I love you Elijah

A quick update on Elijah through photos.  Treatment has it's ups & downs but overall he is being an amazing trooper.  Right now he is in good spirits as they have a short break from treatment.  Things start up again in less than a week so we are all trying to enjoy each day.  I've tried to reply to all the e-mails that people have sent wishing him well but sometimes my inbox overflows.  If I haven't written you back please know that I appreciate your thoughts & prayers.  If you are new to my blog & wondering what all of this is about... you can read about my nephew here.

All of these photos have been taken by my brother Brad or my sister in law Karin.  Karin has been taking photos daily since the start of the year.  Technology has made this entire experience a bit easier to handle.  Between the photos, ichat and face time I don't feel like I'm across the country. Please do not remove & repost any of these photos.


Can I have your number?

of course!

Looking for airplanes...

Aliyah is growing up so fast!  She'll be a year old in a month!

The Culver City Fire Dept. is amazing.  They gave Elijah a tour and the vip treatment.

yum!

We still have a long road ahead of us.  As one friend keeps telling me this is a marathon & not a sprint.

I'm often asked which quilt that I've made in all my years of quilting is my favorite.  It's a question that is pretty impossible to answer... but I can tell you... that this quilt wins the award for the most loved.

today...
tell your kids & family you love them
and give them an extra hug & kiss.

I love you Elijah, love aunt Julie



© Blog post written by Julie Herman
© All Photos by Karin Herman & Brad Herman
Please do not remove & repost any of these photos.
 For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Scrap Squad takes on Raspberry Dessert

Quiltmaker's Scrap Squad has taken on my Raspberry Dessert Pattern!

I have to tell you that I love this idea.  Some quilters can look at a pattern and see it in different colors, but some see a red & pink quilt and can't imagine it with other colors.  It's also cool to see how the original pattern can be adapted.  Some changed the setting... some added borders... one even made a rainbow!  This group has inspired me to want to make my own pattern in a new way.

{My original Raspberry Dessert}

Take a look at how different each one is!!
And...Each member of the squad is having a giveaway right now where you can win one of my new patterns.& Quiltmaker is having a giveaway for fabric!
So check out their blogs & give them some love!

Ruthie @ Threads of Mine

Jane @ Forest Jane Designs

Kim @ Pokeytown Kim

Kim is donating her quilt to Quilts of Valor

Donna @ Donna's Quilts 4U2C

Linda @ Linda's Quilting Blog

Carol

Pat @ Crazy Quilter

Dionne @ Sew Many Quilts

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

Raspberry Dessert

Anyone hungry?  I hope not because I'm talking about this quilt & not food!

Details
Fabric is Quilter's Linen by Robert Kaufman
Pattern - Raspberry Dessert
Designed by me
Quilted by Angela Walters
Started on 11/8/10
Finished on 1/1/11
Quilt measures - 76.5" x 76.5"

This quilt is in the May/June issue of Quiltmaker Magazine.If you are a subscriber you'll see it showing up in your mailbox any day now.  It'll hit newsstands in about two weeks.  When that happens I'll have a few copies in my shop as well.
Here is the cover

Here is a flat shot of the quilt from the magazine.

Quiltmaker also recently started a new program called QM Scrap Squad.  "Quiltmaker's Scrap Squad is an enthusiastic team of eight Quiltmaker readers who are making scrappy versions of one pattern from each new issue of Quiltmaker."  QM Scrap Squad's second glorious project is due to be revealed today... and rumor has it that they made my Raspberry Dessert quilt!!  I'm excited to see it in all different colors.

I started this quilt in PA and shipped the finished top to Angela in MO.Then I flew to Los Angeles to help out my family & she shipped the quilt to LA for me to add the binding.  This was the first project I finished in 2011, early in the morning on new year's day.

Enjoy the yummy photos... because if I had been at home all you would see is photos from inside the house... because there was snow everywhere! (I'm really thinking about moving to LA after seeing these photos...)

Detail on the back

Playing with my brother's camera...

My label pieced into the back

On a random note...The colors of the quilt inspired the name, but I can't stand to eat raspberries or anything raspberry flavored!!



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

Sewing with Girl Scouts

On Tuesday I taught a bunch of brownie scouts how to make pillowcases.  This counts as one part of helping them on their way to earning sewing badges.  Back in the day I was a girl scout so this was lots of fun for me!  Thank you to Robert Kaufman fabrics for donating Girl Scout fabric for us to use.

We used the Roll It Up free pattern from American Patchwork & Quilting

 {I cut all of the fabric ahead of time}

Teamwork!

Peek a boo

Done!

We tried to get a good group shot...

but it wasn't easy!

Here I am with the group.

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

Bloggers' Block-a-palooza Finishing Directions

It's time for finishing directions!

For those of you saying "huh?"

The Bloggers' Block-a-palooza is a quilt-along that has been jumping from blog to blog for the past few months. You can read more about it on flickr & Quilt Dad's blog.

Today is the last stop!

I've prepared 3 different options for you to finish your Waiting for Spring quilt.

The first is the quilt that we made with all of the blocks.

The second & third are additional methods in case you want to go in a different direction.

Enjoy!!

PDF Files Finishing Directions #1 Finishing Directions #2 Finishing Directions #3


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

Off the Rail

I have another new pattern to share with you!
{yes i know... lots of new stuff all at once!}

Off the Rail is a modern spin on a traditional favorite.

It features Treasures & Tidbits by Piece O' Cake designs.

I actually designed this quilt long before all of the ones I have shown you over the past few weeks. Back in October at quilt market I showed the design to Becky & Linda of Piece O' Cake and they loved it.  They immediately asked me to make it in their new fabric... so of course I said Yes!

The quilt has actually been up on Robert Kaufman's site for a little while & some of you discovered it before I even knew!

This is a fat quarter friendly quilt.

The pattern includes directions for 4 sizes.

I had just received this quilt back from the quilter right before I spoke at the Village Quilter.  Even though the binding was only half finished I took it anyway!

I used leftover scraps from the front to make a coin strip with my label on the back.

Some outtakes from the cover photo shoots since I know you all enjoy them!

Same location as the cover, but I used a different angle.

On some steps

This just wasn't working!
but you can see Angela's amazing quilting

A peek at the coin strip on the back

*This pattern will be available in April



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