← The Sewcial Hour Podcast
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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. And welcome back to the Social Hour podcast, a podcast for Sewis by Sewas. I'm your host, Bethany.
- [00:14]
B
And I'm your host, Audra. And today we have an incredible guest with us. We have Julius from Julius Handmade, who is known for incredibly beautiful bold foundation paper piece designs. He loves to teach, he loves to inspire, and we are so, so excited to have him with us today. Thanks for joining us.
- [00:33]
C
I'm excited to be here.
- [00:35]
B
I'm so great.
- [00:36]
C
I'm so excited. You have no idea.
- [00:39]
A
Well, we're honored. We are so honored to have you here. And we always like to start off with an icebreaker question just to, like, get the sillies out and have some fun. So our icebreaker question today is going to be FPP related, of course, because you're here with us. But if your creative journey right now was an FPP design, what would it be and why?
- [01:00]
C
My creative journey?
- [01:01]
A
Yeah, where you're at right now in your creative journey, what FPP design comes to mind to describe that and why?
- [01:09]
C
You know, so I don't know if you've seen, but my phoenix quilt that I did, this is a phoenix rising above a meditating man. I feel like that represents me, like, to a T with my creative journey because it's very like, rise above, come back from the ashes kind of thing. I've tried so many different things creatively that didn't really stick or didn't work. And I really feel like that represents because I just, I try something new if it doesn't work or I, you know, go to the. Go to the next thing. So that pattern specifically that I created really represents me. If I were going to create another one, it would be a jumbled mess with because I also feel like that is my creative, like, journey. It's just, it's so crazy and out there and I get inspiration from so many different things. And yeah, I. It's a. It's a hot mess, but. But I love it.
- [02:07]
A
I feel like.
- [02:09]
B
Yeah, I was gonna say, I think that's the beauty of creativity, is that we explore and we try and we stumble and we prevail and we try something new. I mean, that's the reason I still can't get rid of my jewelry making stuff. Like, that was a whole era.
- [02:22]
A
I don't think I even knew that era about you. Yeah.
- [02:26]
B
Oh, yeah. So we.
- [02:27]
A
That could be a whole different.
- [02:28]
C
I have so many hobbies that same thing. Like, I have. I used to do dog collars and I have tons of dog collar making Things. I haven't made a dog collar in, you know, probably 10 years. So. Yeah, it's. It's crazy, the things we hang on to. Just in case. You never know.
- [02:43]
B
You never know.
- [02:44]
A
Truly, you never know. I missed a lot of that stuff. Yeah. Yeah. It's hard to get rid of it, too. I have. I still have all this stuff for like, sublimation or epoxy. I used to do epoxy tumblers and I would, like hand paint them with these crazy materials to look like actual wood and alcohol, inks and stuff. It was. And I love doing it, but I couldn't imagine sitting down and doing that right now. Why am I holding on to this stuff? I totally get it. I totally get it. Audra, what about you? If your creative journey right now was an FPP design, what would it be and why?
- [03:14]
B
Well, I think Julius and I are actually on the same wavelength. Mine was going to be a sunrise because I feel like I'm coming out of the nighttime of not only my creativity, but some of the things that were going on. And we're like, venturing into a new day, a new sunrise, a new excitement. So I think a sunrise feels very apropos. Definitely coming into the sunrise era. That's where I am.
- [03:40]
A
So an awakening.
- [03:42]
B
An awakening, Yes. I love that. Yes, an awakening. What about you, Bethany?
- [03:47]
A
Okay, well, mine might sound like a Debbie Downer. I put an umbrella with big raindrops only because I. I really like spring. And for me right now, if you can't tell, and if you hear me with a cough drop in my mouth today, I'm really sorry, my allergies. It's peak allergy season here in the south. It's just kicking off and it's really bad this season, but the rain really kind of washes it away. And all this rain is bringing us out of the winter gloom. It's bringing the sunshine, it's bringing the flowers. It's like you said, Audra, like this new growth, this new light. And this is like, probably while it's the worst season for me physically with my asthma, it is my favorite season of just seeing the new growth and things all the color come back and. And I also just really love to sew with florals this time of year. And I know that's right on the nose and kind of cliche with spring, but, like, it just is kind of getting me out of the winter gloom. And I. Even though I can't breathe half the time, I still love it. And so the rain showers for me are. Are not so bad. Because a lot of times here when we get those rain showers, I know it's coming, I know what it's feeding, I know what it's nurturing, and I'm ready for that. So for me, it was a positive, but it kind of sounds like a negative.
- [04:57]
B
It's not. I love the sound of rain. I was actually editing one of our podcast episodes this morning, and it was raining here. It's the first time it's rained since fall. And really this. Yeah, the sound of rain was beautiful. I'm like, oh, I haven't heard that sound in a while. So it was. It was. It was a nice, pleasant, meditative, dark morning with the pitter patter of rain.
- [05:15]
A
Yeah. Now, if only we could, like, just have some subtle rain and pretty flowers and no tornadoes. That would be great.
- [05:23]
B
That would be great. Yes.
- [05:24]
A
Julius knows what I'm talking about. He also lives in Tornado Alley in Oklahoma, and I'm in Tennessee. So, like, we're all get. We get it all. And yeah, that's the not so pretty side of springtime. But anyways. Yeah. Okay, so we're warmed up, and we're gonna jump right into some fun questions with Julius, because, you guys, if you're not following him, you need to be. So Julie's handmade over on Instagram, on YouTube. We're going to talk about all things foundation paper piecing with him today because that truly is his niche. I know he said he was. Kind of feels like he's all over the place sometimes, but you really have kind of narrowed into your niche of what you like to do and the colors you like to use. And it's really been fun for someone who's been following you for a long time to see you really come into yourself. And I'm like, your biggest cheerleader. So I think one of our first questions we wanted to kind of dive into is, like, when did quilting or design, like, first enter your life? Was it something early on? Is it something more recent? Kind of. How did you fall into foundation paper piecing and what you're doing today?
- [06:26]
C
So it's kind of a fun story.
- [06:28]
B
I.
