dzyning things

Valentine's Card

2012-02-04T02:09:00.001-05:00

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?

2012-02-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

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.

Happy Days

2012-01-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

The publication of this pattern is really a happy day for me. For a long time a lot of life things have been sucking up a lot of my energy and consequently, aside from magazine and book work, I neglected to
explore the next step for my designs. Then, Rebecca from Patterns Gone Digital, and I chatted. It was a good fit for me and here we are. This is the first pattern that I have designed for Patterns Gone Digital and I hope that there will be many more.

The patterns are available in the quilt shops and are sold like an iTunes card. You buy the placard and take it home. Once you're home, you will then scratch off the code and download the pattern.

Let me know what you think!

xo,

L

Un-Match It Up

2012-01-09T09:05:00.002-05:00

Are you a matchy-matchy sort? I don't think that I am! In fact when I was selecting fabric for my last few projects, I found myself trying to use as many different fabrics in the applique as possible. I find that this method results in a quilt that has depth and many layers of discovery.

As I was selecting the fabric, I'd ask myself if there was another pink in the same color range but perhaps had a different print or scale to it. What sort of questions do you ask yourself as you are selecting fabrics for your quilts?

xo, L

Surround Yourself With Cuteness

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

Cute things can cause smiling and therefore is good for your health, right?

xo, L

Helping Our HG Sister, Amy Hamberliin

2012-01-06T06:54:00.000-05:00

We received this sad news about our friend, Amy Hamberlin. Please go and send her some love and prayers.

xo, L

It's A New Year.

2012-01-06T00:18:00.002-05:00

I have been quite busy. It always happens to be around the time when everyone else is enjoying a holiday or vacation time! I have popped into Facebook and started up "Inspiration Workroom" which is a group that anyone can join for inspiration obviously. There will be challenges too [though you don't have to participate for everyone one to be part of the group]. Join us, won't you? I will try to coordinate things between here and there. At some point, you'd think I'd figure out how to link one to the other.

It's not like I had nothing to do. I had just designed and made a couple of quilts and thought something challenging and outside the box would be great. I ask questions, people have show and tell, and we all have fun!

Here's what we've done so far. We've chosen a word for the year and mine is "daring" because I want to do more [yes, even more than what I do now!]. What is your work for the year?

Here I challenged the members to take a photo of a flower but in some unusual way. Cell phone photos are ok.

Try scribbling words that describe you or your life.

Why not make something for yourself? This scarf is easy, peasy and oh so cute!

Sharing family heirlooms. I asked members to show family heirlooms. My aunt made this for me when I was little.

I hope that you join us! Happy New Year!

xo, L

Holiday Greetings

2011-12-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

I love greeting cards. The clever and creative ones impress me the most. I especially love pop up cards. This deer one was my business greeting card last year. I designed and made a few of them.

Many of you know that I designed 3-D cards way before Hallmark ever made them popular. That was another lifetime but I still enjoy them. I thought that I'd share some that I got this year.

My boys love cards too and I try to get them one each year.

Don't tell my hubby but he first captured my heart with a simple and modest greeting card that had a very cute saying on it. After all these years he still knows how to capture my heart. I am not hard to please. Just a beautiful card will do.

xo, L

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

It's Been A While [And Finally, Giveaway Winners Announced!]

2011-12-13T10:56:00.013-05:00

Sometimes life throws you a curveball or two. You do your best to catch them and throw them back.

Sometimes a curveball sets you off on another tangent. You do your best to go along and steer it to where you want it.

I've been away from here for a while because I had a couple of curves thrown at me in the past few weeks and I am doing my best to catch them, throw them and steer them in directions that I know will take me to a good place.

Some curves I can talk about and for others, the time is not right just yet.

My grandmother passed away very suddenly and we went to Canada to say goodbye. She was a strong woman and I admired her work ethic. I lived with her for a few years when I was young and then again when I was in university. I don't know if she really knew it but she was a role model to me. I've been lucky in my life because I've had many female role models and from each, I've inherited a good but different characteristic. From this grandmother, I was blessed with the gifts of perseverance and strength. I had already acknowledged this and dedicated my latest book [publication date: July 2012] to her.

This happened at the end of the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Parade and I apologize for the time it has taken me to announce the winners. First up, we have the grand prize winner, Julie Little of Roy, Utah. Congratulations!!

Next, we have the winners of my book giveaways. Please e-mail me and give me your details. The box is on the right sidebar. If you don't claim the prize within one week, you're out of luck. I reserve the right to use the book in another giveaway or pick a second name.

The winners are:

1. Row By Row Seasonal Gifts & Jolly Stuff

Kari said...Nice books! Thank you for a giveaway. My favorite part of the holidays is just feeling upbeat and happy to be with my family. I think most people just seem to be nicer and happier during the holidays.

4:04 PM

2. Sew The Perfect Gifts

pinsandneedles said...I really love chevrons and your pillow is perfect. My husband was born in Norway so we love to celebrate all the Scandinavian traditions at Christmas.Thanks for a chance to win any of those fabulous books.

8:38 AM

3. Jelly Babies

paulette said...This blog hop has been incredible!! Thanks so much for the pillow pattern...can you guess what everyone will be getting this Christmas? Thanks also for the chance to win your Give Away! Take care and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Paulette

9:37 AM

4. Everyday Handmade

SewLindaAnn said...Love Actually is one of my fave movies year round! I never get sick of it. Nice idea getting together with a friend to make little gifts. Those books are awesome, I only have 1 of them (your pincushion on cover). Have a great weekend and thank you for sharing.

10:48 AM

5. Out Of the Box with Easy Blocks

Lisa Marie said...My extended family is in several different states and we aren't able to get together often, so my favorite part of the holidays is when we all get together. I love giving quilts as gifts at this gathering, and we always have delicious food.

11:43 AM

xo, L

p.s. I apologize for all of the weird spacing in the post today. I have tried to fix it but it hasn't corrected itself yet!

Smile Please! (Plus Book Giveaway Extended)

2011-11-28T10:16:00.004-05:00

I love my family and I especially love these little boys. My mom came with my sister and her family to visit us. I had these three boys to myself for a day and it was crazy, funny and did I say crazy? One of my Thanksgiving traditions is to take a photograph of the boys at the holidays. I try and try and well, I try. Eventually I get a pretty good shot! Eventually!

Sadly, they had to go home a day early because of a family emergency. I have extended the book giveaways until next Sunday. I just can't focus on it right now. Let your friends know and good luck!

xo, L

Who Doesn't Love a Giveaway?

2011-11-26T11:53:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to enter the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party Giveaway! Check out the details here. Also, my book giveaways are open until midnight tonight! Details here.

I hope that you are enjoying your holiday weekend!

xo, L

Where Do I Sit?

2011-11-21T12:19:00.002-05:00

Thank you for the awesome comments! I am truly grateful and I do read them all! There's still time to comment for the book giveaways. Go here and leave me a message. There's a few great titles that Leisure Arts and Martingale sent along for me to give away to you! Plus, don't forget to send in your answers to Henry Glass for the grand prize giveaway!

Last year I made silhouette of the boys and framed them for place settings. This year I decided to change it up. I bought these easels at Wal-mart, painted them and stuck my son's photos to the canvas. So darling!

My little origami artist has started filling up the branches with snowflakes. He's got his Lego guys guarding his glittered houses too!

Have a great day!

xo, L

Happy, Jolly Holiday Party! Let's Party!

2011-11-19T06:47:00.016-05:00

It is our last day of the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party! We hope that you've been inspired and have had lots of fun! Thank to all of the designers for their wonderful posts and to you for following along! Remember that there's some special gifts to be won. The rules can be found here. Remember to collect all of the secret words and e-mail it to the address listed in the directions on the Henry Glass blog from the 20-26th to be entered in the Jolly Holiday Party giveaway. I was told what the grand prize will be and it is fabulous!

I share the party hostess duties with Chelsea of Pink Fig Design today so hop over there to see what she's up to.

Now to my Q & A's. Many of my holiday stories have been well documented already. You should start here for some fun and inspiration. Otherwise, stick around here for some more storytelling!

1. What is your favorite holiday food?

I don't eat a lot of sweets but I do love butter tarts! [My secret word, btw!]

2. Does your family have a favorite holiday tradition?

We used to travel to Canada for the holidays but weather conditions made that a dicey undertaking. The entire NY Thruway was closed one year. We do have my mom here and that's special and I need to take an official photo every year. This year, the boys wanted some friends to be in the photos too. There are other funny stories that I've written about in the past and you can read all about some other holiday escapades here.

3. Did you love or hate sitting on Santa's lap?

I think that I only sat on Santa's lap once and I loved it. Hard to believe it but I was a very social butterfly and was not shy at all! Although I can't find the photo right now, I remember my orange and powder blue plaid jumper and red tights. Stylish, I know. My son's have not inherited this from me though.

