Getting into the swing.

I think I can I think I can I think I can

Whoooph!

In the past years creating and working on my stationery business had me working around the clock. I was all aspects of the business, so I was illustrating everyday along with everything else. I’ve written about it before, but it was intense. It was a level of intensity that isn’t a great fit for my life right now.

So when that came to a close at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t making work
E V E R Y S I N G L E D A Y.

That felt really good. To slow down. I’ve spent so much more time with Magnolia, and we’ve both loved it.

But now, all this fabric and quilt biz has me trying to get those wheels turning again. It’s a little slow going.

It’s also a little strange too. It’s very familiar. It’s something I didn’t think I would come back to, and so it’s a little like muscle memory, but all my muscles are sore.

I was trying to think of the last time I made a quilt start to finish, and it’s a little hazy. I think it was in 2017 when Printmaking came out and we made the look book at the workroom studio in Toronto. That was a really wild and special time.

I’m making all the quilts for my new patterns right now, and I am getting flashbacks of how I used to do this. It’s no wonder I burnt out. So, I’m trying to be reasonable and take things at a good pace. The patterns are already being sold, but don’t come out until the fall. I can give myself the summer to make sure everything is ship-shape and good to go.

Also, all hail hard templates! I have some very rudimentary/not great prototypes right now, and it makes a world of difference!

I’m starting with Bright Future.

I’ve actually been working with this block for years. I’ve never published a pattern with it, but it was the basis for 2 of my mystery quilts, and before that, a personal project I started in 2016 that sits in pieces in a lovely box next to me to this day. I could never quite figure out how far I wanted to take it with complexity. So I’d pick it up and put it away, and get it out and work on it. Also, whoa. Paper piecing. I’d never done it before so I just drafted the pattern and taught myself. It was all theories and speculation before that. Then I just did it.

The beauty of paper piecing is the project is kind of self contained because it’s all attached to paper, and you always know exactly where you left off. In that way, it’s a great project to start and stop with years in between.

I really love this block. People want to get rid of the contrast, I get it, but they are missing possibilities for optical illusions/visual interest when they do. I have a different quilt (the “ice cream cone mystery quilt”) that is not totally related but similar, and I think it’s better suited for a solid in between/low-to-no contrast background.

I will keep building and publishing on this block because it’s got a universe of possibilities in it. In fact, I’ve already got a few more tricks up my sleeve.

Also, at some point I’ll finish the quilt above.

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After I finish my Love Letter Bright Future, I’ll do Special Delivery and Napping House at the same time.

Then I’ll wrap the summer with Rockhound.

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Speaking of Bright Future, I sent out a call on Instagram looking for a few people to make it early in their own personal style. A few got selected, and I’ll send them some of my templates and the basic pattern. They’ll get a little gift from me as well as the printed pattern when it’s ready some Love Letter to use for their own projects.

If you’d like to be considered for early making of any of the other quilts I’ve got coming out (check here), let me know! I’d love to get you started.

And just to be clear: This isn’t pattern testing or editing. I’ve got that on lock. This is just you like the quilt and you’ve got a vision for it, and want to make it/would have made it on your own. Plus presents from me.

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A note to paid subscribers!

I was going through my quilt tops, and I found several Colorist tops. Do you recall this pattern? It’s a lightning fast quilt to make, but the pattern is out of print. It was always one of my favorites, but it was not “commercially successful”. There is a possibility I was just bad at marketing. That is actually very likely.

As a birthday present from me to you (my birthday is on Monday), I’ll be posting the pattern for download for free to paid subscribers as a little gift.

I think that I might eventually reprint the pattern, because 1. I found all the files, and 2. feel like I’m a little better at marketing now?

Either way, I’d love for you to make this quilt. I’ll leave printing instructions on the post. This is for personal use only, and isn’t to be shared around. You get it. I know you understand.

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House keeping notes

We’ve just wrapped the first month of this substack, and I have been blown away from the support and enthusiasm. Thank you for being here.

But I have some genuine questions! While I’ve done this before (10+ years ago) and I’ve kind of hobbled along with a love hate relationship of social media… meaning I didn’t know when I first downloaded instagram that it would be like an appendage (no thank you) of my life’s work, and I would love your feedback.

If you’ve selected to be a paid subscriber: what are you looking for? Is there anything specific you are you hoping for? Anything specific that you’d feel really good about? Anything that would make you be like, “I’m out of here!”?

If you’re a free subscriber, what do you hope for, or are excited about?

I’m having fun, but I’m still just getting my footing. I have found over the past month the Friday is when I get my greatest chance to write. It seems to be an easier day for everyone, and it has naturally worked out that way almost every week, so I’m leaning into it, and you can expect to hear from me then.

lots of love.
Have a great weekend
xoxolizzy

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