- [06:29]
C
Like I mentioned before, I used to make dog collars, and that was my business. I actually had, like, an actual physical store where I sold dog collars and accessories that were all handmade by me. And one day, out of the blue, I just decided I wanted to make a quilt. Like, I had been on Pinterest a lot back then. This was about maybe nine years ago now, and I made my first Quilt block. It was just a very simple half square triangles kind of thing. And it was fun, but didn't love it. And then that was maybe in, like, in. In April. And then for Christmas that year, I decided to make some family some quilts. So I made two quilts, and they were traditionally pieced, and it was fine, but I still. I wasn't really loving it. But then I saw on Pinterest a unicorn pattern, which was by Quiet Play, who does fantastic patterns as well. And I couldn't believe that was quilting. I was like, ooh. Like, this is. This is amazing. I attempted that as my first pattern or my first FPP quilt and loved it. So, as with everything that I do, I kind of jumped in head first. And I decided after that first FPP pattern, I was going to design my own. So. So I kind of just jumped in. And this was, yeah, nine years ago about. And I've loved. I've loved it since, like, FPP is definitely what I do. I'll do a traditionally pieced quilt once in a while, but I don't have fun doing them, honestly. The fpp, though, I love, and I can, you know, really bang them out quickly and. And I don't know, I just feel like it's more mindless to me than doing traditional piecing, so. And more meditating.
- [08:03]
A
Have you ever mixed the two?
- [08:06]
C
Sometimes. Sometimes, like, if I was adding sashing between blocks or something like that, I would consider that kind of a mix between the two. I've never actually designed a quilt that was part FPP and then, like, part traditionally pieced, but I have thought about it, and I actually have plans to do something similar to that coming up soon, which I'm excited about. But, yeah, typically it's just F straight fpp, other than borders and, you know, things like that.
- [08:30]
B
So foundation paper piecing is not typically something perceived as beginner friendly. Like, it's very. It can be very intimidating to quilters. Oh. I was easily five to six years, maybe even like seven or eight years into my quilting journey before I jumped into fpp. I think I feel like it's like buttonholes for quilters. Other than seeing the design, what about it pushed you to tackle it and really stick with it?
- [08:55]
C
You know, I think maybe because I fell into it so early on in my quilting journey, I didn't have, like, the. I'm stuck in my ways with traditional piecing because I had only done two quilts and a couple blocks that I ended up. I don't even think I. I Still have the. The original quilt that I. That I started. But I think just jumping in the way that I did was really helpful because then I. I didn't have to, like, retrain my brain from traditional piecing to fpp.
- [09:23]
B
No preconceived notions hanging out there.
- [09:26]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
- [09:26]
C
But I do think that you can think of FPP more like traditional piecing, and I think when you do that, it does help to kind of make sense because it's a little. It is different, obviously, but I don't feel like it's so drastically different that, you know, people can't. It can't tackle it. I feel like my technique, at least the technique that I teach for. For my, like, beginner FPP classes really click with people, and I think that's. That's really helpful. So I think the technique matters. I think that, you know, kind of getting out of the mindset of I have to, you know, like, follow how I would do a traditional pattern, kind of getting out of that is also really helpful. But it's not. It's not as scary as it looks or as it seems.
- [10:08]
A
No. And would you say that there's been, like, there were early failures in your FPP journey that you, like, were able to learn from and that have, like, defined how you do fpp? Because there are more than one way, that there is more than one way to do fpp. I mean, like, you end up with the same result. Right. But, like, you and I have even talked about this, like, some of the differences in the way that I do it and you do it, and it's just based on the way we've learned and how it clicked in our brains. But have there been some things that you've taken from your experience, even early on in starting this journey, that has kind of shaped how you do it now and how you teach it?
- [10:42]
C
Yeah, absolutely. So the beginning, I will say the first one that I did was pretty successful. I took my time and did that. But. But I have done some that, like, I was getting really frustrated with what I love to do. So I. Everything I know I learned from YouTube. So, you know, I've. I've seen many videos on FPP. Some people, the way that they do it makes sense for them, does not make sense for me at all. I'm just. I. I just cannot wrap my head around how they're doing it or why they're doing it the way they are. And that's fine if it works for them, but what I've done is kind of take little bits from these different people. And I'm like, oh, I really like how, you know, they did this process and. But I'm going to change it a little bit so that it makes sense for me or incorporate other people's processes. And that does, it does really help. And I definitely have kind of grown on my FPP journey with how, how I do it. Like my technique today is not the same as when I started. So yeah, there's been a lot of evolving which I love. I love to learn new things. I love to hear how other people do things. That's.
- [11:42]
B
Yeah, you've talked a little bit about how you teach and we've talked about how FPP and what it means to you. So talk a little bit about Julia's Handmade as a brand, as yourself. What does that mean to you? Is it your style? Is it the community you're building? Is it both? Like, what is, what is Julia's Handmade? If you had to give someone your elevator speech?
- [12:04]
C
So it's a little bit of everything. So I, Julia's Handmade has evolved into where it's at now. It did not start here. So I've tried so many different things. So I've tried longarming for other people realize they don't like that. So I, I don't do that. I've done custom patterns for people realized I didn't love doing that, so I don't do that. So it really what Julius Handmade is me exploring these different facets of, of quilting where I can figure out what I love to do and only focus on that. So if it's something I don't love to do, I don't want to, I don't, don't want to do it right because I've created this business where now I'm able to do this as a full time job. But I do not want it to feel like work. Cuz once it feels like work to me, I don't want to want to do it anymore. It's not, it's not what I, I love and then it, it'll feel draining and all of that. And I want to make sure that this is something that I can do honestly for forever because I just, I love it so much and definitely building a community is super important to me. That's kind of been a huge like motivation and like for me to keep going. I feel like if I didn't have the community, I probably would give up. I'm so grateful for the community. I'm so grateful for, you know, these different Opportunities that I found. Teaching, which has been great, doing, like, guild presentations, which I love to do, meeting all these new people. Julie's Handmade will probably evolve more and change in all of this. But as long as I know that I'm doing what I enjoy doing and it's fun for me, that's what. That's what matters.
- [13:39]
B
That's the dream. That's absolutely the dream.
- [13:42]
A
Now, I'm gonna interject a fun story real quick, because I kind of teased this in our last episode leading into this one, but Julius and I met at Quilt Market for the first time in person. And we were at Sample Spree, and I was talking to some people, and I saw you walk by, and I did, like, a double take because I was like, I know him. Like, I watch all of his stuff. Like, I know him. And. And then it. And then I saw you. We made eye contact, but then I. Talking to someone, so I had to kind of, like, you know, not get distracted, which is so hard for me to do sometimes. And then we got done with that conversation, and then I was, like, walking all over Sample Spree and trying to find you. Like, I've got to find him. He. He couldn't have left already. And we've. I found you, and we chatted and we hugged, and we took some pictures. And then I was like, you're my buddy. Because it was your first time at a market like that, correct?
