Meet BERNINA Brand Ambassador Kimberly Jolly from Fat Quarter Shop

I’m Kimberly Jolly, the owner and driving force behind Fat Quarter Shop, an online fabric store, and It’s Sew Emma pattern and book publishing company, and I’m thrilled to be part of the BERNINA ambassador team!

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Quilting is my biggest passion and changed the course of my life. I was born and continue to live in Austin, Texas, with my husband/business partner Kevin, our four young children: Emma, William, Peyton and Christopher, and our pug puppy, Piggy!

Collage_WEBMy crafting journey began very young. When I was five, my granny taught me to crochet as a fun indoor activity, and my hands have never stopped moving since.  A few years later, I learned to cross stitch; then in my early twenties, I discovered the other love of my life, quilting. No one introduced me to it. Like so many other things I have come to do, I just wanted to do it, so I found a local quilting class, signed up and never looked back.

Over the past twenty years, I have become a quilter, a wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, an increasingly prolific creator, and recently (yes, I’ll own it) a “dance mom”. I am all of these things and cannot separate one part from the other. They are all mixed into my surroundings. In my work, my four children inspire new trends and even some of the fabrics I choose to carry.

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My husband and I are constantly asked about the secrets of success in our business, and the truth is that there is no secret. I started Fat Quarter Shop as something to keep me busy at night while still working a demanding corporate job. I knew it would be fun, but I also knew what it would take. My husband and I worked ungodly hours, and we still do. I still read almost every email and comment on our YouTube channel, easily into the thousands each day. If there were no Fat Quarter Shop, I would still be sewing just as much as I do today because I simply love and need it.  It keeps me hungry to do and try new things, to explore new crafts and techniques.

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I love the quality and the reputation behind BERNINA machines! My goal is to continue to build a fun and supportive quilting community, bringing together quilters with the latest and greatest products, and BERNINA represents just that! I spend countless hours behind my machine, and I can always count on my BERNINA to perform perfectly!

Over the next month, Fat Quarter Shop will be hosting a giveaway of a BERNINA 330 machine! We have some fun things in store, so be sure to check out our Jolly Jabber in December for more details on how to enter!

It is Giveaway Time!

Now it’s back to the drawing board for me—I’ve got so many projects to complete before the holidays! What’s on your sewing machine right now? I’d love to hear! Leave a comment here on the WeAllSew blog post to be entered to win a gorgeous Les Fleurs Half Yard Bundle by Rifle Paper for Cotton + Steel!

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Open for comment entries to the giveaway until Sunday, November 27th at midnight CST. Giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older. A winner will be chosen at random later next week, and announced right here!

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155 comments on “Meet BERNINA Brand Ambassador Kimberly Jolly from Fat Quarter Shop”

    • I just finished a Fancy Forest crib quilt and am working on Hoffman’s Cityscapes pattern. I also just finished a 110×120 houndstooth plaid quilt for my BFF’s 70th birthday. I love to sew, can you tell? I love your YouTube channel and look forward to many more episodes.

  • I start every morning with you Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Blog…like you I have basically taught myself to quilt and your videos have been a HUGE part of my learning process. I now own a Bernina 770QE and was so excited to see you as a Bernina Ambassador today and look forward to seeing many more articles by you!

  • My quilting is limited since I had a thumb arthroplasty 10 weeks ago. So I decided to finish a mini pineapple quilt that was started back in 2004 for the holidays. Everything was already cut so all I had to do was sew it together. You’ll be surprise how much you can do with one hand!

  • I am new to quilting and just got a Bernina 550QE last Spring. I love it!!! I am knee deep in baby quilts, as they seem the most manageable from start to finish; and they make terrific gifts!

  • Oh wow! I think they know me at the Fat Quarter Shop! Also, I own a Bernina and I am waiting on the new B700.
    I just finished Primitive Gatherings Snowman quilt for my grandson. I also do hierloom sewing.
    Congratulations Kimberly!
    Pat Demharter

  • When I look for something new and fresh to make, two great resources I frequently turn to are Fat Quarter Shop and We All Sew. Great inspiration… keep it coming! And thank you for a chance to win.

