the airport!! That being said, I don't know where I'd be today without my blog. I love this little place I've created where I can share what I make and virtually meet so many other creative people.

In honor of my anniversary I figured we'd have a giveaway!
I'm going to give 3 patterns to 3 people!

THE RULES1. Leave ONE comment to enter. Tell me what 3 patterns in my collection are your favorite.
2. Simple as that!!
--~~You have until 10PM PST time Monday, May 21st enter! {Since I'll be at Quilt Market all week!}~~Giveaway now closed. Winner announced soon.
Winners will be selected by True Random Number Generator.
--

*Note*

A large number of people have commented on giveaways recently without leaving their contact information. If you have your settings set to "no-reply" please leave your e-mail address in the comment or change your settings. Many have also said "pick me" and not answered the question. I like to keep giveaways as simple & fun as possible, but if you don't follow the rules you will not be eligible to win.

Giveaway Winners!

2012-05-14T09:08:00.002-07:00

It is time to announce the winners of the recent giveaways. I'm sorry for the delay in posting these, it has been crazy over here getting ready for quilt market. I leave for the airport in less than 24 hours!!

Giveaway #1

Geared for Guys Book Tour

One lucky person will win a copy of Emily's new book, Geared for Guys.

The winner is... #211, Barb66

Giveaway #2

My 600th Blog Post!

One lucky person has won my six new patterns!

The winner is... #31, helenjanei

Giveaway #3

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5

One lucky person will win a copy Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5.

The winner is... #175, Nancy

Winners, Please contact me with your info so I can coordinate your prizes.

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Teacups!

2012-05-13T08:40:00.001-07:00

Last but not least of the new patterns is Teacups! Grab a bunch of 2 1/2" strips & a background fabric and you are ready to get sewing!

Teacups features the new Tumbler Double Strip Ruler from Creative Grids. It makes the cutting process fast & simple. The pattern also includes a full size template option as an alternative.

The pattern cover features two quilts. One is a planned layout & the other is a scrappy one. I liked both so much that I decide to have them on the cover together.
Quilt #1 Details Fabric is Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater
Pattern - Teacups
Designed by me
Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 4/25/12
Finished on 5/4/12
Quilt measures - 32" x 48"
Quilt #2 DetailsFabric is Summerlove by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics
Pattern - Teacups
Designed by me
Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 4/26/12
Finished on 5/4/12
Quilt measures - 32" x 48"
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I knew I wanted the quilts to be pretty flat so that you could clearly see the tumbler. I took them out to our back porch where we have big squares of concrete. The cover came together fast & I don't have many outtakes. All I did was edit out a few grout lines that landed in some odd places on the cover.

The Mama Said Sew quilt is bound in a black and white mini-zigzag stripe.

The Summerlove quilt is bound in a blue dot and also has a small binding flange from a solid light grey. I included binding flange directions in this pattern. To do a flange you'll need 1/4 yard of additional fabric for any size you choose.

With the scrappy layout the binding flange helped to make the binding pop off the quilt.

These quilts are fun & fast to make with the new ruler!

Here are the Teacups quilts with Ditto & Ballerina.

--
I have to give a HUGE thank you to my mother. She has bound almost every quilt that I have made in the last 2 months. My mom has also bagged my patterns, shipped out orders & cooked me food to make sure that I'm remembering to take breaks from sewing and eat!! There is no way I'd be ready for Quilt Market this week without her help. She has been my #1 help in getting ready for it. So mom, THANK YOU... for market help, for your support, & for your LOVE. You are amazing & always have been. {oh.. and Happy Mother's Day too!!}

It has been great sharing all my new patterns with you!! I know it may be hard to choose... but if you have a favorite I'd love to know!

Three in a Box

2012-05-12T08:23:00.001-07:00

By popular request I have decided to publish my Three in a Box design as a pattern. This design originally appeared in Fons & Porter magazine back in 2010.

One of the requests that came as a result of my Size Options post was Block Size Options. With this pattern I decided to give it a try! If it is received well I'll look at putting that option in more often. The pattern includes complete directions for 4 different size quilts as well as 4 different size blocks.

