LizzyHouse

I made a decision.

photo taken Fall 2011, when I was finishing the Colorist. 

It's my friends birthday on Saturday and as a treat we went to a spa for facials. As I was laying there on that table I had an epiphany, and it was clear as day! I'm not going to produce paper quilt patterns anymore. I'm not going to completely throw out the idea of producing quilt patterns, but part of the epiphany was a big question mark. 

Why? Why have a continued doing this? And the answer is not my favorite kind of answer. 

Because that's what you did when you got into the Industry when I did. You made quilt patterns. You started a pattern company. And so I have found myself on this road that I don't necessarily still belong on. I'm a printmaker, and a textile designer. I love making things. I love sewing. I love quilting. But my heart is not in pattern writing. It's in producing art. 

I would like to say how proud of the work that i've done I am. I think the Colorist is brilliant, and Outfox the Fox is one of the coolest easiest patterns to follow on this green earth. Castle Treasury is a pain in the butt, but there is no denying just how beautiful it is. And my 1001 Peeps book is a literal work of art. It really is, and I am just so pleased with the things that I've created over the past 5 years. 

So with that I'm closing my pattern shop. I'll move my paper good stuff over to my etsy store until I get a more permanent solution, and if I do create a pattern of note, it will be downloadable. 

The biggest thing is that I am recharting my course as a printmaker. That is where my heart is, and when I ask my HF what it is that I am really supposed to be doing, I always get the same answer, "you know what you are supposed to be doing". That's printmaking, people. 

I PROMISE I'm still designing fabric. And I'm still designing a free quilt pattern for the lines to support my peeps and my shops. I'm just correcting the path.

You guys... cleaning out my house has changed me! And the closer I get to it being complete the more things are taking shape for my little future. 

All patterns are 50% off while supplies last in the shop, and I'll shut it down September 1st. Tell your peeps! Tweet about it! 

I'm getting back to the business of being an artist, and as always I hope you'll stick with me. 

Quilted Koala fabric covered boxes!

A couple weeks back I endeavored to rearrange, reorganize my apartment. I wanted every room to do their proper job. Kitchen = kitchen, bedroom = bedroom, office = office, living/ dining room = living/ dining room. You get the picture. Since I moved into this place EVERY room has been everything. If I was having a party I would move my inventory from my living room to my bedroom, and then it was like princess and the pea with boxes, only I was being tested to see if I could tell that there was still a mattress under there. 

I'm not finished yet, but I'm getting closer everyday. All the bones are set up, and now every stitch of product is in the office. When I package your orders, I am not prancing from room to room, I am turning around. What a clever thing?!

The best part of all of this though is actually getting organized! And not a moment too soon did my beautiful Quilted Koala fabric covered boxes in Brown Pearl Bracelet and the orange jewel print arrive! They are so nice! And I don't know what it is, but having such a beautiful box makes me want to keep beautiful things in them. It also makes me want to put things back where I got them. A novel concept, I know. 

Not only are these boxes beautifully constructed, really good looking, but M. Elizabeth House is actually on the road, the actual path to being organized in a way that is potentially permanent. So, I thought I'd show you what's in a couple of my boxes. 

I have my notions/closures/button box. I love opening it. It has buttons and things that I have collected over the past couple of years for my clothing making and I'm excited to have them all together, and to eventually match them to a champion project. 

My Pattern box. I trace all of my patterns, and then I redraft them for my figure or my favorite neckline, or just to show off my clavicle... anyway. After I trace/cut a pattern, I put it in a clear bag and label it so I don't have random pieces of tracing paper floating around, or worse lose a piece. It seems simple enough, and now I keep them all in one place. 

cutting tools. I am always losing scissors. And I can never remember where I put that new blade for my rotary cutter that I should have replaced a year ago. They have their own box now, and I'm always putting scissors back into the box. It's amazing. Progress people.

This is a big deal. Knowing where things are, and having it be beautiful. Form and function at its fabric covered box best. 

And best of all, until August 31, Quilted Koala is offering my peeps 20% off your order of my Pearl Bracelet and Jewel Boxes! Just enter lizzyhouse at the checkout! 

A note about the box sizes. I am using the small and medium nesting boxes on Billy bookcases from Ikea, and they fit really well. The larger ones are in my office, and I will show you those when the ugly duckling room is all swaned out. Also in my office, the bin, it's my favorite. 

 

Clearance..

I don't like that word...

either way. I am pulling the plug on several of my patterns. All of the patterns that are being discontinued are marked on sale in the shop. But I have put together a limited number of bundles that will be available immediately, which include: 1001 Peeps Five Magical Projects, Arboretum, Sovereign Picnic, Both of the Castle Peeps Embroidery patterns and a blue 1001 Peeps notebook. A $70 value for $25. A literal steal.

All pattern bundles will be shipped in a priority mail, flate rate mailer. And I will ship international.

There are just 50 pattern bundles available

If you want to know why I am doing this, 1. My pattern covers are now out of date (Castle Peeps, so 2009) and 2. it's because my patterns, as well as products that I will be carrying are going to be changing big time this year. So onward and upward my dear peeps!

there are a few more things marked down in the shop. The few remaining magnet sets, the notebooks, and the last few Holiday Card sets.

Ok. More life changing news on Monday!

looking around!

As always, I am making way for new patterns and fabric... and as such it has me looking around at what I can move out of here! 

Today, I've decided to put my 1001 Peeps project book on sale. Enter the word MAGICAL at the check out and recieve $6.95 off. Meaning you get a beautiful book with 5 patterns for $18.00, or $3.60 a pattern... a magical holiday steal!

