For Thanks
To my fellow Americans – Happy Thanksgiving! For all those eyes that may ever come to view this page, a word gift:
~Pied Beauty~
Glory be to God for dappled things —
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced — fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
Gerard Manley Hopkins
The Duel
Me: Yarn, Fabric, thanks for coming in to chat with me today. I’m sure you’ve noticed that things have changed around here a bit.
Yarn: (looking sheepish, smiles)
Fabric: Well yeah. I have hardly seen anything of you lately. You’re like a stranger to me.
Me: I know, I know. I still love you. I really do. I want to spend more time with you, it’s just that Yarn and I have had a lot of things planned, and well…
Yarn: I don’t make her come and sit in the room with me alone you know Fabric! I spend time with her and the husband in the normal parts of the house, not hidden away up in the sewing room.
Fabric: That’s not my choice! I love it when I get to be handwork, and that can happen anywhere right?
Me: Indeed Fabric. It’s not your fault at all. As I said I still love you. Tell you what, let’s plan something special together over the Christmas holidays. What do you say?
Fabric: Okay. (looks happy, and cuts a mean face at Yarn)
Yarn: Oh… uh Letty, did I show you that Madelinetosh Merino Light in Cove yet?
Fabric: That’s not fair!
Me: Stop now. I love you both. Kiss kiss.
Ravelry Projects
Oh Grow Up!
This week I’ve finished my Lucky Penny Quilt top. I really like it, but my immediate thought was, ‘gee, it’s kind of babyish’. This is a perennial problem for me. I love toys, children’s and babies things so much that I keep making them, but what I mostly want to o
wn and have in my home is not really like that. So. After I quilt this up, I’m going to be making a grown-up quilt. My talented friend Anita (Bloomin Workshop) and I are cooking something up that both of us will share (hopefully in the near future).
When I saw that the Fat Quarter Shop was doing a SAL (sew along) with Lella Boutique for the Goody Goody Binding Kit, I could not jump on that bandwagon fast enough. I LOVE a fun, fast project like this. The first one I made is here. Looks babyish right???
So the next day I made another, more grown up. I didn’t like my stitching on the strawberry at all, but didn’t notice how ick it was until after the kit was together, so I used a permanent pen and made my stitches dark, so less noticeable. You can see the after shot in the closeup. This is a trick I’ve used a few times before, and since this won’t ever be washed, it is a perfect fix. Otherwise I really love the way this one came out.
I’m also knitting like a fiend. This Naima Sweater is going to take a very long time, but I think I’ll really love wearing it, and I’m enjoying the knitting. Just cannot wait to see it with sleeves and blocked, etc.
We finally have a bit of rain in the PNW. Very refreshing. Such a long hot summer. I like balance. Lights and darks. I guess childish and grown-up, knitting and sewing, and cooking and photography…
Here are a few snaps from the week. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen some of these. 
***Finally, this is the last week for a crazy discount on Pinwheels Past quilt pattern, so grab it now!***
May your spool be endless,
-Letty
Pinwheels Past
So I’m going against the grain of modern quilting with this one, but I have been craving a meeting place where modern and the best of traditional quilting meld. I’ve created a new pattern called Pinwheels Past © 2015 that I think is just that.
Pinwheels are a quilting classic because they appeal to young and old, modern and traditional quilters. This charming quilt may be made with a modern twist of new fabrics and colors, or with the soft look of yesteryear.
It looks timeless in these scrappy prints, yet can’t you just picture it in beautiful modern fabrics too? Here are some ideas I had.
This pattern is available at a sale price right now on Craftsy, for a short time. I hope you like it, and that your take the pattern and make it your own with just the right fabric choices for your aesthetic.
May your spool be endless,
-Letty
And the Vacay Begins!
My vacation has begun! I am already stuck into all the things on my ‘want to do’ list. My husband says that in the summertime I turn into a one-woman sweat shop. Ha, that’s because I’m so pent up from the normal pace of things where I have a lot of obligatory things to do in my day, and often I just want to sew, knit, read, etc. You know what I mean! When I dream of being on vacation, I think of myself in the sewing room, knitting on the patio… I have a lot of wonderful images in my head about how it’s going to be. Well already some of that has become a reality.
As a college professor, I opt to take the whole summer off – and so I’m just luxuriating in the time that is stretching out ahead of me. I don’t have many real plans, but in a way, that’s part of the luxury.
On day 2 of my vacation I managed to move things around in my little sewing room to make a place to hang a design wall (also known as a piece of batting!). I’ve knitted on the patio, I’ve fondled yarn, one that happened to match my nail polish, and it’s only just begun! The quilt on my design wall is called The Lucky Penny quilt and it is made with half hexies. (Pattern and template from MSQC)
Naturally life throws in the unexpected. We were thrilled when on the morning of her graduation ceremony we were told that our daughter was indeed eligible to graduate and walk! What joy – we dropped everything and had the most wonderful day. 
Yesterday we saw a pine squirrel coming out of our eaves with a big wad of insulation in his mouth! We put out a live trap, and will drive this little dickens enough miles away where he won’t likely return.
I’m feeling super creative, how about you? What does the summer mean for your creativity, do you just want to be active outside, or are you like me ready to craft!?
