LizzyHouse

OMGOODNESS Summer Camp

PLEASE! I implore you to go to camp today!

Anne of Flax & Twine has made the most fantastic Peeps puppet theatre with a fantastic tutorial for you today! Head on over and show her some Summer Camp comment love!

I've been in NYC all week and I have had the best time. For some reason I wasn't expecting to have the best time... I think being exhausted makes everything seem like a chore, but I really have had such a great time... I'm even going to a baseball game tonight. What am I, an American or something?

Ok. Quilt along post on Monday with kit sources, if you haven't found one already. Also, comment here if have ordered the book/ are ordering the book and still need fabric requirements.

Also. It is finished. The Red Letter Day stripe is officially back in your lives come 2012.

Pioneer Day. sale...

Pioneer Day is upon us!

In the LDS (Mormon) church, everyone EVERYWHERE celebrates Pioneer Day. Growing up in Texas, we celebrated at church with pioneer games, and a sad excuse for a parade in the parking lot... BUT up here in Utah, the whole state celebrates. It's a celebration of everyone, all faiths and ethnicities who made their way to the Salt Lake Valley during the Pioneer era. I think there will probably be fireworks... there always were in Idaho at school. I know for sure there will be EXTREME pioneer games, bobbing for apples, and eating donuts off of a string (I never got that one).

Whenever I travel, my thoughts are drawn to my brave and faithful pioneer ancestors who crossed the plains. I'm delirious, and annoyed, and feeling stale on days that I have traveled over 12 hours. But in those 12 hours, I am on the other side of the country, or world... I think of my dear distant peeps and what 12 hours meant.

I also think about the pioneer women in my family whenever I use a longarm quilting machine. I can just imagine a whole group of women all having heart palpitations over a quilt being quilted in under 2 hours.

I am grateful to my family for their faith and perseverance. I am proud of where I have come from. Innovation, hard work, creativity and quilting run through my Scandinavian anemic veins.

So in honor of my ancestors and the State holiday which is tomorrow, I feel compelled to have a sale! Everything in my shop will be 15% off from right now until the end of Monday. It's a quick sale, but what better way to celebrate Pioneer Day than by making something!??!

Just use the code PIONEER here in the shop! Remember, sale ends Monday.

*sale excludes e-book and downloadable patterns.

OUTFOXED images for embroidery!

I know how you feel about OUTFOXED, and there are already pictures of the fabric floating around... I will try and post my own little fabric preview possibly on Monday....

So, I have put together a little pattern with all of the images from OUTFOXED, so you can embroider your hearts out. These little woodland creatures are just dying to be stitched, and with the fabric not being released until October, and summer being a time for stitching, I thought why not give the peeps what they want.

The pattern is 4 pages and includes 2 full pages of all of the animals, foliage and shapes from the Outfoxed, including the fox, the rabbit, and the hedgehog all in different sizes, and directions. It also includes a fantastic color guide that will melt your color guide loving hearts.

More great news!!!

I don't know if you all know Karyn from the workroom in Toronto... but she is pretty much one of my best/ favorite/ peeps on the planet, and we've teamed up to create exclusive OUTFOXED Cosmo Embroidery Floss palettes. Karyn recently opened an online shop through the workroom, and she sells a really well curated selection of books and supplies, but she also sells beautiful color palettes of Cosmo floss, and I'm just so excited that you can now get OUTFOXED colors together, all ready to go, from one of my dearest peeps. win win win.

Also, the names of the bundles are also the names of the Colorways in OUTFOXED. fyi

For now the OUTFOXED images for embroidery are just available as a PDF that can be purchased for $6 here. You will be sent an automatic download screen when you purchase it, which means you can print it off and get going immediately.

So recap:

purchase the OUTFOXED images for embroidery here

Buy the floss here to be outwitted, here to be outsmarted, or here to be outplayed!

have a great weekend!

A few things

First, I want to sit down and talk with/ hug each of you who left a comment on my last post. I think we each have a job to find out and know what we are supposed to be and do, and its just so great that we can share our sentiments on the joys and struggles of our journeys. More on that later.

