A Walk On The "Wild" Side

I was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed a "me" day. I love to wander around with my camera and go to my favorite little hangouts.

Check out the banner above. Queen St. West is one of my favorite areas in Toronto. There are lots of funky shops and the biggest yarn shop, Romni Wools, you can ever imagine. Years ago when I designed greeting cards, the paper place was known as The Japanese Paper Place. It was a wonderful store with such character. The store has new owners and it's still an inspiring place. I must admit that my first love is paper and this store is addictive!

Next door is one of my favorite book stores, TYPE. I love the atmosphere and I can, without a doubt, stay there for a good period of time just browsing the kids' section.

A few doors down, there's this cool architecture. Isn't it great how they blended the old with the new? Did I ever tell you that I thought about being an architect when I was young?

I love the orange colors that decorate the outside of this cute gardening shop just a few doors down the street.

I hope that you enjoyed the tour as much as I have. I've got a few more pics and then some of my trip to Delaware, DC and Maryland this week. xo. L

Strawberry Lemonade

Today's the last day of school! Yahoo! I'm feeling a bit sad too because it was a good year and I don't really want it to end. There will be a "moving on" ceremony and a school picnic today. Crazy me decided to stay up and cut three 1/2 yard pieces of fabric as gifts for each kid in the class. Only difficulty, Big A is in a multiage class and there are 42 kids in the class. It was done and I'm a bit tired but I know they'll love it. I donated some leftovers and remnants this year and the kids had a ball with the stack. They made these funky headbands with beads and they cut up the fabric to make other goodies. How cool is that?

Fabric Trends [Summer 2008]did a wonderful job of showcasing my Gardenia fabric [www.henryglassfabrics.com]. I designed and made this quilt a while back but when I look at the quilt now makes me smile. It's so happy and vibrant. Perfect for a picnic I think. xo, L

My Inspiration Wall

Here's another addiction of mine ... wallpaper! I love Graham and Brown, Nama Rococo and Walnut Paper. I love patterns and textures. Oh, and the colors are so glorious. There's just so much wallpaper out there right now. It's not the old fuddy duddy stuff that we used to see.

I've had a mental block about wallpaper because dh and my dad would always tell me how awful wallpaper is to take down later. Since we rented for a long time, putting the stuff up just never happened.When we did finally buy our own place, it still took a while to convince the free help around here that it would look great on the wall. Well, my parents always said that I'm a persistent person. So a while back, I just ordered some and let's just simply say that I have a beautiful wall now.

I have loved this wallpaper from the day that I saw it. I think that I saw it on NBC morning news about six years ago. It doesn't have color but that's the beauty of it. You just add the pics to make it fun and funky. I just stick my fave photos [here's a pic of a design of mine from my book, iKnit] onto the paper whenever and remove it whenever. It's on the wall going down to my basement. I adore it.

I also wanted to put a cool piece of wallpaper on the wall behind my headboard and frame it with molding and to do cutouts for the kiddos' room. Not successful at convincing the help of that yet. I see that Pottery Barn is doing something similar. At least I got the chocolate powder room and the funky green bathroom that I wanted. That was only 4.5 years in the making.

Remembering ...

Jo Pau.

I miss you.

xo, L

So much to do yet so little time

I do have a confession. I have SIX posts in draft mode awaiting publication but life has gotten the better of me so I will have to re-write my posts so that they are more time appropriate.

I just returned from Portland. It was a fun and inspiring trip. Portland is such a terrific city. I didn't take a lot of photos this time around but I will post a couple of pics of some goodies that I did bring home later this week. I got a couple of cool patterns from my friend, Amy Butler and some cute kits from Olympus [Japanese softies].

I caught a cold on the flight back and have been battling that for the last little while. I have been doing some behind the scenes design work that I can't post at this time. I can, however, introduce you to my latest book, Home Stuff. I am so in love with the styling and look of this one. Let me know what you think.

I'll be back later this week. xo, L

Portland here I come

I am off to Portland for Quilt Market tomorrow morning. Wee hours of the morning as a matter of fact. So much last minute stuff to do.

I hope that I will see some of you there. Don't be afraid to stop and say hi if you see me.

Henry Glass will be showing some new fabric of mine. We are working on tying up the loose ends as we speak. Whew!

See you there!

So good.

The cherry trees are blooming and it is looking quite beautiful here. I love the fresh colors of spring. The antique quality of our town is just so magical at this time of year.

Last year I couldn't have imagined that I would be saying this but this week has been awesome. Although my family experienced much sadness this week a year ago, it has been a good week this year.

First, the four wonderful firefighters who saved my dad remembered us and it was a comforting feeling. My heroes. Thanks, Bill, Andrew, Bruce and Steve.

