Luscious

Whenever I go home to Toronto, I find the time to stock up on my Fleece Artist/Handmaiden yarns. I love the colors and the fibers are wonderful. I bought these two skeins with the purpose of making some sort of lacy scarf and I bought this "kit" to make fingerless gloves. I've a plan to make handmade gifts this year but I'm thinking that these gloves are way too cool to give away.

Thanks for all of the notes on the dinosaur embroidery. I wanted to use it as a pocket on the outside of a tote but I used really nice white wool. I think that I will make him a pillow this weekend. I'll just stitch up another lickety split and use that for the outside of a bag. xo, L

On Display

I love to display artwork by the most creative peeps of all - my kids. It makes me proud and they get such a kick out of seeing their stuff on the wall. I have this art display right beside my dining room table. It is such a quick and easy thing to make. Plus you can dig through your stash and find something pretty to dress it up. As for the frame, you can buy one at a craft store but I have recycled other ones from garage sales.

Here's how you can make your own display board:

1. Buy a frame, a roll of cork and a strong board for the backing if there isn't one that comes with the frame. You'll need fabric of course. I used a piece from my Gardenia line.

2. Glue the cork to the board and let dry.

3. Cover the cork with your fabric and pull to the back. Make sure the corners are pulled nicely and evenly. Adhere the fabric to the back of the board.

4. Place the covered board into the frame. Cover the back with kraft or other paper to make it neat.

5. Nail the hanging hook to the back of the frame and you are ready to display your artwork!

I am lucky.

I live in a transient sort of place in NJ. Clinton is a lovely, charming little place 50 mins. west of Manhattan. People come from many different places because many of the big pharma companies are based here and attract employees from all around the world. Also, since the cost of living is so high in New York, many of our friends and neighbors commute 2 hours each way to the city to work.

The result is an interesting mix of people. I am fortunate to meet people of different nationalities here and I am even luckier when they bring me goodies back from their homeland. My friend Roopa spends a few months in India and she knows that I love quilts. So when she offered to bring back some quilts from India, who was I to say no? I got this sweet quilt a few months ago upon her return. I love the colors and the images. [Unfortunately, the other quilt that she bought me perished to nowhere land because her suitcase fell apart somewhere between Newark and India.]

I am lucky indeed.

A visit to Ottawa

I was in Ottawa this summer and we stayed at the Chateau Laurier. I grew up near Ottawa though I never visited this city much because my parents didn't like it. It didn't matter that Ottawa was only 1 1/2 hours away and Toronto was more like 5 hours away. They just like the cosmopolitan flair and diversity of Toronto and we owned a house there.

I have spent time in Ottawa for various reasons in the past year and have enjoyed visiting. The Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec has always been a favorite architectural site for me to visit. It is located across the river from Ottawa. I took the kiddos here while Reno attended a conference.

The Chateau Laurier is a beautiful, historic building beside the Parliament building in downtown Ottawa. The kiddos want to stay at the "castle" again very soon.

This is the backside of the parliament buildings taken outside of the Museum of Civilization across the river. It is so pieceful on this side because there is a waterfall along the side of the building and you have this spectacular view of the Parliament buildings and these sculptures.

I managed to visit Quilty Pleasures in Orleans. It is a beautiful shop and the gals there are super talented and terrific. I spent some time there and my boys entertained themselves by photographing their Yoshi plush toy [from Nintendo] throughtout the shop. Look at the wonderful book cover that Sam made from "Cool Girls Quilt". Here are the fine ladies, Sam, Leslie and Val from the shop and Michele is a fan of mine [so nice to meet you!].

Sam made this wonderful notebook cover from my "Cool Girls Quilt" book. She studied baking and perhaps the next time I go there I will have to get her to bake some delicious cake for me!

Here's Michele showing off her beautiful work. She's so fun and energetic. I'm sure that all of her students love taking classes with her.

Adam got hooked on poutine. Yum! French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. What more do you want? I prefer the ones from New York Fries but in a pinch, any kind of poutine is fine with me. Oh dear, this can't be good for the cholesterol levels.