4. Was there a gift that you desperately wanted? Did you get it?
I never wanted much for Christmas as a child. I lived with all of my aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents and whatever we got was special. As an adult, the only gift that I wanted was a Leica camera. Yes, I did get it.

5. What is your favorite holiday movie?

I love all of the traditional movies but I enjoy Love Actually. Who doesn't love seeing Colin Firth during the holidays? Now that would be a lovely present.

6. Favorite holiday song?

I have two! I love, love, love, Darlene Love.

Nothing beats Diana Krall and my boys especially love the last line of the song, "I'm crazy about horses!"

7. Do you make any holiday presents? What do you like to give?

My friends, Colleen and Joanne, and I have a plan this year. We are going to get together once a week to make something small. We figure that by the time Christmas comes along, we'll have a few projects made up for giving. What sort of things are we going to make? I think that we're going to make little zippered pouches.

8. If you could go back in time, when would you say was your most favorite memory?

I love watching my mini-Marthas decorate. They're so funny. I wonder how long their decorating streak will last. I hope that it will be around for a few more years! In the past two days, my little one has been cutting out paper snowflakes with the gusto of a strong wind in a blizzard.

9. Do you prefer a big family gathering at the holidays or a small dinner followed by hot chocolate by the fire?

I like a small intimate time with my family. It's a great time to sit down and enjoy each other. We're so crazy busy the rest of the year and this is our quiet time. We enjoy the day and have lots of fun. During the day we like to talk to all of our relatives around the world.

Don't get me wrong. I do love to get together with my family and friends too during the holidays. I grew up in a large household with my great grandparents, grand parents, aunts and uncles so I've enjoyed large gatherings. When we do get together it is lots of fun but since we get together outside of the holidays, I don't feel as though I have to get together just because it's Christmas. I love watching all of the little cousins play together . Right now, most of the cousins are boys so it is always crazy busy.

10. Do you love a big tree or Charlie Brown tree?

I love Charlie Brown's tree and in that spirit, I have some branches in vases so that the kids can hang up their ornaments and paper snowflakes. The reality is that I love glass ornaments and I buy my kids an ornament every year. We have two trees now and both are fairly robust so that they can hold all of my ornaments.

My project for you is this fun pillow. I tried out different color variations and thought that it would make a great center for a placemat too. You choose. I'd love to see what you do with it! Pattern here and template here.

See, it's cute and simple as a placemat. With the gray/white combination, it's a bit funky and modern.

Here are my giveaways to you. My books are going digital soon on the Leisure Arts APP but they so kindly sent along some of the printed books for you to win!

Martingale sent me a few amazing new books. If you leave a comment here or on Facebook, you might be selected to win a copy of one of these books. That's my pincushion on the cover!

Jelly Babies is such a cute little book! It's great especially if you love the 2 1/2" strips.

Love this one! There are lots of fun designs to make!

Mary Lou Weidman does it again. She and Melanie have written a fun book about easy free-form pieced blocks!

Comment here or on Facebook until midnight of the 26th and tell me your favorite part of the holidays for these drawings. I will select winners for these special treats! If you comment here on the blog and on Facebook, you'll get two entries! Yeah! If after one week of notification there is no reply from the winner, I reserve the right to save the prize for a runner up or to use it in a future giveaway [my choice].

Come back soon, I will be announcing my new pattern venture. I'm starting to get into the holiday spirit too. You'll have to see what sort of diy projects I work on with my boys.

Happy holidays!
xo, L

The Elves Are Finally Smiling!

2011-11-18T07:03:00.002-05:00

Today is the second last day of the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party. We've got the Buggy Barn ladies, Janet Nesbitt and Pam Soliday, Dana Brooks and Renae Allen. Everyone has had amazing posts and projects so far and I am sure that these ladies will not disappoint!

Tomorrow it's my day! Come back for some more fun! I think that we've made some progress since Day 1 and the little elves are a bit more friendly, don't you think? This one has been making a lot of paper snowflakes.

xo, L

Can It Be?

2011-11-17T07:40:00.000-05:00

Day 5 of the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party is here. Our party hostesses of the day are Brenda Pinnick and Leanne Anderson. Hop over to their blogs for some awesome projects and stories. Love Brenda's colors and Leanne's snowmen are adorable!

I wanted to remind you of some fun stuff that I have on the sidebar. These tags are great for all of your handmade gifts. Just download the .pdf and print on cardstock! Too fun!

See you!
xo, L

dzyning things: Have Jingle Will Rock

2011-11-16T06:59:00.000-05:00

dzyning things: Have Jingle Will Rock: Are you still following along on this blog party? All of the ladies have designed some wonderful projects for you, haven't they? The posts ...

Have Jingle Will Rock

2011-11-16T06:53:00.005-05:00

Are you still following along on this blog party? All of the ladies have designed some wonderful projects for you, haven't they? The posts are fun too! Today, Barbara Jones of QuiltSoup and Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched are the party planners. They've got some wonderful surprises for you [Barb is having a sale too!]

I thought I'd review some freebies that I've presented in the past. Last year I designed the reindeer pillow seen at the top for Aurifil. Go and print out the pattern here!

Then I designed the Have Jingle, Will Rock pillow for the Henry Glass Designers blog hop last year. I love this one because it's just oh so cool.

Come on back or visit my Facebook pages for some fun.

xo, L

Day 3 - Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party & Glenmont

2011-11-15T09:12:00.004-05:00

We are on Day 3! Today's special designers are Little Quilts, Lucy Morey and WillowBerry Lane. I hope that you are enjoying this hop. All details can be found here.

Here's more of my family's visit to see the Thomas A. Edison Historical Museum. Actually, this part is Glenmont, his home.

Glenmount is Thomas Edison's Llewellyn Park home. Llewellyn Park is America's first planned residential community and it boasts residents such as Whoopi Goldberg.

The staircase is the most beautiful staircase! Beautiful. They don't make them like this anymore.

The ceilings are gorgeous. This one is in a bedroom.

This one is in family room in the back of the house.

This was a sitting area just beyond the staircase that led out to a gorgeous sunroom.

Thomas Edison's library.

Beautiful painting of a daughter of his. [I believe so.]

The resting place of Thomas Edison and his wife.

Come back tomorrow for Day 4 of the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party.

xo, L

Day 2 - Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party & Thomas Edison

2011-11-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Today is day two of the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party. You can find all of the designers and the blog hop information here.

The designers today are the Lizzie B ladies, Liz Hawkins and Beth Hawkins. I don't think that they're sister-in-laws, I think that they're identical twins!! They are joined by Jacquelynne Steves of the Noble Wife. Have fun and enjoy their wonderful holiday posts.

Yesterday, we went to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park with a few families from Chinese school. We had a great time visiting Thomas Edison's home in Llewellyn Park and then his lab areas.

His library in his Stockroom Building is amazing. He even had a bed there!

The stockroom and all of the machinery in there were amazing.

I'll have to show you some photos of his home. It was simply amazing to be in a place where Thomas Edison lived and worked.

xo, lldb

It's A Jolly Holiday Party!!

2011-11-13T07:28:00.008-05:00

Welcome to the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party!

We've been gearing up for this fun event! I haven't had a lot of success yet but I am hopeful. Here is where I'm at.

Not good. Then when I didn't think that it could get any worse, it did. Wish me luck! My day is the 19th! Come back and visit won't you?

Back to the real business. We have some fun planned for you! We have some prettier faces for you today. Today Jill Finley of Jillylily Studio and Kari Ramsay of Fresh Cut Quilts are up. Give them some love!

Here's the details of the Jolly Holiday Party! The designers are going to answer some questions this year. It's all about their favorite holiday things. In addition, they've each designed a wonderful project for you! For all of the hard work that you're going to do by reading the posts, we're going to reward you! There is a secret word in EACH post. Pick them all out and e-mail Karen@jaftex.com from November 20-26, 2011 [ends at midnight of the 26th] and you will be entered to win a grand prize. What's the grand prize? A gigantic bundle of fabric from Henry Glass and a little something from each designer!! I will be stalking the winner's post man. : )

November 13, 2011
Jill Finley of Jillily Studio
Kari Ramsay of Fresh Cut Quilts

November 14, 2011
Jacquelynne Steves of The Noble Wife
Liz Hawkins and Beth Hawkins of LizzieB Cre8ive

November 15, 2011
Vicki Oehlke of WillowBerry Lane
Mary Ellen von Holt, Alice Berg and Sylvia Johnson of Little Quilts
Lucy Morey of Hot Scott Patterns

November 16, 2011
Barbara Jones of QuiltSoup
Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched

November 17, 2011
Leanne Anderson of The Whole Country Caboodle
Brenda Pinnick of Brenda Pinnick Designs

November 18, 2011
Janet Nesbitt and Pam Soliday of Buggy Barn
Renae Allen of RGA Design LLC
Dana Brooks of Lazy Daisy Cottage

November 19, 2011
Me!
Chelsea Anderson of Pink Fig Design

Have fun!!

xo, L

Marvel of the iPad

2011-11-11T06:42:00.002-05:00

The iPad has changed the way I do everyday things but it has especially changed the way I think about my business. My publisher Leisure Arts has embraced digital technology and I am happy to say that three of my booklets are available through the Leisure Arts iPad app [this part is free] as e-books. You can download it here and then go on to buy the books within the app.

iKnit is a fun accessories collection. There are purses, scarves, and pillows. I love the photography in this one.

