CAN THAT FIT INTO A STOCKING? IT'LL FIT DEFINITELY UNDER THE TREE!

This time next month we’ll all be recovering from the flurry that Christmas time is! Can you believe it?! I have to admit, this year I’m quite excited about all the hoopla. I love to put on a Christmas record… make hot chocolate… put on a fire and write out my Christmas cards… er, at least that’s what I fantasize doing each year. The great thing about Christmas, there’s always another one next year to try again. Fingers crossed, this is the year!

It’s a busy time of year so I’ve compiled a little list to help you with your Christmas shopping experience… (One for them, one for you, one for them, two for you… wink, wink!)

MAGAZINES

I have a Present Sack pattern in Issue 80 of Love Patchwork and Quilting. I’m thinking you can justify this two ways:

1. Get the magazine for yourself and make it for your favourite person (I also think this pattern would lend it self to a pillow or a table runner).

2. Roll that baby up and put it in your favourite sewing person’s stocking! (Who might be yourself!)

Mollie Makes just came out with a new issue called Mollie Makes - a Quilting special! My cassette tape zippy pouch is in it, along with a whole bunch of other neato patterns! (#1 and #2 can be also applied here)

BOOKS

I’ve been collecting Uppercase Magazine since issue 24. I’m a huge lover of all things Uppercase (she has three fabric collections too!). When Janine invited me to share a Quilt Story in her latest Encyclopedia series, Quilted, I was super tickled. Not only that, it was a pretty important project in my creative journey. I’m on page 180/181!

ART

The more times I’ve circled around the sun, I’ve asked myself how much stuff do I really need? Then I asked what feels like a real treat anymore? My answer? Art! I’ve begun a small collection but it’s growing and I LOVE each and every piece SO much. This December Bettina Harvey, Chelsey Hornsby, Puneet Datewas, Dominque Norville, Bambi EdLund, Laura Clark and I are in a group show at the COUP, called Square Roots. If you’re local, join us at the opening December 13th at 7pm! We’d love to see you! All pieces will be 6”x 6” ($80) or 8” x 8” ($100). I will be showing my cassette tape tower that I’ve been posting on Instagram! And a few other pieces (that aren’t cassettes. I know “gasp!” lol!) .

CARDS

This lovely lady Gail Mayerscough is who I bought my Christmas cards from last year. Check out her new collection HERE!

VINYL

Want something extra ordinary for the maker in your life? This clear vinyl with white hearts made my heart skip a beat. Check it out at Natalie Santini’s, Sew Hungry Hippie’s shop HERE.

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

I’m madly in love with Bambi EdLund’s Beatrix and Midge’s Instagram account. Her pets are HI-LARRY-US! I highly recommend going into their highlights and scroll all the way to the right to “Bea’s photo bomb”. That one cracks me up every time! Anyhoo! They also have a shop where they release these snazzy ornaments. They sell out fast so you gotta be quick! The hardest part will be figuring out which one… or maybe buy them all! HERE

QUILT PATTERNS

I L O V E this pattern by Devon Iott. What maker wouldn’t want this pattern? (just between you and me, I applied #1 and #2 to this. Hey I figure, everyone will benefit from snuggling under it right?! Purchase justified!). Buy the digital PDF or the printed paper version HERE.

Let the mayhem begin! And all the while have a safe, cozy holiday season with your lovely people. I wish you all the very, very best! xo

WE GOT THE BEAT!

Wow, another summer is almost gone! It’s hard to believe this time last year I had a bazillion tiny squares on my work table partially sewn …and here we are this summer and it’s in the pages of Love Patchwork and Quilting Issue 75. I’m pretty delighted about it, dream come true! I’ve always loved their magazine. I was especially thrilled about the photos they took. They’re always so dreamy!

This issue came out a few months ago in the UK but it’s now on the shelves in North America. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I had a heart to heart with my mom to not buy up all the issues. Chapters and Indigo carry them here in Canada… that is if my mom hasn’t been there yet! Wink, wink!.

Hey Heart-breaker: Pop culture and music has always been a huge part of my work. The quilt in LP&Q was named after the Go-Go’s, We got the beat. It influenced the vibe and the colour way big time. Which means I’m always on the hunt for new music and when I find a girl band, EVEN BETTER! Right now I can’t get enough of Dream Wife! They are a UK feminist group that started as an art school performance project in 2015.

Being brave: I completed my first #the100dayproject! And it was HARD. But it was such an incredible experience. I rolled into a second one the day I finished the first. A little a day goes a long way. It took me 75 days in to figure that out-HA! I posted all of the first 100 days in my IG stories and stored them in my Highlights. I also created a “Sketchbook” on my website to show case my favourite ones. These ones I haven’t add yet. I wanted to show you first!

Hot summer WALLS?!: Have you heard of the Vancouver Mural Festival? It happens every August. I was super happy to help out my Thrive sister Carmen Chan on her first mural. Her wall was HUGE and it was so hot out! Holy moly! Her glorious mural can be found by 33 Acres Brewery.

The superstar muralist they brought in was Shepard Fairey. You know, the OBEY guy. LOVE! I was super pumped to see 30 years worth of his work at the Burrard Art Foundation. AND! I was able to pick up one of the 300 posters printed just for the Vancouver show. I’m extra pumped about that! The show runs until September 28th but if you can’t make it I highly suggest watching Beautiful Losers and Exit Through the Gift-shop. Two of my all time favourite movies that he happens to be in.

Have a great rest of the summer and a happy getting back into it this fall to you!

*GASP!*

She had seen them in the wild, the first time in North America! She texted me immediately of their location. I felt incredibly alert and knew it was time to go hunting. Not long after, there it was, among the heavy dense magazine rack at Chapters/Indigo… Love Patchwork and Quilting Issue #70! *Gasp* I had received my advanced copy in January but this?! I excitedly picked up one for you (and your friend!)! Luckily my mom lives in a different province, so we had a fighting chance (my apologies to any Albertans out there).

You read that right. I picked one up for you (and a friend)! I’ll be doing a GIVEAWAY on Instagram starting this Saturday March 16th. I wanted you to be be the first to know about it! It’s the same rules as always, you must follow me @lysaflower on Instagram and tag a friend to play… BUT you will both receive a copy! I’ll also be emailing you both one of my patterns! And it doesn’t have to be the same pattern! International entries are welcome. The winner(s) will be announced Monday, March 18th on Instagram.

I’m sure you can imagine I was stunned when I was asked to do this feature. My favourite part was being asked about my quilt-y heros. It’s an amazing community isn’t it?! We’re all in this together. I’m always floored and greatly honoured when my patterns are sewn, especially when they’re sewn for someone they love. Thank you for that! Having said that, I’d like to share with you some photos of projects people have done: @chelsealanefields’s boombox pillow (she won first place at her local fair for it!). @bespokeoutlaw made both the bag and the cassette thread catcher. @needleplusthread’s extra rad boombox. @iadorepattern’s cassette LOVE block for a quilt bee baby quilt. @reecemontgomery who combined my cassette tape with @sewsweetness Polaris bag pattern. @sterlingsewn’s B-side for her daughter’s quilt! AND @simplesewendipity’s 28 (yes 28!) cassette tape boarder of her boombox quilt!

As a tradition… RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR PLAYLIST: I love You by Said the Whale. It’s a lyric video so we can sing along together!

Keep on #sewinglikeamothertrucker!