Hello! I'm Laura Ranieri, and I'm the person behind Gooey Beans!
I have been making and designing quilts since high school, which, I hate to say it, it about 20 years ago now. My mom quilted and taught me the basics. Since then, through blogs and YouTube, then Pinterest, and eventually Instagram, I've slowly built my skills and learned new tips. I've developed my own style, but still use mostly traditional block piecing methods. I dabble in foundation paper piecing, but regular piecing is my main method of quilting.
I've often thought about turning my hobby into something more, but always thought that I wouldn't enjoy my hobby anymore. I thought about it briefly after my oldest was born. She was nicknamed "the Bean" but a job found me that coincided with the end of my maternity leave, and I went back to work. Then, my second was born, a.k.a. "Mr. Goo," and when my maternity leave ended with him, I headed back to work in the middle of a pandemic in June 2020. Quilting was my way to grab snippets of time for myself. I quilt during naps, after bed, early mornings, and as my lunch break. That's a big benefit of working from home.
The pandemic was a tough year for me and my family. Two little kids in and out of daycare, and both parents trying to work from home in the same house. There were days and weeks that I struggled. I began learning and working how to manage everything going on in small ways. Making sure to take time for myself. Not putting pressure on myself to do all the things all the time. Making time for at least 15 min of activity every day. Getting outside. And finally, deciding to do what I always wanted to do, and put myself out there and sell quilt patterns.
This almost failed before I even started. I started looking online about how and what to do and I was completely overwhelmed. I signed up for a pattern writing course offered by Alderwood Studios, a successful pattern writer. It was incredibly helpful. I figured out the software to use and helped with the multitude of questions I had.
I don't know where this journey will take me, but wherever it does, I'll have tried it. That's all I've wanted to do all along. I hope some people make quilts that they and their friends and family enjoy and use for years to come.