When the Better Homes and Gardens folks came to my home this spring I think that they were surprised by the neutral colors in my home. I love color but my co-inhabitants wouldn't go for the following:

I loved these two window displays. I would die for this chair and then regret it after a week because it would turn black, purple and blue from footprints, and popsicle stains. Sigh!

One can only dream and wish!

BHG does it again!

Those wonderful peeps at Better Homes and Gardens have done it again. I should have posted these a little earlier but anywho, here's the latest. You can still make them and have some fun with them.

My Halloween quilt was so much fun to design. I dug into my stash and pulled out all of the zaniest, spookiest prints I could find. If you're short on time, Make a small hanging with one of the words or a pillow. These birds were oh so easy to make and they sparkle with the beaded strings. There's huge potential to use all of those funky little fabric scraps that you're not willing to throw out just yet.

This adorable crayon roll is in the same issue. I know several people who have made this cutie. I love this little crayon holder and you can make tons for holiday gift-giving.

Show me your stuff. I'd love to see what you've done with my designs. xo, L

Have a sweet day!

You've been patient and I've been bad! Sorry. I had my most official aides, Adam and Alex, assist me with the arduous task of selecting the winner of our little contest. I loved all of the stories and they made me laugh. I couldn't decide so my little helpers put all of the names into their plastic orange Halloween pumpkin and pulled out the winner's name.

The winner is sugarcreekstuff with her full blown pink eye story. Thanks to all. The winner gets a copy of "New Noel" and "Make Believe" by yours truly and "Copy Cat Quilts" and "Follow The Line Quilting Designs" courtesy of the kind and wonderful folks at Martingale/That Patchwork Place. Plus, I will throw in some fabric, of course.



Is anyone else thinking about Halloween and Christmas? For some reason, I have thinking of pumpkins and sugarplum fairies a lot. I am going to re-visit my free patterns on my web site and have some fun with them. Perhaps you'll make something from the ideas that I will present for gift-giving. xo, L

Dinomite!

I haven't forgotten about our little contest. I will reveal the winner in the next day or so. I have the sniffles [which I always seem to get after working on a project].

Meanwhile, I just finished a stitched design based on Alex's drawing of a stegasaurus. Just trace your little one's artwork with a pencil and stitch. So easy yet so satisfying. Your little ones will think that you are the coolest mom when you do something with their artwork. I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet. I'm thinking a little piece of art on canvas. Any ideas?

Whew! I Need A Nap! And a contest too!

The first week of school went by so quickly. I didn't have much time to think about my baby going to kindergarten. I had to celebrate a birthday too. How could I forget? He has reminded me everyday for the past 3 months that his birthday was coming up. Happy birthday, baby.

It has been a little crazy around here. I always said that I wouldn't over-schedule my kids but guess what? It is official. I am a mommy-cab. We have tae kwan do, violin classes and chinese school. The only defense that I have is that they want to do it.

I had promised a little contest. E-mail or leave a post of your funniest story about your kindergarten experience and I will put a little box of goodies together. Don't know what it will be but it will include some fun stuff. It will include some of my stuff and some from other designers. All products are manufactured or published by Henry Glass or That Patchwork Place. High quality stuff for sure! Let's have entries in by Friday, September 19 at 8 p.m. east coast time. Why so long? Well that'll be the first time I'll have a stress-free moment.

Inspiration and a Cool Read

What inspires you?

One of the ways that I am constantly inspired is through travel. I go back home to Toronto a lot. My family owns property in Chinatown there and it is always fun to step outside the door and look around. There are so many different things that arouse the senses from the aroma of the food to the clothes. A lot of times it is the everyday thing that ignites an idea in my head.

Reading books and blogs also add to my inspiration base. Take a look at this site. I have gotten back into knitting and this site is a fun and funky read. I'm excited to see some more modern knitty things.

The kiddies started school today so it has been a happy and sad day for me.

Daisy Hill

At the suggestion of my friend, Amy Butler, we took a detour to Daisy Hill Greenhouses in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Daisy Hill is indeed a special little place. The plants are so beautiful and the greenhouse is located on a private gated property. The house on the property looks like a little castle.

