For
those of you who are first time visitors to my blog – Welcome!! A big shout out
to Beth over at Plum and June for setting up this fun blog
hop for all of us. A lot of work (and follow-up) goes into organizing
this and I just want to say thank you to her.
Beth
has suggested some questions to help us get to know one another better so here
we go!
Do
you belong to or would you like to belong to bees, QALs, etc.. Because
it has been so long since I first joined Flickr (where I have participated in
over two dozen bees and swaps) I don’t recall where I read or who suggested
that as a good bee/swap platform but it is fantastic! If you aren’t on Flickr,
I would highly recommend you join. You can dip in slowly and do a bee
like NuBee’s where you only have a one month
commitment or you can go for the gusto and join one with a six month or year
commitment – it’s all up to you.
The swaps and bees I have been in have exposed
me to paper piecing, hexagons, sewing curves, sewing pillows, piping, dresden
blocks, and many other techniques. Frankly, if I wasn't required to
do it for a bee, it is likely I would have never tried them on my own. I
appreciate the bees pushing me outside of my comfort zone and strongly suggest
this for beginning quilters. Lori and I also host the Modern She Made Swap so stay tuned this fall if you are interested in
making a project for your secret partner with {insert shape here, not
determined yet} on it. The first round we incorporated a circle, then a
triangle and our latest round was a star so browse on over to the finished projects if you are interested in what we created. {warning: lots
of eye candy!}
Have
you attended or are you planning to attend any sewing get togethers like Sewing
Summit, Quiltcon, etc.. Last year I attended Sewing
Summit and had a blast, it was awesome! Because the group of friends I bonded
with prefer smaller gatherings, we are headed to the Northeast this fall for a
private retreat so I won’t be attending this year, but if you have a chance to
go or are "thinking" about it, I highly recommend it not for the
classes, but for the friendships. You end up hanging out with other girls who
LOVE to sew as much as you do - really! Quiltcon-yes! I was so excited
to attend a quilt show that was all modern! Funny thing, it was mostly
modern, but there were a few quilts that I wouldn’t have considered modern at
all. In addition, there was a lot of conversation about the judging, the
winners, the entrants and the topic that is always spinning in our modern
world...modern vs. traditional. Let me direct you to Craftsy to the Quiltcon Lecture Series. I am in love with
the perspective of Mary Fons . She comments on that very topic with some
fantastic points in her presentation titled – Notes from a Quilt Mafia
Daughter. Download the series (free) and listen to her – you will be glad
you did.
What
are you working on now? Where do I start? I am enrolled
in Lucky Stars BOM (a new paper pieced star
every month), Skillbuilder BOM (two blocks every month
with new techniques each month), Simply
Solids (one block a month for each bee mate, Modern
Stash (just finished Q1&2) and signed up for
Q3&4, and so many more! I won’t bore you with the details, but I am
list person and it makes me happy to check off these projects every
month, not to mention, make things for other folks.
The
latest block I completed in the Skillbuilder BOM is called Switz.
and here are a few of my Lucky Stars
What
type of sewing machine do you use ? – I use a Bernina 630 QE,
which I have used more and more often as my quilting appetite has grown larger.
What is your favorite/least favorite part of sewing/quilting? When I paper piece and try to be stingy with the fabric, then turn it over and it doesn’t fit – Gah! I hate that! I can’t stand to pick out those little 1.5” stitches, one at a time. You would think I would know better because I do a lot of paper piecing, but nope, it still happens. My favorite part is sewing the last seam on a quilt top – It is in that moment that I am most happy!
What
other hobbies do you have? I am a voracious reader. I
have never taken a speed reading class but I can read a novel in about 3
hours. My favorite flights are exactly that long, just enough time to get
through one book (DFW-LAX) is great for that! I love John Grishman books
but lately have been reading Michael Connelly too. I enjoy the lawyer/crime
type books but books about the mind/marketing influence/human behavior are just
as interesting.
