Holly Blog

My Favorite Things...243...Teacups, Teacups, Teacups!

Under the category  "Just can't get enough of those LakeHouse Teacups"  -- here's a close up...

A "Six Pack"...

Et voila', the finished quilt...

We posted the fabric swatches for this quilt on FaceBook...so I thought it was only fair to post a shot of the finished quilt.

I've blogged about designing this quilt before...if you want the pattern...click pattern

For the kit (if Jennifer has any left) click kit

For Penelope 4, 5 or 6 swatches click below:

Penelope 4

Penelope 5

Penelope 6

And of course, if you've made anything with these Penelope 4-5-6 fabrics, I'd love to know what y'all are up to.

Back to the drawing board...Fall Quilt Market is just around the corner!

;o)

H2

 

 

 

 

 

My Favorite Things...242...Pretty Pictures taken in a Secret Garden

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I'd show you all some pretty pictures taken by none-other than our fabulous "resident" blogging queen aka "Pam Kitty" (& photo-savant) Pam Vieira-McInnis, at a secret garden that I stumbled upon recently here in Marin County CA.

This is the new "Scrap Happy Basket Quilt" (designed by yours truly).  The New Applique' Pattern for it which BTW uses fabrics from my new Penelope 4 -- 5 -- 6 collection (that has just been delivered to independent quilt shops near you), has been written & published by our friend Jennifer Bosworth over at Shabby Fabrics.  Psst: if you haven't heard the good word...Jennifer writes a great pattern!

Here's a little close up of the quilt...

I just LOVE all of the fabrics in this quilt...the colors are OH SO HOME DEC!  IMHO, all of the prettiest colors for a warm & inviting home.  I think Jennifer might even have a few kits left, too...? Check her stock, by clicking here. 

On another note, on the home front today, things started off with a splash.  I was brushing my teeth when "El Bandito", my Milo rescue kitty (the only truly clumsy cat I have ever known) fell in to the toilet feet first while trying to jump up on the bathroom sink (trying to get a better look sniff at what he thought I was putting in my mouth (mint ice cream -- whatttt ?).  (This would also explain the times in recent months that I have sat down on a less-dry-toilet seat in that same bathroom...)

Here's more pictures taken by Auntie Pam, the day of our photoshoot last week of Bandito...

Is it just me or does that little black chin make you think of C Everett Koop...?

LOL

;oP

H2

PS, Pam Kitty will be making a table runner from blocks using the Scrap Happy Quilt pattern (in yet another bee-u-t-ful Penelope colorway...I'll announce the specifics of this VERY SOON!  OH & YES, you heard it here first:  there will be another FQ bundle giveaway too!

 

My Favorite Things...237...Roses from the Garden

These SweetHeart Roses remind me so much of the lush flowers in our Penelope series...And by-golly, it's that time...Penelope 4 5 & 6 are being packed & readied to leave our warehouse on the East Coast as I write...

Even better, I have done a few new designs that can use any of your favorite Penelope Fabrics...(1,2,3,4,5 or 6...) These quilts weren't in the latest Penelope 4, 5, 6 sales booklets, so your LQS hadn't seen them until last week in Kansas City at Jennifer's booth...

That's the Big News...Jennifer Bosworth of Shabby Fabrics has graciously taken on the writing & publishing of my quilt designs.  This is a huge relief to me on so many levels...writing patterns has always been a challenge.  I've received my share of hate mail over patterns that took me weeks & months to conceptualize, write, check, re-check & re-check again...And when I am writing patterns, I am not designing fabric & quilts...Of course those of you who have seen how Jennifer writes a quilt pattern or her beautiful Block of the Month programs...know why I am clicking my heels!

Thank you Jennfier for freeing  me up to do more of the projects that I have been thinking about for years, but haven't had the time to focus on...I am chomping at the bit to do my first Block of the Month...I can't wait.

Here's the first two of my quilt designs that Shabby Fabrics Pattern Company will be publishing that use new Penelope Fabrics.  First, the "Teacup Star" quilt...

 

Second, the Scrap Happy Baskets quilt...

Lots more on my favorite Penelope fabrics, projects & people too, coming up...

Back soon...H2

My Favorite Things...222...New Friends & New Fun!

WELCOME TO DAY FOUR OF OUR BROWNIE POINTS BLOG-ALONG-ATHON!

On Wednesday, I just finished up...

This is a special tip sheet that I did as an adjunct to the FREE FAST FLOWERS QUILT PATTERN.  When I read the pattern that they sent me for my approval, it left me with a LOT of questions.  Plus I thought, OMG all levels of quilters are going to read this pattern, and there are going to be a lot of questions...How am I going to help these people out? 

Being the control freak (that I admit) I am, I turned on the computer and wrote up two full sheets of notes & diagrams for you all.

