About the Artist
I would like to tell you a little about me...
Hello!
I am Julia Graves, and I have been sewing since I was ten. I have always loved fabric and sewing and needle arts in general and the whole creative process!
I did my apprenticeship as a quilter by making a quilt for each of my
nieces and nephews (I should have counted them all before I made this promise to them – I’ve made 32 so far!). Each quilt was unique and made specifically with the person in mind and helped me expand my repertoire of color schemes and quilting styles.
I also made several quilts for special people that incorporated
memories, encouraging statements, and/or signatures to let them know how much they were cared for. Some examples include a memory quilt for my mother’s 75th birthday, a get well quilt for a friend diagnosed with cancer, a heart quilt created by my Sunday School class for a class member’s sister who was going through rehab, and a wall hanging quilt commemorating our church and our sister church in Russia. See the
photo gallery for photos and stories behind these quilts.
Why Special Occasion Quilts
From these experiences, I decided to start Special Occasion Quilts, LLC so that I could help others
create a one-of-a-kind expression of their caring. Each Special Occasion quilt is designed and created to express the essence of the recipient and the love in the relationships. It is a great joy to see how touched people are when they receive something crafted specially for them.
Why Do I Rent Time My Longarm Quilting Machine?
I quilted a a lot of quilts on my home sewing machine and was frustrated that it was so difficult to execute my vision for the quilting given the small throat space on my home sewing machine. I would have loved to have been able to
rent time on a longarm machine, but none was available in my area, so I purchased my machine. As my mom said, "an artist deserves the best tools", and so I decided to get the longarm machine, and decided that I would make this wonderful artistic tool available to others.
Why Did I Become an APQS Dealer?
I have had several people rent my longarm machine and decide they too wanted to own the best longarm in the world... So I decided to become a
dealer. I can help you decide which model is best for you and teach you how to operate and maintain it.
What is my Quilting Involvement?
I am a member of the following guilds:
My charity quilting includes:
- Quilts of Valor and other groups making quilts for wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan
- Komen Foundation for breast cancer
- Georgetown Pediatric Oncology for children with cancer
What Kind of Longarm Training have I Had?
I keep up with the latest trends and techniques in quilting. My training includes:
- Private classes with Karen McTavish in Heirloom Quilting, Trapunto and McTavishing
- Machine Quilt Expo classes with DeLoa Jones, Sue Patten, Sally Terry and Dawn Cavanaugh
- Guild class with Sharon Schamber, winner of Best in Show at Houston
- APQS Factory maintenance training
I also do Custom Quilting on Your Quilt Top
My specialty is custom freehand quilting that brings out the beauty of your quilt top.
I am located in Bowie Maryland. See
Contact Us page for hours, location and directions.