Featured Designer - Jaybird Quilts November 01 2015 1 Comment

What's not to love?  She is sweet as candy!  Meet our featured designer of the month Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts.

As a quilter, I find that her patterns have so many possibilities.  As an online retailer, I appreciate the thought that has gone into each one of her patterns to ensure that each design is easy to understand and to follow as well as the tutorials that she provides so I can direct customers her way once they purchase a pattern.

And her rulers are so easy to use that they actually make cutting fun!  You can read more about the Jaybird Quilts Hex N More ruler on an earlier blog post.

Now let's get to know Julie!

Jen:  Where were you born and raised?

Julie:  Huntington Valley, PA in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Jen:  How did you learn to sew/quilt? Did you make quilts as a young girl?

Julie:  I borrowed my mom's new Husqvarna in college and never gave it back to her.  My mom is a seamstress and always wanted me to learn how to sew.  I didn't start making quilts until my early twenties (you can read more about Julie's early days on her blogpost The Beginning).

Jen:  Complete this sentence. When I am not sewing, I am…..

Julie:  Scrapbooking. I love Project Life!!

Jen:  How did Jaybird Quilts come to be?

Julie:  I had been thinking about starting a quilting blog around 2007-2008.  I started my Jaybird Quilts blog shortly after my Grandfather Nate passed away.  If there was anything in life that we wanted to do, he always encouraged us to go for it.

Jen:  How would you describe your design style?

Julie:  Modern, traditional, geometric.

Jen:  Tell us about the process for designing your patterns. What are your inspirations?

Julie:  I've always noticed patterns out in the world.  On buildings, walking paths, floors.  Lately I've just been cutting shapes from my Jaybird Quilts rulers and putting them together like puzzle pieces to see what I can come up with.  Sometimes I'll design on the computer...other times just working with fabric, my cutting mat and rotary cutter does the trick for me.

Jen:  How did you arrive at the color palette for Kona Solids designer series with blues and greens?

Julie:  Orange was my favorite color growing up.  Now, I'm into blues and the green blues that go with them.  Maybe it's because orange and blue are opposites on the color wheel, I'm not really sure.  I just find blue to be calming, and I find a lot of inspiration in that.

Jen:  With a designer palette for Kona Solids and five new patterns this year, any big plans for the balance of the year? For the year ahead?

Julie:  I just announced my latest Block of the Month design, Sweet Tooth.  I'll spend the rest of the year getting the Sweet Tooth book ready to go to print.  It will ship to shops in early January.  I've already got a pattern or two in mind to debut next year.

In the meantime, you can check out the Jaybird Quilts collection at Red Thread Studio including her newest patterns Boomerang, Arcade Game, Mini Splash, Mini Stereo and Mini Giggles.