I'll be leaving for Christmas on the 20th, so that's my cut off for Holiday shipping and this sale. 

carry on! 

fabric bundles, FYI

OK! I am letting everyone know RIGHT NOW.

Tonight at 8:00 PM Mountain Standard time! I am listing 24 fabric bundles. These are not the scrap boxes, so I'm not employing the waiting list, because this is a different product.

The bundle is 50 fat 1/8's (a fat 1/8 is 9x20-22 depending on the WOF). The fabric is Castle Peeps, 1001 Peeps, and Outfoxed. It is the most beautiful rainbow of color in the world. In my opinion. With this bundle, you could easily make at least 3 The Colorist.

The cost is $65, and I will ship international this time, so it's opened up to all my peeps domestic and abroad.

Ok! I'm off to prep the bundles!

outfoxed by a peeping pilgrim.

So I got my Hello Pilgrim strike-offs in today.... It's crazy to think that we sent in artwork in the first week of August, and here it is with me on fabric. FOR NEXT YEAR. I like being ahead, but I feel like I am keeping a lot of things from you.

I really like seeing how 1001 Peeps, Outfoxed, and Hello Pilgrim are all playing together. All I can really say is that I am building you a rainbow. I'm also working on a fun/ amusing project that I should be able to show you this weekend. And maybe you'll want to participate too.

Market is just around the corner, and it seems like I am getting new fabric every month, and I live in a tiny place people.... so! I am doing a special, very limited edition fabric sale. Each box will contain fabric from Lizzy Dish, Red Letter Day, Castle Peeps, 1001 Peeps, and Outfoxed!

There are 15 boxes total and each box is a USPS Priority Mail Medium flat rate box and will be filled to the brim with pieces of fabric ranging from a couple of inches, to strips, to fat quarter sized. Some of the fabric is left over from projects, and others are just extra I have laying around! These are all functional pieces, no string pieces... these aren't really scraps, people.

I'm trying my best to put a full range of color in each box, so that you could potentially make The Colorist a couple times over with one of these boxes.

So don't miss this limited limited opportunity to build up your Lizzy House fabric collection!!! Also, I am putting other LH goodies in these boxes. It will be like a real life surprise when you open your box. A good surprise.

Go here to snatch one up!

For this first round, I am only doing domestic shipping. If you are international and really really interested, email me, and we can possibly figure something out!

 *Update*

The boxes sold out in 24 minutes! Wowzers!

So I have a waiting list going, but if I do a second round, it will include international peeps.

Thanks so much everyone! Also, next time, I will announce that I am going to sell the boxes before I actually sell the boxes, so everyone gets a shot

Farewell to 1001 Peeps Summer Camp!

It has been a really great summer, and it's with heavy hearts, and dozen peep projects that we draw our 1001 Peeps Summer Camp to a close.

So for the final time this summer, I'm sending you to our last counselor's blog to check out a sweet action project using 1001 Peeps! Monica has made a fantastic project. It's a Scoodie. A scarf hoodie! and it will take you right in to a magical fall.

I hope that you have had a great summer, and that you have enjoyed camp. Also, a huge thanks to all of the counselors for participating and creating fantastic tutorials. Check them out!

June 24: Alexia Abegg.

July 1: Lemon Cadet

July 8: The Fat Quarterly!

July 15: Quilt Asylum.

July 22:  MrsMcPorkchop

July 29: Flax and Twine

August 5: Heather alamode

August 12:  Make Something

August 19: Whipstitch

August 26: Happy Zombie

happy back to school fall time! Have a great school year!

Five Magical Projects flickr group...

One quick thing!

I'm not really hearing much from my quilt along peeps. Are you out there? Are my videos just obnoxious?

Anyway... I made a flickr group for your works from the book. Join and add your pics! Especially progress shots! I love it when you show your work.

Here is the group

Look at Michelle's FANTASTIC Midnight at the Oasis using Julia Rothman's Miscellany! I'm totally loving it. It's making me feel like I need one in Miscellany too!

I'm calling it Miscellany at the Oasis.

Nearing the end!

Hello Peeps.

We are nearing the end of 1001 Peeps Summer camp as your little Peeps start heading back to school. Today Deborah of Whipstich, who I think is probably one of the funniest, smartest and most down to earth people I have ever met, seriously I could not think more highly of her, has made a super great project for your little peeps.

Go forth and check it out!

have a great weekend deary dears.

real talk Quilt Along Schedule...

You guys aren't into speed quilting????

So, 10 blocks a day might not be super realistic?

There are 90 blocks in the quilt.

If you can do you 10 blocks a day, then your quilt will be done in 9 days. That's my kind of quilt!

but let's break it down:

track #1: if you could make 15 blocks a week, and at the end of two weeks attach your blocks at the end of every 3 weeks, you can have your quilt done in 6 weeks! I think that sounds a little more reasonable.You should finish around the end of September!

track #2: if you make just 5 more a week (20 blocks), you can have your quilt done in 4.5 weeks. That's 10 rows and 2 columns! You should be finishing up around the 12th of September.

track #3: This is the most leisurely of all the tracks. Just 10 blocks a week! You'll be finished around the middle of October.

This of course is just a suggestion! This whole thing is a suggestion! I just want to promote your success, as well as a higher percentage of project completion. We are all guilty of starting things that we don't finish. With my little diagrams, videos and my big ol' teeth, you can do this!