- [14:32]
C
Oh, yeah.
- [14:33]
A
And so we just hit it right off, and my friend Gabby was there for the first time as well. So the two of you had never been to a show like that. And this was my element. Like, I, I love talking to all these brands. I know a lot of the people. And so I, I. You guys were only there for a short amount of time, and I was like, what are your goals? What are your objectives? What do you want to get out of coming here? Because it, as a small business, like, it costs money to be there, you know? And I was like, what can I do to help you make some connections and feel like you're getting the most out of your time here? And. And I think at one point, because I'm like an Energizer Bunny in these shows. Like, I'm just bouncing all over the place, and you and Gabby, I'm just dragging you guys behind me, and I'm making introductions, and I walk off and let you guys have your chats, and then I circle back around and scoop you back up, and we go to the next one. And I'm trying to maximize your Time, right? Audra's laughing because she's like, yep, you gotta hustle. It's a. It's prime network time, networking time. And there's. You can't be shy or intimidated or scared. You just gotta. And sometimes it helps to have that soft introduction. Like, I'm over here going, oh, my gosh, you've got to meet Julius. This is what he does. And his work's amazing. And while you guys chat, I'm going to go grab a drink. I'll be right back, or whatever. And I'm, like, standing right around the corner just waiting and chilling and waiting for you guys to finish your conversation so I can take you on to the next one. But I think at one point, and correct me if I'm wrong, but you were, like, leaned over to Gabby or grabbed Gabby. Like, does she stop? Are we going to eat food today? I am going to pass out.
- [16:01]
C
I was like, I need lunch. I will say, I'm so grateful for you for. For Quilt Market, because you definitely, like, I would not have met as many people as I did if it was not.
- [16:11]
A
And you were only there for, like, a day.
- [16:13]
C
Right. And I'm. I'm more on the shy side and find it difficult to, like, go and, like, just introduce myself to random people. So having you was great.
- [16:22]
A
But then afterwards, I'm like, I. I apologize. I think I still apologize to you sometimes because I just felt so bad. I'm like, I have to remember, not everybody functions at this level of ADHD that I do. No, not everybody has that energy level to. Or that comfort level. And I was like, oh, my God. He's probably. He's probably so, like, uncomfortable. And I. He probably is mad at me. Like, I hurt his feeling. Like, I don't want anybody to not like me. Like, I just immediately started to feel horrible. Horrible, because I just got so excited for you because I see all the things that you should be doing and could be doing, and I wanted you to maximize that because I. I just was so excited for you to be there and to take the time to invest in yourself. Like, that was a big leap to begin with. And I was like, no, no, no, no, let's go.
- [17:08]
C
I. I'm so grateful for you. So do not feel that way at all because. And I hope I didn't make you feel that way because I was so happy when. If it wasn't for you, I would just be, like, wandering around and, you know, I made some really amazing connections because of you. And once we ate lunch, I was happy Again, like, ready to go. It was great. I was very, very grateful for you.
- [17:29]
A
You and Gabby both. I was like, man, sorry, guys, but I just. I wanted you guys to maximize your time. I had plenty of time that I was staying the whole show. I could do my networking later. I really love supporting such creative people that I love so much and. And are just amazing human beings, and. And I was like, oh, I've got a. I've got it. So, first of all, I'm sorry again. I won't apologize again, but. Sorry again. But I will say this. When I saw you at, like, quiltcon, for example, you were still, like, out there networking and doing your thing, and it just. I felt like maybe just having dove in headfirst at that show kind of helped you understand how to tackle future ones where you don't need anybody in making those introductions for you anymore. And you and I were texting just the other day, and you are now, what, a Binortex ambassador, which is amazing. I am so excited.
- [18:22]
C
Thank you. Yeah. Quilt Con was probably the best experience, like, ever in my quilt journey. Like, as far as the amount of people that I met, the people that I have followed for forever on Instagram and YouTube and all of that, getting to meet them, but then having people come up to me and be like, oh, my God, I follow you. Like, can I get a picture? It was. It was really a confidence boost, and I needed that because, again, I'm very, like, shy and reserved and introverted, and having that kind of really forced me out of my shell, and then it gave me more confidence to go meet more people. And, yeah, I get the Benetex ambassador, which is amazing. And, you know, I'm going to be working with Aliso and, you know, some other. Other companies as well. So as. I'm very grateful because you. You helped me in Houston, and it kind of allowed me to. To grow a little bit and. And fend for myself, and it's gas
- [19:17]
B
in the creative tank.
- [19:18]
A
Yeah. Really, truly, it fills your cup. But, like, I just felt like a mama bird pushing my little babies out of the nest because I just know you can fly. And now I'm seeing you fly, and it's just full circle for me to just. And I'm just so proud. And I didn't mean to completely, like, derail our conversation, but I just thought it was worth mentioning that when you were talking about community, like, your community can be the people you're teaching that are learning from you, because that's always rewarding. But your community can also Be people who are doing what you're doing or doing similar things in different niches that want to see you win just as much, you know, if not more. And so for anyone who's listening, you're like, I can't find my people. Like, we're here. We want to help you. We want to support you. We truly believe that there's a space for everyone to win in this community, because everybody's creativeness needs to be seen and heard. So, Benartex, you've got an ambassadorship with them, and I kind of want to dive back into, like, the designs that are your niche. And you're like, if I see a Julius handmade quilt in the wild, I know it's yours, whether someone else made it or, I mean, I know it's your pattern. Right. And so, like, let's talk about what defines your style of designs for fpp. Not just with the colors, but, like, the types, the styles, geometric shapes, all of that stuff.
- [20:35]
C
Yeah. So, I mean, completely ever evolving with my style. A. I started doing just random little things. Like, I'd find clip art and be like, oh, that would be a cute quilt. And then I'd use that to. To create stuff. And that was kind of how I. How I started. My first patterns are, you know, kind of very simple and very. Just very. No, as exciting. But as I've evolved,
- [20:59]
A
like, you can't design a Phoenix as your first quilt, right?