I loved the walkway just outside the greenhouses. The soft colors were soothing and they did not give hint to the lush colors that I would soon see inside the greenhouse.

Oh, the colors of the plants inside the greenhouse were vibrant and rich. It really felt so alive and beautiful inside.


There were three long areas full of plants like this.


These were not only beautiful in color but also in the visual texture.

I don't have a green thumb though I am trying to remedy this. I did buy a couple of mini conifers, a little plant that has flowers that look like little goldfish and a venus fly trap plant. My little one is enthralled with the venus fly trap. At first he was scared because he thought that the plant would eat his finger. After that, it was so "cool" and he watched it "eat" a bug.

I hope that you're enjoying the Labor Day weekend!

Work and Play in Ohio

I thought that it would be fun to show you a photo of the setup at Checker. I was there to promote the two books, "Cool Girls Quilt" and "Sew Sentimental", that I had written for the wonderful folks at Martingale/That Patchwork Place. All of my samples from "Cool Girls Quilt" are shown above. [I had to re-arrange the area later to look like the booth in the previous entry because the event coordinator had mistakenly told me to hang my stuff there. The photo from the last post shows everything in final form.] Everyone loved the brown bag shown hanging from the rack. The store owners were all excited to see a book with so many terrific and diverse designs. To a designer, that is a wonderful compliment!

I must admit, I was happily surprised that so many people walked out the door with a copy of "Sew Sentimental". There are lots of designs for sewing projects beyond the application of sewing to scrapbooking pages. I poured in lots of love and affection to this project. The two pillows on the silver rack are from this book. I designed a few quick and easy to sew projects for gift giving. Run out and buy one. Then come back and tell me how you liked the book. Better yet, make something from the book and show me!

We headed home early Tuesday because I wanted to stop by a place that was suggested by my friend, Amy Butler. Go to Chagrin Falls in Ohio and make sure you go off the beaten path to Daisy Hill Greenhouses. It is worth the drive. Indeed it was. The falls in Chagrin Falls were relaxing to watch while we enjoyed some treats.

The buildings were quaint and picturesque. It looks and feels much like Clinton, NJ where I live. The charm and beauty of these little American towns is so special.

The flowers on the street are so vivid and they add so much to the town atmosphere.

Wouldn't you love to see this outside your home?

We spent a few moments in Chagrin Falls. What a quaint little place. Though I'm generally a modern kind of girl, I also love and appreciate vintage things. Let me tell you about this fabulous shop in Chagrin Falls. It is called Stash Style and it is so inspiring. There's so much to see in this beautiful place and they sell AMAZING cupcakes. Now I know what all of the fuss is over red velvet cupcakes. Yum! Yum! The displays in the shop are delicious too. I managed to buy a few small items and, oh yeah, a little rocking chair! Reno, surprisingly, didn't give me that look that he normally gives me when I am trying to do something crazy like stuff 6 big chairs from a rummage sale into our little SUV. Thank you for that sweetie.

The displays are works of art! I had to keep the kiddos outside. Mommy can't afford to pay for the goods if the kiddos topple this beautiful table over.

Did I tell you that I am addicted to old frames? Buy a frame and put cork behind it or paint wood with blackboard chalk to make a terrific message board.

You will have to check in again soon for more inspiration from Chagrin Falls! It's time for me to get some beauty rest. You know, two posts in one day can kill a girl.

Oh where have I been?

Hello everyone!

Remember me? I am finally back in New Jersey. We have been driving around to all destinations this summer and we got back late last night. My sister and her family are visiting from Toronto the rest of this week so it will be great to end the summer this fun way. To all of you who have commented or e-mailed, I will get back to you soon! I gotta unwind and do a pile of laundry.

Before I forget, run over to Bunny Hill Designs. Anne is having a scavenger hunt [so fun!]. The winner gets some of her lovely fabric.