    • After retiring and making an international move with my husband to the Middle East I needed a hobby. I bought a Bernina 750 QE and taught myself to quilt. I spend all day in my sewing room and create the most wonderful things including charity quilts for Project Linus. Currently I have just completed a Christmas Wreath, a modern Tree quilt and am using up my scraps making Japanese X and O blocks. Love my life!

  • I’m a beginner to the sewing world and have been swooning over this cotton + Steele Rifle Paper co collection! Super excited for the chance to own some of it!

  • I have a Christmas quilt ready to sew the binding to and a paper pieced Xmas tree to join and then add borders. Fingers crossed I have the time to finish them this week.

  • I am working on a Scrappy Picnic Plaid quilt that is in the Quilter’s Planner for 2016. I want/need to finish it for a Christmas gift for my son. I am getting nervous that it may not be done in time! Thank you for starting up the Fat Quarter Shop, Kimberly…it’s my favorite online shop!

  • My machine is playing catch up on selfless sewing. Finishing boxers for my husband and coasters and oven mitts for my sister.

    Love this fabric collection.

  • I’m a huge fan of both Fat Quarter Shop and Les Fleurs fabric! I’m sewing a binding onto a Christmas quilt with my Bernina! Thanks for the giveaway!

  • I’m just finished squaring up a toddler quilt top. Tomorrow I’ll prep the backing and start FMQ. I have no idea the design, but I’m thinking large and loopy.

  • Looooove your shop and the excellent service I’ve received every single time I’ve emailed or placed an order! It’s so nice to read about you and how you came to start fat quarter shop! Looking forward to continue shopping with you and sneaking my wishlist amongst the papers for my husband to find. ?

  • Exciting! So glad that Kimberly Jolly is this month’s Bernina Brand Ambassador – I’ve been wanting to sew a Jam Roll Jelly quilt for ages, will start this week. Love the Fat Quarter Shop’s YouTube channel, looking forward to seeing what you & Bernina bring to us the following few weeks.

  • Congratulations on becoming a Bernina Ambassador! I love my Bernina sewing machines too! What am I working on right now? Table runners for Christmas/Thank-You gifts.

  • Love Kimberly and the FQS! On my Bernina right now is my first tshirt quilt. I have a bunch of onesies and clothing from when my son was a baby that I’m putting together into a quilt for me – I mean him!!

  • I am working on a few things – a portrait of my dog, a flying geese quilt – won some of the fabric and pattern in a blog, and blocks for our guilds raffle quilt for 2017, and Fancy Forrest baby quilt.

  • Just received my fat quarter shop sew sampler box it was awesome and I am making the baby quilt from the pattern in the box on my Bernina 780e thanks fat quarter shop and Bernina.

  • I have a baby quilt on the quilting frame to finish soon. But first, I have to pack up my Bernina to head to my sister’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving for a family sewing day with my mom, sister, niece, and daughter (daughter in law can’t make it this year). This year we are making aprons.

  • I have practice fabric on my new Q24 and a simple panto for my first work from the back of the machine. I have to work fast because my studio is above the guest bedroom and my company arrives today.

  • Right now I have a heart “bee” quilt on my sewing table to be quilted , that a few ladies so graciously answered my call for heart blocks for a quilt for a dear IG friend who lost her father last year. I’m hoping it brings smiles to her across the miles.

  • I love fqs! Thanks for adding so much to the quilting world with a user-friendly, fresh, well-stocked, reasonably-priced website! I’m actually working on a Frozen quilt from a panel I bought from you! And some ispy quilts for Christmas. Thanks for the chance to win and again for being so awesome and active in the quilting community!

  • I sew on a Bernina 1000 and am working on an alphabet child’s quilt of “S is for Stitch” by Kristine Czepuryk using Cosmo embroidery floss and handmade fabric by Bonnie and Camille from my sew sampler box.

