Today on the blog, it's time to introduce you (officially) to my other business/the "big sister" of ListaLu: Jelly Bean Quilts!

I always assume people were fans of Jelly Bean Quilts before they found ListaLu. After all, my original intention when I created the Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt book & kit was to have something to offer the hundreds of fans asking for a tutorial, tips, a pattern, or even just a cheaper option than a custom quilt! 

But ListaLu has truly taken on a life of it's own, so I thought it would be fun to chat with you DIYers about the other side of my baby-clothes-quilt-making life!

Jelly Bean Quilts is the custom baby clothes memory quilt business I've lived & breathed full time since 2008. People from all over the world fill out an online order form (I have a bunch of sizes & options to choose from!) and ship me their box of clothes. I turn their clothing into an amazing quilt, and ship it back!

The quilts are a little bit different than my ListaLu pattern, because to be honest I don't use a pattern! I lay out each quilt as a piece of art, constantly shifting things to fit and balance all the pieces. 

Here are some pictures of my work over at Jelly Bean Quilts:

I offer sizes ranging from a Small Throw/Crib Quilt (40x54) for $550 all the way up to a King (120x120) for $1550, and all the sizes in between! I also offer throw pillows, pillow shams, and my extra-special tooth fairy pillows that use one of those tiny pockets we all love so much! 

My waiting list is pretty long - it takes about 10 months from ordering to receive your item. This is purely just a factor of how many orders I have in line - I usually have about 40-50 quilts in progress!

I absolutely adore my job! I love to sew all day long while listening to podcasts, and I love that each quilt is a unique creation all it's own. I don't think I could mass produce one or two items over & over!

If you have decided you would like to have a baby clothes quilt custom made, head on over to JellyBeanQuilts.com to fill out your order form!

"Can I use this pattern to create a t-shirt quilt?" is a common question I receive just about every day.

The answer is... yes! And also... sort of!

While the book & pattern were designed for baby clothes (particularly the smaller cutting template), the entire process, tips, tricks, and materials can all be easily adapted to use t-shirt quilts. At Jelly Bean Quilts, I make my custom t-shirt quilts in exactly the same way as my baby clothes - just with larger squares! 

All it takes is a little thought to adapt the pattern - you really just need to decide how big your blocks need to be to accommodate the larger designs on your t-shirts, and then make a cutting template square out of a scrap piece of fabric or some tissue/parchment paper! The rest of the process - interfacing, layout, sewing, quilting & finishing - are all the same! The compound blocks I teach at the end of the book are perfect for when you have a mix of larger and small designs on your shirts.

But you don't have to take my word for it - a customer just submitted this great review who used the pattern to create a sports t-shirt quilt, to great success! Here's the screenshot, but if you scroll down I will paste the actual text for those of you on mobile (the text will shrink down in the picture!)

Here's a larger picture of the quilt she created:

Full Review In Text:

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"I have been wanting to make a t shirt blanket for my husband for a long time. There are so many tutorials out there on the internet, but all with varying advice, which left me unsure and my project not touched for years!

I have been following Jamie’s work via social media for years. She does a beautiful job on her quilts and really has become the expert in modern clothing quilts. So when she came out with her baby clothes quilt book I knew this was my chance to get a detailed tutorial on how to make a clothes blanket with sound advice. I have used this book, and the principles taught in it, to make a clothing blanket out of my husband’s shirts. I need to collect another seasons worth of clothes for my daughter then I will tackle my first baby clothes quilt. Principles and techniques taught in this book and video tutorials are geared towards baby clothes, but easily adapted for adult shirts as well!

What I love about this book:

- Not only are there a TON of pictures to show each and every step, but there is a video tutorial guide for each step too. At the end of the book is a unique code that you can enter into her website to access the videos. I did not watch each one, just the ones for the steps I was unsure of or wanting to make sure I had it just right.
- The format. So many of the book’s pages had a special section at the bottom titled ‘Pro Tip’. I learned so many fun details and tips here. Things I never would of thought of. So useful and easy to read!
- The materials list. To use a fusible stabilizer or not? That’s one of the biggest questions with a clothes quilt and Jamie not only answers it, but give specific brand names of what to use. Have you ever looked at stabilizers at your big box fabric store? It can be crazy confusing if you don’t know what you are buying. She also shares all her fabrics with us, even thread and scissor brands!
- At the end of the book is a chapter dedicated to special design cases – like preemie clothes and those cute little pants with the picture on the butt of them. She shows you just how to piece them into a quilt block so they can be included as well.
- Design. While each of our quilts will be unique, this books shares some basic design tips and layouts that are pleasing to the eye.

This book will not teach you how to sew or use your sewing machine. You need to have a basic understanding of material and sewing first. But if you have that, this book is for you! Even if you have never sewn a quilt in your life I am confident with this book you can do it!

I viewed this book on my laptop. I used Adobe to view it and the links worked perfectly to get to the videos or to purchase materials right from there. I kept my laptop open on my sewing table and followed right along with each step as I created my quilt."

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Isn't that awesome! She did such a fabulous job adapting the pattern, and I love the extra-fuzzy gray minky she chose for the backing - perfect for a throw blanket to take to a football game!!!

You can see this review (and more reviews!) live and in person over on the Kindle version at Amazon, if that's your style!

You can also purchase via the Etsy listing for my PDF book, or here on my site: Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt Digital Download

Excited to announce that my Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt ebook is now available as a Kindle book on Amazon.com! 

Everything is the same as the PDF version that you can purchase here on my site... there is an access code in the book for the videos and cutting template download, and links to resources as well. This is just a great option for those of you who prefer to keep all of your ebooks organized in your kindle library! 