- [21:03]
C
Oh, no, absolutely. And it's. And it's definitely been a learning curve. Like I said, I've done it for about eight years, and I did take two years off of quilting. And when I got back into it, something different clicked in my mind when I was designing, and it actually, like, I feel like it took my. My designs to, like, a next level. So only about. I guess it's been two years. Well, three years almost. So I quit my job in November of 2023 and had no idea what I was going to do. And I actually went on a meditation retreat for 10 days. And it was. You're literally meditating for 10 hours a day. 10 days for 10 days. And through that after have. And that's. At this point, I had not done quilting for two years. I was getting visions of quilt blocks that I was like, ooh, I need to design this. And as soon as I got home, I started to design these different quilt blocks. And from there, it just kind of blew up where I was not expecting that this was going to be what I ended up doing. And I am so grateful for It. But as I was kind of getting back into. Into designing, really kind of, I was trying to bring in a little bit of, like, a spirituality, I guess, theme into some of my. My quilt blocks. And then I get people asking, hey, like, I would love a merman, for example, because there's not really any merman, like, quilt patterns. And so then I. I designed that with fpp, right? We're designing using just straight lines, so there's. You can make, like, faux curves, but they're all straight lines. And so you kind of have to do it a little, like, make it feel a little bit geometric. So having these, like, the random triangles and things like that really helps to kind of get the overall effect with the pattern. I only ever started doing big quilts probably two years ago when I started after this meditation retreat and fell in love with that. So then that became kind of my. I want to do big quilts. I want to do, you know, these big FPP things. So they had never done a big FPP project before. And I like a lot of color. The themes vary. So I get a lot of inspiration just, like, laying in bed at night, and I'm, like, scrolling through my phone and Pinterest or an idea will come in, and I'm looking for, like, different reference photos and things like that that I can, you know, kind of take. Take ideas from. I wouldn't say that I have, like, a specific. At least to me, I don't feel like I have a specific style. I can really do most anything. One thing that I want to tackle, though, is doing, like, portraits. So I've. I've, like, taught people how to do portraits. I've never actually done one myself, though, which is weird. It's kind of. Kind of cool. But.
- [23:44]
A
Yeah.
- [23:45]
C
So, like, I feel like my style is ever evolving, so it's hard for me to, like, pinpoint, like, oh, this is what it is, because the next pattern could be completely different. But I love that you recognize my patterns when you see it out in the wild. I love to see people use my patterns, but get creative with it. So, like, if they're not following the same colors that I'm using or they're, you know, doing, like, some people will add, like, little things here and there on my. My patterns, and I love that. I just. I feel like it's so fun to see other people be creative and just use my. My patterns as, like, a base for that. But you will see, if you see a Julia's handmade pattern, there's gonna be lots of color One thing that I love, and maybe the reason I love FPP the most, is that you can get so much detail, and I love putting the detail into my patterns without going too crazy. Cause sometimes it does get a little difficult to sew when you have too much detail. But, yeah, it's that detail that I really love.
- [24:38]
B
You gave me a perfect segue because my next question was going to be about color.
- [24:42]
C
Okay.
- [24:43]
B
Your use of color is stunning.
- [24:47]
C
Thank you.
- [24:47]
B
And so what do those rainbows, those saturated palettes, how does that work into your process? Is that part of the design from the beginning? Is it something that comes in at the end? Like, what is that part of your inspiration and design process?
- [25:03]
C
Yeah. So, yeah, I love color. I love rainbow specifically. But saturated, like, jewel tones, those are. That's my jam. And I. I will say I usually color at the very end. And the coloring that I do goes through so many different, like, iterations. So what you see in my patterns probably took, like, 10 or, like, different colorways that I've tried just to get it, you know, perfect to what I. What I like. And it's a process. It definitely is. I do look at, like, different, like, color inspiration or, like, color palettes to use. So this is my. Where is it here? My logo. And I like to incorporate those colors specifically into a lot of my designs, just because then I feel like it fits. Yeah. So that's one. Yeah. The. My rainbow wings.
- [25:51]
A
For those who are listening, I have his rainbow wings sticker on my cup. I have all of your stickers, because I love that you take some of your popular designs and turn them into stickers, like the Merman or Julius King. Julius. So, like, I have all of those. But, yeah, I love. Like Audra was saying, like, you're used to color, but you. You and I were talking about this the other day. It's like you. I like to work with solids, especially for fpp. But you lean into other blenders, I guess we could say, to get more texture into your designs. Talk to us a little bit about that, because I think a lot of people see FPP and they think they have to use solids, but you don't. You actually kind of stay away from solids as much as possible. So explain that to us, because that's a different. That gives your quilts again and more identifiable look.
- [26:40]
C
Yes. So I have only ever used solids in one project, and that was because it was requested that I use solids. Other than that, I have. I have not used solids.
- [26:50]
A
Twisted your arm.
- [26:52]
C
Honestly, I will say I enjoyed using solids. Because of the lack of right and wrong side. That did make FPP easy. And if I'm teaching it, you know, I. It is nice to be like, if you use that like solids, you don't need to, you know, worry. But I will say I really like the, like, tone on tone blender fabrics. Like, the quilt behind me is not. There's no solid fabric in there, but it reads solid, but gives a little bit of, you know, something else, too. A little texture, a little movement. So I do a lot of blender fabrics. I do a lot of really small print polka dots, you know, things like that. It's not going to distract from. From the overall quilt, but it just. Yeah, it gives it a little something extra. And I've always been a fan of that kind of fabric over doing the solids. Will I use solids here and there? Maybe. Like, if I didn't have the perfect gray, for example, but I had a solid, that was that. I'll. I'll incorporate it into a piece. But I've only ever done one quilt out of solids. And it's beautiful. And, you know, I definitely. I love it, but I.
- [27:53]
B
You're like, it's too bland for me.
- [27:54]
C
Well, I think about it. I'm like, like, maybe I'm going to redo this and do it in blender fabric so I can see, like, the difference and have, like, a side.
- [28:02]
A
Because I think a great comparison.
- [28:04]
C
I think that would be really cool.
- [28:06]
A
Yeah.
- [28:06]
C
But then it's also doing a pattern like a quilt twice, which I. I'm not the biggest fan of repeating a pattern.
- [28:12]
A
Me neither.
