Member Profile: Meet JoJo

Please meet JoJo, author of To Be Sure, To Be Sure and maker of gorgeous quilts.  JoJo, please tell us a bit more about yourself....

The basics

Name: JoJo

Hometown: Dublin

Current Home: Dublin

Blog address:  www.tobesuretobesure.com

Flickr name: I can’t remember (my computer remembers for me)!  I’m in the “Sew Irish” group though.

Family: Fab husband and the best little girl in the world

Pets: None!

The details

What is your day job? I run my own business.

What is your current dream job? I’m doing it!  Running your own business rocks!

What did you want to be as a child? A cameraman on RTÉ...as a child I thought that would be the best job ever.

What is your favourite time waster? Watching Missouri Star Quilt Company quilting videos on YouTube.

What are you working on now? I have 4 current works-in-progress (otherwise known as UFOs!) and have several more in planning.

What do you want to be working on right now? My UFOs, but quilting has to take second place to family and my business.

Do you have other hobbies beyond quilting? I work mostly, but I’ve started the “Couch to 5k” running programme, so hopefully I’ll be able to count running as a hobby soon.

What is your strongest positive personality trait? I appreciate detail.

What is your greatest fear (nothing morbid or spooky…in a lighter sense)? Slicing my pinky finger with the rotary cutter again… man, those things are sharp!

Is there anything in your past that would shock us (that you’re willing to share)? That I didn’t have a cutting mat when I started patchwork and quilting last December, so I used my kitchen chopping board.  Blunt rotary cutter much?!  I didn’t know myself when I got a proper mat!

What started you quilting? I’ve always liked craft and went to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the RDS.  Santa then brought me a Pfaff QE4 for Christmas and I’ve been sewing every day since.

A Quick-fire Round….What is your Favourite

place to holiday: France for culture and food.  America for shopping.

movie: The Man With Two Brains  (did I say culture above?!!)

food: My mother in law’s Sunday dinners

book: The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

band/song: Duran Duran – Rio

colour: Purple.  Has anyone else noticed a complete dearth of purple quilting print fabric ranges though?  I’d love to make a purples quilt, but can’t find anything only marbles and blenders…

saying: Measure twice; cut once.

fabric designer: Anything modern, bright and cheerful.  I particularly like stripes and spots.  See my striped binding tutorial here .

sewing tool:  My sewing machine.  Adore it!

completed sewing project: My quilted quilter’s tote Blogged here .

quick finish sewing project: Probably a quilt made of 5” square charm packs.

project completed by you: My tumbler quilt and matching round cushion.  So incredibly proud of it.  

First quilt: My first quilt was my Mum’s 75th birthday present.  

Ugliest quilt: Not a quilt as such, but I really don’t like the hand I made for the International Quilt Festival of Ireland Céad Míle Fáilte display.  It was my first attempt at appliqué and the colour palette was restricted by the organisers to green and white.  My only green fabric was a holly print left over from Christmas!  The appliqué went ok for a first try though.  

Favourite quilt: My favourite quilt so far is my tumbler quilt using Indian Summer fabrics by Riley Blake.