Quilt #1 Details

{Pattern Cover}

Fabric is Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt
Pattern - Three in a Box Lap Size
Designed by me
Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 4/2/12
Finished on 4/27/12
Quilt measures - 83" x 83"

Quilt #2 Details{Original from magazine}Fabric is Make Life by Sweetwater
Pattern - Three in a Box Youth Size
Designed by me
Quilted by me
Started on 11/13/09
Finished on 1/27/10
Quilt measures - 54" x 54"

Quilt #3 Details{Giant 36" one block baby!}Fabric is Heaven & Helsinki by Patty Young
Pattern - Three in a Box Baby Size
Designed by me
Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 5/2/12
Not finished yet!
Quilt measures - 46" x 46"

Here are the Youth & Lap together so you can see the size difference in the blocks. The youth has 18" blocks and the lap has 12" ones.

I had the Three in a Box quilts with me the same day I took the Ballerina Pattern cover. Once I spread them on the ground Aliyah came over and sat down. She gave me the "This is what you wanted right?" look and I just started cracking up.

She got bored after a few minutes and went to play somewhere.

It was quite entertaining to say the least!!

While I really liked my original sample, I have to say I LOVE the new one. The large 18" blocks really feature the design well. Also I arranged the blocks in a different layout. The pattern includes 3 different setting suggestions. You can really personalize your quilt!!

I need your help to finish the 3rd sample. It doesn't have binding yet.

I have 6 options and would love to know what you would do.

Choice 1 - Blue with star design

Choice 2 - Purple zig zag dot print

Choice 3 - Pink zig zag dot print

Choice 4 - Purple bias cut stripe

Choice 5 - Light colored print with white, blue & green

Choice 6 - Green print

This is the back in case you were wondering. It is the same purple as option #2.

So which one would you use? Let me know!!
--

On a side note

I have not forgotten about the 3 giveaways. I will pick the winners asap. I've just been swamped with sewing, packing patterns & getting ready for market. Thank you for understanding!

Ballerina

2012-05-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Next up is Ballerina! I adore this pattern. These blocks are BIG. Each one is made from a fat quarter. Having Aliyah on the cover really helps show the scale of the blocks.

Here is the back. It has 4 sizes. All of them use fat quarters! Ballerina uses the 12" Finished Size Creative Grids 60° Triangle Ruler. It is the same ruler I used in Chopsticks & Varsity! It also includes full size templates as another option.

I have made three of this quilt already! It is really fast to put together.

Quilt #1 Details

Fabric is Night Shade by Tula Pink

Pattern - Ballerina

Quilted by Angela Walters

Started on 4/19/12

Finished on 4/28/12

Quilt measures - 54" x 73"

Quilt #2 Details

Fabric is Little Black Dress by BasicGrey

Pattern - Ballerina

Quilted by Angela Walters

Started on 4/10/12

Finished on 4/25/12

Quilt measures - 54" x 73"

Here is the Baby one hanging out with Ditto & Teacups! The Baby version will be hanging out in the BasicGrey booth at Quilt Market.

Baby Quilt #3 Details

Fabric is Little Black Dress by BasicGrey

Pattern - Ballerina

Quilted by Angela Walters

Started on 4/10/12

Finished on 5/5/12

Quilt measures - 36" x 42"

The cover photo shoot.

I have over 150 photos of the Ballerina quilts. Some covers come together fast, while others involve multiple shoots at many locations over a few days. This was one of those quilts. Despite all the work it took I'm really happy with the cover. Here was the journey of getting there...

I started out with the Little Black Dress Ballerina by itself. I LOVE this quilt, but I just wasn't able to get a great cover shot.

We tried adding color by photographing with flowers.

We even went to a national reserve park.

I did want to share this photo since it really shows the quilting Angela did. I know I go on & on about the work Angela does, but I do it because I am constantly impressed and surprised each time I get a quilt back from her.

Shoot day #2 occurred at my brother's house.

I took a bunch of the Night Shade quilt by itself but still wasn't getting the result I wanted. {The quilting is different in this one, but also still amazing.}

I hung them together and started to like the results.

