October 22, 2021

Basting away, I’m basting away

You know the nearer your destination the more you’re just basting away. Always a little earworm for y’all! Now that First Notes quilt tops are popping up all over the place, I want to share how I baste my quilts. I was dying crawling all over the floor, and I don’t remember where I saw this, but I grabbed onto the idea and use it all the time. You will need a good size table, something you don’t mind pin scratches on, and clamps. I found these at Lowe’s for a couple bucks each. They’re great for my small hands, and have an easy release latch. Find the center of…

October 15, 2021

Everything’s Coming Up Quilt Tops!

And here is mine! I was sewing a new First Notes quilt along with all of you these past four months, and here it is! I used a Tula Pink fabric that I ice dyed as my main print and added some bold solids for the rest. I think it looks pretty amazing. Okay, now for some important news. We still have GIVEAWAYS to talk about, plus the GRAND PRIZES!!! So please read through all this carefully. Are you missing a block? Head to The Not So Dramatic Life and Shoppe Lovingly Lissa to purchase it for $2. We will be removing all the patterns from our shops on October…

October 8, 2021

Putting it Together

That’s not just a Sondheim musical! This is it! Let’s put First Notes together. It really is a simple last step with this pattern, in fact I’ve noticed a few Concert Goers already have theirs together without the pattern. Don’t give up if you are missing blocks tho! We have the next few weeks set aside for finishing up any blocks as well as the flimsy (AKA a quilt top). And all the blocks are available in our Etsy Shops, The Not So Dramatic Life and Shoppe Lovingly Lissa. Also new to my shop this week is the Hollyhock Potholder Pattern!!! If you are brand new to the paper piecing…

October 1, 2021

They Say That Falling in Love is Wonderful…

I am falling in love with making pottery! I just finished my third class today where we painted on the glaze. Once again I only had time to work on 2 pieces, luckily it was 2 different ones than last week. I am especially in love with my “Creepy Face” pot. It really freaks my daughter out already! The glaze looks like a plain red here, but after firing it will be a mix of very glossy colors. The name of the color is Tiger Eyes, if that helps you envision it. It does make me think of a tiger eye stone. So, how long until I can convince my…

September 24, 2021

Wayward

I feel a bit wayward this week. I’m here, I’m there, the weather is all over the place, and time is just flying by. Seriously, I can’t believe the season has changed, the temperature nosedived about 40 degrees, and we are on the second to last block of the Quilt Concert!! Although, as the sew-in ends many other things are starting. The Potholder Swap sign ups are still open and I look forward to seeing what everyone makes for their partners. And did I mention that Hancock’s of Paducah is sponsoring it? Isn’t that freaking the bomb? Join in while you still can! The sign up form is on the…

September 17, 2021

Whirling around

Oh my goodness, it’s been a crazy week around here! Announcing the Potholder Swap earlier this week and getting ready for it has kept me on my toes! I’m very excited about the swap and the new pattern I wrote for it, but it has been quite the journey this week getting ready for it. If you haven’t seen it yet, Hollyhock is the name of the pattern for the swap. I’ll have the pattern up on my Etsy site very soon if you want to make yourself a potholder but don’t want to join the swap. I was able to grab a few moments to work on the Quilt…

September 13, 2021

FALL SWAP ANNOUNCEMENT

And now…. the moment you have all been waiting for! POTHOLDER SWAP 2021 Baking season is arriving very soon, and what better way to start off creating all those delicious goodies than with a brand new pair of Potholders and Oven Mitts? Yup, you read that right. Participants are making 2 (TWO) potholders/oven mitts for their partner! All paid participants will receive my Hollyhocks Potholder pattern. You do not need to make this pattern for your partner. This is a great pattern for anyone who has never paper pieced before. I’ve included step by step paper piecing instructions with diagrams! Also, step by step binding instructions for anyone who hasn’t…

September 10, 2021

“I can still hear you saying”

“You would never break the chain” So, we really didn’t choose our blocks based on songs, but it is always wonderful when when of them creates an earworm for a while. This week is Malvina’s Chain. It really is a simple block, with a bit of a challenge thrown in. There are 9 hour glass blocks, which are simple enough to create…if they were all two color blocks. LOL! Two of the blocks in Malvina’s Chain have THREE colors, so it’s a bit of a twist and a bit of a think through. Please be sure to read all the directions first! Malvina’s Chain Block Pattern can be purchased at…

September 3, 2021

Life is full of Give and Take

True, isn’t it? Cassandra and I have given you 12 quilt blocks now and we truly hope you are taking a lot of enjoyment from the Quilt Concert. I know I have been loving it! I have a feeling that many of you aren’t posting your blocks on Instagram tho, which is my FAVORITE THING TO SEE!!! I adore seeing what everyone makes, so I would absolutely be grateful if you emailed me photos of what you’ve done! You can email me at lovinglylissa@gmail.com. I will be sure to share what you send me on Instagram as well. Before I give you this week’s download, I’m going to give you…

August 27, 2021

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

And send it soaring!!!!! I love the blocks that bring songs to my mind. Well, I love all the blocks in First Notes, who am I kidding? This block uses templates, just like a few weeks ago. It is a nice introduction to template piecing and nothing to be afraid of. Using templates creates less fabric waste and helps with precision. So let’s go Fly a Kite!!! You can now find Flying Kite at Shoppe Lovingly Lissa Week 12 Sponsor Aurifil is our Worldwide Sponsor! Yup, that’s right. This week it doesn’t matter where you live! So let’s see all those Instagram posts of Block 11!!! Aurifil will send one…