As long as I have more time for designing, sewing, and quilting, it will be an awesome year! I know, right? (Grin) Of course, that's after the important stuff . . . family, friends, and folks who need my help!
I've seen some bodacious plans for the next few months all over the interwebs. We hope to have some fun and games here, too! Padsworth and DragonDrop paused their playing just long enough to wish all of you a lovely New Year.
Moses, the Official Studio Cat, yawned his greetings.
Wishing God's best blessings and lots of hugs and love to make our world a happier place, Happy New Year!! Love,
This is a lovely time of year, is it not? In a world where the news is dominated by terrorism, war, and negative images, we have Christmas, Hanukkuh, and more to enjoy . . . and then the combined pain and hope of a new year. We've so much to be grateful for. Personally, I've got lots to thank Him for this year.
In the midst of all the friends, family, and fun, take a moment to pause in the quiet of your heart. Give thanks to the One Who makes it all possible.
And if your Christmas isn't full of children's giggles, shredded paper, and shining lights, but instead is a dreary time, talk to Him. He's been there, and He will help you. Everyone here at Lilypadquilting wishes for all of our special friends a very peaceful, blessed, and merry Christmas. And we hope that we all have a terrific new year! Love,
I'm always amazed at the wonderful community of sewists and quilters here on the interwebs. Many of you who stopped by sent me encouragement, hugs, and virtual vitamins when my trusty Nora was laid up . . .
Both Nora and I survived the enforced sewing stoppage, and now she is humming again! Many thanks to all of you, and especially to Cindy, atStitches in Time!She sent me the correct belt, and after a little prayer, that belt went on just fine! If you have a vintage machine like I do, be sure and bookmark where to find Cindy -- she's a real blessing! Love,
Kudos to Quilt Shop Gal for the original of this sign . . . sure tells the story here at the Lilypad!
What to do? Nora's belt broke!
I have used the famous (or infamous) search that we all know, and have not found any parts listed for this brand. I know she is similar to some of the Singer machines, but hey, we're talking about the belt here! Similar might not be good enough! Do you have a good resource? Please let me know in the comments! If you know of a good repair shop that would be well-stocked with parts, please tell me! I have Christmas gifts to finish! (Grin)
Picture this: A quilter is seated in the center of a ring of bins, with varying colors of fabrics in each one. She pulls selections from the bins and holds them up with each other -- head cocked to one side, she checks them out, then squints her eyes to check the color "value" as she holds them. With increasing frustration (and fear of failure) she pulls and pulls and auditions fabrics . . . finally she (or he) flings them down, saying, "I just can't be sure!"
Has this ever happened to you? I know it has happened to me! Sometimes I just agonize over choosing fabrics for a project. And I'd love some pointers on how to do a better job -- after all, I want that quilt to look just as beautiful when it's finished, as it looks in my head, when I'm planning it! (Grin) The designers at Henry Glass are a talented bunch! And they are sharing some tips and know-how with all of us! (I won this book as part of a giveaway....here is the link to the post showing the lovely fabrics they sent me!) "Secrets to mixing and matching fabrics with success" -- now doesn't that sound good to you?
Linda Lum DeBono got all the designers of Henry Glass Fabrics to help out with ideas, guidance, and lovely projects for all of us. The royalties from the book go to the Red Cross. There are fifteen different (and I do mean different) projects in here, and you are sure to find something that cranks your tractor!
"Too many people think of selecting fabrics as a daunting task. Most of us don't really think about the fact that we are all cultivating fabric and color combinations every day when we get dressed. Choosing the main pieces for an outfit is no different than selecting one or two key prints for a quilt. Accenting those choices with accessories that add a little splash of color or wearing a bold piece of jewelry to give your outfit a little sparkle is similar to adding a pop of color to be used sparingly in a quilt top." (Heather Mulder Peterson)
Here's another piece of advice that can help us:
"Want the emphasis to be on the blocks and shapes created where they come together? Contrast between fabrics is the key. Using mottled or nearly solid prints helps the other prints stand out." (Jacquelynne Steves)
The projects and photography in the book are just lovely:
One of the concepts in the book that I liked the best was "Deconstructing the Details," a recurring page that pictured one collection of fabrics and gave ideas on how to work with scraps from that group. Other fabrics were shown that could be added in, giving new life (and a whole new look) to the scraps. Since that is something that we all deal with (or are you saying that you don't have any scraps!) I thought it was one of the most helpful parts of the whole book!
I truly believe that this is a book that will be invaluable for quilters, whether rookies or veterans. I hope you will scoot over to Martingaleand get a copy for yourself! Love,
The Fat Quarter Shop was our first sponsor here at the Lilypad, and I wanted to let you know about a wonderful sale that they are having! Starting today! Forget going to the mall, and snapping up those bargains -- this takes priority! (Grin)
Awesome! Twenty-five percent off all orders! Wowser! I'm headed over there, so I'll talk to y'all later!! Love,
It's Turkey Day! Or, maybe Macy's Parade Day! Or, Watch Lots of Football Day! No matter how you celebrate it, today is the day that we here in the United States celebrate. The Thanksgiving holiday is just awesome -- a day set aside to say we're grateful! For what? Well . . . .
