LizzyHouse

school girl crush.

I've got a crush. I don't really like to talk about this kind of stuff on my blog, because my feelings change so quickly (roving eyed gemini here)... but I just have to tell you about this...

I'm pretty much head over heels for Hello Pilgrim. 

I think my knees get a little weak, and I definitely get butterflies. I just can't help it, it really does something to me... more than any other collection to date. 

I'm looking at you Outfoxed. 

I'm so all about it that I decided to make my friend, Kenneth, a tie. And because I was making this tie, I decided that we should probably match. I believe it was a smashing success all around. We wore our Hello Pilgrim outfits to church, and I couldn't help but giggle all day. 

What are you making with Hello Pilgrim?

10 Reasons why PNCA is the bomb dot com.

Just about a week after I get back from Juniper Moon Farm for our little fiber farm retreat, I will hop my little self onto another plane and head for Portland, to do a textile design/ printmaking workshop at PNCA. Like I said in my previous post, I have been very choosy about where I am going and what I am doing this year, and since you know that now, you also know that I feel strongly about where I am going.

So I thought I would give you 10 reasons why PNCA Continuing ED is the bomb dot com, and why I think you will think so too. So much so that you will want to join me from March 30- April 1.

10. Location. It's PORTLAND, OREGON, PEOPLE. I know that it's a really cool town, and everyone there is supposed to be really cool... but there are reasons that it's so cool. The reason that I wanted to move there in the first place was that it was just so beautiful. You are in the woods essentially while you are still in the city. And you always have water around you. Whether it be the weather or the river. Everything is green and beautiful, and I was just drawn to it.

9. Beyond just the beauty of the location, they have Powell's city of books, and literally some of the best food I've ever had in my entire life. And it's everywhere. Every thing is good. And there isn't any sales tax, which is great for visiting!

8. The Facilities at PNCA are the bomb dot com. They literally have everything that you could possibly need to produce professional, quality work.

Their exposure table for screen printing seriously blew my mind.

7. The atmosphere at PNCA is one of learning and exploring. The space seems to give you permission to think bigger. Which I am into...

6. That same atmosphere lends itself well to a nice sense of community. Even though the workshop only last for a few days, it does feel like you are a part of something, which I know that we are all constantly searching for.

5. They take really good care of me, so I can take really good care of you. WHICH IS HUGE!

4. PNCA is giving you a little time outside of your everyday life to learn new skills, or grow an idea

3. They know, love, and cultivate art.

2. It has been my experience in Portland that people are really nice. Just genuinely down to earth nice, and the peeps at PNCA are no exception. They work hard to make sure that your experience is a positive one.

1. PNCA is a dream come true. They have a whole team of fantastic people working to create a brilliant continuing education program that stands leaps and bounds above most if any art programs in the country. They are about your success, and I am about your success, and that is why I love PNCA.

So won't you join me? We'll learn how to design patterns, I'll talk to you about the ins and outs of the textile industry until I can't speak anymore (like literally lose my voice), I'll give you some insight about color, and I will cry my eyes out when I express to you have much printing means to me, and what it can do in your life. Then I will clean myself up and teach you to print.

if only I were kidding. No but seriously. There will be voo-doo doughnuts, and me.

you can register here!

the actualization of The Colorist.

The Colorist gets here on Monday. I have all the pre-order envelopes addressed, and I'm turning them around as soon as they get in the door. Same with any new orders. 

Monday is also my last shipping day before I leave for the holidays. So time is of the essence. 

The pattern is beautiful. And BIG! it also has one of my favorite quotes in it:

Only those who love color are admitted to its beauty and immanent presence. It affords utility to all, but unveils its deeper mysteries only to its devotees.
—Johannes Itten

aside from that it has fully colored/illustrated/photographed instructions, and a gigantic pattern piece to cut out and use. This pattern was quite the production, but I think it will all be worth it. I designed it a year ago, figured out the wheel in March, how to do the background in July, made the real one in September, finished the pattern in early November, and now it is ready for action. 

I can't wait to see the variations you come up with. I've already got a few different ones planned, along with the other 2 colorist tops I already have made waiting in line to be quilted! 

some holiday cheer.

I didn't say WITCH holiday!

I'm pretty excited. Amanda was going on and on about Halloween, and so I said, Hey, I'll try my hand at Halloween. 

I wanted to do something different. Something that looked like me, but wasn't so typical Halloween. All Halloween means to me anyway is Charlie Brown. There is no green, the purple is really gray, not shocking. The ghosts are emoting. The pearl bracelets are present... the eyes are just googly enough. The candy corn was made special so you could have as many as you want without a tooth ache/nap. The jack-o-lanterns are doing their thing. Nothing too frightening. 