  • Currently I am working on lots of UFOs. I need to sit down at my ironing board today and get all my pieces pressed so I can to continue to sew. I love the fat quarter shop. I just love how you can buy a pdf pattern and it is always there for you to look at. That is a super great feature.

  • I LOVE the vibrant splashes of color and combinations is this fabric set!
    I own a 530 Swiss Edition and am using it to finish my first quilt. I have three girls and they too are using it to finish each of their first quilts as it has a great walking food attachment, adjustable pressure pressed foot and a nice selection of stitch patterns. They have a Bernette London 8 and two Bernette London 3s all great starter machines but cannot handle the needs/bulk of the finished quilting.

  • The Fat Quarter Shop and Its So Emma, have given me ispiration for many a project. The one I am currently working on with my 91 year old mother we need to finish hand tyeing my sons quilt, (2 yrs in the works). I am teaching a newbie how to make a quilt she chose and was no wear ready for :(. My newbie is just learning her way around her machine and internet video’s on quilting. Of course she bookmarked your sites. And mom and I are working on making hot cup cozy’s for the family…whew that will only be about 30. Yes we can get all this done, if we don’t sleep.

  • I am finishing up a 30s quilt that I thought would be for me and now I’ve already got my eye on a new hexie quilt. I will make sure it finds a good home. Next project is an Art Gallery pattern for my mom.

  • Beautiful set of fabrics, but that’s always a given from Cotton + Steel. I very much enjoy following your blog, by the way, and your shop is one of the most DANGEROU$ on the internet for me. Keep up the good work!

  • Kimberly, I had the pleasure of meeting you many years ago when you were hosting the quarterly Lynette Jennings block of month quilts. I drove almost two hours each way to attend. It all opened a new world of quilting for me! Thank you so much.

  • HUGE fan of Fat Quarter Shop!!!! I have been working like Santas workshop making my granddaughter some Christmas goodies…nightgown, pillowcase and a few outfits for the upcoming holiday season!

  • Congratulations!! I’ve got at least two projects in the works a Candy blossoms quilt from Sew Kind of wonderful and a kaleidoscope paper piecing project. For some reason I think if I do more than one at a time I’ll get done faster…yeah right lol.

  • Congrats – I love your store, I’m excited about this partnership. I’m working on Christmas presents. I have a purse for my boyfriend’s mom almost done, up next is a knitting bag for my mother.

  • Fat Quarter Shop is my to go on-line store. Love the selection and also the GREAT costumer service you have, never been disappointed with my orders!
    Under my QE440 there are few things. A Christmas Wall Hanging ready to be quilted; a lap quilt that needs to be ready by mid December to go to a show…..and a couple of Christmas gifts. As usual way to many projects!

  • I am currently working on the simplesamplerqal which is some selfish sewing!! I never keep anything I make. It is funny timing because I have so many Christmas projects I need to finish!! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity ?

  • Ill sewing a prairie dress and bonnet for my 3 y/o granddaughter, and hopefully many other items. I own a Bernini 1130 and love it, but would love to upgrade.

  • Congrats Kimberly. So happy to see you with Bernina. Doing a few baby blankets for a new addition to our family. I am also making Christmas pillowcases for my family instead of wrapping presents. Good luck in this new adventure!

  • I’m stealing time during this Thanksgiving break to see up a two Archer shirts (on popover version!). I’m on the market for a new machine and I’m seriously considering a Bernina. I adore Cotton and Steel and Rifle Paper Co. so landing here at WeSewAll was serendipity!

  • I’m working on a paper piecing mini quilt with a pattern by A Quilting Jewel. I’m going to make some last minute a Thanksgiving napkins later today with some fun novelty fabric. Happy Thanksgiving?

  • I am working on block 65 of the Farmer’s Wife 1930s Quilt Sampler book, and am using my Bernina 163 machine, which I love. I learned to quilt so that I could make a class quilt for my daughter’s kindergarten class and have been hooked ever since. I love Fat Quarter shop!