Don't
judge...but...here is what I have lined up next to my dresser (and I have 3
books that I requested at the library that have come in and are ready for pick
up). If you are ever stuck in an airport (or anywhere you can people watch), I
highly recommend What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro. Great read!!
It's about body language and he talks about reading people, which came in quite
handy when he was an FBI agent. (see - crime and human behavior in the same book
- no wonder I loved it)
I
love to travel! I love to fly! It is important to go to new places to be
exposed to how other folks live. Sometimes it makes me humble and
appreciate what I have but other times it helps me consider other things I want
to incorporate in my life.
What
are your favorite quilting notions? Clover clips! They work well for
so many projects! They hold your binding to your quilt, allow you to sew a
zipper without pinning and really clamp down on thick projects (like bags)
without fighting with pins. These are well worth the investment!
Do
you have any blogging or blog photography tips/tricks to share? Try
to always take pictures in natural light. It makes a huge difference, I
promise you! When I go back and look at some of my first photos, the
difference is obvious. If you want to add your blog name or do some basic
photo edits to your photos, I would suggest Picmonkey.
It is a free program and allows you to round corners, add text, sharpen colors,
enhance exposure, make a collage and more!
One
tip I read a while back that I really try to incorporate in my blog posts, is
to always include at least one link back to a previous post of yours.
This will allow readers to easily see more of your work.
What
other social media do you actively use? I have a Twitter account but
currently, I just love Instagram. Follow me @joliemaxtin on
Instagram and #joliemaxtin on Twitter. You won’t see
many tweets from me but I do share random shots of our two Labradors and of
course quilting projects, on Instagram.
I hope I have not gone overboard on the
personal component as it is rare for me, but based on some conversations
lately, it seems that readers like it so there you go! I write
like I talk (fast and bouncing from topic to topic). For a bit more, my About Me page covers that, if you want to view quilts I have made, go here and to browse my flickr stream here.
This post got long but I hope you
enjoyed it and I hope to see you back here soon!
Please check out the other fabulous bloggers today as they have some great posts! And if you just can’t get enough, go back to this post for the lovely gals who kicked off the blog hop for us last week.
Friday,
June 14
Julie
@ Jolie
Maxtin {you are here}
Melissa @ Melia Mae Quilting doesn't collect pins or needlebooks, but she has 6 of ????
Adrianne
@ On The Windy Side got one of her quilts published just from posting on Flickr
Molli
@ Molli Sparkles shows you how to "cinch it up"
Laura
@ Little and Lots has wonderful photos on her blog
Sarah
@ Duck Egg Threads has a funny reaction when her photo is being taken
Kelly
@ My Quilt Infatuation hosts the Thursday "Needle and Thread" Link-up
Cari
@ There's a Thread has a tutorial on how to print your own fabric using the sunshine
Valerie
@ Between Quilts : Her Racing Stripes quilt has really gotten around!
So great to read about you, love your work and your style to write :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, it's nice to find loads of useful tips for a new quilter/blogger like me. Love all your makes, you have a real eye for colour... my favourites are the lucky stars!
ReplyDeleteloved reading your post Julie! It's so nice to learn more about you. your projects are beautiful and I love reading your blog!
ReplyDelete:) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
A novel in 3 hours?!?!? Crazy! Great to learn even more about you and see all your beautiful projects on one page.
ReplyDeleteI have been following you and happy to see you on this hop. Love your projects, your enthusiasm and passion.
ReplyDeleteCame over or your day! Lovely projects you have done there. I am already a follower, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteWow, and I thought I was a fast reader! I can usually finish a book in 4-5 hours if it's not some enormously large novel. Three house is crazy fast!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post! I love your pile of books. I have a similar pile -but much smaller!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love your quilts mosaic! Your book pile looks like mine!!
ReplyDeleteLove your cupcake block in particular. Too cute. Your book pile made me realise that I do not read enough!