Oh, so jolly. I love Christmas and The Modern Crafter - Jolly Stuff is a bright collection of holiday treats. There are placemats, ornaments, runners, pillows and more.

Who remembers my first designs? I love those little applique designs and there are six of the designs in Row by Row Seasonal Quilts. So cute and easily adaptable to any size of a project that you desire.

My thoughts to all of the families of veterans and the men and women in service today.

Have a great weekend!

xo, L

Hello!

2011-11-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

It's me! Yes, vaguely, right? Where do I start? It has been so manic that the only posting that I've been able to do has been Facebook. If you're on there, friend me because you'll see a lot more there. I am working on being here more often too.

I wrote a book, went to Quilt Market, did other stuff, went to NYC to the Henry Glass Fabrics' offices and did other stuff [can't mention now kinda stuff].

I only went to Quilt Market for a day and a half because some little people needed me. Remember these guys?

I hung around with the Henry Glass folks for a short while [see photos on the Henry Glass Facebook Page] but I was only there for a day and a half so I had to make it productive!

I had to see Ms. Sloan for sure! I went to the Aurifil Schoolhouse. Aurifil has a lot of fun plans for 2012. They have a great line-up for the Aurifil Designer of the Month event. Speaking of Designer of the Month. You should pop over to the Aurifil blog now to read all about Jacquelynne Steves. She replaced Larissa who's been ill. Remember to make a project and post it onto the Flickr page. You could win some lovely thread. I would do almost anything for Aurifil thread. Check out the Flickr page here.

Also at the Aurifil Schoolhouse were Alex Veronelli, Lee Nakamoto [actually from Accu-Quilt and thanks for this photo] and Sarah Vedeler.

I had to visit with the ladies at Better Homes and Gardens too! There's Nancy Wiles, Lisa Schumacher and Elizabeth Beese.

I chatted briefly with Heidi Kaisand. She's wonderful and she has a new shop, Hens and Chicks. Sounds like a great place.

After Quilt Market, I went to NYC to the Henry Glass Fabrics' offices. It was a gorgeous day in Bryant Park.

Here we are in the heart of the garment district!

Two terrific people at Henry Glass, Larry and Karen, work really hard to bring you their gorgeous fabric!

Here's Karen with Lenny! He does the computer work.

I met the lovely Irina the day that I was there.

Make sure you check out the Henry Glass Facebook Page for previews of new lines.

I snuck over to Tinsel Trading because it is on the same street as Henry Glass. Oh, what a beautiful wall of flowers and other treats!

I'm gonna be back very soon! We're working on the Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party from November 13 - 19, 2011. Make sure you check back. It will be fun to hop around and around.

xo, L

Stuff and Giveaway Winner

2011-10-06T11:13:00.000-04:00

Hello! The week just got away from me. Wow. It goes so fast. I am working on a few little patterns that I'm going to offer through my local quilt shop. Almost done. [big sigh of relief heard in town]

I'm excited to announce the winner of the Sew The Perfect Gift book. Sorry it was a bit messy. I was trying something new and it flopped! I hope that you run out and buy the book though because it is a beauty.

The winner posted on Friday, September 30:

katie said...

Very nice, like it lots.

8:43 AM

Katie, send me your details through the e-mail link on the right sidebar.

My friend, Marianne Byrne-Goarin is up next in the Aurifil Designer of the Month Event. Check out Pat's interview with Marianne and remember to make a project and to post it on our Flickr site. You could win great prizes.

I've got a post on repeats and selvages. Check it out.

Talk soon. Wedding to go to this weekend.

xo, L

Sometimes I Like Basic And Old

2011-09-30T19:30:00.002-04:00

I couldn't take it anymore. It made me crazy looking at it. Although I like the aesthetic of the new Dynamic templates, I missed the basic and old blog with of its sidebar information. So, thanks for your advice and just offer up a comment to say hi or even to thank me for changing it back. Leave it here, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Apologies to all who couldn't comment. I didn't realize that I had left the comments OFF. Duh, me. I was testing the commenting for the upcoming blog hop and left it off.

Have a great weekend.

xo,

Sometimes I Like Basic And Old

2011-09-30T19:29:00.000-04:00

Apologies to all who couldn't comment. I didn't realize that I had left the comments OFF. Duh, me. I was testing the commenting for the upcoming blog hop and left it off.

Have a great weekend.

xo, L

http://twitter.com/#!/lindalumdebono

Current Reads & A Book Giveaway Too!

2011-09-30T14:31:00.002-04:00

Notice anything? I have been doing some behind the scenes techie stuff. I am working on updating my poor blog and website. Hello momma, where have you been!

First, I want to let you in a blog hop in November!! The Henry Glass designers are getting together again. It will be fun. Join us won't you? Details to come.

I have been doing some fun reading! Would you like to see? I just got the latest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. Sue Spargo's ornaments are cute. I think that they'd make great gifts for my sewing friends.

Next, we have this special edition of Knit.Wear. Gorgeous photography and a couple of interesting things that I might make one day!

Oh, I didn't forget the book giveaway. There has been so much craziness around here that if I told you you wouldn't believe me! I won't bore you with the details. So, back to the giveaway of this lovely book. I contributed the pincushion project on the cover of this beauty. There are lots of great projects that should get you motivated to start sewing for the holidays. As you may have noticed, I loaded up Blogger's new Dynamic blog template. Click on each of those themes up there at the top. Fun! The only problem is the lack of a sidebar and other things. All gone. My question is, do you like the old traditional blog or do you like this? Let me know! I'll probably have to switch back until they offer something better but for now it looks cool. You have until Monday night 8 p.m. I will announce next week.

Have a great weekend!

xo, L

A New Year & The Lovely Edita Sitar

2011-09-18T07:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, my years follow the school year. I never feel that January 1st is a new beginning.

I had an insane summer that really wasn't a summer because it seemed much more hectic than all of the music lessons, school activities, etc. The book is at the publisher's, my grandmother was not well but is slowly recovering, I have a new niece, we felt an earthquake on the east coast, our town was flooded by the hurricanes and the boys are back at school now! Phew!

I contributed to this lovely book and it is going to be available on Tuesday! That's my pincushion on the cover. I hope to see your versions of it in the near future!

Edita Sitar is our wonderful Aurifil Designer of the Month. I had a post but it disappeared into blogland's black hole.

Her quilts are gorgeous. I want to make the one with the swirling vines. Let us know which one you like and do make hers and post it to the Flickr page for a chance to win some amazing thread.

What next? I'm working on some treats that will be available from my local shop and there's going to be a party later on in the year. Are you ready?

I'm not sure my body is ready but I am totally up for the challenge! Stay tuned!

xo,
L

p.s. Do follow me on Facebook or Twitter. I have better luck keeping up there sometimes!

I See The Finish Line

2011-08-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

I see the end this crazy phase of my summer. Yippee! I am almost finished my book. Although I've loved designing these projects, I am glad that it's over. My coughing fits are practically gone and there's been some stresses in everyday living. I am ready to relax a bit. I was thinking about having a "The Kids Are Back To School Party" right after school starts.

I hope that your summers are going well. Have you been to any new quilt shops during your summer travels?

We also have Miss August for the Aurifil Designer of the Month Event. Her name is Jinny Beyer! Exciting right? All of the designers have been great and Jinny has a lovely project for you.

Check out Pat's interview with Jinny and don't forget to enter the contest by posting a project on the Flickr site! Good luck!

xo, L

Where Did July Go?

2011-08-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

I was out buying school supplies the other day. School supplies! Can you believe it? How's your summer? Mine's a blur! I can't believe that it's August already. I am working on my book and it is killing me. Don't get me wrong, I love it. It's just that I've had a lot of trouble focusing. I am still coughing albeit less so now. The allergy season this year is killing me. I did manage to go into NYC to visit Henry Glass and I stopped by Kinokuniya. I love their books.

From stitcheries to felted wool, I love it all. The layouts are what make the books, don't you think?

I had to pop by Pennington Quilt Works too. These pincushions/sachets caught my eye.

And so did these pillows!

xo, L

New Place

2011-07-24T22:57:00.002-04:00

I want to show you my little canvas. I know that I don't need a new blog. But, I sorta did need another one. It's not going to be like this one here. Instead, Repeats & Selvage will be a place where I jot notes down, think out loud. In the long run who knows if it will stay around. Sometimes I have these random thoughts that have no place to go. This blog will still be around. Don't go away, ok?

xo, L

What To Do? (Long post)

2011-07-19T12:20:00.000-04:00

What does one do when she's sick for three weeks? (and that three weeks started on the very last day of school until today?) What does one do when all four of the summer classes that she's signed her kids up for are cancelled at the last minute? What does one do when she is also juggling some work and deadlines at the same time? Well, she says, let's get creative!

