My First Quilt with Jody Groenendyk

It's time for another My First Quilt interview! Today Jody of Gingerberry Quilts is sharing her first quilt with us. By day, Jody is a scientist, diving deep into the world of biochemistry, but by night, she unleashes her creativity as a passionate quilter. She loves to design quilt patterns and help customers finish their quilts with her longarm!

You can connect with Jody at her website and on Instagram.

And now, here's Jody's first quilt 😊 You know I love those blues!

What year did you make your first quilt? What prompted you to make it?

2019, My daughter went through a tragic death of her boyfriend and we all struggled to cope. Quilting was what I turned to. I made a quilt for my daughter.

What techniques were used in that first quilt? Did you quilt it yourself?

It was a simple HST quilt but I didn't have a rotary cutter or mat and I didn't know how to finish the binding. 

Who taught you to make the quilt?

My grandmother taught me to sew when I was a kid.

Are the colours you chose for your first quilt ones you would still choose today?

No. The first quilt was mostly blue but I now quilt with every colour.

Did you fall in love with quilting right away? Or was there a gap between making the first quilt and the next one?

I fell in love right away. I made quilts for everyone I knew and then started donating quilts to a local charity,  Blankets of Love for Mental Health. I am now on the board for the charity. 

Where is the quilt now?

In my spare bedroom. My daughter moved out and left it in her room.

Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell yourself as you made that first quilt?

A seam allowance of 1/4 inch is important.

Anything else you want to share about your first quilt?

Quilting is therapeutic!

Thank you for sharing your first quilt with us, Jody! I'm glad quilting helped you cope with a terrible situation, and that you fell in love with it along the way ❤

Changes

Devotion for the week...

A few weeks ago I started wearing custom orthotics in my shoes to correct a few issues and, since I spend most of my time at home, I was told I'd get the most benefit from them if I wear them around the house, too. I have never worn even slippers in the house, so it felt really weird to be tromping around the kitchen in a pair of sneakers. It also felt weird to be an inch or so taller compared to the table and the counters, because of the extra height from the shoes. Weird or not, I've been doing my best to wear them consistently. 

The other day I got up from reading to start making supper and didn't put the shoes on right away, and I within a few minutes I realized that it felt a little bit odd to not wear them 🤣 That just goes to show we can get used to changes pretty quickly!

Thinking about that made me remember Psalm 1:1, which says, "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers." That may seem like an odd connection, but to me, this verse is a reminder to pay attention to who we're spending time with, and the influence they have on us. Even if we're spending our time with the same people we always have, there could be changes that we've simple gotten used to and don't notice anymore. Those changes could be in them, in how we interact, in the things we choose to do, or how we talk about other people (or ourselves) when we're together.

Those changes could be positive ones (adopting a healthier lifestyle) or they could be negative (a new tendency to gossip or to put people down). Whatever changes occur in the people we spend time could end up influencing us in turn. That's great if our friends or family are making positive changes! If we're not paying attention, though, we could look up one day and be surprised to find ourselves 'joining in with mockers' because we've adjusted to negative changes without even realizing it.

Curves Jubilee

I'm excited that today I can share a collaboration I've been working on behind the scenes - introducing the Curves Jubilee pattern bundle! Curves Jubilee is a limited time collection of 12 modern quilt patterns featuring curved piecing for $23.99 USD. That's only $2 per pattern! This special collection is only available through Sunday, April 21st, so be sure to purchase yours today.

Want to see all the patterns that are included? Of course you do! Curves Jubilee includes Birds of a Feather, by Jody Groenendyk of Gingerberry Quilts,

Celestial by Amber Elliot of Alderwood Studio,

Circus Ring by Erin Nichole of Mija Handmade,

Lanterne Rouge by Daisy Aschehoug of Warm Folk,

Flutter by Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs,

Garden Peony by Yvonne Fuchs of Quilting Jetgirl,

Gingham Glitz by Holly Clarke of Holly Clarke Design,

Lunar Eclipse by Shannon Fraser of Shannon Fraser Designs,

Where Flowers Bloom by Megan Collins of Megan Collins Quilt Designs,

Topsy-Turvy by Heather Black of Quiltachusetts,

Moon Lights by Sarah Ruiz,

and Illusion, by yours truly 😊

Isn't that an amazing group of quilt patterns? I'm particularly excited about Circus Ring, and may have already printed the templates and started cutting up scraps to make it myself 😊

If you bought all 12 patterns individually, it would cost over $155 USD, so the Curves Jubilee bundle saves you a bundle! Remember, this specially curated bundle is only available through Sunday, April 21, so don't let it slip away.

Buy the Curves Jubilee bundle now!