Our Wedding Quilt

One year ago today, Lawrence and I were married under our wedding quilt, our huppah. Thank YOU to the 200+ quilters, family & friends that contributed blocks to help us create it.

This is the center of our huppah. You created the blocks that surrounded us, and Lawrence and I created the center with some help from my mom. 

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

The label for the quilt is a block I embroidered with our given American-English names and our Hebrew names with our wedding date.

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

Lawrence & I wanted to make sure that all of our guests knew the story behind our huppah. We had Taryn of Twinkle & Toast design this 2' x 4' sign that told the story and thanked each of you that created a block. (Scroll below to read the text on the sign.) 

Photo by Donna Von Bruening

The sign reads: The Story of our Huppah. In March 2014, the call was put out to quilters around the world for 222 unique triangle blocks to construct the Huppah Julie and Lawrence would be married under, and the response was impressive. Julie and Lawrence would like to thank all of the family, friends and quilters who lovingly contributed their support to make this a truly one of a kind quilt and family heirloom. 

The first names of everyone who contributed a block to the quilt are listed. One year, 222 blocks, 24 fabrics & 5 countries.

I knew all along that I wanted to give Angela Walters some big open space to work her magic and she did not disappoint!!

The center Jewish star has two triangles "woven" together. One to represent each of us. The outer Jewish star has 6 sections of blue and green to represent our immediate families: my mom, dad and brother + Lawrence's mom, dad and sister. They will surround & support us with their love now and forever. 

After we put the word out to quilters to ask for the 222 blocks, I received way more than 222! So any of the blocks that I could not include in the quilt, my bridesmaids used as bunting to decorate my bridal shower.

In January 2016, I took the quilt to the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild meeting. It was only the second time the finished quilt had ever left our house!

I could not have made this without you, my quilting community, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

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

10 things about me you don't know

since i'm stuck here.

recovering from the surgery.
{wisdom teeth}

and in lots of pain.

& unable to sew.

i thought i'd share a few things with you.

that you probably don't know.

1. i'm allergic to most pain meds... including those they gave me this week... so i'm surviving on Tylenol & lots of ice.

2. i love chocolate & candy... i have a big time sweet tooth. {which is so not happy this week... & is surviving off of rita's water ice}

3. i work full time... and sew & quilt in my free time. luckily i have the greatest boss in the world. {my dad}

4. i founded a chapter of delta phi epsilon at drexel u. when i was in college & now i'm an advisor to the chapter at temple u.

5. i've never missed a single episode of LOST. the show may be strange at times but i've been committed since the beginning.

6. my favorite color is orange. when i was a little kid my favorite color was purple.

7. i didn't learn to drive till i was 18. i had no desire to learn & my brother finally convinced me to take my test.

8. my parents went to the same high school... graduated the same year... but didn't meet till they were 20. they are still together & celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary last year.

9. i'm allergic to most flowers... the smell drives me bananas. all but purple irises.

10. i'm addicted to RENT. i've seen it on broadway a few times... know the soundtrack by heart... and watch the movie on occasion as well.

so there you go.

hopefully i'll be back up & running soon.

cause this is no fun.

miss you!

the beginning

I often find the story of how someone becomes a quilter to be interesting and varied. I don’t know when I began to refer to myself as a quilter but I started to sew during the summer of 2002. My mother’s ancient singer got to the point where it was more expensive to fix it than replace it. As sad as she was, my mom saw this as an opportunity to jump into the 21st century and get a computerized machine. She asked if I’d come to the class with her to help learn the machine. I looked at her funny because despite being a craft obsessed kid I had never sewn a stitch. Let me back up a bit and tell you about it… I made everything as a child. Clay, foam, gimp, beads, and yarn are a few of the many things I had a large supply of. I’d rather make an art project then do just about anything. Despite this drive I had no interest in sewing. My mom sewed all the time and it was her thing… not mine. She tried hard nevertheless. I’d sign her up to make Halloween costumes and she’d try to get me to do it. No luck. Sometimes I’d cut the pieces and pin them but that was where it ended. So back to her getting a new machine… I agree to go and help but only on the basis that I was good with computers and somehow that made me qualified to help her. She purchased a Husqvarna Viking model Freesia 415. We went to the class and I was hooked. It was so simple and that was all I needed. A few weeks later I went back to college and the Freesia came with me. She was supposed to be on loan for 2 weeks to make some things for my room but it is almost seven years later and I’ve never returned her. While my mom was sad that her new baby was gone I know a part of her was bursting with joy that I was sewing. I spent the next year and half making pillows, curtains, sorority letters and such. During this time I got hooked on watching Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson. It was the first time I saw quilts in a modern way. Prior to that, when someone said quilt, I pictured an old fashion looking star pattern in my head. After watching countless shows I went to a bookstore and bought up a bunch of quilting magazines and I was off. It was 2003 and I had no idea what I was doing. I still have my first quilt and it serves to remind me of how far I have come and how ambitious I was from the get go. My first quilt was paper pieced with lots of points. Not a good plan in hindsight but I love the quilt anyway. Since then I have worked on over 100 quilts, runners, bags, and other quilted goodies. It has been my dream to design patterns and fabric and spread quilting. I hope you enjoy joining me on this journey.