And I think one of those pumpkins should have said "Quilting friends"!! Like many others, I am expressing my thanks today to our Creator and Savior, for He has blessed us far beyond what we have earned or deserve!
I hope that all of you enjoy a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday with your families and friends! I'm grateful for all of the friends I've made in blogland -- you mean the world to me! Love,
See this lovely stack of fabric? I won that fat quarter bundle of "Folio Basics" in the recent Martingale giveaway! Love those luscious colors (here is a link if you want to drool over the whole line)! I also received a copy of the book "A Flair for Fabric" by the Henry Glass designers, and I'm going to tell you about that next time. I'm thinking it's time for me to finally make that triple Irish chain quilt that I've planned for so long.
This bundle has a nice balance of lights and darks, and I think it would work well. Right now it is sitting on Nora, waiting for me to finish those foxes and hedgehogs!
What do you think? An Irish chain, or some other pattern? We'll talk again soon! Love,
Remember when the foxes took over the blog last week, and you met all of them? They're pretty handsome fellows.
They were concerned about the hedgehogs they had heard about. All those prickles, you know. They had nothing to worry about. (Grin) Meet the hedgehogs:
Again, giving credit where credit is due, these are the darling creations of Elizabeth Hartman, of Oh Fransson, and we of the quilting community say, "Bravo!" Aren't they cute?
The pattern actually made a larger critter, but I wanted to make a block that was closer in size to the foxes. I worked with the sizes and came up with a block that finishes at approximately 6.5 x 8.5. So they are very close in size to the fancy foxes!
Now to put these animals together into pillow covers!
More to come later . . . (Hey, hedgehogs, move over a little . . . the foxes say those prickles are uncomfortable . . . ) Love,
. . . and all of you four-legged friends of the quilty bloggers out there! Clemson here, a Fancy Fox, of "Oh Fransson" fame. (Many thanks and kudos to Elizabeth Hartman for her great patterns - this would not be possible without her skills and gracious sharing.) Ahem. As I said, my name is Clemson, obviously because Snoodles cheers for them and my coloring reminded her of their team. I'm calling on all you furry peeps out there to warn you -- your human may be next!
Snoodles has pretty much fallen off the lilypad here, making me and my relatives. First she put together my country cousin, Blue.
He is a laid back, low-volume kind of guy; loves his chicken fried in an iron skillet. I'd swear he has a still somewhere back of his den -- some nights when I pass by I will hear him plunking on his banjo, and I just know that I've caught a whiff of moonshine on the breeze.
Then she made our second cousin from over the mountain, Olaf. He's a lumberjack, and I think he has a Swedish accent. It could be that, or when I get full of his wife's flapjacks, I can't hear good. Either way, her flapjacks are great, and he's a nice guy.
Hipster is a younger guy -- looks like the small checks are popular with the ones out looking for a vixen. He's partial to hard cider, fast streams, and the ladies. The ones in visual range.
Then there is Basie. He's a true Renaissance man: loves Vivaldi operas, and hasn't settled down with a vixen yet, though some of them "wander" past his den to see his latest paintings. Some evenings when he is in a good mood you will hear his sax wailing, or he'll be scatting to a jazz recording of Dave Brubeck. Snoodles says she is going to put "Oh Fransson" glasses on one of us -- she hasn't decided which one of us looks best in them, yet. And get this -- she's going to put a hedgehog in the mix! You heard me! A HEDGEHOG!! What will this world come to . . . Be careful, all of you furry peeps; this may be contagious. It might show up in your human's sewing area next! Love, Clemson for Snoodles PS All of these are being made in preparation for making pillows. I may not make the pillow that Elizabeth shows on her site, cos that size of pillow forms is hard for me to get....miles and miles from an Ikea! I'm experimenting with arranging these guys in groups of two, three, and four, and see if I can use a different form. (Grin)
I know, right? Things haven't been hopping like they usually are around the Lilypad. Here is why:
And another peek:
I've been spending my evenings hand-quilting on the StarCakes quilt. (Days are spent earning a living, but that's another story.) For me, it's not about putting ten stitches in an inch, but doing "big stitch" quilting in the ditch around many of the pieced blocks, and some decorative motifs in the blank spaces. Pass the NSAIDs, won't you? Maybe my hands will last long enough to get this done . . . (grin) See you soon,
Remember this?
I just felt like something was missing . . . couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Played with fabric, doodled on my sketch pad, and then decided the simple things are often the best!
Just a simple whack-some-layer-cake-squares-in-half border!
Whatcha think?
Better? Here are some closeups so you can see the pretty Hoffman batiks:
Love these Sparrow colorway fabrics!
Anyway, I'm pretty happy with it. It's sandwiched and basted and I'm hand-quilting like mad, trying to get it ready for Christmas! Wish me luck! (Grin) Love,