Oh where have I been? Let's start with this last trip. I just came back from a fun trip to do a book signing to promote my books, "Cool Girls Quilt" and "Sew Sentimental" at Checker Distributor in Maumee, Ohio for their 60th Anniversary Open House. Checker Distributors sells wholesale to those who have businesses in the quilting/needlework industry. What a fab group of people! Everyone from the organization to the shop owners and other designers who came were fantastic. 

Here's an end cap of designs and fabric from Kim Diehl and my fave group of people, Henry Glass.

Here are some more endcaps showing other fabrics and patterns. It was like being in a candy store. This is the fabric section. Their notions and book section [sorry I didn't get a pic] is phenomenal. I need an organizational system like that for my kiddos' stuff.

Joan Hawley of Lazy Girl Designs was demonstrating next to me. Super nice and super talented. She's got these Handy Tabs for purse making. So smart and they come in great colors.

Here's Gina Krieger, head of their IT department and also the buyer for their knitting, crochet, and needlework department. You know how people say that everyone has a twin in this world? It could be a physical thing or a personality thing. Well, obviously we don't look alike but she is my twin. I am sure of it. She's got great energy, and the same "obsessive, compulsiveness" [in a good and positive way] when it comes to crafting. Just take a look at this gorgeous sweater. Can you believe that she's only been knitting for THREE years? Gina, the knitting is awesome if I didn't tell you then.

We had dinner after the hectic day and I just loved spending time with my favorite person at Checker. Nancy Weber has believed in me since day one. Her honesty and friendship is greatly appreciated.

Hubby took the kiddos got to see the Toledo Zoo and surrounding area. Dh is great about supporting me that way even though he may go a little bonkers by the end of the day. The kids really enjoyed the visit too and they're such great troopers because dh and I drag them everywhere. More on our travels later. We made a stop in a fabulous place on our way back but it will have to be in another post for another day.

Come back soon. I will be having a giveaway next week. My baby starts kindergarten. So put on your thinking caps and open your hearts. I will need some funny stories about your little ones so that I won't need to think about mine being away from me for the first time.

p.s. If anyone can tell me how to add spaces between paragraphs beyond the normal way of pressing enter, please let me know. I feel like an idiot. I have been trying everything and it just won't let me do it.

It's so hot, hot, hot!

It is hot, hot, hot outside! Peony is from my mom's garden again. I love this color and the flowers are so lovely and delicate.
I am trying to focus on updating my website and blog. See that flickr badge over there? Yeah, I am behind the times when it comes to this but I am learning!

I have enjoyed the process of creating a lot more. I am currently knitting something to actually gift to someone. Haven't done that in a while. Usually I am up to my eyeballs in making book/magazine samples!

Speaking of knitting, I stopped in at one of my favorite and inspiring spots in NJ. Here's Justine in all of her pregnant glory. She owns Angelfire Studios in Basking Ridge. Justine, you look awesome! On the one hand, I envy her because I loved being pregnant; on the other hand, I can't imagine being pregnant with the heat. I always comment about the color and inspiration that she has going on in her store. The best way to describe her store is to say that it's colorful, funky and tasteful all rolled up in one.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy fourth of July! I just returned from a trip to Washington, DC, Annapolis, Maryland and Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. The Smithsonian Institute in Washington is truly a national treasure. The exhibits are first rate and they're free. The walk all around the entire area from the Lincoln Memorial back to the Air and Space Museum is quite a hike but worth the effort.

I love to walk around Washington and wish that I lived in an urban setting with lots to see and do for the family every weekend. I have NYC and Philly nearby and appreciate them but I do miss city living!

I remember when I first went to Washington. Dh was doing some work with the FBI and I had two days to explore the city. I stumbled upon the Itchiku Kubota exhibit and I was inspired for a lifetime. I sat in front of the breathtaking landscape of 45 hand-dyed kimonos and I cried. The passion and dedication that he had for his work was beyond words. Mr. Kubota developed what he called Itchiku Tsujigahana.

I just discovered that there will be an exhibit of his work in San Diego, CA and Canton, OH at the end of this year and early next year. You wouldn't want to miss this if you live in either city.