Julie Arrowood lives in the Minneapolis, MN area and has been making quilts for many year. After trying various paper piecing patterns, taking classes, and testing out new techniques, she has commented that there was a time she felt paper piecing just was not for her, which was bittersweet…bitter because she was always drawn to the intricacy of design that could be accomplished through paper piecing and sweet because her frustrations with the techniques she had attempted has been highly disappointing.

However, in May of 2006, on her way to a Quilt Retreat in Butte, Montana with a group of friends, she stopped at a quilt shop in Hill City, South Dakota and her and a friend decided to sign up for a Judy Niemeyer workshop being offered the following week. They returned to Minnesota, from Montana on a Sunday, turned around and drove back to Hill City, SD on a Wednesday, and despite being extremely tired, she’s been hooked ever since!

She emphasizes that this time around, with paper piecing, it was Judy’s classroom instruction, her thorough written instructions, the added tips and hints that you get from the class, and the attention Judy puts into organizing her pattern, picking tools, and paying attention to the details that just make a quilt go together better.

Since that time, she’s advocated Judy’s patterns and techniques, helped friends get started, has thoroughly enjoyed watching them realize how capable they are, with the right tools and methods, at completing something they previously considered an impossible pattern.

She applied to become a Certified Instructor to help others get past the “I don’t do paper piecing” attitude because their first experience may not have been a good one. She feels strongly that the certification will give her the training and tools to help others start and enjoy the process. She is also hoping to fill the void left because many small shops don’t have the ability to bring Judy herself in to teach. She is a proponent of the certification program’s ability to bring qualified instructors to a larger audience and is looking forward to working with you to bring a workshop to your area!