- [28:13]
C
I will if I need to, but it. It's not my favorite thing. I'm always on to the next. What's next? What's next? You know?
- [28:18]
A
Yep.
- [28:19]
B
I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I've repeated a project, whether it's apparel or bags or quilts. I. I just don't. I, like, make it cool. Move on.
- [28:29]
C
Yep.
- [28:30]
A
I always jokingly say, like, if you see me make something more than once, it's really good and you should make it same. Like, it's. And that is rare. And I can probably count on, like, two or three fingers how many things I've made more than once.
- [28:43]
B
Bethany's just trying to one up me.
- [28:45]
A
No, I'm good. I'm like, I can do one hand.
- [28:48]
B
I can do two or three fingers.
- [28:49]
A
I. Well, I have a shirt that I've made twice. And it's funny, like, I made it twice because I loved it so much, but now I Don't ever wear it. So you know, I have a tank
- [28:57]
B
top pattern I've made like three or four times.
- [28:59]
A
Pajamas. I make the same pajamas every time, but like nobody sees those. They're my pajamas. It's fine. I don't know. Anyways, okay, so let's talk about how the tools you use to create your fpp. And not. And not just the physical tools, but like also the digital tools. So you and I have talked about this a few times. There's so many different paths to designing fpp. So I guess let's start with the technical side of like the design and then we can jump into your favorite tools or must haves for actually creating and sewing FPP.
- [29:34]
C
Yeah. Oh yeah, absolutely. So I was using EQ8 for the longest time to design my patterns because I had a Mac computer and that's what I could use and it was fine. I like EQ8 for certain things for FPP design, it's a little bit finicky or there's some workarounds that you need to do, which was fine. I was exclusively using that for like six years. And then I got a Windows computer and found Quilt Assistant. So Quilt Assistant is what I would consider specifically created for FPP design. And I love it. It's not perfect and I don't think there is a perfect program for FPP design, but it's great. And that's actually one of the programs that I teach as well. It's wonderful. But then like, for doing a lot of like the pattern write up and getting like the images and all of that so that you know, it's very clear how to piece this, this pattern together. I use mostly free software, so Quilt Assistant is actually free as well. And then I use Inkscape, which is free, and I use a program called gimp, which is also free. And between those three, I'm able to get what I need for each pattern. It's definitely easier than it looks because Quilt Assistant is an older. Like I don't think they've done any updates since 2013. I want to say it's very. It's. It's. You get what you paid for. It's free. But I like it. It works great for me. There are some workarounds, things like that, but. But it's really fun. So those are really the programs that I use Microsoft Word. I actually write up all my patterns in Microsoft Word. I just haven't. I'm just so used to Microsoft Word that it just makes sense. And a lot of people use like Illustrator or even Canva or something like that. Uh, but yeah, it's, it's. That's basically all that I use. Quilt Assistant and those other other free programs.
- [31:27]
A
That's awesome. Now, when it comes to like, tools.
- [31:31]
C
Yes.
- [31:31]
A
Like, what is like if you were to sit down to do an FPP pattern right now? What are like the must haves that you have to have within arm's reach to be able to successfully create an FPP pattern? I know there's things that we always like or love to have, but like the things that you're like, bare minimum, I have to have these things to be able to sit down and start.
- [31:53]
C
So first is a sewing machine that has a thread cutter, like an automatic thread cutter. To me, that has changed my life when it comes to fpp. I don't think that I would enjoy doing FPP if I did not have that. I just feel like it would be such a, such a pain. So definitely a machine with a thread cutter. That's my number one. Other little tools, like having an add a quarter ruler is really nice. Not necessary, but it definitely helps. So a lot of people, when they do fpp, every time you sew a piece of fabric on, they'll take it to the iron and press it open or whatever. I don't like to do that. So I have a little seam roller that I can just like, you know, roll flat so then I don't have any issue. And then I take it at the end and I'll press it. So really having that, that seam roller is a must have for me and a good rotary cutter. But honestly, that's. I can get away with, with just that and, and have a good time. Obviously a cutting mat too, but I travel a lot for, for this and I have like a separate, like, set of tools that travel with me and I have just a little setup that I keep in front of me and it works perfectly. You don't need a lot to be able to do foundation paper piecings to successfully. I mean, you don't need even the stuff that I'm mentioning. It's just they're nice to have and I, I enjoy it. But the thread cutter, to me, if you can get a thread cutter, a machine with a thread cutter, it's. It's a game changer.
- [33:16]
B
For those that are listening to this episode and are like, okay, I am ready to try foundation paper piecing, I'm ready to give it a go. It doesn't sound as scary anymore. Thanks to Julius giving me the pep talk. What is the one mistake that you see first timers do that you would love to be like, look out for this and you'll be better off. Like, what's that one piece of advice you'd give first timers?
- [33:42]
C
I'm going to give two. Okay. Because there are two things that I find a lot with people. One is that they are not understanding the pattern pieces and how they're labeled and things like that. So they end up using, like, either the wrong fabric or they're using the. The. Or going in the wrong order. Because every designer is different. So every. Every FPP designer, they do things a little bit differently, and it can get confusing. So make sure you're reading the instructions, but you also understand what the pattern piece is telling you. You know, if there's a color code, if. And then there's the order of piecing that you need to follow. Make sure that you're paying attention to that. Another thing is a lot of people, when they first start, they. They have issues with covering the entire piece with the fabric. Like, they'll have little gaps in their. In their pieces, and that is very much avoidable. The technique that I use, you'll never have that issue. So I would kind of either look at different techniques to see what. What works for you, but also use bigger pieces of fabric to start just to make sure that it's going to cover the whole. The whole section. Those are the two biggest things. Right. Like everything else, it takes some practice, and it takes, you know, like, getting into the flow and. But you'll. You'll get it. And it's very. It's not as scary as it looks. Those are the two issues that I see the most with new FPP sewers.
- [35:01]
A
When you're for fpp, like, truly, like, it's the same step over and over and over again. And the more you do it, the more it becomes rhythmic.
- [35:11]
C
Yep. And then the cool thing about it is if you can learn using a very simple pattern, like I. And I have some free patterns on my website as well that are very simple and, and easy to do. But once you kind of master. Master that you can do any FPP pattern, there's no. Technique's not. Not going to change. It's the same technique. There just might be more pieces or smaller pieces or bigger pieces, but it's all the same technique.