Hanging the quilts wasn't giving me the exact look I wanted, but we did try a while.

When I put them on the grass I knew that was the answer. I took 10 or so photos on the grass but one thing was missing. It was hard from these photos to see the scale of the blocks. These are BIG blocks & I wanted to make sure the cover showed that.

Getting this cover was a team effort! At first Aliyah wasn't sure what do.

Then Brad suggested that we lure her across the quilt with her favorite babydoll. Law would put her down & toss the babydoll to Brad. Brad would hold the doll next to me and convince Aliyah to come get it. Sometimes he even tossed it to her.

This went on over & over again for a while. Her expressions were just priceless.

Near the end Aliyah sat down & gave us the "I'm done" look.

As soon as I saw this photo I knew it was the one. The only change I had to make was that her red skirt was stealing the show. A few clicks in Lightroom & Photoshop was all it took.

Aliyah just turned 2 this past weekend!! She has developed quite a personality & I enjoy spending time with her so much. Despite all the crazy Quilt Market preparations I'm taking a short break this weekend & heading up to LA for her birthday party.
--

This pattern will start shipping on May 21st.

I will have copies of it available next week at Quilt Market during Sample Spree too! Quilt Market Info - If you are attending Spring Quilt Market please visit me in Booth #730. I will also be at Sample Spree & have a schoolhouse featuring my new book "Skip the Borders" on Thursday at 11:35-12:05.

Ditto

2012-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is ditto! I love the movie ghost & have always wanted to name a quilt ditto. I waited for the right design & when I came up with this one I knew it was the perfect fit!

It includes 3 size options. The beauty in this pattern is that I figured out how to use the same amount of each fabric for the quilt top. That means less thinking about math for you!!

Quilt Details
Fabric is Wedding by Michael Miller
Pattern - Ditto
Designed by me

Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 3/13/12
Finished on 4/14/12
Quilt measures - 40" x 50"

This pattern features the Lazy Angle Ruler! I've used this ruler on 6 previous patterns and keep coming up with more ideas on how to use it!

I don't have any outtakes to show you this time. Instead here is a flat shot of the front so you can see more of the design.

Angela did an AMAZING job on the quilting as usual. She quilted a different designs in each of the zig zag sections.

I actually showed a peek at the back of this quilt almost a month ago. Here is a bigger photo of the back. I used scraps from the front and a few other pieces from the fabric collection that I didn't use on the quilt top.

I'm very excited about this one & hope you are too!!

I bound the quilt in a white allover print so that it didn't distract from the quilt design.

Two weeks ago I decided to make another Ditto for Quilt Market. I started playing with Vanessa's new fabric line Simply Color. {It will be shown at Quilt Market and in stores in a few months.}

The Ombre made for a really cool addition to the zig zag sections. It should be back from Angela any day now & then I'll get it bound before market!

This pattern will start shipping on May 21st.

I will have copies of it available next week at Quilt Market during Sample Spree too!

New Patterns for Quilt Market!

2012-05-08T13:06:00.001-07:00

I have four more new patterns just in time for Quilt Market. Today I'm sharing the covers with you. Over the next few days I'll tell you more about each one.

Angela did all of the amazing quilting!!

I have one more cover to share with you! I ran out of Opposites Attract & needed to print more, so I updated the cover and the inside. It has more diagrams, instructions and looks similar to my more recent patterns. Also I added baby size as another option!

All of the patterns are at the printer and will be available at Quilt Market next week. They will also ship to shops & distributors as soon as I return from Quilt Market.

Angela was on the news!

2012-05-07T23:02:00.001-07:00

Angela was filmed by her local news-station about modern quilting. It is a great segment about her journey. In the piece she is quilting a quilt... and it happens to be mine!

It is a new Baby size sample of Yummy in Kona Solids. I used the Silent Film Roll Up with Schoolbus Orange. This is the only photo I have of it at the moment. A quick cell phone picture that I took to let Angela know what quilts were headed her way! As soon as I get it back from Angela & get it bound I'll share it with you!!