  • Currently working on a small challenge quilt using Stonehenge Graphite fabrics that I learned about in Houston last month. Since I don’t have to host the family for Thanksgiving dinner, I have plenty of time to play with my fabrics and see if this plan is going to work!

  • I am just finishing up a quilt made with AMH fabrics that will be Christmas gift. I love the Les Fleurs fabric! Maybe that should be my next project 🙂

  • Just finished up sewing costumes for the middle school musical last week. So now I can get back to quilting! I’m hoping to finish up a quilt I’m making for my local library by the end of the year. Most of the top is done. The hard part will be deciding how to quilt it.

  • Right now I’m working on a Christmas quilt using the Penny Rose Little Joys collection. I’ll soon start cutting out the fabric for Fat Quarter Shop’s third installment of the Freedom Bound BOM–a gift for my sis and her husband!

  • My aunt recently gave me a quilt made by my great-grandmother. It’s in poor condition, and stabilizing it is quite a chore, so I’m slowly working on that. As a thank you to my aunt, I’m making her a smaller wall hanging inspired by the heirloom quilt design but with modern fabrics. I’m almost done with the wallhanging and should be able to give it to her for Christmas.

  • I am working on a graduation quilt using black and white fabric – that is unusual for me as I tend to do bright quilts. I am going to make a baby quilt next for a friend’s first grand baby. I love your shop and I look forward to the boxes that come monthly.

  • I am soooooo close to completing the Heather Ross Tiger Lily quilt. One more step for the backing and then it’s off to my mother-in-law’s long arm for quilting!

  • I have 4 laptop quilts going at this time. I have two brick quilts, 1 disappearing 9 patch, and a Tennessee Waltz; all to be finished by Christmas. I hope to start on a few Christmas table runners soon. I had been ill for ages (still am, but not half as bad) and soooo excited to be quilting again! If my illness doesn’t hold me back, I hope to make some fabric postcards, too!

  • I am working on Night Sky by Jay Bird Quilts. It’s king size and the columns are done, they just need to be joined. I have an apt. With the longarm Dec. 21st so I need to get busy.

  • Love all the beautiful fabrics from the Fat Quarter Shop. Working on
    some Christmas gifts for family and friends right now as well as
    a Christmas table runner for myself 🙂

  • I am working on quilted Christmas stockings for my ever-growing family! I have to say I taught myself how to sew on my grandmother’s Bernina 830 that still runs like a top today. I love your tutorials, patterns, and products (especially the sew sampler box!) and have learned so much in a short time.

  • I have JUST finished my very first quilt and I am oh-so proud of myself! I am a new quilter and I am in love with it; I don’t ever want to stop! My next project is to make some Christmas stockings for my husband and I. The FQS tutorials have been such a lifesaver to me and I love watching them! Thanks so much for this chance to win! 🙂

  • I am working on midnight sky by thimbleblossoms using sweetwater’s Feed Company fabric line. This amazing quilt will be for my husband who has served 4 tours in Iraq and in my opinion is very deserving recipient of this quilt 😉 thank you for the chance to win a fabulous Bernina!

  • So excited for you! Bernina is my favorite. I have a twenty year old 1630 I actually paid for by giving the title of my minivan to the bank to get the money. Hoping to buy a new one in the next year for retirement which is still ten years off, but you can’t be too prepared! Enjoy the gifts life has brought you!

  • I just finished a raglan t-shirt, made with a pattern from hello june. It has a large Texas-shaped applique on the front, featuring gorgeous UT themed fabric.

  • Right now I am working on some Christmas pillows! Then I will be starting on a quilt for my daughter who is getting married – just gathering fabrics at this point. She really loves Rifle products so it would be awesome to win! Thanks for the giveaway.

  • Love my Bernina and right now I am working on some farm style linen napkins and a doghouse quilt kit I purchased at Fiberworks in Billings, Montana. Both are gifts.

