Friday, September 25, 2009

Topsy Turvy

Ok, craziness over here. Seriously. Can't scan, no fabric delivery, car is in the shop and I was displace and out of my home for two working days because they were paving and other stuff around here. Let me re-group for a day or so. Meanwhile, enjoy these videos. One is of my funny friends from Kindred Quilts and the other is of an amazing sand artist who won Ukraine's Got Talent.





xo,L

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Nourish The Soul

It has been a nutty week. Don't I always say that? Well, I finished a couple of projects and then was displaced for a couple of days. I had to leave early and I had to stay out of my house all day because there was paving and other stuff going on around here. Of course, my car and printer had to break down amidst all of this. Timing is everything! You just have to smile and move forward.

I'm not trying to bore you with the details.  All of it made me think about how lucky I am to be crafty [in the artful way, of course]. Sewing, knitting and all of the other things that I do make me who I am. What a great relief and distraction when my day is turned upside down. That's how I felt when I designed the projects from my "Inspiration" line for you. 

For now, I can say that I am thankful for a lot of things and that whenever life is just a bit out of sorts, sitting down to sew or knit is nourishing to the soul. Sometimes a little escape is all I need. Next month is breast cancer awareness month. I'm sure that many of you have been affected by someone who has had to deal with this horrible disease. I hope that you will make these little gifts for the loved one in your life who's dealing with and fighting this terrible disease. 

This little zippered pouch is the first pattern for you. I use mine all of the time and I put all of my itty bitty things in it. Otherwise, my purse would be a big, black hole and nothing would ever be found. [*Link will be posted tomorrow. Technical difficulty and technical guy is out of town until tonight. Sorry!]

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy!
xo, L

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

On The Shelves Now!

Busy, busy, little bee. So much work, yet so little time. Who said that I'd have so much free time since Little A would be at school all day now? FYI, not true!
I can't believe that summer is nearly over and that fall is upon us. The kids are back at school and we are adjusting to the new schedule.  I've been so busy these past few weeks with school, birthdays, activities and deadlines. How do we get some more time in the day? 
The new season also means that Quilt Market is around the corner and that my fabric line, Inspiration, for Henry Glass Fabrics, should start hitting the quilt shop shelves any minute now. I'm excited about this line because the colors are upbeat and the message is good. Let me know what you think and of course, if you make something from the line, send a photo! I'd love to see!
Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many, if not all of us, have been touched by someone's story in her fight against breast cancer. I've designed a few projects for you to make as gifts for your loved ones in support of breast cancer awareness. There will be a lap quilt or two and a tote bag. Here's a sneak peak of the first design, Twinkle. I'm just tweaking the patterns right now. Drop by early next week for the patterns and to share your stories. 
Super exciting news! You'll see Inspiration in a design for American Patchwork and Quilting this winter. The design will accompany my profile in their February 2010 issue! So awesome!
I think that my work of late has had a sense of "purpose" beyond making a beautiful quilt. I'm just about finished a knitting design for a prayer wrap. I'm giddy with excitement because it came out so beautifully. Be patient! You'll get to have a peak in time. xo, L

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

My New Pincushion

Look at what I made for myself! I bought a couple of these ring notions at a local bead shop recently. How cool! I've wanted to make a finger pincushion for a while now because I use teeny, tiny little applique pins when I hand applique.  I just couldn't find these ring bases until now.

Then I dove into my roving stash and made a felt ball. For those of you who have never played with roving, run out and buy some! It's addictive. I sewed on some cute little seed beads and hot glued the felted ball onto the ring base. Look at my pretty new pincushion! 

I love my new pincushion. Hmm, could be an easy holiday gift to make for my sewing friends. Shhh, don't tell them, ok?  xo, L

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Believe

I hope that you've had a great week. My brother and I got sick while we were in Toronto.  He had to fly back to Vancouver so he had to go while still sort of under the weather. By then he was feeling much better. I delayed my return home and I feel so much better now. Then the kids had their first day of school and I worked on another deadline!! It has all been crazy and chaotic!

See that quilt up there? Believe is a fun and funky applique design that I used to sell as a block of the month set. People still ask me for it. Good news! It will be a single packet pattern very soon. Even better news! The entire pattern will retail for $24! I'll let you know when it will be available. 

Remember when I made an appearance on Quilt Out Loud? One of the other panelists was the wonderful Patsy Thompson. She sent me a pile of her wonderful DVDs. I watched a few of them and all I can say is that they're terrific! She's clear, and she packs in a lot of information. I like the way that she shares her tips and that she points out areas along the way where you might run into trouble. In essence, she's teaching, guiding and troubleshooting for you as you're quilting. 

See you later! I have some more videos to watch! Have a wonderful and safe weekend.  xo, L