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In the next post I'm going to reveal the rest of my new quilt patterns with you!!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Geared for Guys Blog Tour!

2012-05-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

disclosure: this is a sponsored review & giveaway by Crazy Old Ladies & Emily Herrick

Welcome to the Geared for Guys Blog Tour!!

I was very excited when Emily informed me that she had written a book with guys in mind. There is often lots of "boy" fabrics & "baby" things... not not many GUY patterns! The book is full of information on fabric selection with guys in mind & so much more.

When Emily sent me the book to review I instantly fell in love with the Gamer pattern.

It has nice clean lines & typography... how could you go wrong??

So I made my own Gamer quilt from Robot Factory by Caleb Grey for Robert Kaufman.

The wind was a bit crazy this morning so it was impossible to get a flat shot. The fabrics I chose have less contrast than the original, but I'm quite happy with the result. I made this quilt with my special someone in mind, but I have a feeling my brother is going to ask for a matching one!!

I need your help so I can finish this quilt. Please help me decide which fabrics I should use for binding & backing. {I also have enough of the background blue for binding, but not backing.}

I need 1 binding fabric & 2 backing fabrics for a pieced quilt back.

Emily is offering one book to a lucky reader!! Enter to win by helping me decide. {Final decision of fabric choices lands with me... unless the recipient voices his opinion... and then he can pick whatever fabrics he wants!!}

:-)

THE RULES1. Leave ONE comment to enter. Tell me what fabrics you use for the binding & for the backing.
2. Simple as that!!
--
~~You have until 10PM PST time Tuesday, May 8th to enter!~~Giveaway now closed. Winner announced later today now that all 3 giveaways are over!
Winners will be selected by True Random Number Generator.
--

*Note*

The next stop is tomorrow at Canton Village Quilt Works!

Today marks my 600th post!

2012-05-05T13:50:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I realized that I was coming up on my 600th post. When I started this blog almost 3 years ago I couldn't imagine it would become what it has.

Some big moments over the last 600 posts.

Making my first dress.

Posting my first tutorial.

Having my first tutorial on the Moda Bake Shop

My first Quilt Market

My first magazine publication.

Sorting Siggy Swap Blocks

Sharing Elijah's journey with Leukemia.

Announcing that I'd be moving across the country.

Telling you about my book, Skip the borders.

Too many to list them all!!

--

So to celebrate I'm having a giveaway. I'm going to give my 6 new patterns to one lucky reader. Yummy, Varsity & the four I haven't even shared with you yet. {I will in just a few days!!}

--
THE RULES1. Leave ONE comment to enter. Tell me what you are working on right now!
2. Simple as that!!
--~~You have until 10PM PST time Sunday, May 6th to enter!~~
Giveaway now closed. Winner announced soon. {Once all 3 giveaways are over!}
Winners will be selected by True Random Number Generator.
--

*Note*

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 - Blog Tour

2012-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 Blog Tour!

I'm excited to again have a block in this great newsstand special issue. I have all 5 volumes and love seeing the creativity!!

My block was inspired by this stack of fabric. It is Robot Factory by Caleb Gray for Robert Kaufman. I knew I wanted to make something where I could fussy cut the robots.

So I created this block! It's a wonky square in a square, but for those of you who are aren't ready to get wonky... have no fear it is paper pieced!

I had big plans of making a quilt for Elijah from this block, but then Quilt Market prep went into full swing! Luckily I think he'll understand and be able to wait a few weeks!

Block #434 - Robox by Julie Herman, featuring Robot Factory by Caleb Gray

--
Here are some layout ideas.
Alternate the block with a solid one.

Set it on point and add some sashing.

Make one block twice the size.

The options are endless. Especially when you start thinking about how it would look in other fabrics & colors.

You can also rotate the block so that it appears more wonky.

Another option is to play with gradients of fabric. I think that Vanessa's new line featuring ombre would make for amazing blocks.

Check out Quiltmaker's blog for the full details of this blog tour & lots of opportunities to win more goodies!

If you are interested in purchasing a copy I have some available in the shop!

