Julie comes from a large family of creative and artistic women. She recalls sitting on her mother’s lap at a very early age watching as her mother made their clothes come to life. Julie started sewing her own clothes at the age of 12 and received her first sewing machine as a gift for her junior high school graduation. At the age of 14, she made her first patchwork quilt. By 22, Julie had started a crafting business, creating everything from baby quilts to photo albums, selling her handmade gifts at local craft fairs. In 2005, following her career as a paralegal, Julie was excited to pivot and help scale her sister’s quilt shop business. She mastered her design capabilities and pattern writing skills. She also assisted, guided, and encouraged clients to make their own fabric choices, and because she’s taught at numerous quilt retreats, she naturally developed a client base who love and follow her.

In 2015 she was gifted her first longarm, launching her into a new world. While searching Pinterest in 2016 for digitized quilt design inspiration, Julie stumbled upon Judy Neimeyer’s Vintage Rose Pattern, fell in love, and thus a new passion for paper-piecing was born.

The first Quiltworx patterns Julie made were Star Baby, Ice Castles, Fire Island Hosta and Egyptian Lotus, followed by many more stunning designs by Judy. When Julie attended her first Quiltworx retreat in Montana, she quickly realized that Judy’s foundation paper piecing techniques and methods were the answers to a quilter’s paper-piecing prayers:
· Perfect points & corners every time
· Beautifully Curved & S seams every time

Julie recognized that every quilter who enjoys or would like to learn paper-piecing should to learn Judy’s stream-lining and time-saving techniques and so she began the often demanding, albeit rewarding, journey toward becoming a Quiltworx Certified Instructor. Her passion to introduce Judy’s world of possibilities to fellow quilters is what encouraged her to complete the rigorous certification program – her goal as an instructor is to take the “scary” out of paper-piecing.

When Julie isn’t sewing, quilting, long-arming or teaching, she spends time with her husband, four grown children, five grandchildren and two fur babies. She currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but loves to travel the continental U.S. by open road with her husband, sewing along the way.

In 2020 Julie launched JuJuBee Quilt Company offering a variety of services from longarm to teaching, and she also offers a few select notions necessary for paper piecing. As a bonus, quilt retreats are Julie’s specialty! She loves building lasting relationships with fellow quilters, helping them to build on their skills year after year. She also loves using Quiltworx’ exclusive Quiltster program to assist fellow quilters and students in coloring quilts that can then made into kits … and she even enjoys cutting the fabric for the kits (go figure). You can find more information on what Julie has to offer at her website www.jujubeequiltco.com.

Julie lives in Colorado but loves to travel anywhere, and would love to visit you!