First though, I had to deal with a nasty cold. I have been sick and coughing up a storm for the past three weeks now. I think that I am finally over the big, bad part of this awful cold and I only have a tickle now. Summer colds are the worst. I do recommend Buckley's Cough Syrup but I think it's only available in Canada! It tastes vile but it helps a lot! We had a few visitors and we had some play time with friends.

During this time, my kids' summer plans went out the window. Has this ever happened to you? My kids signed up for engineering, chemistry, DNA and algebra and they couldn't find enough kids for this new program. So I had to get creative. Luckily there were still spots open in the tae kwon do survival camp.

It was fun for a week and then we had to invent some other fun activities. We created our own stuffies by drawing monsters and aliens onto fabric, sewing and then stuffing them with fiberfill.

We made quilts with fabric in Mom's studio.

We visited our family in Canada and did some research on rocks and minerals. Here's my nephew, Dr. J!

We wrote research papers on the characteristics of the rocks and minerals.

All the while this gave mommy time so that she could work on some magazine and book deadlines. Do you want to see some awesome holiday fabric? I hope that it gets you inspired enough to start some holiday projects. That way you won't be crunched for time later! First, there's Henry Glass in the stack. Ooooh!

Robert Kaufman's in there too! Awww!

Michael Miller Fabrics does a wonderful job with holiday too! Double ooooh!

Adornit has some holiday cuties too!

I'd say that we made a great recovery! Our summer is well on its way. How about yours!

xo, L

Aurifil's July Guests Are Here

2011-07-09T00:38:00.000-04:00

Here we are almost in the middle of July. Boy, the summer has just flown by so quickly. Aurifil's Designer of the Month are Barb Persing and Mary Hoover of 4 and 6 Designs. Hop over to the Aurifil blog to read the interview and to print off your free design! Don't forget to post any finished projects from the Design Team's projects to the Aurifil Flickr site. You'll be eligible to win some lovely threads! Totally awesome!

Enjoy!

xo, L

Biscornu

2011-07-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Things are humming along. The book contract has been signed and I have the fabric being delivered as I am writing this. We have had visitors so it's been quite busy. Reno and I dropped the kids off in Canada and they're staying there for a little while!

Oh, I love the bridges that we have to drive over along the way. There are lots of interesting lines and patterns.

There's a lovely cross stitch and needlepoint shop very dangerously close to my mother's house. I have been going to Gitta's for years and I love her product selection. The first thing that I wanted to make was a biscornu. What is a biscornu? Biscornu means skewed, quirky and irregular in French. So essentially, in this case, it is a quirky little pincushion. I'm so excited. You can find the free pattern here on her blog. As my little one has been saying lately, O.M.G.

She has a lovely collection of European patterns as well. Look at this lovely.

I don't think that this one is from Europe but they did get permission to chart it. Gorgeous!

Back to business now. I have some writing to do. Come back tomorrow though. I'll introduce you to Miss July for the Aurifil Designer of the Month Event.

xo, L

What Are You Doing This Summer?

2011-07-01T11:20:00.000-04:00

I've been absent from here for a while and have missed you so. I have been battling a bad cold since the last day of school. Yuck! I still have a bad cough but I am slowly getting over it. Does it seem that colds are worse or last longer when you get them in the summer?

While I was sick, all of the kids summer courses were cancelled! I had to scramble to get something together so they've been at a tae kwon do survival camp. Are you feeling my stress now? I worked well under these conditions just in case you were wondering about my health and well being.

How do I know this? Well, I added a book deadline to the whole thing. See? It is like Christmas around here because it is a holiday book!

Let me get my thoughts together now. Need to focus. What are you doing this summer? Are you taking any sewing/crafting projects along with you?

xo,

L

The One

2011-06-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day! Celebrate with your dad today. It is a day to remember the one who inspires you.

The one who holds you, feeds you, burps you and cuddles you.

The one who guides you and sets you off on your journey.

The one who holds you when you need care while you're sick.

The one who plays with you and has fun with you.

Happy Father's Day!

xo, L

p.s. remember, today is the last day for the Strip-Smart Quilts Blog Tour. Check out details at Kathy's site.

School's Almost Out!

2011-06-15T12:46:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the awesome comments yesterday! I wish that I could give a book and ruler to each and every one of you but Kathy is going to select the winner. Check back soon for that. Today it's Elizabeth's day. Go and check out what she's written for you. Remember to visit all of the other blogs. You can find the links here.

Meanwhile, we're wrapping up the school year. Everything is happening at a frenetic pace but it has been a great year.

We finished with Chinese school with the teacher appreciation banquet. I think that my husband was having too much merlot. Lovely hat don't you think?

We'll miss school, the egg drop contest off of the school roof [we did it this year!] and the Invention Convention project.

We look forward to more days like the one that we had the other day. We had some outside fun with the boys.

Come back and visit soon! Momma's writing a book this summer so there will be lots of sewing!

xo, L

Make And Strip

2011-06-14T08:10:00.005-04:00

Not me silly. Welcome to my day to host the blog tour for Kathy Brown and her terrific book, "Strip-Smart Quilts". I am sure that you've had an awesome time visiting each blog. There's more to come. You can check out all of the blogs here.

I have been making a lot of gifts for teachers and friends and there have been many work things and personal things happening behind the scenes. I made these bags for some friends at Chinese school. [Pattern by Jen Giddens]

A teepee was in order for the second grade play.

Next, we have the teachers' gifts. I started a quilt for the little one's teacher but Big A has a lot of teachers. I didn't think about it until I received Kathy's book. This is the first quilt that caught my eye. So pretty!

I have a confession. I had never used Jelly Rolls until yesterday. I was given a roll of Plume but I never used it because applique is my usual thing. I also make a lot of small items but I don't piece a lot of quilts. When I opened Kathy's book, I thought that it was to perfect time to dig out that Jelly Roll. It was fun and I felt as though I was sitting right beside her laughing and piecing a quilt or two.

Here's my version of Merry-Go-Round.

The book is well-written and her directions are very clear. I love that her charm shines through and the little stories and tips that she shares makes the book very enjoyable. The projects are doable for beginners and are fun enough for intermediate and higher if you want to make some fast and fun
projects. Did I tell you that the book is centered around the use of this wonderful ruler? I think that I am in love with the book and ruler. I'm not giving them up any time soon.

Easy. Didn't I tell you? It was so easy that I made a second block.

Here's my version of Pedal Pushers using my fabric, Hugs and Kisses.

That settles everything. I am going to make some more blocks and put them together to make a tote or lap quilt or two. Remember the labels that I put up here for you back in December? I think that I will print up a few and I'm set.

[You can download these labels on the right column.]

Remember to leave a comment her on my blog. There are prizes involved! You will be eligible to win a copy of the book and a ruler. Then there's some big grand prize but I'm not spilling the beans. I'll leave that up to Kathy!

Good luck!

xo, L

Blog Tour: Strip-Smart Quilts

2011-06-09T11:10:00.002-04:00

Something's brewing! A new blog tour tomorrow. Won't you join us? C'mon. It'll be fun! Kathy Brown of The Teacher's Pet has a new book out with Martingale & Co. and it looks wonderful. She invited me to be part of this blog tour a while back and it's going to start tomorrow! She's invited some stellar bloggers and designers to participate in this event. Here's the line-up:

Friday, June 10 PamKittyMorning!
Saturday, June 11 Laurie Simpson
Sunday, June 12 Tara Darr
Monday, June 13 Joan Ford
Tuesday, June 14 ME!
Wednesday, June 15 Elizabeth Scott
Thursday, June 16 Lissa Alexander
Friday, June 17 Vickie Eapen
Saturday, June 18 Camille Roskelley
Sunday, June 19 Debbie Field

See? I didn't lie to you. Awesome group of ladies. Check in tomorrow!

xo, L

It's June Already?

2011-06-07T10:20:00.000-04:00

Oh, I can't believe that it's June and that school's almost out. It seems that the time between Quilt Market and now vanished into thin air. Lots of things happening. We've been busy with end of the year stuff. Little A is a camper and we made this tent for his play [not quite finished in the photo]. Hubby made a flag pole too. Look who's apparently invented a cure for allergies or so that's what he told his teacher. [There was nothing wrong with him, btw.]

I have started writing a new book and will be working on re-vamping my website. Ooooh, I can't wait to share!

Meanwhile, do run over and check out Aurifil's Designer of the Month. She's Annie Smith and there's another great interview by Ms. Sloan!

Remember to make a project and enter to win some fabulous thread on the Flickr site set up for this event!!