Quiltmaker is offering a copy to one lucky person! Details on how to enter the giveaway are below.

THE RULES1. Leave ONE comment to enter. Tell me what fabric you would use to make my block.
2. Simple as that!!
--~~You have until 10PM PST time Friday, May 4th to enter!~~
Giveaway now closed. Winner announced soon. {Once all 3 giveaways are over!}
Winners will be selected by True Random Number Generator.
--

*Note*

If you are looking for the Geared for Guys blog hop, today's post is over at http://www.ribboncandyquilts.blogspot.com/. I'll be posting on Sunday!

Book Review: Quilts from the House of Tula Pink

2012-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I learned that Tula Pink had a book in the works I was instantly excited. It was October at Quilt Market and I even was so excited that Rachel & I took a photo in front of the cover. I wasn't sure what to expect from the book, but had to get it since I am Tula's biggest fan.

The book was released in March. {I guess the decided to change the cover.} I like them both, but the quilt on the original cover is my favorite. This book is more than quilts. It contains 10 quilt patterns and 10 sewing projects.

The photography is stunning. The feel of the paper and the printing is also very nice. I have a very large book collection & appreciate a well made book!

This photo alone made me want to go live with Tula in her old house in Missouri. I always like to take photos of quilts outside and in fun places, not just laying on a bed.

One of my favorite parts of the book is Tula's education on how to pick colors for a quilt. She goes over the basics of color theory and shows lots of examples.

This book is part coffee table book part quilt education. It is very easy to sit down and just get lost in it. It is a must have for any Tula Pink fan.

The quilts are unique. Not all of them are my style, but I've never bought a book that has all quilts that are my style. For the price of the book vs. the price of a pattern it is more than worth the value.

Normally I prefer illustrations to be simple and graphic. Tula did hand-drawn step-by-step illustrations for this book. While that isn't usually my preference it fits the style of this book, and Tula has the chops to create great hand-drawn illustrations. Sometimes hand-drawn illustrations aren't the best because bad ones can make the directions un-clear. I adore this quilt and plan on cutting into my precious Tula Pink stash to make it sometime soon.

I also love this body pillow & plan on making one after Quilt Market.

I'm also in love with her Houndstooth quilt. I think the idea of using a few lights and a few darks makes for an interesting pop! In addition to all the information that Tula provides, there is also a lot of information from Angela on the quilting of each quilt.

Tula isn't a fan of the camera... so I found this photo of her to be very fitting!

The book is available in Quilt Shops & Online.
Quilts from the House of Tula Pink: 20 Fabric Projects to Make, Use and Love - Amazon
Quilts from the House of Tula Pink - Tula's Pattern Shop

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

A week of reviews

2012-05-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

Martingale just sent out their new catalog... and they featured my quilts on the cover! I had no idea this was going to happen so I was SUPER excited when I saw it arrive in the mail.

Recognize any of the quilts??

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I'm still busy working away getting ready for Quilt Market. I fly to Kansas City two weeks from today... eek!!

Yesterday I made a baby size version of Yummy using Marmalade by Bonnie & Camille. I love how it looks with the bright red sashing!

Since I don't have anything else I can show yet... I have a few book reviews & more panned for you this week. Some will even have giveaways! Stay tuned!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Friday & Saturday recap via Instagram photos.

2012-04-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

A quick post to show you what I've been up to. Quilt Market is just over 2 weeks away & I'll be having a booth again. I'm deep into planning, sewing, shipping & pattern writing.

I love Instagram for quickly capturing moments, especially during the quilt making process.

I decided to make a baby size version of Radio Way using Sweetwater's new fabric collection Mama Said Sew. {It will be shown at Quilt Market and in stores in a few months.}

It took under 2 hours to plan, cut & sew the quilt top.

I started playing with Vanessa's new fabric line Simply Color. {It will be shown at Quilt Market and in stores in a few months.}

Mom is my binding hero! She has bound 4 quilts in the last 5 days!! Then together we did 254" of binding in the backseat together during a long car ride!