- [35:34]
B
When you're teaching in your classes and you see people taking that leap with you, do you ever see mindset shift when they learn your technique and you see the light bulb go off above Their heads.
- [35:46]
C
Yes. And often they tell me like, oh, my God, it's like, it's clicking. And I'm like, oh, that's so good. Yes. I have had many people that. And they've done FPP before, and they're like, I hate fpp, like, it's not my thing, blah, blah, blah. And then I will teach them my technique. And then they're like, w. Like, this has changed everything for me. Like, it's, it's. It clicks and it's, it makes sense and I'm able to, to do it. And I honestly, I love that so much. I love to see people, like, kind of being like, I hate it. And then leaving my class being like, this was great. I can't wait to do, you know, the next one. And then they buy a bunch of my patterns, which is amazing.
- [36:21]
B
I drink the Kool Aid.
- [36:22]
A
I'm glad I'm ready.
- [36:23]
B
Let's go.
- [36:24]
A
Yeah.
- [36:24]
C
And it's. Yes, it's really fun to see that in that little, like, light bulb moment for them. And I, I'm very patient when I teach too, and I think that really helps. And I give a lot of, like, one on one help. Like, if you're, if you're struggling, I'm gonna come and I'm gonna help you. And it's gonna click by the end of the class. That's my one goal, is I want you to be comfortable and could take this home and do an FPP project by the end of the class. And I don't. At least they haven't told me that I failed on that front. So that's like, don't tell me. But everyone seems to be really happy with it.
- [36:59]
A
Yeah, it's definitely a technique that takes patience not just from the student, but from the teacher as well. Because you can. You have to. Everybody learns at a different pace. Right. And I've seen it where I've been in a group setting and we're all learning it together. And it may click faster for me and slower for the person sitting next to me. And I've seen people get frustrated or feel like they're just not good enough. And that's not the case. It is a backwards way of sewing, but if you think of it as like, paint by numbers, sew by numbers, and you just take it one piece at a time. It's. It's okay. It's okay. I always like, it's, oh, it's gonna be. Oh, you got. It's a trust. The process and teaching is very new
- [37:42]
C
to me, so I'VE only started teaching, like, for. It's been about a year since I've been teaching fpp. And I'm also evolving as a teacher. And I'm also, you know, I love getting the feedback, especially if. If there's, you know, someone struggling and, like, I need to teach it a different way or I need, you know, like, I love getting that feedback because it is new to me and I. I'm not somebody that's, like, this is how I teach. And that's, you know, if you can't get it, that's on you. You know, I definitely am somebody that can evolve and adapt to, you know, whatever people need.
- [38:12]
A
Yeah. Meet them where they're at. So you, you mentioned your free patterns, but you also do a block of the month each year. So kind of tell us a little bit about what that is, how that works and how people can find that.
- [38:26]
C
Okay, so I. Last year I did a block of the month. It was my first year. I launched my website on January 1st, so I wanted to get people to my website. So I offered a free block of the month. And they were individual blocks kind of representing that month. And that was really fun. Those patterns are now available on my Etsy. So if anybody missed that, but you'd still like to participate, you can find them there. But I also have a block of the month for this year, which is different than last year because it's one, like, cohesive quilt. So once it's finished, it'll just be one, you know, scene. It's called I'll Be youe Quilt For All Seasons. And it's broken up into four quadrants representing each season. And it's really fun. And we're actually doing it. I should call it Row. Row of the Month because it's done in rows and not individual blocks. And so far, that's really fun. You can sign up on my website, which is just juliushandmade.com There is, I think right now I have like 94 people doing it, which is fantastic.
- [39:22]
A
Awesome. Awesome.
- [39:22]
C
And so in with this Block of the Month, you also belong to a private group on my, my website. And what's cool about that is that people are able to, like, post pictures of their, you know, their row that they're finishing or whatever, ask questions, get feedback, things like that. So it's been really fun because I love to see, like, again, people doing my. My projects and kind of making them their own. And so when people are posting and participating in that group, it just makes me so happy. So that's. You know, that's why I'm doing. I'm going to continue to do these block of the months because they're just, they're really fun.
- [39:54]
A
Yeah. And not to completely skip, but like on your website, since you were mentioning it, you did bring a discount code for our Social hour listeners, for our podcast listeners. So if they go to your website and want to shop your patterns, they'll get 20% off, which it takes them to your Etsy. So your patterns are on Etsy, but they can get to it through your website.
- [40:14]
C
Exactly.
- [40:15]
A
And if they use code Social Hour S E W C I A L H O U R they'll get 20 off your patterns. And that's through the end of April, which was very generous of Julius to pass it along to our amazing listeners. So if you guys are curious or want to maybe start with some of his, like download a couple of the free ones and practice watch his videos, learn how he teaches and then go grab some of his patterns because I know he's going to want to see your interpretation of them and your color choices as well. So go take advantage of that. That's through the end of April and we'll put a link to all of that and the details in the show, notes in the description. But I just wanted to throw it out there while we were talking about your website.
- [40:50]
C
Thank you. Yeah. And so also just to throw it out there too, for those that are new to fpp, like, I'm a very approachable person. Feel free to message me. Feel free to, you know, follow me on Instagram. You can message me there or through my website or whatever. And if you have questions, you need some help or anything like that, I can, you know, do my, do my best from where I am to help you with that. If you have ideas for videos you'd like to see, like, please let me know. Like, I'm definitely focused on, you know, helping everybody feel comfortable with fpp because not only is that going to kind of give you all this brand new, like creative outlet, but then, you know, maybe you'll come and buy some of my patterns or take some of my classes or whatever. And that's really fun too.
- [41:29]
A
Yes, for sure.
- [41:30]
B
Awesome. All right, so we have some rapid fire questions for you.
- [41:34]
C
Oh, gosh. Okay.
- [41:37]
B
No pressure.
- [41:38]
C
Okay.
- [41:39]
B
These, this is meant to be fun. Okay. Your favorite tool for precise seams.
- [41:45]
C
Oh, my gosh. I would say that's a hard one. I would probably say the thread that I use actually really helps. So I use a thinner thread. I use Glide. I want To. It's. Is it 80 weight? Is that the. The. The thinner? But that really helps because then you don't have the. The thread kind of giving bulk on the seams. And that's really nice. But you also. I'm a pinner over a clipper, so some people use those little clips. I do not use those clips at all. I always use pins. And that. That also helps a lot.
