Are you going to be at the Pacific Northwest Modern Guild Meet up in Seattle this Weekend (Aug 20-23)? They say it’s going to be EPIC!

If you are, you’ll be getting one of these!

It’s a Lysa Flower Match Needle Book Kit! For the kit instructions click HERE.

It’s a FREE Make + Take sponsored by Circa 15 Fabric Studio!

I’ll be giving a demo on making it Saturday 10-10:30 am  in the Sew-in Room. I hope to see you t here!

You know what would be SNAZZY? Is if you tagged me @lysaflower on Instagram or #sewinglikeamothertrucker, I dying to see how they turn out!

 I knew this year would be a wild roller coaster ride and it very much feels like one.

Remember back in January when I declared 2015 would be my year of living fearlessly?

In February, I finished module one of The Art of Business and Surface Pattern Design. This is some of work I completed during it.

Module one, like the first loop on a roller coaster, was exciting and thrilling. It stretched me beyond what I imagined I could do.

It gave me clarity, where potentially I could have spent years floundering trying to find. Most importantly, I felt trust in my drawing and in my decisions. It’s where I think the Cassette Tape Mini Quilt came out of.

The second module starts tomorrow! The past few days have felt very much like the lead up to that big roller coaster drop. Click, click, click…

You know it will inevitably plunge and hurl you into three fast loopy loops!

It gives you just enough of time to question, can I do this? Will I be prepared? You brace yourself, you know it’s going to be fun but…

…even though logically you know the slow climb to the top is way more scary than the actual drop…

…waiting on that cusp, where you know you are going to be thrown over, rushing down, your breath is taken away, there is no turning back.

The reality is, as much as you try, you aren’t prepared. You can’t be prepared. You’ve just have to stay present. Stay focused.

You know by the end no matter how scared you were, when it’s done, you’re going to get out safely, jump around with everyone else that was on the roller coaster with you and, yell, “THAT WAS AWESOME!”

So here we go. At least I am not the only one on this roller coaster! We’re ready to…

Wish us…

I’ve registered with The Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design! All three modules!

I’ve spent the last four years drawing and studying fabric. Don’t get me wrong, my Stash Drawing Project is still on going but I have to admit after completing my 2014 Calendar project with Esmari I felt a little like, “Well, what now?” Then, somehow, I stumbled upon a link from Elizabeth Olwen talking about this online class she took. As soon as I saw it, my instant gut reaction was, “I want to do this!” I nonchalantly told my husband about it on the phone, enthusiastically and immediately he said, “You should do that!” I was surprised by his gusto and certainty. Class starts on the 12th of January but I’ve also preregistered for a mini course that starts on the 3rd called “Developing your Signature Style”. It lasts 5 days and it’s FREE!

So there you have it, I have declared 2015 will be my year of living FEARLESSLY!

A years worth of work. All stacked up. I played with the stack as I tried to let it soak in. I feel pretty proud of it. It started out as an idea, then a phone call to Esmari, owner of Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles. A package arrived with loads of goodies, fabric, pins, sewing accessories… January 1st was the first calendar drawing, next came February… you get the picture. They’ve been free to download each month this year. Did you collect them all? I was quite tickled when I found out people actually had. Well, I guess we still have 2 months left to go don’t we.

Recently I finished up my November and December calendars (you get a sneak peek today!). It was important to get them done now since they were put on a skid and shipped to Toronto the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (graciously by Cathy of Steam Trunk Craft Works). Toronto? Yup, Toronto!

The original drawings have been converted into 2015 calendars. They are going to be on display and for sale at Esmari’s Warp & Weft’s booth at Creativ Festival! Drawn with coloured pencils, these wood canvases measure 11 by 14 inches and are 2 inches deep. The paper calendars are held on by magnets. The whole calendar is hung by a ribbon. You’ll also notice there are only 11 calendars here. The calendar that was done for October is already in Toronto. It was sent out last month for the Wildwood Challenge.

There was a time when I had a hard time letting go of my work. I’m glad to say I’m quite fine with doing it now.

I often compare selling work as giving away kittens. You want them to go to a good home, a home where they will be appreciated and loved.

A friend of mine noted that she always has calendar’s she can write on. I thought about this. I realized I have two kinds of calendars in my home. One contains all my appointments, family stuff etc. I keep this one out of the way, where it’s not in plain view. Quite frankly this calendar has a tendency to stress me out. It’s close enough that I can quickly write down information in a rush, especially if I’m on the phone. My other calendar I keep in plain site, it’s the one I love to look at!

I glance at it through-out the day, every time it makes me smile on the inside (awww, sappy, I know!) I love lifting my head and looking at it when I’m working in the kitchen. Like I said sometimes it’s just a glance, but it’s pretty, it isn’t crammed with do this, do that. It’s peaceful and it feels like *sigh*, there is enough time, everything and anything is possible. And I hope one feels the same way about these calendars too.