My biggest deal, as we have been discussing as of late, was the color. Think more It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, than Nightmare before Christmas. You know I love a good peach. Also, I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but our little ghosts are doing the neutral thing, so I can see using them well outside of this holiday. 

So, I hope you like Guising (to go disguised). Tell your favorite shops to talk to their Andover reps! I think it will ship late spring/ early summer. 

Moral of the story. If I like you enough, and you talk about something enough, the odds of it turning into a line of fabric are high. 

I'm building you a rainbow.

I have always known that color was important to me, but it wasn't until relatively recently that I realized that it was such a sticking point about my work... not to me, because it always has been, but to other people. I've had several conversations with random guys who don't say anything about the designs, all they see is to color. Which in and of itself is interesting to think about, but that my color is the discriminating thing about my work to them, and that has me thinking that it's not just me who's into my color work. 

Did you know if I went and worked for some one it would probably be in H. Wood, and it would probably be as a colorist for a cartoon? or an animation company? true story. And then they would hear how silly my voice is and my life long dream of doing voice work would come true. Also, true story. 

Since last week I had been working on the fabric bundles. We'll just say that it was quite the task. But interestingly enough it gave me a really personal overview of my little canon of work. It pointed out to me that I really like orange, peach and barbie pink. It also pointed out that I am missing some greens, and it showed me that I need to work on adding some neutrals. 

I then I realized that a lot of the missing pieces to this spectrum are present in Hello Pilgrim. Minty greens, Magentas, more deep blues, and lots of neutrals! AND pinks that aren't necessarily barbie pink. I then remembered that that was how I designed it, and what I designed it for, to fill in some of these spaces. 

I don't know how everyone designs, or how they choose their colors, but for me it is continuous. I want to to keep filling and wedging new color into this brilliant little rainbow. I don't know if you are collecting my fabric, or keeping some pieces of it, or just looking at it... you can really do whatever you'd like with it, but just know that every piece I add to my personal catalog is to stretch this color bridge a little farther.

I love color. I love using color. I love talking about color, and I love sharing color. etc etc etc. 

Holiday Cards!

My Christmas cards finally got in! I don't know what held them up so long, but they got here just in time to still be on time!

There are three different designs! Seasons greetings, Peace on Earth, and Merry Christmas. 

They come in packs of 12, as an individual design, or in a combination pack with 4 of each design! Each card comes with a coordinating Paper Source envelope! I love colored envelopes! 

you can find them here! 

I hope you all had a great holiday! I was completely consumed by the Hunger Games series, and was glad for it. 

 

the sum of market

me in a dress with another Hello Kitty Sewing machine.

The dress is made from Outfoxed and comes from my favorite Japanese sewing book Stylish Dress Book 1, and the machine will be at my house by the weekend. It is an upgrade. I'll do a more detailed post when it gets to me, and I'll show you my dresses too.

Success. I loved seeing everyone! and I'm sorry if I missed you. See you in Kansas?

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

Outfox the Fox

I'm feeling like showing you stuff. I haven't really posted any pics of Outfoxed, and I will, but how about a pattern cover?

I'm not great at waiting to reveal stuff... maybe that's bad... But I thought you might enjoy this, especially you fans of this little thing, here.

And can I just say, I am obsessed with this quilt. The more I look at it, the more I love it. AND the way it goes together, I don't know if I have ever had more fun assembling a quilt. It's a joy, and I don't know if that is super common.

Also, notice the new Outfoxed version of my logo? I'm loving it. There is more stuff... like a full reveal of The Colorist, but that might have to wait a little bit, because I might do the whole fan fare thing. You know?

I hope you all have a great week!

you might be feeling neglected.

This has been a rough summer! I totally totally totally bit off way more than I could chew...

and I'm feeling a bit depleted.

I still have Diamond Mountain Quilt Along stuff for you, and I'd love to know if you are making progress. I have a substition chart for the purple illuminate if you've come up short, and I might possibly do another video... just to say, hey peeps...

but I've also been working on new things, and since I've been mostly absent, I thought I would give you a little sneak peep. Again, my friend Carolee shot my quilts for me, and Joanna Peterson of Designs by Laura Jo quilted them. There will be just two new patterns this fall... and some surprise Christmas things, but we won't even go there yet.

 

This is The Colorist, and it is going to blow your mind. The pattern will be available, fingers crossed, second week in October.

*Also. I have been doing a bit of cleaning, and I have some fabric to get rid of. I will keep you posted.