Starting Friday there will be a book blog tour for Kathy Brown's new book for Martingale! Join us, won't you?

xo, L

Where Did May Go?

2011-05-24T14:21:00.010-04:00

I've been to and back from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City for a little while now. It seems as though May just got away from me. I came back to being thrown into the crunch of things. The week after the show is always a little crazy. Add family stuff on top of that! Ok, the kids need to eat. Aw, yes they do!

Henry Glass booth. Early morning before the show started. I then visited with Barb Jones of QuiltSoup. I'll try to get her pic loaded up here but right now it is not happening!

We're proud of this girl. Jill Finley of Jillily Studio won for her awesome booth. Wanna see it? Look below and she was handing out mini-cones of sherbet.

Cute! And look how she's got fabric in the loaf pans.

Buggy Barn and Jacquelynne Steves in the middle.

Lizzie B, the Beth half of the Lizzie B dynamic duo.

I adore this sign in her booth.

Quilt Market is nothing without visiting the Aurifil booth. See that display on the right? If it weren't for the fact that I was going home on an airplane, the thread may not have made it home. Don't tell Alex. [far left or Dario with his back to us in the gray suit.]

Hello, Miss Jodie! Always smiling and always working hard.

Monica [the Happy Zombie in blogland] was so happy to show me her fun new fabric line for Lecien. Congrats.

Patty Young was around for our chat too.

Oh, don't you adore these hats? They're actually pincushions from a Quilted Fish pattern and Amanda, you rock!

BariJ had a lovely booth too.

Brigitte of Zen Chic, you had an amazing booth. I'm so proud. I hope that you had a great flight back to Germany!

Phew, that's it for now. xo, L

Aurifil Designer of the Month - May 2011

2011-05-09T11:54:00.004-04:00

Kaye England is the Aurifil Designer of the Month for May. I met Kaye when we were both invited to the American Patchwork and Quilting Creative Inner Circle Designer Retreat. She's a hoot. So talented, lively and fun!

You have to check out Pat Sloan's radio interview with Kaye. You can find it here. Download it to your computer, iPad, mp3 or other player.

Remember to post your finished project on the Aurifil Flickr Folder. Linda from NY made my pillow project and won last month!!

Kaye designed a lovely project for the folks at Aurifil and you can download that here.

Everyone in the industry is off to Salt Lake City this week for Quilt Market. It's exciting and inspiring. I can't wait. If you are going, I hope to see you there. I am trying to be at the Aurifil Designer of the Month Schoolhouse presented by Pat Sloan. Drop by and say hi!

xo, L

Oh, Boy! Owlish Delight For You!

2011-04-30T20:02:00.002-04:00

Boys. You just have to love them. My guys are fun and spunky. How about yours? What's more fun? Hanging out with more boys like cousins ...

and friends. Oh, they're cute, aren't they?

How about literary buddies who get to travel to great places like New York, Toronto, Malta, New Zealand, Utah, Michigan, Vermont, and it goes on.

This little boy is very grateful for your help. It touched his heart. He was deeply affected by your generosity. "Boy, you do have some friggin' awesome friends, Mom." That "f" word slipped and he did say it to me. I put it in to show you how impressed he was. Then his mouth was promptly washed with soap and he was banned from hanging out with the one who taught him the word at school for a while. I still love my little foul-mouthed guy so don't call the authorities, ok?

He asked me to make something for you. Well, there were many of you who responded to our plea. How about a pattern instead? I did a demo on Quilt Out Loud this month. This was the design that was to be sold but I decided to give it to you, my rockin' awesome readers. [Note the absence of the "f" word.] Please enjoy and we would love to see your photos!! You can find the pattern here.

Thank you to Jodie Davis, Mark Lipinski and their awesome crew. It was so much fun to have you guys here. Check it out!

Most of all, THANK YOU!

xo, L and Alex

Traveling and Such

2011-04-25T14:12:00.006-04:00

Dear Readers,

We've been traveling. My brother and I are such great travelers so my parents take us on big road trips. We went away and had fun but today it was back to school. Remember, we had all of those snow days to make up.

Speaking of remembering, do you remember this fella?

Well, Flat Stanley has been around the world. He's been to New Zealand, Malta, Canada and the United States. In North America, we got photos from Toronto, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Utah, Florida, New York and many other places. My mom will post photos on one of her accounts for all to see. Thank you everyone!! My classmates and I are grateful!

I was so excited with your help with this project. I begged my mother to do something special so I have an announcement. I would like you to come back later this week and download this free pattern as a token of my gratitude for your generosity in hosting Flat Stanley. This pillow was demonstrated on Quilt Out Loud with Jodie Davis. The episodes are live right now! Here's a pic of Mark Lipinski and his crew setting up before the shoot when they were here back in December.

Here's mom with Jodie Davis. We're prepping the segment on the pillow.

Click over and join QNNtv so that you can watch this fun show and come back later this week to grab the pattern.

Thank you.

xo, Alex

Aurifil's Miss April

2011-04-11T10:51:00.002-04:00

There's a new girl in town and her name is Susan Guzman. She's designed a lovely project for you. Go to the Aurifil blog to check everything out!!

You can find out more about Susan here:

Website: http//www.SuzGuzDesigns.com
Blog: http://suzguzdesigns.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1693027833

Pat Sloan interviewed Susan on March 15: Check it out here.

Remember, if you make on of our projects, load up photograph to the Aurifil Flickr group. You are then entered into the Aurifil thread prize contest. There's one winner selected each month!

xo, L

QUILT OUT LOUD!!!

2011-04-08T09:49:00.000-04:00

Remember that Sunday one week before Christmas? Jodie Davis, Mark Lipinski and crew came to my home for a visit. It was fun. It was crazy and now it it is live!! Watch the preview here!

Go and join QNNtv.com for lots of fun and quilty information!

Have a great weekend.
xo, L

Gratitude and Giving

2011-04-06T23:11:00.009-04:00

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. Thank you too for all of the excitement and passion for the Flat Stanley project! I am so lucky I have friends like you! Alex and I have been smiling and giggling at all of the photographs that we've received. So far, Flat Stanley has visited, Malta, Canada and local places like New York City and Pittsburgh. He's having lots of fun!

Flat Stanley with the Stanley Cup [Anne Walizer]

My boys have given me lots of love for my birthday too. Don't you love the Blue Dog painting? How about my new iPod holder made out of Crayola clay? Cool, right? They're so Martha!

Another goody popped into my e-mail box today too! This is the cover of a new book that will be out in September 2011. Sew The Perfect Gift is a compilation of a lot of amazing designs for gift-giving. Karen, from Martingale, sent this along a nice birthday present. I've seen a bit of the proofs and the projects look wonderful! Guess who's project is on the cover? Thank you Martingale for the awesome birthday gift!

With the receipt of all of these gifts, I believe that one has to give. Tonight I am excited to let you know that we have the winners of the Quilt Album software. Congratulations everyone! Becky, my winner, please e-mail me your mailing address here. Thanks for participating in this fun blog hop!

March 29
Rachel Griffin http://www.psiquilt.com/
winner – sandi
http://alegacyofstitches.blogspot.com/
Benita Skinner http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/311QA.htm
winner – Janet B

March 30
Linda Lum deBono  http://www.lindalumdebono.blogspot.com/
winner – Becky [The Quilting Booklady]
Vanessa Christenson http://www.vanessachristenson.com/
winner – Evelene S

March 31
Geta Grama http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/
winner – Connie http://conniekresin.blogspot.com/
Michele Foster  http://quiltinggallery.com/
winner – Kristi V

April 1
John Adams http://www.quiltdad.com/
winner – Andrea http://iliketoroar.blogspot.com/
Pat Sloan  http://www.patsloan.typepad.com
winner – Lee Ann L

xo, L

Mommy's Friends Are Awesome!

2011-04-02T21:10:00.024-04:00

Dear Friends,

This is Alex. Thank you so much for helping me and my class. We are so happy! We received notes from about 50 of you and we are excited. Mommy and I thought about what we were going to do and we talked it over with my teacher, Mrs. Adams this morning. Here's our plan.

We have sent out my Flat Stanley to four people who will mail it forward and then back to the school. They had provided addresses so that made it easier for Mom to send them out today. [She will be sending you an e-mail to let you know.]

For all of the other nice people [ALL AROUND THE WORLD - not just the US], I would love to hear from you! There are two ways that you can help. Either way is great!

1. Print out Flat Stanley's photo, cut out and take it along with you. Take photos of the two of you having fun and send the photograph to my mom. You can post a photograph on Mommy's Facebook page too. The directions are here. [Please note: There was a typo on the first .pdf but this one is correct as of April 4, 2011. The e-mail address has been corrected.]

2. For those of you who don't want to take a photograph but still want to write, Mommy made up a postcard. You can print it out and write me a note and mail it to me. I will share it with my class. Click on the picture above and print. Directions are on the .pdf file here.