I'll go through a lot of these tips with you over the next many days of Brownie Points...but if you want a copy right now, just go to my left side bar...it's the icon that says "BROWNIE POINTS QUILTING TIPS"

My next guest is a darling gal from Florida...Here's a picture of me (the smirk & the tired eyes) with adorable Jenny from Sew Fabulous at Quilt Market a while back LOL...

Imagine my delight when I found out that Jenny was not only a quilter & fellow animal lover, but a veterinarian, too.

Jenny is also selling the Fast Flowers Quilt Kit at the Sew Fabulous site.  As with all of the other Brownie Points shops, I'll be donating $5.00 for every Fast Flowers Quilt Kit sold to Jenny's charity:   The Alaqua Animal Refuge.

Lots more fun & frivolity tomorrow with Jenny, her charming blog & pictures of her fur babies.  Turns out that her kids love the LakeHouse line...

LOL

;oP  H2

PS  I'd love to hear your comments on the HOLLYTIP sheets and the Fast Flowers Quilt Kits when you get them in the mail gals...Kristine's studio (she's our designated kitmaker) is like Santa's workshop right now, there's ribbon & tissue & bundles of pretty LakeHouse Fun Flowers Fabric everywhere!

PPS  Keep those warm wishes for our Velda coming in girls!

 

 

 

My Favorite Things...219...Old Friends with New Projects

WELCOME TO DAY ONE OF OUR BROWNIE POINTS BLOG-ALONG-ATHON!

As promised, the Fast Flowers Quilt Kits, are ready in time for Christmas, for your little angel...see more below!

I'm excited to introduce you to Tammy Tadd Designs.  Tammy & first met when our booths were near each other at our first Fall Quilt Market in Houston.  I've seen her evolve from a quilt & pattern designer into a shop owner, blogger & all around bon vivant.  Tammy's got the most colorful little quilt shop in Sycamore Illinois. 

Here's a close up of some of the beautiful Christmas tree ornaments that Tammy has made with our Fun Flowers fabrics.  Leave it to Tammy to kick off the holidays with this charming assortment of hand made & store bought ornaments.  Notice the jumbo ric rac she's using in her tree as a garland...a girl after my heart!

For more pics of Tammy's shop and clever designs, see Tammy's Blog--A Tadd More.

  

 

Tammy will be offering the Fast Flowers Quilt Kit for sale on her website, along with lots more projects that use LakeHouse fabrics.  As mentioned, I'll be donating $5.00 for every Fast Flowers Quilt Kit she sells to her favorite charity:  Tails Humane Society.

Just remember, the FREE Fast Flowers quilt pattern is available online at the Quilts & More website, so click here to see more pictures of the Fast Flowers quilt, and download your free pattern.

I'll be offering a FREE downloadable HOLLYTIPS TIP SHEET in addition to the FREE PATTERN later this week on the sidebar...(because you know how picky I am about quilt construction).

Come back tomorrow for more on Tammy and some of the fabulous freebies & special offers she'll be offering during our Brownie Points event...

So many of you write to us, wanting information on where to purchase LakeHouse fabrics.   So now's the time to see some of the wonderful independent shops all over the US who carry our fabrics.

Join us won't you?

;o-   H2

 

 

216...My Favorite Things...A FREE Quilt Pattern!

Hi again everyone,

Fall Quilt Market has come & gone, it all happened so quickly.  I got to see lots my favorite people...Beth Hayes from McCall's, the Fat Quarter Shop brigade (minus Kimberly, who was home awaiting her latest), and Gina & Melinda from Fresh Picked Fabrics, to name just a few.

By the end of the first day of market, it was obvious that I was fighting something, and spent the next 5 days in and out of bed.  So oops, no booth pictures.

Right before market, I found out that my Brownie Points Quilt (re-named Fast Flowers), and would be put on the Quilts & More website as a FREE DOWNLOAD. 

Ironically, when the Brownie Points Quilt was on it's way to us at FQM (from the photoshoot at Q & M), it "went missing"...Here's a picture of her...

I love this simple & straight forward quilt, and I am, still hoping she will show up, but she's been missing since October 21st...Come back soon, Brownie.  :@

For those of you who want a Quilt Kit to make the "lovely lady", we'll be having a special Brownie Points Blog-a-thon starting after Thanksgiving.  They'll be lots of fun & frivolity at this upcoming event. We'll have Brownie Points Quilt Kits for sale, FREE GIVEAWAYS from my private LakeHouse stash, some of my favorite "quilties" will join in the fun, and other surprises too.

I'll be back in soon to tell you all the details for the Brownie Points Quilt Blog-a-thon.

3:o)

H2

 

My Favorite Things...175...A Hairy Tale With a Happy Ending!