Wordless – Praise Quilt, Photos, and Knitting
That’s Life
Knocked Back But Creating
It seems that just about when I get my quilting mojo back, something happens to take the wind out of my sails. That’s just what happened after my last post. I don’t want to have my blog be a downer, but it is, after all, about my life and creative pursuits. So I’ll just tell you that my big sis died unexpectedly a few weeks ago. We still don’t know why for sure. She was only 57. I know I don’t have to explain the kind of sadness that this has left me with. For some reason my default grief mode is to sit quietly and knit. So I’ve been doing a bunch of that still. However, I did just put together a simple low volume quilt top for myself, and as I was making it, Psalm 42:11 came to mind. So I’m calling it my ‘Yet shall I praise Him’ quilt. I like the idea. My soul gets downcast, but in the end, I find my needs met by Him.
It’s actually an extremely cheerful quilt, wouldn’t you agree? I’m going to embroider a tiny bit on it and then I’ll layer and bind it. I think it’s far too happy looking to make me sad, and rather than reminding me of loss, it will remind me that there is constant goodness. *update* finished pictures of the quilt on this post: https://happydancequilting.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/wordless-praise-quilt-photos-and-knitting/
Do you love plus quilts? I do too. I saw Jen Eskridge’s pattern on www.ReannaLilyDesigns.com and just had to try the mini version. It was done in a blink. I’ve yet to bind it, but that will also be a snap.
Finally, I joined in an IG (Instagram) QAL called the Pop-Up Mystery Quilt #popupquilt being hosted by @richyjr16 https://instagram.com/richyjr16/ It’s a fun project.
So, my last post promised quilting, and amazingly I’ve done some, but it’s been a bit different than I expected. Isn’t that the way life is?
May your spool be endless…
-Letty
Stand by For Quilting
Okay, so there is not much to show you yet, but things are just ducky. Mr. gorgeous on the right was spotted on a guided birding walk in urban Seattle the other day. I feel as if my inner quilting mojo has been refilled to the brim like a new printer cartridge! I’ve been ogling fabrics, and playing in EQ7, and generally feeling some creativity buds forming.
This week was pretty exciting for me since (completely without prior warning) Craftsy featured me as a designer, and of course my free pattern downloads went bananas, with my Charming Pachyderms quilt reaching #1 on the top 20 list. Hee hee. 
I couldn’t help but spread the phenomenon on IG. You know, Instagram. I’m there, constantly wishing it were a bit more… something, but I do have fun with it. My name there is Lettybhdq if you want to follow.
Here are a couple of very recent scores that have made me super happy. First, a Yoko Saito book. I adore her designs, and know I have a taupe quilt in me or at least a version of one.
Also a fun panel and a few FQs. What I’d like to do with some yummy fat quarters I’ve been hoarding is possibly a Lizzie House Meadow Quilt. She has not published a pattern, and only teaches this quilt at workshops, but I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to make one. Here is my mock-up. Isn’t it fun?!
I’ve been sewing other things. A Juniper Kitty by Alicia Paulson (Posie). This was a Christmas present from a bestie, and she knows it was one of my absolute favorites!
And an ear bud case, tutorial by Dog Under My Desk. I’ve made so many of these. They are the handiest things ever, and always a very much appreciated gift.
So, no actual quilt to show you today, but honestly, stay tuned, I’m going to get busy.
May your spool be endless…
-Letty
Sweet Hopes
Did you hear that EQ7 is hosting a block design contest to feature the Fresh Cut line by Basic Grey? It’s wonderful fabric, and put me in mind of the Necco Wafers we all loved as kids.
Don’t you think these have a related feel!?
Here is my block:
And here is the Necco Wafer Quilt I envision:
I’m excited to have had a bit of design inspiration. I’m still knitting more than sewing – but who knows, this may just get me into the swing of things again?
Wish me luck. I’ll enter my block on the 30th of this month, and a winner will be chosen soon after.
May your spool be endless,
-Letty
Contest Update: picture me making a game-show buzzer noise here… 😦 Ah well!
The New Normal
This will be my second Christmas without my mom. Having no mom is my new normal. I’m adjusting, but it isn’t the same. Most of the worst of my grief seems to be behind me (other than the stabbing, out-of-the-blue stuff that does come occasionally). So, I’m noticing how things are different, and I’m trying to be kind to myself.
One way I’m doing that is by lessening the self-imposed ‘have to’s’. There are many Christmassy things I still want to do, bake cookies, decorate, etc. But there are others I don’t. It’s all in my head really. So I’m doing what I like! It feels like a kindness.
I’
m sewing less, and knitting by the fire more. That’s soothing and cozy. Speaking of suddenly doing what she wants – my dog D’Arcy, whom we’ve had for over 12 years has suddenly taken on a whole new persona. She has stopped complying with the house rules quite a lot! Here she is, completely unauthorized on my bed! This really never would have happened before. We rescued her at age 3 to 5 years (yes, she really is that old), and she’s been the most obedient dog ever – uh… until now. I’m thinking this is the dog equivalent of the Red Hat society!
What do I feel like doing? Taking photos. This was
one I did for #theidearoom Photo of the Day. The word theme was Blessing.
Knitting, and just being a bit quiet are right up there too.
Here is to being kind to ourselves, and doing what we like! Merry Christmas, and a very happy and blessed New Year.
-Letty
Happy Dance Quilting 