- [42:16]
B
I use pin bit clips for bag making, but not me. One foundational technique every quilter should master.
- [42:25]
A
Ooh.
- [42:25]
C
Okay. Working with bias cuts, I think that is something that can be really difficult. So, you know, maybe doing some half square triangles or. I don't know what else would require a bias cut. I can't think. I can't think of one. But doing that, because you're going to be doing a lot of that with fpp, and you don't want to stretch your fabrics and this and that. What's nice with FPP is that you're kind of sewing onto paper, so you don't have as much stretch, but depending on the technique that you follow. That was one thing that really I struggled with. I was like, I cannot get these, like, these. These squares. When I was doing half square triangles to be square. And it's because I was. I was having issues with. With my bias guts and stretching.
- [43:04]
B
Favorite sewing snack.
- [43:05]
C
Ooh. Okay. I'm. I'm a salty versus sweet kind of guy. So if I have a bag of salt and vinegar lays, salt and vinegar chips, or salt and vinegar Pringles, that's. That's all I need.
- [43:18]
B
Okay. A color combo. You never get tired of rainbow?
- [43:23]
C
Anything rainbow. But it. But I will say it has to be rainbow order. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. That if it's out of order, it kind of drives me crazy. So there needs to be some order, and it has to be rainbow order
- [43:36]
B
pattern you designed that scared you the most.
- [43:38]
C
Ooh. I would say probably my very first big foundation paper piecing pattern, because I'd never done one before. I'd never sewn one before. And that was my stained glass window quilt. And that is one of my absolute favorite patterns. But when I started it, I was like, oh, this is a big undertaking to sew, like, because it's a big project. That was. That was scary. But it was fun, and I'm glad that I did it.
- [44:02]
B
Okay, we're gonna end it with a softball. Your favorite TV show right now.
- [44:06]
C
Oh, my gosh. You know what's funny is I watch the same shows over and over and over. Again, I would say probably a toss up between Schitt's Creek, which is really funny, or I've been watching a lot of Will and Grace on repeat, but the older series before they did the reboot, those are my two go tos.
- [44:25]
B
I think Schitt's Creek. You can never go wrong with Schitt's Creek.
- [44:28]
C
That's so funny.
- [44:30]
B
No, you can never go wrong. I mean, I could watch clips of like David and Alexis on repeat over and over and over again.
- [44:36]
C
It's so good. If you haven't seen it, like, you gotta watch it.
- [44:39]
B
You gotta watch it. And especially now that Catherine o' Hara has past. It's just an ode to her magic. Especially her and Eugene Lovey together. Yeah, yeah, she's great.
- [44:52]
A
I have a question for like our little stitch and chair segment of what are you currently working on right now? Like, what's on your sewing table? What is Julius going to be sewing on today when we get done recording?
- [45:05]
C
So, you know what's funny is right after this, I'm going to a sew day with my guild and I do not have a project started or like ready to go. And I'm like, I don't know what I'm going to do. So I have tons of patterns in the works. I probably have probably 10 or 15 that like have started. And I'm like, I got to get these, these done. My next one I think is going to be an octopus, which I'm really excited about. A big, A really big quilt. So that one is going to be kind of the first like pattern that I get ready. But as far as what I'm sewing, like, I don't really. I've been so busy. We had Quiltcon and then there was, you know, the week of recovery from Quiltcon and then cleaning sewing room and all of that that I haven't like, haven't had a pattern to, you know, get together to get together so I could sew it up. So I think I'm going to. I'm doing the ramble block of the month, which is actually not all FPP and so stepping outside of my comfort zone a little bit. But I think that's what I'm going to take with me today. But you will see some really fun patterns coming out and I'm going to be doing some video tutorials as I'm doing those patterns or like sew along kind of things. So that's going to be really fun. It just. Yeah.
- [46:13]
A
In your bag.
- [46:16]
C
I'm sorry, my quiltcon bag. If Anybody was at Quiltcon and saw me carrying my, my little messenger bag with my stickers. I will be doing a pattern for that. And then my logo, which is this over here, this J is, this is my logo. But I want to create a whole Alphabet in this kind of style. So that's also another half done pattern that I'm, I'm excited to release as well.
- [46:36]
A
I mentioned the bag because I loved it so much at Quilt Con and I was like, I need that.
- [46:41]
C
He's going to be one of my testers.
- [46:44]
A
Not to put pressure on you, but I really want that back for agency. It was so nice.
- [46:50]
C
Yeah, I. Okay. That's also a priority of mine, so. And it's easy.
- [46:54]
A
I'm gonna text you later and be like, where's, where's, how's the pattern going?
- [46:57]
C
Right. I will get that. Maybe I need to just focus on making. Making that today.
- [47:02]
A
You focus on whatever you want to focus on. I'm just giving you a hard time wherever your crate creativity takes you. But I love that you carve out time to sew with others in just a fun, casual way. Because I think a lot of people who do what we do, it's like you feel like you always are having to work on something and you don't always prioritize just slowing down, being around other people. Not being the one that's teaching, but just the one sitting and sewing with like minded people. Like, we need that too. And yeah, yeah. When you told me you're like, good for you.
- [47:34]
C
Yeah. Having the community, like I said earlier, is so important to me. And so I do a lot of retreats. I do a lot of SO days. We'll get together at friends houses. This one is for my guild. So we're, you know, getting together. We're at like a church that we rent for the guild meetings. And it's just fun to get together and see what other people are working on and then. And I love to support my friends that also are trying to make businesses out of what they're doing. So, like the Ramble quilt is through my, my friend Foxy's kits and quilts. And so she's hosting this. So I'm like, even though it's not FPP and it's not what I do, I want to support you. I'm gonna come and I'm gonna, you know, we do so days, once a month for that specific, you know, block for that month or whatever. But it's the community. I love it so much and it motivates me to like, keep going. So if I'm just sitting at home designing all day and not, like, interacting with people, I'm gonna be miserable. So having the.
- [48:26]
A
You're more of an extrovert than you think. Well, in your own way.
- [48:30]
C
Yeah, I think. Yeah. An introverted extrovert, I would say.
- [48:34]
A
Yeah, totally. Totally.