ReplyDeleteHello Julie! It was nice to meet you. I hate picking out paper pieced stitches too! Those stars are amazing. Going to see if my library has What Every Body is Saying.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to "meet" you! ;-)
Thank you for participating in the blog hop and sharing information about yourself. Thanks for the tip on the book about body language! I will try to find it here!
Bye bye
Esther
esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo com
ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com
Hi Jolie,
ReplyDeleteThat's quite an impressive stack of books you have there! It's fun to meet a fellow Bernina owner too, I Just love them!
Nice to meet you, Julie! You have sew many lovely blocks.... Makes it apparent that you do love the BOM's and Quilt Alongs. Maybe you would be interested in my quilt along starting on the first day of summer?
ReplyDeleteLorna:)
http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com
Lovely post! Seems like you participate in a lot of stuff! That's awesome :) I have fallen horribly behind in everything but the one bee I belong to... The HST block for the Skill Builder BOM came at a time where the last thing I wanted to do was trim HSTs. So I set it aside and have yet to go back to it. How awful is that?? Especially now that I see how awesome the most recent block is!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning more about you! Thanks!
I know exactly what you mean about stingy paper piecing! You'd think I'd have learned to use bigger pieces by now, but it always seems such a waste...!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous dogs! and those quilts are really great too! Paper peicing is my nemisis! And yet I still love to do it. Why is that?! So great to meet you on the hop:)
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous you got to go to QuiltCon! Maybe next time:) Love your work by the way. Those scrappy bags and pillow are my faves. I really want to go to a quilt retreat too.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great looking blog! So easy to follow and great pics. I love the fabrics you chose for the Lucky Stars -- I wish I could have fit that QAL in :) Too much to sew and not enough time to blog about it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I love the scrappy bags, my favorite is the mini circle quilt - reminds me of citrus.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I love that you loved Sewing Summit, I would really like to attend this year. I am very intrigued by your book recommendation - What Everybody is Saying - sounds right up my alley. May have to grab that one, human behaviour really interests me as well!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I absolutely love your Switz block! The colors are my favorite! I also agree with you on the Clover binder clips. They are my next favorite notion next to my scissor clips of course!
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed reading your post and getting to know you. I love the stack of books; I am definitely a reader and always need to take more than one on vacation because I inevitably finish one during the flights/layover en route! Nice to meet you, I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes. Yes. Clover Clips rule! I like your hurried style of writing. I feel like I know you. Great blog - I'm a new follower.
ReplyDeleteA three hour novel is impressive! Excellent blog hop post and lovely star blocks.
ReplyDeleteHi, nice to meet you. This is a great post, lots of helpful info.
ReplyDeleteGreat, great post! I really enjoyed getting to know you and loved your blog. I am a new follower:)
ReplyDeletejan@http://sewandsowfarm.blogspot.com/
Ok, clearly, we were meant to be friends! I enjoy all the same things- reading, traveling, LABS! And if course the sewing. I love your work! Great write-up :)
ReplyDeleteHi Julie - nice to know a bit more about you! That book does sound fascinating - must look it up. Your projects are lovely too!
ReplyDeleteWow, I feel like I know you pretty well now. Great post with lots of good info.
ReplyDeleteWow, I love all of your patchwork projects:) Thanks for all of your tips about joining bees-sounds like fun!!
ReplyDeleteI love your lucky star blocks, they are so bright and fun! And I totally agree about participating in swaps; I feel like they really push me creatively and they are so much fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! Really enjoyed seeing your quilts AND your book stack! It was interesting to read about your experience with bees. It made me think I should try one!
ReplyDeleteGood to know a bit more about you. I realized I share two more things in common with you, namely reading and traveling besides quilting:) I am participating in the lucky stars BOM too. Learning paper piecing has been fun.
ReplyDeleteI've been here (pretty silently) for awhile--I love your sense of color. I always know I will see plenty of brights in your posts! LOVE that book pile. Not least of all because it makes my bedside book pile seem shorter, ha! I spy some good reads in that pile. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're work is beautiful. Love the colors you use. And those dogs are the cutest!