This version is jam-packed with pictures, so it's only available on color tablets (ipad, galaxy, nexus - any of them), kindle fires, and the kindle viewing app on computers, phones, etc - just not the e-ink version of kindle. You wouldn't be able to see my great step-by-step tutorials! 

What are people saying?

I loved this book! !! I am new to quilting and found this book easy to follow. Since I'm new, the step by step instructions, along with the provided materials, really set me up for success. I was very proud of the product that I had made! Now I can say that I have successfully sewn a blanket that I could give to my kids and they can say, "My mom made this!' -Bookworm

This book was instrumental to me, a beginning quilter, complete an adorable quilt. I am delighted with the results and I'm positive my quilt is something that my family will treasure forever! I could not be happier with this purchase!! -Hilary

This is the best tutorial on how to make your own quilt out of baby clothes! It walks you step by step and has great pictures to help guide you through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering a project like this! -Lisa

Jamie has created the most beautiful quilts over many years. Her ability to teach others is such a gift! -Diane

Get it now: 

Click here to purchase on Amazon.com!

Are you a crafter (or a craft supporter) who loves Etsy? Maybe you already have an account over there, and you prefer to use the Etsy site for your crafty purchases?

Great! I'm now on Etsy too, so that you can purchase your kit whichever way is most convenient for you.

Click here to view my kit on Esty >>>

Recording some videos last night, and I somehow wrangled my teenager into being my "Vanna White." Although he has no idea who Vanna White is...

We created this little video about my eBook, so check it out!

The standard quilt backing for my ListaLu baby clothes quilt kits is white minky, and it's what I use in my book tutorials and video tutorials as well! It's also my most popular quilt backing for my custom quilts over at JellyBeanQuilt.com - people love it!

But what the heck is it?

For those of you uninitiated into the world of fuzzy baby stuff, minky is basically a super plush, super soft fabric. Most people can't help but touch it when they see it, and it's perfect for anything designed to snuggle.

It is commonly used for baby softies, like toys, plush animals and blankets. It can come in a variety of styles, like smooth chevron, chenille ribbing, animal prints, and ultra-plush. But by far the most popular is the dimple dot, which is what we use in our kits!

Because it's such a plush fabric, we don't need to use batting in our quilts - and since these blankets aren't bed-size, batting would make them a little too stiff anyway, so minky works great! It's also a high-quality, professional looking fabric, so you quilt will really look polished.

White is standard in all our kits, mainly because it just coordinates with everything! We do carry several other colors, and are happy to swap out the white for the color of your choice - just let us know in your order notes! It might just take an extra day to ship, depending on your order time - we will just have to open up your box, make the swap, and pack it back up.

Caring for minky is easy - another reason to love it! It doesn't pill or look old with washing, so feel free to machine wash it! It's also very sturdy, and can really hold it own as the backing material for such a wide variety of fabrics types that most people use on the quilt top.

You might be looking through my products, wondering if a book or a kit is the right product for you. Let me help!

There are 3 ways to get all of the info you need to create an amazing baby clothes quilt:

Instant PDF Download

This is the whole book, instantly downloadable in PDF form, and can be read on your computer or tablet. It is the exact same book that is printed in spiral-bound hard copy that you can purchase individually or in my kit. It included a second PDF that is a printer-friendly version of my cutting templates, printable on 2 sheets of regular printer paper on any home printer. You will be sent a link immediately for both downloads, and can access them again in your account on my website.

It also includes access to my 2+ hours of video tutorials, which are password protected right here on my site. The password is in the "Online Extras" chapter of the book.

If you like ebooks, frequently shop at a fabric store that has apparel fabrics and interfacings (like Joanns,) and want to purchase your own materials, interfacing, etc, this is a great option for you!

Hard Copy Book

This option is for my physical book, 70 - 8.5x11 pages that are spiral bound and printed on gorgeous high-quality paper with over 100 pictures. It also comes with a pre-printed cutting template, plus access to the downloadable template if you need to re-print in the future. I find it much easier to have craft/sewing books in their physical form so I can keep them open to the page I'm on, have them next to my project as I'm working, etc... I use my tablet for a million things, and with how-to and cook books I feel like I can never find my spot again! So I wanted to make sure the "real" book would be available for all of you who love hard copy sewing books!

The hard copy also includes access to my 2+ hours of video tutorials, which are password protected right here on my site. The password is in the "Online Extras" chapter of the book.

If you love a beautiful hard-copy sewing book, frequently shop at a fabric store that has apparel fabrics and interfacings (like Joanns,) and want to purchase your own materials, interfacing, etc, this is the perfect option for you!

Create Your Own Baby Clothes Kit

This option is the complete kit, and includes just about everything you need to complete your quilt. It includes the spiral bound book and pre-printed cutting templates. It also includes the fabrics and supplies you will need - interfacing for the squares, white minky for the back, thread, pins, and safety pins. It comes in an adorable box, and makes a great gift for Mother's Day or a baby shower!

The kit also comes complete with access to the 2 hours of online video tutorials, as well as to the printable templates should you need to reprint for future quilts.

All you need to have on hand to complete your quilt are your baby clothes (about 30 items, but this is very flexible as you will see in the book!), a sewing machine (any machine with work!), an iron, and scissors. If you have sewn before at all you should have those things on hand, but your can add my favorite scissors to your kit right here on ListaLu.com if you feel like your scissors are a little dull.

If you want to order once and have exactly the things you need - not having to run around to fabric stores to find the materials and notions - this kit is perfect for you! This kit is also a fantastic, unique gift!