I'm going to be releasing Three in a Box as a pattern. It was originally published in the 2010 July/August issue of Fons & Porter. The magazine is no longer available and I've had many requests for the pattern. ALSO... It will have block size options!! This was one of the requests in the comments section of my size options post. Shown below are 12" and 18" blocks, but the pattern will have even more!! {More info to come soon!!}

The new patterns are here!! I've been busy getting them in bags & counted so they can be shipped to shops and distributors on Monday morning!!

...ok back to the studio for me!!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Teaching this Summer

2012-04-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick head's up to let you all know about a few classes I'm teaching this summer. I'll be teaching 3 Saturday classes at Quilt in a Day.

I'm teaching Carnival & Firecracker on Saturday June 9th! You can pick which one you want to make & learn all about the Lazy Angle Ruler too!

I'm also teaching Come What May on Saturday July 21st! The key to this one is fabric placement so we will use design walls to audition fabrics.

...and last but not least I'll be teaching Hugs & Kisses and signing copies of my book "Skip the Borders" on Saturday August 18th!

Contact Quilt in a Day directly to sign up for the classes. If you have any questions you can e-mail me or leave them in the comments section.
I hope to see you soon!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Yummy - Quilt Pattern

2012-04-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

The second of my new patterns is Yummy. She got her name by being... well YUMMY!

This is actually a quilt that started out as possibly a quilt for the book. As the design developed I realized she needed a small border, so she became a pattern!

I included 4 sizes! You know I love size options.

Quilt Details
Fabric is Palladium by Dear Stella
Pattern - Yummy
Designed by me

Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 2/9/12
Finished on 3/17/12
Quilt measures - 52" x 75"

Here are the outtakes and detail photos!

Similar to the cover, but the blue sky was better than the having the other fences in the background.

Detail of the binding and Angela's amazing quilting.

I tried having it bunched up rather than flat, but it didn't seem to add anything to the photo.

Here is a peek at the back. I used extra fabrics to make a large vertical label strip. You can learn how to make your own labels with my spoonflower label tutorial. I also have a tutorial on how to make a pieced quilt back.

A flat shot to see more of the quilt.

My parents being silly again. I have the most supportive parents in the world & I wouldn't trade them for anything.

I tried laying it in the rocks, but they were too similar in color... and just didn't add anything.

Quilts keep people warm on windy days. This photo also shows you more of the back of the quilt.

Staying warm while Brad figured out the next location he wanted to try.

We were fighting the same wind as the photos for Varsity.

Fixing the quilt... just in time for the wind to mess it up again.

Right as we were finishing up this old VW van was leaving the park.

The driver was nice enough to let us snap a few photos.

He probably was wondering what the heck we were doing. It also looks like the people in the back left of the photo are wondering too!

In the end I went back to one of the photos from day #1.

Simple & Clean... it shows the quilt, has a nice blue sky, and shows off the quilting.

This pattern will start shipping on May 1st!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Varsity - Quilt Pattern

2012-04-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

The first of my new patterns is Varsity. She features big & bold zig zags and diamonds.

Usually my cover samples are lap or youth size but I just couldn't help myself & I made the Twin size of Varsity. This quilt is super easy to put together and I got the top done in a day.

I included 5 sizes!

This quilt uses the large 12" Finished Size 60° Triangle Ruler from Creative Grids. It is the same ruler that I used with Chopsticks.

Quilt Details
Fabric is Modernology by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery
Pattern - Varsity
Designed by me

Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 1/27/12
Finished on 3/23/12
Quilt measures - 62" x 84"

As usual... here are some of the outtakes.

As soon as I finished the quilt I took it out back and hung it on our fence. The sun wasn't in the direction I wanted so I knew pretty quick this wasn't going to work.

Mom & Dad keeping warm while I took some photos of yummy.

My brother came to visit the next day, so I took advantage of that & we headed out to try and get some good shots. It was windy.

...really really windy.

crazy wind!

and cold too!

This featured the quilt well, but we couldn't get it to stay in place without me holding it.

Back to another wood fence, still fighting with the wind.

Maybe we can get a good shot if I'm hiding under the quilt...

A bit better... but still not right.