Thank you!!!

xo, Alex

Flat Stanley Needs Your Help

2011-04-01T10:57:00.000-04:00

Dear Quilters,

Flat Stanley came to visit my class and now he needs to visit America. Why does he need your help? Well, I need to send Flat Stanley all around America and we don't have family to send him to because they're all in Canada. Friends are all around the world and the only one with friends in America are my mom's wonderful quilt friends.

My class is trying to see how many states I can travel to by May 1st. If you have a child or a grandchild who might be interested, please let my mom know. If you don't have kids and want Flat Stanley to visit your quilt shop or studio that's ok too. You can e-mail my mom here. All you have to do is to promise to send the envelope to the next person on the list. You can take pics and e-mail them to me or put them on my mom's Facebook wall and mention where Flat Stanley visited. Let me know asap. I have to get my mom to put everything together this weekend.

Thanks! Quilters are cool.

xo, Alex

Quilt Album and Infinite Variety Tour Continues

2011-03-31T11:47:00.006-04:00

We are onto another day for the Quilt Album Blog Hop. Thanks for coming by yesterday! I hope that you're enjoying the different things that this package can do for you. Remember to post here or on Facebook for your chance to win a copy for yourself. Today we have Geta and Michele. Check out their links below.

March 31

Geta Grama

Michele Foster

My Infinite Variety tour of the exhibit continues because I think that a lot of you didn't get the chance to see it and I just want to give you a glimpse of what I experienced. Enjoy!

xo, L

Documenting Your Craft & More Infinite Variety Red and White

2011-03-30T07:39:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the QuiltAlbum Blog Hop! Thank you Pat Sloan for inviting me to participate in this event. Make sure you comment on each participant's blog post for a chance to win a copy of QuiltAlbum! You can comment here or on my Facebook page to enter.

What is QuiltAlbum? It's a fun program that documents all of your craft projects. QuiltAlbum is easy to set up and very easy to use. The program runs on Windows and Mac. When you open QuiltAlbum, you will get a screen that's similar to the one below. Loading a photograph of my quilt "Believe" was very easy to do. Once loaded, you can fill out all of the necessary information on the left side of the screen. Categories include designer, quilt size, type of construction, etc. There's a place for you to write random notes that are special to this particular project. Go to their website for a video and more information.

Once you have created a file and filled out information, you will get an album page that looks like this one below. This is how the album page will look if you want to print it. You can select or de-select information to be printed as shown on the right.

What's cool is that you can print out different things just from this one image. You can select greeting cards of varying sizes, business cards or address labels.

It was a fun program to play with. You would have no problem using it because everything is intuitive and clear enough for you to figure out.

Now, Ms. Sloan, wanted to share some other fun things about us with you.

What would I want to add to my studio?

I am looking for a new tablet and I think that I rather like the Intuos4 XL. My birthday is on the 6th. I think that I can treat myself!

What color would you paint your living room right now?

If I could convince my husband, he would be painting it often so that I could try out different colors. However, since he painted the entire place by himself when we first moved in, it has been difficult to motivate him to paint anything. [I do have an avocado-colored bathroom and a chocolate-colored powder room that took about 3 years of begging so I can't really complain!] I have to be a bit careful of color selection. My hubby isn't fond of a lot of color on the walls and I do live with two little boys. Lots of testosterone though I'm sure that my mini-Marthas would love orange walls!

My living room is painted the color of my choice. It is Parisian Taupe. I love it. The color coordinates well with my modern sofa and the beautiful photographs that my very talented brother takes.

If I had to paint it though, I would paint one wall in gypsy pink or hot lips [top row, middle and right, respectively].

Then I could pretend that I was living in this Tricia Guild living room. I love hot pink, lots of light and pattern.

Can you share a little known fact about yourself?

I chuckled when I read this question. I was interviewed recently on Pat's blog and one commenter wrote that she knew most things about me. Ok, I thought about inventing some new things about myself [not!] and then I dug deep. What could I write about?

There's the fact that I hate to eat things like ribs with my fingers. I can manage to eat the entire rib with a knife and fork. Did you really need to hear that? Probably not. So I dug a little deeper and I came up with the following little known fact about me.

Most people call me Linda or Alex/Adam's mom but there are a few nicknames out there and only one person ever calls me one particular name. My high school friend, Judie, calls me "Linda Lum Chum", Linda Wood from Kindred Quilts calls me "Lin", Mark Lipinski calls me "Linda Lum DeBono" or "LLDB" and Lenny from Henry Glass sometimes calls me "Sunny DeBono".

What's the last piece of fabric that you bought?

I bought this adorable fabric by Alexander Henry.

What's your favorite candy from the Easter Bunny?

I do love Aero ...

but if my family doesn't send any to me from Canada ...

then I do enjoy these bunnies in dark or white chocolate! Yummy! Speaking of Easter treats, I have yet to try a Peep. Do you like them? They look too cute to eat!

That's it for my Quilt Album post. Please go and read Vanessa's review. I'm sure that she'll have some fun answers to Pat's questions.

Check out the following participants and give them some love!

March 29

Rachel Griffin

Benita Skinner

March 30

Linda Lum DeBono

March 31

April 1

Remember to comment here or on Facebook for your chance to win your own copy of QuiltAlbum. Let me know what you would use this program for or which feature intrigues you the most! Winners will be announced on my birthday on April 6th [though I'm sure that the announcement has nothing to do with my birthday].

I will leave you with some more photos from Infinite Variety.

xo, L

Infinite Variety & QuiltAlbum Blog Hop

2011-03-29T10:48:00.005-04:00

Oh my! So much time has passed since my last post but so much has been going on. Let's just start with yesterday. I was fortunate to be able to see "Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts" that is an amazing exhibit put on by the Folk Art Museum in New York City. It's over tomorrow but if you can, make your way there. It is AWESOME!!

I got up early and headed into the city via the Holland Tunnel. I parked at my usual spot and started downtown toward the Henry Glass offices. Along the way, I met these snazzy shoes. I love them.

There's something about beautiful leather men's shoes. I know I'm weird that way. I get inspired by everything around me.

Bryant Park and the Empire State Building in the morning.

I'm finally at the offices in the garment district. Well, can you guess who I was meeting here? Why, that's Carrie Nelson from Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. all the way from Arizona. We both look like the Michelin Man because it is still pretty darned cold here in NYC.

After some brainstorming in the conference room, we headed out for lunch. By the way, her new line is gorgeous.

Carrie and I headed over to Brendan's for lunch with Larry, Karen and Lenny from Henry Glass.

Forgive for pulling out my camera at lunch but I love architecture and the ceiling at Brendan's is to die for. The food is amazing too! I had the pan-seared scallops with feta cheese salad. Yummy!

Afterward, Carrie and I took a cab up to the Park Avenue Armory to see the show.

The building itself is impressive! Again, beautiful architecture and detailing.

This is the entrance to the show. It is beautiful but it doesn't quite prepare you for what's inside.

This is only part of the exhibit but what a view. The quilts are hung all the way to the top of this 8 story structure.

We chatted with Jennifer Keltner and Elizabeth Tisinger of Better Homes & Gardens [American Patchwork & Quilting].

I didn't manage to beat the traffic so we decided to head down to Purl Soho and Kate's Paperie.

It was a beautiful day and one that is hard to describe in pixels and text but I am inspired to the core. I will show you some more photographs here, on Facebook or Flickr in the next few days.

Meanwhile, I can't forget the fun event that just started today. I've been invited to share QuiltAlbum with you. My day will be tomorrow. Please come back for a little bit of fun with this terrific program. Each day there will be one giveaway for a CD or download of the program! How exciting!

Here are the participants this week. Click on their names to get to their blogs for more information.

March 29

Rachel Griffin

Benita Skinner

March 30

Linda Lum DeBono

March 31

April 1

See you tomorrow!

xo, L

The Quilt Fest of New Jersey VII

2011-03-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Imagining India by Pat Holly

Last weekend I went to the Quilt Fest of New Jersey VII. I had a great time, saw a lot of quilts, chatted with friends and met some new friends along the way. I thought you'd enjoy seeing some that made it to my camera.

Fish Eye View by Betty Busby

Lost In Illusion by Gloria Hansen

Anniversary Oak by Rosemary Cushman

Arabian Mystery by Judith Heyward

My Baltimore Album by Leona Unkle

A World of Santas by Susan Dicks and Jamie Wallen

Star of Bethlehem Quilt - Collection by Pepper Cory

Watering Can III by Laura Wasilowski

I ran into my friend, Lois Griffin. Don't tell her this but one day I'm going to have to figure a way to remove one of her handmade and totally awesome necklaces from around her neck. They are beautiful! Her husband is too cool.