I hope you are still following along with Summer Camp! Amanda of MsMcPorkchop has made a very cute Peeptastic patchwork drawstring pouch and has created a pdf tutorial for you to download! I love Amanda so much, I designed a line of Halloween fabric, for next year, as an ode to her.

Also, lets have a quilt along talk. I'm still up in the air, and all of you were equally divided about where to start... so I think that means that we will just start in the front of the book and do Diamond Mountain first. Meaning... we could potentially work through the book, and you would have made 4 OUT OF CONTROL quilts in a relatively quick period of time. Relative being relative.

Ok. We are going to start on August 8th. I will remind you before then, but I would recommend a. getting the book if you haven't already, and b. collecting the fabric. If you are waiting on the book and need the fabric requirements leave me a comment and I will zap you a pdf.

AND Another thing. Are there any shops that would be willing to kit up a few Midnight at the Oasis quilts? I have 3 requests right now, and I would love to get those connections made. I can also send you a fabric req. doc.

Are there any other book quilt requests? Because we can probably hook you up with a shop with the goods.

I have a treat for you later today.

Once in a Lifetime.

I've been doing a lot of thinking.

About where I am right now. About technology. About social networking. About designing fabric. About printmaking. About baking. About traveling. About a lot of things.

About playing Nintendo.

I realized that I got stuck on a track somewhere along the way, and I that realization led me to realize that I am not satisfied. The only thing that I can really compare it to is degrees in school. You pick a degree and then you are given specific things that you must do to graduate/succeed. I feel like I am on the wrong track, in the wrong degree program, and I need to make some changes.

I've found that I am feeling burnt out and overwhelmed in an industry that was supposed to be just a branch of the path, not THE path. And I believe with all my heart that we can make whatever kind of life we want for ourselves, and in that I'm taking a good long look, and evaluating what it is that I really want my life to be, and the direction that I want it to go.

I haven't printed in over a year. That breaks my heart. I haven't taken a trip for myself in over a year. That's devastating for my health/ well being/ creativity. I find that I am not doing the things that mean the most to me, and I just keep looking things and wondering how I got to this place.

I want to be my best all the time, and that means finding and making work what makes me the happiest.

This isn't to say that I won't be designing fabric anymore... or that I don't like designing fabric, but i've got to be able to strike a balance that I have not been able to find yet.

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself-Well...How did I get here?

Once in a Lifetime by the Talking Heads

Are you living the life that you want? Are you taking steps to make what you want so? Is any of this really as complicated as we make it? 

Summer camp, peeps.

Did you go to camp today without me? I was on a plane to Texas.

Check out Susan's super cute Summer Throw

 
I just love the Orange with the Purple!

So if you haven't already, go check out the tutorial, and leave a comment for a chance at some fabric!

Here is the schedule for the rest of camp! I hope you are still coming along with us!

June 17: Sew Mama Sew <— Now live!

June 24: Alexia Abegg <— Now live!

July 1: Lemon Cadet <— Now live!

July 8: Fat Quarterly <— Now live!

July 15: Quilt Asylum <— Go Forth!

July 22:  Ms McPorkchop Quilts

July 29: Flax and Twine

August 5: Heather from House of a la Mode

August 12:  Make Something

August 19: Whipstitch

August 26: Happy Zombie

also, for your veiwing pleasure, a little video from my school house at Spring Market in SLC. Note that I say that the book would ship in the beginning of June... when it really ended up being the beginning of July... water under the bridge, anyone?

1001 Peeps book projects: As you Wish

I had so much fun with this project. I really enjoy embroidery, but I found that more than regular embroidery, I love Crewel Embroidery. The main difference being the floss or yarn that you use. In crewel you are using a wool crewel or tapestry yarn, and the texture is what makes it so fantastic.

The pattern includes a guide for embroidery, essentially like a road map, and a pattern to make the cushion.

I look at this cushion every day. I haven't taken to wishing on it, but I sure do love it. To be honest, it looks like something I spent a lot of money on....