It was so uncomfortable & awkward under the quilt!... and in the end I didn't even end up using any of these photos!

I liked this one. If only the odd shadows weren't on the quilt.

In the end a photo where the wind worked in our favor ended up being the best. I'm actually holding the quilt. A big thanks to my brother for taking this photograph.
I also love the cover because it really shows off Angela's quilting. Angela quilted continuous feathers to fill in the diagonal parts of the blocks. Within the background triangles, she kept with the feather theme and quilted all-over feather designs.

This pattern will start shipping on May 1st!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Two new patterns!

2012-04-20T09:36:00.001-07:00

I've got a peek for you at two of my new patterns today!

More details on each one first thing next week! :-)

Both of these patterns are at the printer now & will be available very soon. First week of May at the moment, but as soon as I know an exact date I'll let you know.

My Book Cover!!

2012-04-18T10:41:00.002-07:00

I'm SO excited that I get to show you the cover!!

It was great revealing my book to you a month ago, but it is even better now that I can show you the cover. The quilt on the cover is called Four Patch Shift. It features Pick a Bunch by Nancy Mims for Robert Kaufman.

Skip the Borders

Easy Patterns for Modern Quilts

My book is being published by Martingale. They have been amazing to work with. Choosing a publisher isn't the kind of thing you do overnight. I decided to work with Martingale after a lot of research and conversations and I could not be happier with my decision.

You can pre-order a signed copy in my shop. All Pre-orders will also receive a Jaybird Quilts Pattern as a bonus!

Also if you will be at market...I will have a schoolhouse session about my book! More info to come on that soon!
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Added:
Martingale also just made this cute little button to go with their new updated logo! Personally I LOVE the blue bird! ;-)

Basic Grey Quilt Patterns - Giveaway Winner

2012-04-17T22:31:00.003-07:00

Thank you for all of your comments on the new Basic Grey Quilt Patterns.

It is time to announce the winner.

The winner is...
#123 - libbydibby!

libbydibby please contact me with your info so I can get the patterns shipped out to you!

© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

BasicGrey Quilt Patterns {& Giveaway}

2012-04-16T11:23:00.002-07:00

I wanted to let you all in on a project I've been working on!!

BasicGrey recently announced that they are releasing quilt patterns to go with their beautiful fabric collections. The great team @ BG designed the quilts & I wrote the patterns. Yup... me! Long story short... I was a technical editor for a few pattern designers before starting Jaybird Quilts. I stopped doing it once I developed my own pattern company, but I couldn't say no when my friends at BasicGrey asked for my help.

The patterns have the famous Basic Grey aesthetic with the bonus of the writing quality you have come to know with Jaybird Quilts Patterns! Just like my Jaybird Quilts patterns they are printed in full color and they have size options!!

There are currently five patterns in the collection with a pillow pattern that you can download for free. Star Fall Pillow Pattern. There are also two patterns in the works for Blitzen, their holiday line due in shops in June. And more to come after that!!

If you are interested in purchasing these patterns you can find them in Local Quilt shops & online.
BasicGrey Online - Fat Quarter Shop

{If you are a shop interested in carrying the patterns you can get them through many distributors or Basic Grey directly. I will not be personally selling the patterns or handling any of the distribution.}

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BasicGrey and I have collaborated before. They featured my Jawbreaker pillow in Hello Luscious in their booth at fall quilt market.

They also had a few of my Biscuit pincushions in their booth, and I featured one on the pattern cover.

I also have a new pattern in the works for quilt market using their next collection!

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Hello Luscious is their fabric collection that is in stores now. They have designed 5 patterns to go with it!

Happy Churn Dash4 size options - Baby, Lap, Twin, King

Sunday Basket Brunch4 size options - Baby, Lap, Twin, Queen/King

Sweet Starlet2 size options - Lap & King

Promenade3 size options - Baby, Lap, Queen

Hello Zig Zag4 size options - Baby, Lap, Twin, King

The back of the patterns show all of the fabric requirements for the various sizes.