Then, a major magazine came to my home for a photo shoot. What fun! Thanks, Nancy, Bryan and Avery. I will definitely let you know when the profile will be published. We worked hard and then ate a lot. Lunched at Pru Thai here in Clinton and then dined at the Pittstown Inn a few miles away. Lots of history and oh so quaint. I am not the best person to be photographed because I simply don't like to pose. The poor photographer. He'd say stay still and I'd move. Thankfully he was a very patient man.

The next day I went into Manhatten to do some work with the fabric company. I love the buzz of the city. I also stopped by Kinokuniya and Tinsel Trading. I love those two stores for inspiration. The garment district is always hustling and bustling. I can't get enough of it.

Finally, one of the firefighters won an award for his efforts. Congrats, Andrew. He couldn't make it to the awards ceremony so he asked my mom to accept on his behalf at tomorrow's ceremony.

These little events and the wonderful people involved are the very proof that life does go on and it is so good.

Remembering ...

my dad, who inspired me so much. I miss you.

Score!

I was driving down to Princeton to get a haircut and I drove by a rummage sale. It looked promising because a lady was packing a really cool chair into her van as I was driving by. "There won't be anything left on my way back," I thought to myself.

For some reason, I felt compelled to stop on my way home. Well, 20 minutes later I was in possession of 6 chairs and one painting for $54! There were two of each chair plus one large painting. I don't think that I will keep the painting. I bought it for the frame. Can you believe it? It was meant to be. I was thinking about trips with my dad to these sales when I was a kid. I have always loved to find my own little treasures and it is a major thing for me to get a great deal. My dad would have gotten a kick out of this.

I ran out to get some foam and I had some of this Alexander Henry fabric on hand. Presto! Two new dining room chairs. How cool is that! Sorry the pics are mediocre. I was way too excited to share this with you and it was getting dark outside. I couldn't wait.

Oh Baby Mac ...

I love you! I've been having fun playing with the photo booth and the kids think that it's a hoot to distort my head.

I've been working on my web site and hope to have it up sometime soon. So many things have been going on and the big chore for this month is cleaning up for a photo shoot for a magazine here at chez moi. Lots of stuff to get out of the way! How do you keep those Lego pieces together? Oh, those bolts of fabric need to be put away. And, yes, I need that bathroom painted, like, yesterday! It's only had 3 test strips on it for about, oh, a year give or take. I've discovered another love - decorating. I haven't done much of it because certain little people just love to draw all over my walls and furniture so I decided not to fight it. When we put up wallpaper a while ago, Little A decided to start drawing on it just as the paper was freshly pasted. A long time ago, he also managed to get his head stuck in my dining room chair. Had to toss it by the time we got his head out. Keep chanting: "Someday I will have nice furniture and decor." So that's what they tell me. In the meantime, how could I get mad at such a sweet face, green and all?

Yo!

I have discovered that I have a few addictions [all good, I promise you]. The first addiction? Yo-yo's. Sometimes I love using the Clover yo-yo makers and other times I just cut out a circle and sew it freeform. I especially love extra large yo-yos. The oversized ones add a lot of spunk to any simple project. This pillow is in my book, The Modern Crafter - Tot Stuff [http://www.leisurearts.com/]

Welcome, Baby Mac

We waited a week for the delivery and Little Baby Mac came into my world this week. He weighed 25 lbs. Ouch. I love him so much and he's already made such a big difference in my life. My brand new PC gave me problems and it was time to buy this baby. I've been working on a new web site and it has been straightforward so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's been busy around here. First, Little A and I celebrated Chinese New Year by going out for dim sum. Yummy! This kid eats anything. Happy New Year! It is the year of the rat.

The weather was crazy today. There was an accident early morning when I left the house. I didn't leave the subdivision. So I ended up sitting on a sheet of ice on a hill because an Audi was facing my lane head-on. When I came back home, all I wanted to do was stay in. I got some reading done but then I ended up playing Transformers for a while. Let's roll, Autobots.

Rejuvenate

Over the holidays I had started a few projects. I needed to do some crafty things that others had designed. Sometimes I need a diversion from my designs and just let someone else do the work.

I hadn't done crochet for a long time but I had picked up couple of Japanese crafty books. I made an amigurumi bear and I just started a lacey cell phone holder. I love the look of the lacey piece but I'm not sure that I would do a lot of the fine crochet. My eyesight is bad enough. Of course, I would re-call my crochet abilities by using a size 3 hook. Yes, the meds are still affecting me.

I started a new pair of mittens. I LOVE Fleece Artist and her yarn bundles are fabulous. They're a quick knit and the color is oh so yummy. It's a purple mix. I don't normally wear purple but this shade of purple goes really well with my aubergine colored coat.