  • Let me try not to have a panic attack while telling you whats under my machine.. I have 5 quilts left to finish quilting for Christmas and two that I have not finished the tops yet, I just finished two baby quilts for family members and i need to bind them, and I commited myself to a 2 Christmas charity quilts and so I am frantically trying to find time for those. I am also working on some clothes for my grandbaby. when i can’t sleep, i sew clothes. So, thats whats going on under my machinr. I am usually sewing chill and happy, but i overcommitted myself. Stoopid.

  • Machine one has a jelly roll race adapted to be twin size. Machine two is working on Splendid Sampler blocks. Machine three (serger) is waiting for the velour top and pants to be cut out.

  • Congratulations, Kimberly, on becoming a Bernina ambassador. I am currently working on a quilt for my parents for their Christmas present. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • I have a stack of projects to finish before Christmas! Namely chair seat covers, pot holders, mug rugs, pillow covers, tshirts to embroider, clothesline bowls, quilt block of the month, attic window wall hanging. Will I get it all done this year? Didn’t know the connection to The Fat Quarter shop. One of my faves!

  • I’m just getting started on my next mini for the black and white quilt swap. I have some gifts to finish up too! Congrats Kimberly on being a Bernina Ambassador!

  • I do love Bernina. I have an old 180 Artista and even though the light cannot be fixed, it sews like a workhorse and has the best stitches! I didn’t know how you started the business, Kimberly, but I do hope you’ve quit your corporate job! I think, as a frequent online fabric shopper, that your success is largely in the way you successfully market your brand. I love your 24-Hour Flash Sales and consider myself a flash addict!

  • Currently working on a snowball snowman wall hanging. Next need to get some American girl doll clothes done for my granddaughter. Congratulation Kim. Love the Fat Quarter Shop more than my hubby knows. Very cute fabric line for the give away.

  • I just finished a tote bag for my hula teacher, using the same fabric she used to make our hula skirts. I’m rather proud of it, as it’s the first time for me to sew a zippered pocket!

  • Hello! I’m just finished a scrappy table runner, I’m hand sewing a grandma’s flower quilt and have another quilt that I’m just starting. I’m a new quilter who is totally hooked and a little out of control!

  • I am sewing my Fat Quarter Shop 2016 Designer Mystery Block of the Month – Block Six. Also on the sewing table are basket liners using Lori Holt’s Cozy Christmas fabric collection.

  • Congratulations on being a ambassador for Bernina. FQS is my most favorite place to shop. I just finished a flannel rag quilt for a Christmas gift. Now that I’m done making gifts I can finish a couple Christmas quilts my my home.

  • Love the Fat Quarter Shop and all of the great tutorials that add to my quilting pleasure. Winning fabric is every quilter’s dream, and a machine can add that new dimension to life that only the hum of a machine like a Bernina adds. Hooked.

  • I am working on so many things I don’t know what to talk about first; I am hand sewing the trim on the Christmas Tree skirt. I am also going to sew up a pair of Christmas Flannel PJ’s to wear on Christmas morning. I am 4 blocks into a table runner with Christmas fabric from the pattern called “the X-plus block”.
    I certainly hope this season doesn’t go by in a blur before my projects are completed.
    Love your books! Watch every Video blog you put out, they are great!

  • I just finished a baby quilt, and now my machine is busily sewing Jamma’s for the Kiddo’s & a few Grankiddo’s now too!! 🙂 They get new ones every Christmas!

    Thank you for Bernina info…am seriously looking for new one! Thanks too…for chance to win your Give-a-way! 😀

  • I’m working on my Tula Pink #100days100blocks quilt. Well I have actually finished 100 blocks but it’s time for the sashing. I’m waiting for some good straight rulers to come. This is only my second quilt so I’m taking my time!

  • I currently have a baby quilt to bind and am starting a few Christmas gifts (Lazy Girl bags!)…also a huge quilt to put borders on. Busy time of year! I actually have two Berninas and I love both. My oldest one is over 30 years old and my “new” one is over 10 years old. They are amazing machines and this is a wonderful giveaway. Thank you so much for the chance!

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