Spring Is In The Air, Fun Is Everywhere

We have had a lot of snow days here in the northeast. I am anxiously awaiting spring but I can feel it in the air. Most of all, I see it in the colors around me and in the activities or events that I am able to sneak out to experience.

Last week, my son had Safari Day and I showed you their underwater experience. It was so fun to decorate and he had so much fun talking about his dolphin.

Later that night, my friend Joanne and I went to the Hunterdon Art Museum for their ladies night out event. It was fun being out with good friends eating good food and making fun jewelry like the bracelet that I made at the top. You can see how I still had blue and ocean on my mind!

I still had the color blue on my mind when I bought this kit bead kit at the quilt show this weekend. More on the show later this week. What a pretty bead.

I love to see bright and happy fabrics. My friend Sarah Fielke sent swatches of her new fabric, little things, for Lecien. The line is so happy and I love the dots especially. I used the yellow dot in a project for Mark Lipinski's Christmas 365. The issue should be available in the next week or so. Thanks Sarah!!

Oh, look at the adorable funky chickens!

Most of all, I love all of the spring quilt shows. I went to Quilt Fest in NJ this past weekend and I believe that the big Lancaster show is coming up in two weeks. I get to see beautiful quilts like this one made by Judith Heyward.

I will share some more from the quilt show this week.

xo, L

Things That Excite Me!

Mark Lipinski's newest issue of Christmas 365 with my heart garland on the cover and my placemats inside.

My kids are inside too!

iPhone 4 on Verizon February 4!!! [Photo source: Apple website]

A new community for quilters in its testing phase and coming soon. Read their story here and here.

It's already an awesome week and it's barely even started. Cool!

xo, L

Bloggity! Jiggity!

Tomorrow is the start of one giant quilt block lovefest. The Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour is on tomorrow. I'm on for tomorrow. I can't wait. It's going to be a wonderful week of blogging and quilt block fun.Won't you join me?

Next, I've gathered all of the awesome designers of Henry Glass Fabrics for another week of fun. This will be the event of the season and will happen from December 1-7, 2010! Come and join us for the Henry Glass Designers Holiday Project Parade. There will be free patterns, inspiration, stories, little giveaways and one gigantic giveaway at the end for a chance to win a bundle of fabric from Henry Glass and a small gift sent to your house from each designer! Check out the list to the right! You can't miss this awesome event!

xo, L

Quilt Market! Fall 2010 Edition

Quilt Market Fall 2010 was a good time. I felt guilty all the way through because this is the first Halloween that I have missed and because my little one exclaimed, "What? You're going to miss Halloween?" as we dropped him off for school on the way to the airport. He knew but I think that the reality did not hit him until that moment. I did make it up to him and I will show you why further down the post.

Before I left, I did manage to take the boys to Haunted Halloween Hallway at school. It was a fun evening and the event raised money for the school. My Harry Potter and Ironman enjoyed themselves very much.

So, off I went and I almost didn't return home because it was so nice and warm there.

I ran into Mark's impression of Flat Stanley. He wasn't able to attend Quilt Market so I scouted around for interesting stuff for him.

I always meet with the great folks at Henry Glass Fabrics. They had an awesome show and I'm excited to tell you that for those of you who wear scrubs, I think that some of my fabric was purchased to make some by a manufacturing company. Look out for it!!

I stop off to visit with Barb of Quilt Soup. She's so fun and funny. I think that we sat around talking shop talk for two hours more after everyone had left after dinner. Karen, from Henry Glass, always takes care of the girls!

All of you need to buy this pattern when it's available!! Barb embroidered all of the lace parts of these blocks. To die for! The photos don't do it justice.

The Aurifil team, including the divine, Ms. Pat Sloan, are a treat to visit with. Yes, ladies, Alex and Davide are charming and handsome in person. Eleni is so wonderful too.

Their threads are to die for. I love color and their range of color is unmatched by anyone else.

Now, after all of that kissing up [it is genuine though], do you think that Alex will part with one of these huge and AWESOME cones?

Pat has introduced a new set of rulers and a cool cutting mat. Red on one side and mango on the other. I want a new mat!!!

Die cutting machines were popular. There's the new Baby Go! by Accucut.

The new Making Memories Fabrique. [pronounced fabrique even though there is an accent on that last "e" - couldn't figure out how to type it] They are licensing designs from Sandi Henderson, Bari J, and others. The new machine cuts more layers than the old one. 

More die cutting items at the Checker Booth. These designs were from the Westminster designers.

I LOVE this quilt. The simplicity of the design is so beautiful.

I always admire David's wall design for P&B. Remember this from last year? Ok, David, what's next?

My friend, Amy Butler, has a gorgeous booth, as usual.

Imaginisce has these really, really, really fun products. They have the i-top tool that makes buttons and brads. They also have the i-rock tool that will affix rhinestones, jewels and mirrors. What was so fun were the things that you can make with the button tops. They also sell magnetic attachments for the back, headbands with a snap-on attachment for your brad and loads of other little neat things. Check out their site.

Penguin & Fish is a cute embroidery company. She sells on etsy too.

Seven Islands had an adorable booth. Not only did they have the latest KOKKA fabrics but these adorable felt projects and needle felted desserts.

As I said earlier, I made it up to my little one. How? Well, I got Ty Pennington to autograph something for them! My kids love his Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

We were shown his fabrics while we waited for his return from the men's room.

Here I am with Brandon Mably, another Westminster designer, who's rockin' that skeleton shirt.

That's it for today! I hope that you enjoyed this brief visit to Quilt Market.

xo, L

Chirp! Chirp!

Finally! I'm excited to announce that Chirp! will be available at CraftEdu this Saturday and the good folks of CraftEdu will have an introductory special at 25% off for 24 hours starting at 2 p.m. EST. Please join me in this advanced beginner class. Don't worry for all of you who are more advanced quilters. I've got a couple of designs in the works for you! Please join me in my classroom at CraftEdu for some fun too! Please note that once you've joined the CraftEdu community, you will have to join my classroom under Instructor's Classrooms. I don't want to miss you!! You don't have to take classes to be a member there. You can join the fun and I am going to have some freebies there too.

xo, L