I met up with my friend from Henry Glass, Karen and her sister. Her sister Linda has an entourage of lovely ladies and they sure had fun. They're headed to Lancaster this week.

xo, L

Spring Is In The Air, Fun Is Everywhere

2011-03-08T09:58:00.002-05:00

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

New Week But Recovering From Last Week

2011-03-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

Last week was insanely busy but insanely creative. There were school events and after school events. There's too much to tell in one post. I think that this week will be a busy blogging week.

I want to thank all of the participants to the yo-yo challenge. The entries were all awesome!!! I appreciate all of the effort that went into the designs. I understand that there are a few more to come. I'll let you know but you can peek at the ones already posted to the Flickr page. Enjoy!

Here's my entry. I drafted this little purse and made all of the yo-yos only to find that my original idea didn't quite work technically. So I frantically made a new one over the weekend. I love it!

I thoroughly enjoyed stitching with Aurifil Mako 50. Dreamy, dreamy, dreamy. I used the thread to sew the yo-yos, the beads and to hand-applique it down to the front of the design.

I used the same thread but in a different color to machine quilt some vines and leaves.

I can't wait to make another one! They're fun and easy [that is after you've drafted the pattern it correctly!] to make.

I promised some little treat. I haven't decided what it will be. Fabric, thread, something. I randomly picked two winners. They are: lucyeths3 and ytzgirl. E-mail privately and I will pop some things in the mail.

Meanwhile, hop over to the Aurifil blog. Miss March has posted her project. She's Sarah Vedeler and here design is beautiful! Remember to post any finished projects on the Aurifil Flickr site. We'd love to see and you get a chance to win some awesome thread!

xo, L

Yo-Yo Challenge

2011-03-04T08:05:00.001-05:00

DSC07678, originally uploaded by Sayitaintsew.

How's your project? You can start posting your projects on the Flickr page. I can't wait to see all of the finished designs. if you can't finish today, don't worry. I will let people know once you've posted here.

xo, L

Welcome To The Atlantic Ocean

2011-03-03T16:39:00.000-05:00

I was at the kids' school today. I was there for most of the day because Big A's class is having Safari Day and their theme was the Atlantic Ocean. It was fun and I'm tired but I can't think about that though because I've got girls' night out at the Hunterdon Art Museum tonight with my friend Joanne.

Four moms volunteered to turn the classroom into the Atlantic Ocean. I had the kids make these adorable fish so that we could tape them to the windows. We had taped the blue cellophane on the windows to give it an underwater feeling in the class. Everything was so blue.

Then we hung up balloons, streamers and fish that the kids had made the day before. We were definitely feeling as though we were under water now. We also made some rock formations to resemble the bottom of the ocean floor.

Big A made this large blue fish below. We had the kids draw an underwater scene and cute out coral from construction paper or make coral from pipe cleaners to line the bottom of the ocean.

One of the moms had actually found some blue bubble wrap in her neighborhood so we laid that on the floor. Then we had the kids tape seashells to the floor as a path to guide the guests through the room.

We taped plastic table cloths to the ceilings to form the other walls of the ocean. These inexpensive table cloths are a must for any mom who volunteers at her child's school. They're great for parties and for decorating as you can see.

It was hard work but we had lots of fun. Now I have to nap before I go out for ladies night out!

xo, L

General Craftiness Around Here

2011-02-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of craftiness going on around here. Every week at Chinese school, a lot of fun happens while the kids are in class. There's people doing crochet, paper work and beading. Let me show you some of the goodies from yesterday.

Annie, left, is the bead lady at the school and she just came back from Hong Kong. Don't you just love their hats? They crocheted them! She had a fun project for us. She had us make these red envelope decorations. The red envelopes [in this case also gold] are folded and stapled to make them. Beautiful!

I wanted to show you her bead projects. Can you say adorable? I want one of these bunnies.

Oh, little bear, you are cute too!

My boys would love this dinosaur.

Groovy, right?

A fish ...

A vase ...

One of her students brought in her "plate" for all of us to see. [Sorry for the bad photo.]

Side view.

So gorgeous but I don't have time to learn this ... yet.

Why? I was busy working on my yo-yo project. Also, my big guy's class is having a special day at school this week and their chosen theme is the Atlantic Ocean. The volunteer moms are going to turn their class into an underwater environment. I designed some fish. The kids will make them and we'll hang them from the ceiling.

We're going to have streamers and bubble wrap across the ceiling and hanging from there too.
Of course, we will need blue cellophane to cover the window and lava lamps to give the place atmosphere!

There's lots of stuff going on this week but I thought that I'd show you only the fun ones!

Oh, yes, yo-yo challenge participants. Projects should be posted on the 5th!! I can't wait.

xo, L

I Needed A Little Inspiration

2011-02-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

Today, I needed to get out of the house. There were lots of little things that I had to deal with this week so when I had had enough, I said yes when my friend Dar called me and asked if I wanted to go out for lunch. Yes, yes, yes!!

We headed down to Frenchtown, NJ. It is a sleepy but funky little town and we love having lunch at the Frenchtown Cafe, walking around town and then walking along the river.

The little trail along the river is easy and it's filled with little treats. The ice melting along the river's edge look like little droplets or gems.

We love to photograph the wonky trees. It was fun today remembering what we photographed in these same spots last spring as we walked by them.

Along the way, there are a couple of houses that we adore. I think that this is the garage of the house to the right of it. I would love it if were my studio!! The two buildings are not attached to each other.

Oh, but look at this one too. It's just a couple of doors down. Gorgeous!

There's a lot of interesting architecture and color in the town.

Just what I needed. A little break.

xo, L

Yo-Yo's Are Everywhere!

2011-02-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

Hi, yo-yo challenge participants!! Have you been working on your projects? It seems that yo-yos are everywhere. I took my machine in to the quilt shop for servicing the other day and visited my favorite bead shop that is in the same plaza. Artful Beads is a funky bead shop that you should visit if you are in the Pennington area. There were yo-yos everywhere! Barbara, one of the owners, was sporting this beauty. Look at her necklace!

They sell lovely clips! Their neclaces are divine!

Yesterday I went to Manhattan and it seems that yo-yos are popular in the Japanese crafting book department too!

Yes, we are way ahead of the curve. I can't wait to see your designs! Remember to join the Flickr page.

xo, L

This E-Thing Is A Growing Thing & Winners

2011-02-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

I've got great news for those of you who knit! Leisure Arts has just notified me that iKnit will be available in an e-book format very soon! If you don't have a copy, here's a chance to download a copy!

It was a fun book for me to design. There are lots of easy and quick but stylish projects for the beginner to intermediate knitter. There are purses, scarves, and even a cable pillow. Look for it very soon at Leisure Arts.

Things have changed in the publishing industry and as a designer, this is one thing that I embrace yet struggle with because I started out publishing my patterns as print patterns. Let me know what you think!

Also on the internet front, I have gotten to know many of you via this blog or mostly through Facebook. If you haven't become a friend on Facebook, please do! I get a larger response to my posts there and it is so much fun.

I met Alex from Aurifil on Facebook and he gave me the opportunity to be Miss February on their Designer of the Month Event. Have you made a pillow or card holder yet? Remember to post it on their Flickr site to be eligible to win the thread. I look forward to seeing your finished products.

Thank you for everyone who posted comments here and on Facebook. The winners of my drawing are:

Hugs & Kisses Fabric - Quilter In The Gap

Aurifil Thread - Barbara Dekruyf Sindlinger [drawn from Facebook]

Aurifil Thread - Colleengonemad

E-mail me your information and I will send the goods to you! Congratulations! If I do not hear from you by Friday, Feb. 18, consider your winnings void and I will pass the prize on at another time!

xo, L

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

More Yo-Yo Love

2011-02-09T09:13:00.003-05:00

hint, originally uploaded by serdreich.

Here is the second lovely project in our challenge! I can't wait to see more!

*Silly me, hit the button to hide my comments and forgot to re-set it. It's ok now.

xo, L

Yo! Yo-Yo Challengers!

2011-02-09T09:03:00.001-05:00

yo yo bead 1, originally uploaded by LadyOfIS1957.

Look at the first two submissions to our yo-yo challenge. Awesome right? Make sure that you join this Flickr site so that you can post your teases! Can't wait to see them!!

xo, L

Miss February - Aurifil Designer of the Month

2011-02-04T10:06:00.006-05:00

GIVEAWAY - CLOSED

Yes, that would be me. Miss February though I forgot my calendar girl outfit in this photo. Thanks for dropping by. I'm so happy to be Miss February for the 2011 Aurifil Designer of the Month event. I've designed a cushion and a card holder for that special sweetheart or Valentine in your life. The applique shapes are all the same. You just need to decide if you want to make one or both projects!

I can't wait to see your versions of "Love". Please, oh please, let me see when you make one and don't forget to post it on the Flickr site that Aurifil has set up for you. You will be entered to win some thread from Aurifil. There's still time to make these adorable projects in time for Valentine's Day. Here's my little one for the reveal.