- [48:37]
B
So we usually wrap up our episodes. I shouldn't say usually. We always. We always wrap up our episodes with. You love to see it and you love to see it is just us talking about something that's happening right now that we are just really loving. It doesn't have to be anything sewing related. Mine today is absolutely not. So who wants to start?
- [48:55]
C
Okay, I can start. I'm happy to start.
- [48:57]
B
Okay, do it, Julius.
- [48:58]
C
Okay, so I told you all earlier about the Benartex ambassador. That was like a huge thing that just happened yesterday, which was. I'm super excited about. It's my first time doing anything like that, but earlier in the week. So as an introvert, that's what I consider myself. I struggle with doing video. And I will say I went live for the first time on YouTube on the first. So I think that was Sunday. And it was really fun and I had a good time and I'm wanting to do a lot more of that. And so I'm really proud of myself for just like I'm doing it. I'm going live. Like, that's just. That's what's going to happen. It was short and sweet, but it was kind of my step. Exactly.
- [49:35]
B
So gotta start somewhere.
- [49:37]
C
Now that I know how that is all working, I'm going to continue to do. To do those so that I was really happy with and enjoyed.
- [49:45]
A
Good. My. You'll love to see. It is the week that this is airing. I am going to be heading out to my first Sew with me retreat of 2026. So I have three Sew With Me retreats and then I have three additional retreats with the little golden fox. So six total retreats this year. And my first one is finally here and I'm so excited. We're making quilted shoes. And I just, like Julius has been saying, like, just being around in person, the teaching, like, it's a lot of work. But gosh, it fills my cup as an educator. I love it so, so much. And it makes all the hard work and the prep and the stress and all of it totally worth it. And I walk away with a bunch of new sewing friends. So I'm just excited to get the car loaded and I've got All these fun surprises for my group and I cannot wait. So, yeah, that's. That's my love to see it is I get to go sew with friends in person this week and I've missed that. So, Audra, what's your. You love to see it.
- [50:44]
B
Well, I am probably going to give away when we recorded this episode with my. You love to see it. Mine is not sewing related. Mine is specifically related to the Sarah J. Maas universe because we got big news this week. We did that ACOTAR book 6 and 7 is coming out in October and January. So if anyone.
- [51:03]
A
You love to see it.
- [51:04]
C
I know.
- [51:05]
B
Well, it's mine. And this, this timing actually works out perfectly for me because I am currently in Throne of Glass. I just finished Heir of Fire actually last night, so I am like halfway ish through Throne of Glass. So I'm thinking this is going to work out perfect for me. Selfishly, I'll finish out Throne of Glass and then restart reading Acotar and then that should bring me right up to like six coming out in October.
- [51:31]
A
Have you read the Crescent City series?
- [51:34]
B
Yes. Yep.
- [51:35]
A
I have not. I tried to read. So I did Throne of Glass first, then Acotar and then I tried to read Crescent City right after Acotar and I just could not get into it because of like, we talked about this.
- [51:46]
B
You gotta try it. So I did.
- [51:49]
A
I'm gonna do it again, but I'm gonna start with Crescent City this time and get through Crescent City and then reread Acotar right before I would do it the other.
- [51:57]
B
Yeah.
- [51:58]
A
Cuz like, no, I tried it the other way last time and I hated Crescent City for it.
- [52:02]
B
So I did Acotar and Crescent City and Throne of Glass.
- [52:06]
A
Yeah.
- [52:06]
B
And I'm not gonna say why I did it that order, but. But there is a reason why I did it that order because I don't want to give it away for anybody.
- [52:13]
A
And I've already read Acotar, so for me it's just a reread. So I feel like I'm just trying to get into Crescent City a second time.
- [52:19]
B
Just. It is tough because it's world building and it takes time, but I promise you, it is worth it. So that is my love to see it because. All right, I love reading. I read every single day. So that's my love to see it. So I'm the audience, Julius. Yeah. I'm a physical book girl. Julius, let's wrap up the episode. Tell us what's coming up for you, what patterns you've Coming out workshops, classes. What do you want to tell our audience about?
- [52:45]
C
So I teach foundation paper piecing design classes. I do have a class coming up. By the time this airs, it'll be too late to join. However, I will be offering them pretty much quarterly. And basically, I'm going to teach you how to use Quilt Assistant. I'm going to walk you through the basics of foundation paper piecing, pattern design, how to use all the different tools available in Quilt Assistant, and then also a little bit of my process for writing up my patterns. So that's really fun. So look out for that. I'm going to be doing a lot of retreats coming up. My next one is actually the end of March. I'm going to be in Georgia teaching my. My angel wings, which is really fun. But if any of you have a guild that you would like me to come speak at and do a workshop, please reach out to me. I would love to do that. If you have, like, a retreat center that you'd love to, you know, have me come teach for a few days, I would love that as well. I just, I love doing retreats and speaking and all of that. So those are some big things coming up. And then I have a bunch of patterns coming out, so be on the lookout for that if you're not following me on Instagram. That's what I use most often for social media. And I'm juliushandmade, so definitely check me out there and you'll see a lot of really fun things coming up.
- [53:58]
A
And don't forget to use the code SocialHour to get 20% off of his patterns through the end of April, which was very generous of you to share that with our. Our listeners. So go take advantage of that. I. I will be. Because I want to do more fpp. I love it. I just love that I don't have to cut out pieces precisely before I jump into sewing. I can just get right to the fun sewing. So thank you for sharing so much of, like, your process and your. Everything that you do is just Chef's kiss. And we're excited to see you continue to, like, grow and do more. And if you guys again, are not following Julius, you really should be is paid to loan. It will be inspirational. If you're ever feeling down in the dumps, just go look at his page. All the color will cheer you right up. So thank you so much for being here.
- [54:41]
C
Thank you guys both. This was fantastic. I had such a good time.
- [54:44]
A
Good.
- [54:44]
B
It was an absolute pleasure. Pleasure to have you. Please go follow Julius on Instagram, please reach out to him. Bring him to your guilds, your retreats, your workshops. He is an incredible teacher and it'll make you fall in love with foundation paper piecing or fall in love with it all over again if you stepped away from it. And thank you for listening. Follow us on all of our normal socials, which we talk about every time. The Social Sew Facebook group at the Social Hour podcast on Instagram. And again, thank you for joining us and everyone have a great couple weeks. Happy sewing.
- [55:20]
A
Bye.
- [55:21]
C
Thank you. Bye.