There is a guide in the book, just like there is for the fabric, for the specific crewel yarns to get. I purchased all of mine from Purl Soho, and about 2 weeks ago, I emailed them with a list to make sure they had all the colors in stock. They are! So go forth! and wish on your own As You Wish cushion!

So to recap, with this gem of a book you are getting 5 full patterns, that I would sell for around 12.95 each all for 24.95. A steal! and a steal that is shipping!!

1001 Peeps book projects: The High Seas

This quilt kicked my butt. Just like the High Seas repeatedly kicked Sinbad's butt whenever he felt his life was a little too normal on land.

This high adventure quilt twists and turns using a classic Monkey Wrench block. And just in case you are wondering, I think I will dedicate an entire post later to the difference between a monkey wrench, snail trail, and Virginia reel... sort of like the difference between a cobler, buckle, and brown Betty. The differences can be subtle, but exist.

I'm really proud of this pattern in the book, because when I say I break it down, I mean I BREAK IT DOWN. Anyone, and I mean any one, whether you are weary of your life on land, or are always on the edge, can make this quilt and dazzle and amaze yourself, and friends. But especially, yourself. And your Mom. 

Are we in Nepal or Utah??? Who knows???

I'm thinking about starting a quilt along. What would you rather make with me? The High Seas quilt, or a Diamond Mountain?? or a Castle Treasury?

The Creative Connection

Are any of my peeps going to The Creative Connection???

I'll be teaching there this year! We are making Peep Boots as well as Illustrated Travel Journals.

In the Peep Boot class you will each be given a pattern, and we will go to town constructing the most presh-town stocking you have ever seen/ owned/ possessed.

This is a great "intro to sewing things" class OR a fun chance to hang out for 3 hours, sew some sweet stockings and talk about Peeps and other fabricy things. This would also be a great time to invest in one of these sweet thangs.

Here are the class dates:

Friday, September 16, 2011

Teacher: Lizzy House

Time: 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Registration code: FPM

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Teacher: Lizzy House

Time: 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Registration code: SPM

The next class I am teaching and am so excited about is my Illustrated Travel Journal class. For the past few years every time I take a trip I keep a little cahier with me, and take notes of the things that are happening around me, and as a way to adhere the memory to my trip and being, I illustrate the happenings. These are just simple little drawings, but there is something about the thoughtful moment I am doing it that brands the memory in my mind.

We'll be learning how to do that. In a travel cahier designed and published by yours truly, you will get to practice seeing, responding, simplifying and drawing. Think of an Ed Emberly book for adults and travel. This is not a class to be missed. Especially because my specially designed notebook won't be available publicly until November. You'll get an illustrated travel leg-up!

Check out my Christmas trip to Europe in 2009

 

Not only do I remember what I was doing, but I remember how I was feeling. I think that is an amazing thing.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Teacher: Lizzy House

Time: 8:00 am - 11:00 am

Registration code: FAM

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Teacher: Lizzy House

Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Registration code: SAM

So won't you join me? The word is that The Creative Connection this year is going to be the bomb dot com, and huge. So fit this little one into your schedule. Alright????!

 

1001 Peeps book projects: Midnight at the Oasis.

I think that we have a tendency to think of only deserts when we think of the Arabian Nights. Or to think that any jungle is a mirage. It's not Peeps. That's pretty much just like flying home to Houston, and people on the plane saying, "why is it so green"? They assume that because it is Texas, it is a desert.

The stories span Africa to China, and there is straight up jungle/ farm land/ rain forests and what have you.

Midnight at the Oasis is not only the name of a really classy song, with an even classier video, but it's a sweet action quilt that packs a dramatic punch. We used the dark blue illusion to give the effect that the "palm trees" are floating above an oasis. My favorite part of this quilt is the interesting negative shapes that form from the different directions of the blocks.

And in case you missed it! The book arrived today and is shipping.

Make your very own Midnight at the Oasis! or Diamond Mountain or Spice Route...