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By admin, July 19, 2010 10:19 pm

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to update you on what’s new around here!

First & foremost – new site design!! It’s my 3rd redesign since I started, and each design I like better than the last! I have to say… I’m in love with this new site! I tried to make it modern, keep it clean & simple, and sprinkle in some personality – I think I succeeded!

Next on my list – implementing an online shopping cart. I am not new to ecommerce – those of you who know me probably already know about my super-awesome online boutique – organicbambooclothing.com (which, by the way, is much more than just bamboo clothing!)

But getting another shopping cart up & running is MUCH easier said than done, especially since I am too type A to just use one of those store builders or templates. No… much like my quilts, I have to do things my own way, from start to finish, and every silly little font has to be perfect. And I have to OWN it… it has to be on my very own server. Yes, I used to be employed in web design & search marketing.  So, needless to say I’m driving myself nuts today! Please forgive me for any down time the site might experience due to my “messing with technical things that should be left alone!”

Regardless – getting an online shopping cart is something I’ve been wanting to implement for a long time. You can still print out an order form of course – heck, you can ship your clothes with a post it note telling me what size & where to ship & I can get the job done! But not having online ordering seems a little crazy in this day & age – I get a ton of questions about how to order, so hopefully this will clear some of those up – and I really need it to move forward with some new marketing initiatives.

You’ll be able to create your quilt (s), decide how much you want to pay up front, & pay via credit card, debit card, paypal or check. Then all you need to send in are the clothes & your order number (and a check, if that’s the case.) It will also serve to let you get your “spot in line” based on when you order online, which becomes really important around Christmas!

Once that’s up & running, I have another big announcement, so stay tuned! Let’s just say 2 Jelly Beans are better than 1!

~Jamie

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By Jamie, November 17, 2009 7:37 pm

Hey everyone!

Jelly Bean Quilts will be making it’s TV debut this evening, 10PM Central Time, on WHO-TV – the local NBC station here in lovely Des Moines, Iowa! I’ll be talking about “turning my passion into a paycheck!”

You can read the article here: http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-passion-to-paycheck-111709,0,3491918.story

I’ll definitely post the video on my site after it airs!!

Best Day Ever,

Jamie

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By Jamie, September 22, 2009 10:51 am

After many requests, I have decided to regularly start offering Jelly Bean Quilts Gift Certificates!

This allows you to purchase a quilt for someone as a gift, without having to coordinate getting their clothing, etc.

You simply select which size & what options you would like and I will create a gift certificate for you. I am including a gorgeous handmade certificate, along with some information with pictures of my work, all in beautiful gift wrapping. Your loved one simply needs to send in her certificate with the order form & I will send her back a gorgeous quilt wrapped in a satin ribbon.

If she wants any additional options or a larger size, she can simply select those upon ordering & include a check for the upgraded amount.

If you would also like to include the cost of shipping the clothes to me with your gift (typically around $20-$30, depending on the size) just let me know what size you will be ordering and we can add that to your gift certificate total. I will then include a pre-addressed UPS mailing label that will charge my UPS account – she just needs put the label on her box & drop off the package at any UPS location!

Contact me to order your gift certificate! I will be posting pictures of the whole package soon!

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By Jamie, September 22, 2009 10:33 am

Hi everybody – it’s been a while! I actually moved August 1st to the beautiful city of West Des Moines, Iowa (only about 20 minutes from the other Des Moines suburb I was living in, and yes, it’s the home of Shawn Johnson!), and then we took a much-needed vacation to Arizona. By the time my son started 1st grade, I launched my updated bamboo clothing store, and I finished a whole slew of quilts… well, not much time was left to blog!

As scary as it seems, Christmas is right around the corner! This is even more important if you’re in the market for a handmade baby clothes or memory quilt, since I need a little time to create your masterpiece.

My current projection for a Christmas deadline (that’s when I need to have your clothing, order form & deposit) is November 10th. That will give me enough time to finish your quilt & ship it back to you before Christmas. However, it’s hard to know how many quilts will be arriving between now & then, so I do have to reserve the right to move this date (I am not superwoman – I can only sew so fast!) So please plan to get your clothing to me early – the earlier the better!

