LizzyHouse

some news, and an almost update.

first the news. Castle Peeps, won't be released until April. Boo Hiss Boo! I know, I know... If you think that you are growing impatient, think of me, your littlest Lizzy, who grows weary of always waiting. But, in anticipation, starting the New Year, I will do a new tutorial each month for something grand using Castle Peeps, so when it finally arrives, you will know exactly what to do. There will be a plan. I love a good plan. Don't you?

my little update is this. I've finally started doing some monoprinting. For those of you who don't know what monoprinting is, it's essentially painting on a piece of Plexiglas, applying a great deal of pressure, from either a press, your hand, a car... or even a pencil, by applying the pressure you transfer the ink from the glass to paper, or fabric, or whatever. Also, because it's a "mono" print, there can only be one. You know... like the Highlander. So each piece is an original, like a painting.

I've got to tell you though, printing these past couple of days has made me happier than I can remember being in a long time. It's so fulfilling to produce work that you are happy and excited about.

My pieces aren't dry quite yet, but I will give you a little look.

More to come soon! and soon a shop update!

cover girl.

In all of my traveling, and designing, I forgot to mention that my quilt made the cover of Quick Quilts Magazine!

the quilt is called, "Dîner de Canard," which when translated to English means, Duck Diner. The quilt uses pieces from both Lizzy Dish and Red Letter Day to tell a story, only you are the one who decides how the story goes.

Are the Ducks sitting down to a Champion Dinner? or

Are you sitting down to a Champion dinner of Duck?

with simple strip piecing, this is my take on the classic Chinese coins, and it goes together in a flash! Or like duck soup! No really! I made my the whole top in 8-10 hours!

So get your cute little self to a grocery store that sells Quick Quilts magazine, and pick up a copy of this beauty, and maybe some ingredients for supper? And there I will be waiting, on page 34 and 35 to help you answer the age old question, what's for dinner?

("duck soup" compliments of Betz White)

castle peeps reveal

To my surprise, I was looking around the Andover website, and found my quilt design for Castle Peeps already made up. I haven't even received my strike offs yet! Holy Cow! But since it's already public, I figured I would just give you a peek. I guess you just have to know where to look.

If you are a shop and didn't get a chance to order Castle Peeps at Market, you can just email or give Andover a call, to get it in your shop for the new year!

The Quilt I designed is called Villagers Rejoice! When I get back from Savannah, I guess i'll have quite a bit of explaining to do about the whole Castle Peep gang.

*color charts I made for the Peeps

like I said, I'll explain almost everything when I get back. Have a great weekend!

Market and me.

are you ready? Are you ready for my market review?

My report is this. I had a really postive and exciting meeting, I got to see my peeps, and I got to meet a few people that I was excited to finally meet, and I took one picture in the actual convention center. It was fun to not really have any obligations, because Castle Peeps is still on paper, so I didn't have any last minute sewing to do...

picture: me, Myrinda (fabrichound), and Kim (True-Up)

Here is what I did get a picture of. Elizabeth and Pam drove all the way from California, and were woeful because they hadn't seen an armadillo, so I (with some inspiration from my Mom) decided to make them an armadillo. A red velvet armadillo.

It was my first time working with fondant. It's weird! But I could see myself using it again.

It was very red, and a little startling.

I don't eat meat, but I do eat cake.

more to come soon!

castle peeps.

I thought I would throw you all a bone for the weekend. New fabric coming soon!

enjoy!

now what's all this about?

what could this possibly be about? And whose feet are those hanging down top left? And why does everything in my room have a little square cut out of it?

Marble Champ Pattern

As promised here it is! When you start reading it, don't be alarmed. You don't have to applique the circles. There must have been some misunderstanding along the way and the pattern instructs you to applique. If you are all about that, then go for it! But if you are not one of those peeps, here is the best solution in the world!

Dale Fleming wrote a book called Pieced Curves So Simple that she released with C&T publishing, and in it she explains how to piece and sew curves without pins! Luckily, Dale did a segment showing how to do the six minute circle.

So I have put together my own slide show of piecing a Marble Champ block. Roll your mouse over the "notes" button to read instructions

Download Red-letter-quilt-pattern

Introducing Marble Champ

Introducing Marble Champ! The first quilt made with Red Letter Day. Designed, made, quilted and bound by me! How cool is that?

So along with each piece in Red Letter Day telling a story, I wanted a quilt that would as well. I don't know if kids still play marbles, but I remember really loving them. I liked the clinking sound that the little glass balls made when they hit each other, and I loved looking inside each of them. What were those weird swirls made of, and how did they get them in there? Questions like these... Marble Champ tells the story of the triumphant peep who has won all the best marbles. It is just another manifestation of someone who is having a Red Letter Day.

anyway Marble Champ is (drum roll please) a FREE! pattern that I designed for each of you, like my mom's pattern for Lizzy Dish, that will be released with Andover very shortly. So I will keep you posted with that.

I hope you love it, and I hope that you are having a Red Letter Day!

cracking myself up.

I can't even express how happy I am that spring is here, mostly. We wake up to snow about twice a week, but by the mid afternoon it's all gone. March was a cruel mistress in that way, deceptive and rude. But I think it's pretty safe to say, we made it out alright.

like I mentioned before, I am working with Red Letter Day for a bunch of new projects to launch with the lines release, but I couldn't help but show you this fabric. I was cutting it all yesterday, and I have to say it just cracks me up. The ducks, the ribbons, the trees... It's a good way to be when you are cutting fabric for a couple of hours... cracking yourself up. But of course when you have Red Letter Day, and you are cutting for hours, I will be the one who is cracking you up, and know that the knowledge of that is in fact cracking me up right now.

Have any of you read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? If you haven't, you can purchase it here. I have a copy of it somewhere but I think one of my sisters has it. Anyway, the lead character, Oscar, is always cracking himself up. It makes me think of him, and that makes me happy too. For real though, have any of you read it? Does anyone want to talk about it? This is one of those books I could talk in circles about. That's how great my love is for it.

Wow, I have so much to do today, but none of it seems to be getting me down. It's amazing what the sun can do for a girl who doesn't even have seasonal depression.

ps. I am having a little help Lizzy move to Portland SALE, similar to my Help Lizzy with her BFA sale, (which by the way you were all so helpful and instrumental in). My little kitchen kittens will be up for Sale come Friday when I launch the whole thing. New prints, new books, new kittens, and what have you. Come one come all, or I will be sleeping on the floor in my new room in Stumptown.

home again, and an introduction

I'm home again for a little bit. NYC was fun. I was so pleased all week to stay with James and Valerie. They are literally some of my very favorite people that I have ever known... like if I had to make a list of top peeps in my life, I was with a good portion of the list all week.

I'm busy packing and getting ready for some fast approaching changes, all this week... so, I will be in and out and maybe not as attentive as a good little blog peep should be, and as such I will reward you all week with Red Letter Day previews.

the peep show starts tomorrow.