ReplyDeleteCarol
a stack of books to rival mine! and I love your stars. The points are great.
ReplyDeleteGreat to get to know you :) I'm a reader too! My "book" stack is only half as big but my ereader is also chalk full!
ReplyDeleteI love your stars they are incredible not to mention that fabulous fabric bucket (bag?). You have a great sense of color and pattern, I look forward to seeing more of your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! Great post! Cool blog! The missing corners on paper piecing is the worst! I am going to have to look for the book on body language -- I find it fascinating, sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks for the fantastic tips in this post on how to get more connected in the quilty blogosphere. I love your dogs. They look like real sweethearts. I also have a yellow lab. He's 8 and his name is Bowser. We love him to pieces. He is so expressive!
ReplyDeleteI had a quick look through your bee blocks and they are GORGEOUS!! It seems like it would be a great way to try out a new technique without having to commit to making a whole quilt.
So many ideas and tips. I see where my blog seems to fall short. I guess I need to get busy.
ReplyDeleteGreat reading about you in this post Jolie. I also love reading but can't get through them as fast as you!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you :) I love seeing that big stack of library books -- I'm a librarian :) Your quilted creations are gorgeous, I love all the bright happy colors and your paper piecing is perfection!
ReplyDeleteGreat to get to know you, Jolie. and wow - my husband says I'm a fast reader but whew! That's a lot of books!
ReplyDeleteHi Jolie, I'm also enrolled in Lucy stars BOM but I am way behind. I love the red in your Switz block. I wear a lot of red and absolutely love the colour but don't use it much in quilting - I'm going to have to work on that!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! And thanks for the encouragement to join a bee! I have been thinking about joining one but I've hesitated, concerned that my piecing may not be expert enough. I just might have to give it a go! Your dogs are lovely too!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I loved taking a little peek into your world. Great post! And great stack of books -- I'm a reader too! :)
ReplyDeleteLove all the bright fabrics! Your projects make me smile! The pups are cute too!
ReplyDeleteJulie, loving that book stack - it makes me even more excited for summer! I love your bee blocks, especially that solids one! Your quilts have always been inspiring as your blog was one of the first I found! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFirst, your blog design is lovely! As are your quilts :) I'm the same way with not tending to try new techniques unless they come up in the bee I'm part of--that's a great strategy for expanding your skills. We probably walked past each other a dozen times at Quilt Con--it was a blast, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteLove you work! I'm following you on Bloglovin'. I remember you beautiful mat!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! And my oh my do you have a lot of monthly clubs going on! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, brilliant post! I love your work, I'll be keeping my eye out for the next round of the She Made Swap - I want to join in. Great to meet you, Sarah x
ReplyDeleteOoh - I love your citrus colored Dresden variation! It looks like a slice of summer :) Nice to "meet" you through the hop!
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you! I'm hugely impressed by your reading prowess, I've been horrible at that ever since graduating college. It's like I went on summer vacation...and never came back...
ReplyDeleteNow I feel like I know "all the rest!" Like I have said before, I was reading your blog what feels like forever and a day ago and never realised you were "new." Such a natural! I love your polka dot usage in the Lucky Stars BOM! Looks like you raided my fancy dress closet!
ReplyDeleteLovely projects, Julie,and it was great to meet you! I'm also doing they lucky starts BOM and yours are really fun!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for stopping by so late but I am so glad I did, your work is divine! I love your use of colour and you have so many skills. I love reading too, I just don't have time at the moment, how do you fit it all in??! It seems like you achieve so much, I bow down to you!!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a stack of books! Do you ever use a Kindle or other reading device to lighten your load when you're traveling?
ReplyDeleteWow, love your style Julie, your stunning Simply Solids block caught my eye in the group pool too :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the Skillbuilder BOM as well! I also noticed your summer dessert paper piecing! I did that one too c: They're so cute! I love yours!
ReplyDeleteI'm a crazy reader as well, although I don't really read as much these days. Growing up, I could go through a decently sized book in an afternoon! It was good fun c: