Easy Photography Backdrops

We had a Snowball Dance recently at school and I was the photo booth photographer! It was a blast. I had ideas for the backdrop and C [above with the white hat] came through! She made this simple but gorgeously effective backdrop from ribbons that she bought from Michael's. She tied ribbon to dowels and we hung them from the ceiling. I loved it. I made up the moustache on a stick from my templates from the Halloween blog hop. So fun. C and her family were so awesome to photograph too! Thanks, C, for the great backdrop and frame. Big A had to get in on the action too! 

For Valentine's Day, I made fans and taped them to my background for a fun effect.

It is really quite simple, inexpensive and easy to make simple backdrops. Give it a try and have some fun!

xo, L

Whoo! Hoo! I Can't Wait For Christmas!

The awesome folks at Martingale & Co. just sent over the cover for my new book, "Sew Merry and Bright." I love it!

With each publication, there's a lot of people in the background who provide support or wonderful products that inspire me to design these projects and to write these books. Fabric companies like Henry Glass Fabrics, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Michael Miller Fabrics, Moda Fabrics and Adornit are make beautiful products. Aurifil makes equally lovely threads and Kindred Quilts provides me with much great friendship and support. 

Thanks to all.

You deserve it.

Really, really love all that you do.

xo,  L

Random Things

I just posted this new challenge in the Inspired Workroom on Facebook. Join us there won't you?  I love mini artwork and I thought it would be fun to pick a favorite word to stitch on a hoop. There are a few other little things in the challenge but you'll have to join us there.

Meanwhile, my latest patterns, Modern Quilt Sampler and Happy Days are officially available. My local quilt shop, Kindred Quilts,  has a few left. Call them, they'll gladly do mail order. Here's how the patterns look.

At the bottom, you scratch off the code like you would with a lottery ticket and go to the website to download the pattern.

Last week on Creative Mojo, my buddy, Mark Lipinski, asked me why I chose to publish patterns this way.  Others have commented here that they may not be able to get the pattern. It is no different from a printed pattern in that a quilt shop can send it to you.  This is something that works for me on many levels. I have a lot of commitments and other things that are going on in the background. It is one step between my self-publishing again and going all digital. Neither of the previous options were viable at this time for me and I was able to keep the quilt shops in the loop. I hope that you enjoy these patterns and more that I have planned in the future.

xo, L

Love

I started a group on Facebook called Inspiration Workroom because I was getting bored with the mundane. Anyone is invited to join and you can be a lurker or you can participated in the challenges. Our first challenge is up next week and I can't wait to see what the members have done. 

The other day I bought some little frames from Michael's and I made up this little stitchery. Cute, right? I'm stitching a second one. If you're out of ideas, run over to Michael's and buy a couple of these little frames and stitch away.

I used Aurifil wool and a swatch of fabric. So lovely. What are you making for Valentine's Day?

xo, L

Rosettes Make You Smile

I love little flowers and I think that they make great embellishments or quick gifts. You can use up some long pieces of scraps for these lovelies.

The great thing about them is that you can use any kind of fabric and make them in any size. Want to make some?

The first thing that you do is tear a piece that's across the selvage and about 1 1/2" wide.

Cut a slit at one end and pull the opposite end through. 

Pull the end all the way through. This will form the center of the rosette.

Start wrapping the fabric around this rosette center by folding the strip in half lengthwise as you go along. 

Twist the strip around every once in a while. Sometimes the raw edges will face the top of the flower and other times, the folded edge will face the top. You can add dabs of glue to hold things in place every few turns. [above, the folded edge is up and below, the raw edges are facing the top of the flower].

Continue in this fashion until you reach the end or until you are satisfied with the fullness of your flower. Glue the end down. If you wish, you can glue a piece of felt to the back of the rosette in order to hold things together.

xo, L

Valentine's Card

Do you make your own greeting cards? It's fun. For this card, all you need is some thread, a needle and some cardstock. I used some yummy Aurifil thread and cut out a heart shape in a piece of cardstock. Using a needle, poke holes all around the outside of the heart cutout.

Cut out the heart only for a second piece of cardstock. Do not poke the holes around the heart cutout.

Stitch random stitches all around the heart shape. When you are finished, glue the two pieces of card stock together. Make sure that the heart shapes overlap nicely.

Trim the card and you have a card or tag depending upon the size that you made your project.

xo, L

Your First Project?

Do you remember your first project?  I never took Home Economics in high school because we didn't have room in the class. Too many girls so I ended up taking metal shop and woodworking.

We had just moved to New Jersey and I couldn't work. I wandered into the local quilt shop because I was so bored with the lack of the hustle and bustle of the city life. I was hesitant but I wanted to make this quilt that they had on display. Susan, the maker of the sample, was working that day. I think that she thought I was a bit off of my rocker because I wanted to make this by hand. I didn't know any other way because I didn't have a machine. I bought some fabric and started to make several of the blocks by hand!

I found a few of the blocks a while ago. I look at them with amazement. I think that my piecing technique was much neater then. I don't have the patience now. 

It was fun to look back. Do you remember your first project?
xo, L

p.s. Yes, I know that I am an overachiever. I didn't go for basic squares for my first sewing project.