After November 10th, I will likely charge a rush fee of $50 per quilt, and after Thanksgiving I can no longer guarantee Christmas delivery (although I will still try!)

I really try my best to accommodate everyone’s deadlines, so I wanted to get this out there early so that we can all plan ahead. Christmas is my busiest time of year, both for my quilts & my online store, so I do have to put up deadlines, but don’t hesitate to contact me if you are wondering if there’s still time or if I can meet your requests.

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By Jamie, July 24, 2009 8:16 pm

I will be moving next week to our new home in West Des Moines, Iowa! It’s only across town (we currently live in Carlisle, Iowa, which is small town just 5 minutes from Des Moines) but I am super excited.

What does this mean for Jelly Bean Quilts? It means I finally have my own studio! That’s right – the new house has huge room just for my sewing studio and office. Currently my “studio” has been one half of our finished basement, barricaded off with long tables. This will give me a room of my own, so to speak, to get away from everything, have all my stuff organized, and most importantly be able to shut the door when I leave!

It also means that after Monday, July 27th, my address will change! As of Tuesday, July 28th, 2009, please ship all orders to my new address:

549 30th St.

West Des Moines, IA 50265

Please contact me with any questions!

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By Jamie, June 28, 2009 5:41 pm

Like any avid sewer, I have an ever growing collection of thread. Some of this thread is thread that I use everyday to make my memory quilts. Some of it is retro thread (note the super-70s rust colored thread in the bottom of the picture) from my mom’s collection, given to me when she realized that she never has the time to sew anymore. And some of it is for myriad other projects that have happened or might happen in the future.

Instead of tucking it away in plastic organizers, I love having my thread openly displayed in my studio, on a shelf right behind my sewing machine.

A small glimpse of my thread collection.

The way the colors line up is really inspiring to me – almost like a giant color wheel that’s always changing as I use a spool and put it back in a different spot, or buy a new color and have to find a home for it.

One of the really fun things about creating my memory quilts is that I don’t have any “standard” fabrics that I use for the backings and bindings. I always use 100% cotton for the binding, and I usually use flannel for the backing unless someone has a different request or orders the minky upgrade, but I don’t actually stock any fabrics.

This means I take each individual quilt top to the store once it’s finished to pick out a backing and binding that complement it perfectly. Sometimes I end up going to 3 or 4 stores before I find just the right backing pattern that reflects the style of clothing in the memory quilt, or just the right shade of purple to bring out a little girl’s favorite shirt.

This also means that I’ve accumulated a TON of thread. No 2 shades of pink are the same, and I hate compromising on details.

Luckily I love thread!

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By Jamie, June 27, 2009 4:46 pm

Dear husband,

If I asked you for a serger for my birthday (next week!), would you know what that is?

Will you be my birthday present?

Didn’t think so.

Why a serger? I’ve been really getting into sewing clothes for myself in my very limited free time (like 2 AM when everyone’s asleep!) I love knits, and thusly feel that a serger is not just a want, but a need. I don’t want an expensive one – just a basic serger will do!

I have the urge to serge. (don’t blame me for the cheese; I’m highly caffeinated, and simultaneously blogging and keeping my 9-month-old from getting into the dog’s water dish.)

Hopefully in the next week I will be able to post some pictures of my very own serger!

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By Jamie, June 27, 2009 3:00 pm

Hey everybody! I’m blogging!

I thought it would be fun to add a blog to my site, to give all my clients & potential clients & everyone interested a glimpse behind the scenes here at Jelly Bean Quilts. I’ll be blogging about my quilting, other sewing & web design projects that I’m always working on, various craftiness that goes on when I’m not sewing, and of course my family, community and whatever else I feel like!

Hopefully you all will enjoy my nonsense!

By the way… my goal was to get this blog running ASAP, so it’s not visually exactly the same as my site. You probably don’t care, and it’s perfectly functional and fabulous in every way other than not being totally visually integrated. So, to the web designers & devlopers out there, my apologies. It bothers the web designer in me, too.  I might fix it, and I might not. But I think I’d rather just blog!