Meet Irene from Sugaridoo

July 8, 2024 sugaridoo

Hello everyone! I’m delighted to be here and to connect with the wonderful WeAllSew community. My name is Irene, and I am the designer and creator behind Sugaridoo, a brand that celebrates happy and colorful quilt designs.

Joy of Quilting

With Sugaridoo, the joy of quilting and the beauty of handmade creations are at the heart of everything. On the Sugaridoo YouTube channel, you’ll find quilting tutorials designed to inspire and encourage you.

I love to teach and share about quilting, but also about the learning process. I think it’s so important to share that we all start somewhere, and we only get to learn by doing, trying and just going for it.

No Perfect Quilting Needed

Sharing the entire creative process, including the moments when things don’t go as planned, is something I truly enjoy. Not every project turns out perfectly, and that’s okay! The goal isn’t to create flawless quilts but to enjoy the journey of making them. Instead of striving for perfect seams, the focus is on the love and attention that goes into every stitch.

Whether it’s sewing a first quilt or a hundredth, every project is an opportunity to learn and grow. Embracing the process, even when it involves a little seam ripping, loving what you do is what matters most.

How it Started

My quilting journey began with a “new old” sewing machine from my parents’ neighbor. You can see that beloved machine and the very first fabrics I bought because of it, in one of my early blog posts.

Discovering the beautiful modern fabrics available in the US was the start of my fabric collection and my love for quilting.

The first big quilt I made and designed was for my mom, This quilt later became the Sugaridoo Sampler, an eBook that has sold hundreds of copies. Seeing the quilts and projects made from that book continues to amaze and inspire me. It’s truly the best feeling!

Where It’s Going Now

After the Sugaridoo Sampler soon more quilting patterns followed. As well as a second book, Sugaridoo Happy Notes. Which I self-published, so it’s available as an ebook as well as a hard copy.

Last year my very first fabric collection was printed with Benartex, a dream come true. Two weeks ago we announced the second Sugaridoo fabric line: Happy Notes, inspired by the patterns from my second book.

What an amazing journey it has been after quitting my job as a mechanical engineer 8 years ago and diving into quilting with Sugaridoo.

Loving the Whole Thing

I’m passionate about every aspect of quilting, from the math and design on graph paper to turning sketches into foundation paper piecing patterns. Designing quilts is magical to me—seeing a drawn idea transform into a real quilt made with beautiful fabrics is pure joy.

Sugaridoo truly is my happy place where I can share everything I’ve learned, designed, and created.

Sugaridoo x BERNINA

My first experience with BERNINA was when I was approached by the Dutch BERNINA blog. Wondering if I would be interested in trying out the BERNINA 770 QE. My first reply was, well I have a sewing machine and I wasn’t on the lookout for a new one. That was until I sat down and tried sewing on the B 770. What a machine! I never thought a sewing machine could be that strong, and subtle and precise all at once.

So that is where my BERNINA story started. After the B 770 QE a sit-down Q 16 followed. I love that the moving of your quilt on a sit-down feels the same as sewing on your normal sewing machine, but then with so much more space. Plus the stitch regulation of course.

Then a L 460 joined the BERNINA family in the Sugaridoo Studio. I love sewing simple clothing pieces, mostly for my kids, with jersey fabrics. An overlocker is just the best machine for that job.

Then Came the Q24 + Q-matic

With my background as a mechanical engineer in automation and robotics, I’ve always been intrigued by the Q-matic on a BERNINA long arm. Being able to let the machine quilt anything you can draw on your quilt sounds just so awesome to me!

It’s still a bit surreal that there now is a Q 24 with a Q-matic system standing right there in the studio. What a wonderful journey of learning to work with this new machine lies ahead.

WeAllSew

I can’t wait to share what I learn and experience with you all here on the WeAllSew blog. On the BERNINA blog, I just published a post sharing my first steps on the Q 24 before the Q-matic system was installed.

Everything with the Q-matic is completely new for me, so it will be wonderful to share the things I run into, what I learn, and the mistakes I’ll be making here with you.

This Circle pattern was the first overall design I tested out with the Q-matic. Really nice to see those perfect stitches on the back of the quilt after turning to quilt on the upper bar for the first time.

Q-matic Quick Tip

One tip that I can already share with you is about feet! The first time I set the Q-matic to quilt an overall pattern I used the #72s Ruler Foot.

I did sew along the sides of the quilt before pressing start on the Q 24, but on some spots the edge of the quilt top got flipped over.

Maybe I basted those sides a little too far from the edge of the quilt. But something else that would have prevented this was a better foot for this job.

The #72 is perfect for ruler work. It’s to foot that I use the most really. But for stitching an allover design with the Q-matic, I fell in love with the #74 Adjustable Gliding Cup. It runs so smoothly over the edges. Very small change that this one will get caught and fold over the edge of the quilt.

Plus it’s nice and clear with great centre markings. So it makes it easy to position the needle in the right place and see what the machine is quilting.