It's been a bit of a crazy summer here on the east coast.  Lots of rain, wind & lighting storms that have upset the family critter's routine terribly, and me especially.  The humidity has been so bad that it makes me think that the wallpaper is going to unpaste itself and slither down the walls...

And yet I have a lot to be thankful for. 

Here's another quilt that I designed recently that is in the August 2009 McCall's Quilting...

I completely forgot to tell you all about this quilt, until now.  Paton and I have actually been through a bit of a rough patch with the dogs that we've been fostering.

I haven't told a lot of people about my animals lately, because when there is a lot of bad news over and over again, no one wants to hear it.  Heck, I don't want to have to re-live the story by telling it again.

But there has been some good news of late, so I thought I'd share it with you...

First, there's Hi Bit, who I like to think of as "Prozac with 4 paws".

A month ago, Hi Bit was really sick with liver failure.  We thought that he might not make it.  He and about 6 other animals from his pack, had been unknowingly fed aflatoxin-poisoned food at the kennel where he was staying after being rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri.  On top of that, Hi Bit's spinal column has fused discs in at least three places, so that he walks like a drunken sailor, and he has a wicked heart murmur, and he's not a young dog.

But today after a variety of antioxidants & Sam-E to help him regenerate his liver, and a homepathic remedy that has put some spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye, Hi Bit "is back".

Also, keeping our fingers crossed, Lady Bug the heart worm positive foster dog who I told you about this spring, is almost through her 8 week treatment, and she is ever-so-slowly coming out of her shell.
LB clearly experienced the most mental & emotional damage of any of the foster dogs that Paton and I have witnessed to date.

Here's a partial family picture, of Paton and the critters last week end.

That's "the Mrs.", Giulia--she who does as she pleases, Paton & Bitty, and Blueberry, the puppy.

More "Midsummer Days Tales" in a bit...

LOL

H2

My Favorite Things...174...Back in the Saddle Again

I remember writing a couple of essays when I was a kid at the beginning of a new school year that described what I did for my summer vacation. 

For the record, I haven't actually had an official summer vacation yet, but I have taken some time off for designing, and "re-charging my battery".  Here's a few photos of what I've been up to...

A little sneak peek of a quilt that I designed for American Patchwork & Quilting that uses our new Teatime Floral Two collection.  The fabric is due out in the stores in late September /early October.  It was made by Cheryl Winslow of Starshine Quilting.

I'll let you know what issue of APQ this quilt is in as soon as I get a confirmation on the exact publication date. 

Here's a tasty-design-tidbit from pictures that I took in Central Park while walking "the Mrs." aka Mrs Riley...

I spotted the most sensational lanterns hanging over the terrace at Tavern On the Green. From a distance, I could swear that the fabrics were Asian-inspired prints.

Up close the lanterns were actually made of decorator upholstery fabrics.

Aren't they fabulous?  They'd be pretty easy to re-create at home I think...

More later this week from the Big Apple.

It's great to be back...in the saddle again.

LOL  {:º)X  H2

My Favorite Things...165...Another Sneak Peek!

We have several delicious (if I do say so myself) quilts going out to magazines right about now...This one's going to Jill Meade over at Quilts & More...it is due out sometime this summer...(Will keep you posted.)

This one is a lap size...I hope that you will be pleasantly surprised when you see the article, as you can't quite make out the overall effect from this little snapshot, or can you?  The ric rac is  fabulous new color made especially to coordinate with our new Teatime Floral fabrics (and this quilt in particular) by my buddy Adam over at cheeptrims.com  Our "fabric mistress" Mrs. Winslow devised a great way to apply the ric rac without any muss or fuss!  (Hint: fusible thread, more later!)

I've got more pics to of another magazine quilt that has just been sent out, but I have to find them first...I've taken so many pictures lately that I am having a difficult time keeping them all straight...

Back in two shakes...H2

My Favorite Things...164...New Years Presents!

To start the new year off right, what could be better that a free pattern, or two?
Just click on the H on the right sidebar of this blog, and you can link to our Teatime Floral Projects page that has two of my new FREE click & print patterns. 

Many of you know by now that my mantra is "Let the Fabric do the Work"...These two new patterns are really a variation on the same basic layout, and yet they have two distinct looks...

"Step Lively" is an easy-to-make layout that shows you how to use a selection of colorful fabrics from our new Teatime collection to create a joyful quilt that has several "layers" of interlocking patterns.

"Step Softly" uses my favorite little Rose Ticking stripe, and a few others fabrics from the Teatime Floral  collection, to create a subtle plaid effect.  It's got sort of a "Rose Cottage" feeling to it...I can't wait to make one for myself.

Let's make this year the best year ever, shall we?

X;º)  H2