Rory Unraveled

I owe a lot to Rory Unraveled. When I was a kid, my sister and I took sewing/quilting lessons on Saturday mornings. We learned the basics of sewing- to the point that for my senior project in highschool I was able to create a wall hanging with free-motion quilting and intricate applique.  

In the fall of 2011 I really needed a project to do at home while living with the entire family at home. Two post college grads working (myself included), my parents and our 18 year old cat who woke me up multiple times each and every night.  

I ordered a quilt kit from Carly from Rory Unraveled and didn't quite realize how thankful I would be to her until much later.  

Carly offers rag quilt kits and fully made rag quilts in three sizes and an array of fun bohemian-esq colors and patterns. At the time I bought the kit, I was overly obsessed with Tula Pink - I just had to make SOMETHING with her amazing fabrics as soon as humanely possible. Carly rush shipped my package to me so I could start over Thanksgiving break from grad school. My first attempt took me a while to finish, I had a persnickety sewing machine and full time grad school while working at Heidi Hope Photography during the busy season.  

When I needed some thoughtful gifts for friends/family this past Christmas I realized making custom quilts would be fun, one good friend with a young daughter and my sister who loves a good throw for her bed. Carly not only went and ordered the fabric I needed for my friends quilt, but helped me with my sisters collection of preppy//anthropologie colors and patterns all from my favorite fabric designers. She included Anna Maria Horner, Amy Butler, Tula Pink and a few others to create the coolest quilt ever.  

The first quilt was inspired by my friend's Cake Smash theme at Heidi Hope Photography. If that sentence didn't make any sense to those readers out there - this is the gist. I used to work at a baby photography studio and help with the crafting for the custom sets we made for baby's first birthday photo-sessions (pretty cool job). I had met my friend through the studio, and was so excited about the session that I designed the set knowing that she had in mind to do a cakesmash storyboard with custom illustrations to go with it. She had planned to re-do her daughter's room in a pink and navy nautical theme, this wall piece being the centerpiece. The entire set/storyboard and then this quilt were based off of a fabulous children's illustrator Sarah Jane and her lovely collection: Out to Sea in Deep Sea Jewel. 

The point of this long-winded story is to tell you about the fabulous-ness of Rory Unraveled. If you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine - then you can do this project. Working with Carly is not only easy, but FUN and you will not regret it.  

So THANK YOU, Carly, for getting me back into sewing and back into "the creative life".