Meet Julianne, Our Featured February Charity Quilter

When it comes to getting involved with Layers of Hope - Quilting 911, Julianne is another one of those quilters that just jumps in and asks, 'what can I do to help.' When I asked for a February featured quilter to step up, she volunteered and as you get to know her, you will see just how special she is!

As always, my questions are in purple, answers are in black!

1- How long have you been quilting? How did you get started in quilting and tell us about the very first quilt you made. 

My first official quilt finish was in 1994.  I had asked my mom for a box of fabric scraps and I sat down one day without a pattern and cut triangles and squares and arranged them how I liked and paired it all with muslin.  It was fun because there are a lot of fabrics in the quilt that were pieces of clothing that I wore growing up and some baby clothes  with Hollie Hobbie fabric that I remember my oldest niece wearing. Its a treasure.

2- I find for me I don't like making the same quilt over and over and while I lament the time spent on applique quilts, I find myself drawn to them. Do you have a favorite quilt pattern or 'go to,' pattern you find yourself drawn to?

I  would say that I really love making scrappy Arkansas Crossroads quilts and postage stamp quilts, I love the look of both of them.  I also have another couple of scrappy quilts that I just figured out how to do myself that I use a lot. I am just drawn to any sort of scrappy quilt, I like them all bright and happy!   I always ask any quilter friends for their scraps and usually they are happy to oblige me!  I use Bonnie Hunters scrap user system, (For those like myself who love organization, I included the link) I have many plastic bins full of all the different size squares...so there is always lots of variety to choose from.  I am always taking those last small scraps of each project and cutting them into the different size squares for each bin.  I also save my fabric crumbs that are too small for the scrap system and make Victoria Findlay Wolfes "made fabric" for blocks.  Those are super super scrapilicious!

3- What type of sewing/quilting machine(s) do you own? If you have more than one, which is your favorite or which do you find yourself using the most and why?

  OMG.  I have a lot of machines,(this seems to be a pattern for quilters, lots of wonderful machines)  I love love love vintage machines. (I have an old treadle machine that was given to me, now if I can figure out how to wind the bobbin!) I have many vintage Singer machines and a Dressmaker and a Kenmore.  My favorite and best girl is my Singer 301A that was given to me by my mom, her name is Betsy, shes a beauty and she just purrs!!   I use her for all my piecing.  I also have a white Singer Featherweight left to me by my mom, shes a beauty, her name is Trixie. (I must be the only quilter who doesn't name her sewing machines...aside from the treadle, the former owner told me it needed a name...she is Mercy after my grandmother)  She sews wonderfully too, shes my "on the go" machine.  Then....(insert groan here), I have a Tin Lizzie 18 Longarm machine.  It has been a thorn in my side since I have owned it.  I have had it about 2 years and have not completed one quilt on it because it has been nothing but a headache. (This doesn't sound good!) My goal for January was to clean the garage out enough to set it up once and for all.  We got about halfway there....but she will be up and running soon, I am determined to learn how to use her!   Practice Practice Practice!!  (Whew! Now I feel better!) I have charity quilts to make!

4-Tell us about about yourself, your family...do you have a blog? Do you work outside the home? Do you have children and if so, how many/how old? Any pets? In this section, you share as much or as little as you would like. I always state unless you use names on your blog, do not use them here! Safety is the key!

I am married to a goofy guy named Tim, we met on the internet and have been married almost 14 years. (Second person I know that has an amazing marriage who met on the internet!)  He supports my fabric hoarding/quilting craziness!  He holds my place in line at the cutting counter (sounds like our system, the kids pick the number at Joann's, I see where it is compared to where they are at, we choose the fabrics, when they call my number, the kids go stand in line if it is a long one to hold my place) and drives me all over the place to buy fabric. (My husband and the grands see fabric and do their best to head me off!) Hes a keeper!  He has made 3 quilts himself. (Now this is cool, would love to have him as a featured quilter one day!)

I was a teenage mom, I had my son a month before I turned 17.  His name is Justin and I am so proud of who he has become. He is married to a wonderful girl named Kasey and they have one daughter Jayden who is 3, and the sunshine in my sky and a baby boy on the way in April! Yay!  Can't wait to meet our new little man! (We share something in common here and my oldest is now an amazing 40 year old...did I just age myself?)