Go to visit the Aurifil blog for my interview and project details! Comment here, on the Aurifil blog or on Facebook. I am going to have a drawing of my own for some fabric and thread [assorted packs]. I've got company this weekend and a lot of other crazy things but comment by next Friday by 8 p.m.

Good luck! xo, L

Happenings

2011-02-03T09:20:00.002-05:00

The past week has been very much like the insane weather that we've been having. All of this has ccontributed to absolute mayhem in our household. First, we've had about 5 or 6 snow days in the past two weeks plus the Martin Luther King holiday. Talk about schedules turned topsy turvy. Then, deadlines happened so fast and furious. I think that I worked too hard and got sick. So, now I hope to be back on track.

Gung hey fat choi! Today is Chinese New Year!!! It's the year of the rabbit! I gave the kids their red envelopes this morning and this origami rabbit just before they went to school. We'll have a nice dinner tonight. If I get enough time, I will make them each a fortune cookie. What fortune would you like to receive? Enjoy the festivities and Gung Hey Fat Choi!

The first exciting thing that will I can talk about is my project for Aurifil's Designer of the Month. I am Miss February and I've got two little goodies for you to make. Little A is proudly holding one of the designs. Cute! I know that you'll love it. Here's a peek at the second project. Then when you make one and post it to their Flickr account, you will have the chance to win some thread!!

I have some projects in the current Christmas 365 that are fun. Check out the latest issue. It is on the newsstands now. Better yet, get a subscription because I have a ton of projects coming up in the next issue too.

Thanks to everyone who has joined our little yo-yo challenge. I'm so excited to see your designs! We have about 20 or so people committed to this fun challenge. I thought that it would be fun to show you a couple of the yo-yo projects that I have designed in the past.

Tot Stuff [Leisure Arts]

iQuilt [Leisure Arts]

I designed this for another Leisure Arts publication. My kids put the Pokemon stuffie there to show you how large those yo-yos are. I had fun designing this one.

So here's the basics of our yo-yo challenge.

Deadline is March 5.
I've started a Flickr group. Post a photo of your finished project on or after March 5. [I hope that I set this up right! Let me know if I didn't.]
You must use a minimum of 3 yo-yos in your design.
You can make or re-purpose anything you want [try to keep it clean - had to say it, sorry!]
When commenting, please be nice. We are here to have fun. It is not a design contest!!

Now, I just need to clean up this mess! See you soon!

xo, L

Yo-Yo Challenge. Wanna Join Us?

2011-01-26T11:19:00.006-05:00

[source: Generally Speaking]

Blame it on a bunch of crafters being bored and uninspired because of the snow. Here's an idea that came about when I posted this photo onto Pinterest and then Facebook. We now have an "official" challenge. Make something using yo-yos. It doesn't have to be as crazy fun as this. It can be a re-purposed skirt, a greeting card, a purse decorated with a few yo-yos. Whatever suits your fancy. We are just trying to give ourselves a creative challenge. Minimum of 3 yo-yos in the project. Are you up for the challenge? I have a business deadline but I will post the details in the next little while.

Deadline for the challenge is March 5. That is you will have post your photograph on a site that I will set up soon. I'll have a little drawing for some goodies too. This will be our own little talent show! Go crazy, go wild! Show us your stuff!!

Comment here, on FB, send me an e-mail or post on Pinterest. Let me know you're interested.

xo, L

This Little Boy Loves Bow Ties

2011-01-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

The boys have their music recitals this weekend and my little one wanted a little bow tie. Since I am in the middle of a large pile of work and am no mood to draft a pattern for a bow tie [especially since they've been off for three days this week], I looked to Etsy for a pattern. Love that I can find something in a matter of minutes.

I bought this pattern from Crab Apple Attic and I made this bow tie this morning. So cute!

Yesterday, Little A made me buy some Steelers fabric. I thought that he wanted a pillow. Oh no, we want to be stylin' in a Steelers bow tie. He has not removed the shirt and tie all morning all the while playing with his Pokeball.

xo, L

So Sneaky!

2011-01-20T09:43:00.006-05:00

It has been one snow day after another. I think that we are going to have another one tomorrow! I finally broke down and bought a pair of boots yesterday! I think that I've been in denial all of these years of living in NJ. It couldn't have been as bad as when I lived in the Ottawa Valley, right? This year we've had a lot of snow in NJ and I think that it was destiny that I walked into the store yesterday to a 50% off sale and found a pair of good looking yet functional boots in my size.

In the meantime, I've been working on so many different things that my brain is on overload. Lots of stuff that I can't show completely just yet. Lots of proposal writing and magazine stuff to work on. Plus, I've been working on my project for the Aurifil Designer of the Month event going on over at the Aurifil blog. Did I tell you? I'm Miss February, you know. Come and visit me, won't you?

I also have that little project there below to show you in April when the episode of Quilt Out Loud makes its debut. Remember when my buddy Mark Lipinski and Jodie Davis came to visit me the week of Christmas? We taped two segments and it was fun!!!

I'm finally finishing up this little project for myself. Four years ago a lot of tragedy struck our family. One day, Liesl of Oliver and S, was offering up these lovely scraps. She had made a little hexagon quilt and I wanted to make one too. She sent the scraps to me and I made a little, doll-sized quilt top. I kept it on my desk for a long time but then I thought that it would be beautiful appliqued to a background and then framed for hanging. It's so pretty, soft and soothing.

Coincidentally, this past month's block for the Saturday Sampler program at my local shop, Kindred Quilts, coordinated with everything that I've been working on. I love the colors in this block. If you are lucky enough to have a shop nearby that's offering a Saturday Sampler program, take advantage of it. You'll learn something, make something beautiful and be guaranteed to keep a bit of creativity going each month.

xo, L

Things That Excite Me!

2011-01-16T15:43:00.002-05:00

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

The Holidays Are Over?

2011-01-11T09:40:00.000-05:00

I still have my tree up and I know that some, no many, of my FB friends have taken down their trees and decorations already. I'm just not ready. Getting there but not quite yet. I rather like being near my cutting table with the tree to my right. It's so twinkly and sparkly.

The welcome distraction is even more fun at my desk. I always wanted a white feather tree and I finally bought one for myself. I love it.

I don't want to get rid of my little reindeer, yo-yos and trees yet.

Maybe I'll take everything down this weekend. Then I will put up some hearts and Valentine's things.

Just before the holidays, I worked on some designs for my buddy, Mark Lipinski's magazine, Christmas 365. It should be out soon so check out this issue. I only have this small photo. That's my garland on the front. There are a couple of other small projects of mine in there too.

I am working on some work things this week but I am distracting myself with some fun too. I used to like calligraphy a lot and although I think that I have nice handwriting, I wasn't always that great at writing with a nib. I decided to give it another try when I saw this set at a local fine stationary place, The Write Touch. I'll have to see how it goes. Do any of you do calligraphy?

I'm making my mom a simple quilt for her sofa. She wanted simple and she wanted lavender and beige. It's a first for me! I haven't laid out everything yet. We'll see how it all works out in the end. It's pretty though.

We are expecting a snowstorm here in the northeast. Stay warm and stay safe!
xo, L

Aurifil Designer of the Month - January 2011

2011-01-06T09:29:00.001-05:00

Good morning! It's great to announce the Aurifil Designer of the Month Event. This month's designer is Susan Brubaker Knapp.

Here's a sneak peak at here free design. Gorgeous quilting! The rest of the quilt is gorgeous too! So, hop over to Aurifil's blog and read the interview that hostest, Pat Sloan, did for this event and to get the pattern. So awesome.

Let me know what you think! Susan's so talented, isn't she? I don't know how I'm going to follow her. I'm Miss February. I can't wait!!

Remember that if you make the top by the end of the month and load a photo to our Aurifil Flickr group, you will be in the running to win an Aurifil thread prize. So exciting!

xo, L

Live Your Dream and Live It Well

2011-01-03T09:04:00.002-05:00

Live your dream and live it well is my theme for 2011. That's generally my theme in my life. I'm pretty optimistic even in times when everyone around me isn't. Is it a genetic thing? I believe that you do your best and then some with what you have. I have had a lot of creative things burning a hole in my brain for a long time. I'm going to work hard at getting them out. Everything might not get accomplished in the next 12 months but I am going to try really hard. I want to live, design and do the things that I want to do on my own terms, with passion and no fear but with compassion and good spirit. Are you with me?

[collage: Pat Sloan]

The first thing that I am going to do this week is visit my friend, Pat Sloan, on her Creative Talk Radio. Click on the link to listen. Pat and I have known each other for a long time. I often think that our energies combined can light up the Empire State Building! She's a high energy person and I love that about her! So fun and our visit this afternoon will be fun too!! Drop by and call in from 4 - 4:30 p.m. EST this afternoon. Then leave a comment on her blog to win a bundle of fabric. I'm giving away a fat quarter of Hugs & Kisses.

Come and join us. Let me know what your theme is this year.

It's going to be fun!!! See you at 4!

xo, L