I have been on a nesting binge especially with all that happened last year. I have had the urge to renovate, rejuvenate and de-stash. I started by trotting off to the local paint shop today and brought back a zillion swatches. I can't decide!!! Yikes. I love color but since I live in a small townhouse with no other females in sight, the melons, oranges, yellows and fuschias are off the list. Too dramatic in a testosterone driven home. I have mixed ideas about what a home should look like. I love so many different styles that keeping it all in sync is my biggest problem. I love Tricia Guild. Her colors are bright and dramatic. On the other hand, I love the modern/retro look. You'll see the look in my upcoming book, "Home Stuff" in the Modern Crafter Series [Leisure Arts].

I don't care for a country or primitive look. I do love it when you see a home that mixes old with new. I inherited a wooden throne-like chair, a wooden desk set and a watchmaker's repair table last year when my Dad passed away. They're in storage right now but I love those old pieces. My Dad also bought me two treadle sewing machines a long time ago. I look forward to the day when I can have all of the pieces together with me.

Hopefully, I will narrow it down in a few days. I need to rejuvenate. I think that I said that already. It's my buzz word for this new year.

Move over Mr. PC

I have been whining a lot lately and my thoughts have been in a bit of a rut. The cause? My computer situation. So what did I do this weekend? DH bought me a brand new MAC! I cannot wait. My head felt as though it was going to explode. This has been an ongoing thing for about forever and moreso since September.

Funny thing. Right after Reno put the order in, the floodgates in my head opened up and I actually felt relieved. I was talking to a publisher this morning and three ideas for books came together. The ideas have been there in rough form but to get it all together is the tough part. I know that it sounds hokey pokey but that is how I design. I don't sketch until after I've formed the ideas in my head. Then it is only to put the schematics together to form the pattern. Weird, non? Things are getting back to normal, yes!

I have been looking over the layouts for my next book in The Modern Crafter Series and it is fab! The photography is outstanding and the styling is oh so hip without being trashy or strange. That's a good thing.

Check out this bulletin board that I designed for The Modern Crafter Tot Stuff. It will be hanging above my work area soon [as soon as those who are good with a hammer can put it up. Big hint;)].

Curl up with a good book

The fine folks at Martingale & Co./That Patchwork Place have their act together. I received this fabulous stack of books yesterday in the mail. These are great for reading on such a day as today. There was a two-hour delay at school though I'm not sure why. It's just raining right now. My family laugh at me because they think that I'd never be able to go back to Canada based on weather alone. They're probably right!

There's Cool Girls Quilt on top but all of the books beneath it are beautiful too. I recognize a few names in there. Cyndi Hershey used to own The Country Quilt Shop in Pennsylvania and Karen Soltys is an editor at Martingale. I will let you know how my reading goes if I can pull myself away from the books long enough to write a blog about them. Thank you Martingale & Co.!

Make Believe

I love designing with a theme! This book is unusual in that there's quilt and pillow set for each theme. So adorable! There's one for a ladybug lover, a train lover, a rocket scientist and a few more!

Trendy Tots

I love making gifts for wee ones. For all of you modern moms, Tot Stuff is full of special little gifts for the trendy tot in your life. There are some fun designs. Be bold and use all of those cool fabrics that you have in your stash.

MIA but productive

Where have I been? I have been sick since December 22. Can you believe it? I am slowly getting back to normal. I rested, crafted and did a lot of thinking. Oh these ideas have been floating around in my brain but I've been working on a few ideas in the past week.

It was actually great to get some rest. I rather enjoyed being taken care of! My Mom, aunt, and brother visited. I got caught up with my favorite comedies, Chuck and Ugly Betty. I don't know why but I always love the underdogs or the geeks. Ok, I did do some other things like become an expert at Nintendo DS.

One of my favorite books was published over the holiday season. Sew Sentimental, above, is a scrapbooking book but there are many sewing projects to make for memory keeping. I loved writing this book and designing the projects. It was a treat to be able to have my family memories bound in a book like this.

I will have a few more cool updates soon. I can't wait to show you.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the land of antibiotics and inhalers. I've been sick over the holidays but it hasn't completely stopped me from enjoying visiting relatives. My mom, brother, and aunt are here and it's been nice to have them here.

I've been watching and reading about the year in review in the news and in magazines. Lots of milestones in the world and it is no different for me personally. This year was forgettable and yet unforgettable. I lost four special people in my life within a six month period - my dad, my grandmother, my father-in-law and his brother, Uncle Joe. I've missed them all especially over the holidays but I've been blessed to have had them in my life.

From a design perspective, it has been the best year for me. I worked hard last year so that much of the work could come to fruition this year. I've had four and a half [contributed to the latter] books published, lots of magazine and fabric work. I thank all of the wonderful people in our industry for supporting my visiion and I especially thank all of you for coming along for the ride! Here's to a great new year.

xo, Linda

Merry Christmas!

I wish you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you to all for your support this past year. It has been one with some major ups and downs but all of the friendship has meant a lot to me and my family. All the best to you and your families. xo, Linda