So today I'm going to offer up my set of the 5 brand new patterns to one of you!yup... my set!:-)
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THE RULES1. Leave ONE comment to enter.
2. Tell me which of the 5 patterns above is your favorite.
3. Simple as that!!
--~~You have until 10PM PST time tomorrow, Tuesday April 17th to enter!~~Giveaway now closed.Winner announced here.
Winners will be selected by True Random Number Generator.
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*Note*

So much for a PLAN!

2012-04-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Less than three months ago I decided that my word of the year was plan. It worked well for a few weeks and then little by little I fell off the PLAN wagon. I have big goals and lack of a PLAN is making for one very stressed Julie over here.

In that post I detailed five areas. Here is an update on how I'm doing.

Plan my time better. I have some big time management issues. I'm sure some of it comes from the cross country move, but I have never really been good in this area. I'm good at getting things done at the last minute but that doesn't mean my body likes the stress of it.

I'm doing a little bit better, but honestly I haven't made as much progress in this area as I hoped. When I broke down my quilt market plan I had 3+ months to go & now I can't believe I fly to Kansas City in 5 weeks!

New Quilts I'll be showing very soon!

Plan my projects. Yes sometimes I want to sit & sew just to sew, but I'd be less stressed if I planned out my projects a bit more. I've got so many ideas for Jaybird Quilts that sometimes I end up not sewing for an hour because I can't decide what to work on first.

I am getting better here. I have been organizing my new projects in a new way that has made for more productive sewing time. I have two new patterns I'm about to announce to you! They are in the last stages of pattern testing before heading to the printer.

New Quilt #1 - Fabric is Modernology by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery

Plan my blog. I used to be a good blogger. {Good is relative here since none of you are beating me up... I'm just beating myself up.} I want to get back on a regular schedule of posts that are a bit more planned out vs. the "oh man I haven't blogged in a few days what am I going to write??" moments.

I got better for a few weeks. Then I started to get stressed with work & other things and finding time to plan my blog just never seemed to happen. I have a lot of half written posts and need to make a plan to get them done.

New Quilt #2 - Fabric is Palladium by Dear Stella

Plan to have free time. I can often become a workaholic and spend what should be my free time doing work. Life is short & I need to start spending more of it just living.

I can honestly say this is the one I have done much better at. Recently I took a few days away and spent time with my family. During the last few months I've set aside a lot of free time for my family, friends and just for me. I'm very excited that next week Rachael is coming to spend a few days with me in San Diego.

Plan by writing things down. I often get random bursts of big ideas & somehow don't write them down, or write them somewhere and forget where that is. I'm in the midst of planning a new system for myself to keep track of my ideas.

I started a new notebook and have been getting better at writing in it. I still have the occasional scribbled note or post it, but I haven't lost nearly as many as I used to!

New Quilt #3 - Fabric is Wedding by Michael Miller Fabrics
This one just came back from Angela and doesn't even have binding yet!

New Plans.

Plan my food better. I don't have the best diet. I have some allergies that limit me and I often end up eating the same thing a few times each week. It can be boring, but a lack of a plan makes it my reality. I might never make a monthly plan like Rachel, but I can start a weekly plan.

Plan my Quilt Market booth. Five weeks! Eek! I really need to finish planning my booth & start packing it up!

Plan my Book Trunk Shows. I'm working with Martingale to plan some Trunk Show for my new book! It'll be out in less than 4 months, where did the time go!?

Plan my Schoolhouse & Demo. I'll be doing a Schoolhouse at Market & I'll also be doing a demo from my book in Martingale's booth. Lots of planning to take care of!

Binding Samples from my new book, Skip the Borders

Ok, time to stop talking about planning... and get to planning. I'll be back soon with some new patterns to reveal! :-)

Sew Modern Giveaway Winner

2012-04-10T22:23:00.002-07:00

It is time to announce the winner of the Sew Modern giveaway.

11 Fat Quarters & 1 Half Yard of MonsterZ by Clound 9 Organics

*Half yard cut is of the Adventurz border print*

And the winner is...

Spontaneous Threads please contact me with your info!

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Thank you to Sew Modern for sponsoring this giveaway!