Hence the name of my blog "Quilting with Calicos", I do have many cats.  4 of them are calicos.  Suki, Koi, Puka & Dahlia.  Then I have 3 older cats, Mecca, Lucy and Floosie.  Its ridiculous!  Then we have 3 dogs.  Duke is a German Shepard/Golden retriever mix, he is 12 yrs old.  Then we have two Black Lab/Rottweilers named Jacey Mae who is 10 and Maggie LaLaLoopsyLouWho who is 6!  We have a hoard.  Its a little crazy!  We love our four legged kids! (I love the kitty on your blog page, precious! All I can handle is our dog and one cat!)

5- If you have children, do any of them help you quilt at all?  My granddaughter (12) has been helping tie quilts since she was around 3 or 4 and now she sews strips for me.

My granddaughter Jayden (Beautiful, precious little girl) is always wanting up on Grans lap to help me sew.  She loves to sit there and I help her feed the fabric through the machine. Its so sweet...she definitely wants to learn and I definately will be teaching her as soon as shes ready!


6-You have been such a blessing to Layers of Hope - Quilting 911 always there to help us out, do you make quilts for other charities and if so which ones? I love to showcase quilting charities and hope to have a side bar for quilters to locate ones they may not be familiar with!

I make quilts for a AIDS Bike run every year.  A family local to me has a dinner and silent auction to raise money for AIDS so I always send them a quilt or two each year to raise funds.  I also send 1 patriotic quilt a year to my sister in Arizona who holds a raffle for her local VFW.  Then I make 9 patch blocks for children with Cleft Palette. (This is amazing, I have a friend who adopted a precious little boy from China, he just went through another Cleft Palette surgery, strong children these kids are!) A lady makes them into quilts and each child who has surgery receives a quilt when they go home.  Then of course, I send quilts on behalf of Layers of Hope quilting911!

7-If you are married, what does your husband think of your quilting?

Hes very supportive...especially when I sell a quilt! LOL!  He actually helps me a lot snipping chained pieces, counting units and drawing diagonal lines, holding up quilts for photos....and of course he helps out at craft fairs too.

8-Where do you live? Share with us quilt shops in your area, local attractions for someone who may want to visit your area. For us in coastal WA it is the Pacific and rock outcroppings in the ocean or majestic Mt. Rainier!  Seattle always is up there as well!

We live in the Sierra Foothills just east of Sacramento.  We have one fantastic quilt shop called "High Sierra Quilters" that has lots of wonderful fabrics, an entire color wall, tons of batiks, lovely flannels etc! The owner Doug is a riot...worth a stop if you are ever in the area. (Our family may be down in California area sometime in the future, I have family in Chico!)
 

9-What is your favorite notion? I believe daily mine is a seam ripper...hahaha!

I have this acrylic clear 1/4" ruler that is about 6.5" long that I got at Joanns, I use it ALOT!  Also, my purple and blue marble seam ripper that was a gift from a friend!

10- Tell us anything else you might like...as long as it isn't political I will share. Favorite recipe, Bible verse, quilting anecdote, quote, etc.

Well, I  love to cook and bake and last year I won a Blue Ribbon at our local fair for my English Toffee.(Awesome!)  It is so good, its pure butter!  I make it to sell and I do pretty well each year. (I am thinking about doing this with my pumpkin bread...our scouts were in a bazaar and I make pumpkin dog biscuits, they went quick!) I am always bringing treats to work or baking to support my daughter-in-laws dog rescue at a bake sale.  My little granddaughter Jayden loves to be in the kitchen with me dumping the measuring cups, mixing, licking the beaters, taste testing the final results and playing in the dishwater.  Shes my little sweetheart! (My grands are older now, but still love the kitchen. One of my granddaughters favorite pics is of her and my mom and she is covered in flour from trying to help my mom coat her fried chicken!)

To see some of Julianne's beautiful quilts and that precious granddaughter, please check out these links and make sure you say hello to her and let her know you came from Layers of Hope - Quilting 911

http://quiltingwithcalicos.blogspot.com/2014/01/flying-geese.html

http://quiltingwithcalicos.blogspot.com/2013/12/postage-stamp-love.html
**Wow!! I think I know where all my extra smaller scraps are going to go from now on!**

http://quiltingwithcalicos.blogspot.com/2014/01/scrappy-trip.html

http://quiltingwithcalicos.blogspot.com/2014/01/paper-piecing-fun.html

A huge thank you to Julianne. I hope you enjoyed reading about this amazing lady and hope you stop by and visit her blog and share this with others!