Coming soon--Last pattern designed for 2023

With the increased interest in barn quilts I was inspired to create this small square poinsettia quilt. This single block quilt pattern will contain 2 foundations. One is a simple 4 patch foundation that will be simple enough for the beginner paper piecer. The other foundation will be a skill builder and will have a Y seam construction. There are a couple of advantages to using a Y seam with this design. 1. Less fabric required. 2. Less piecing. 3. Less seam matching. 4. A neater, more polished looking block. Fortunately, Y seams are easy in foundation paper piecing because the 1/4" stopping and starting points are marked on the foundation itself! With that being said, there are also advantages to using the 4 patch foundation, such as being able to create an interesting layout by simply rotating the block segments. Here is one example:

Any questions or comments can be submitted to me directly at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

What a year!

2023 started out pretty rocky and had it's share of difficulties but it also had quite a few high points. In an effort to be more positive moving forward I will focus on the high points! I had the opportunity to work with a new line of fabric from Timeless Treasures. It was a batik line called Honeycomb and my design appeared in their sales material that their sales reps used to get orders from quilt shops. This is the first time that I have ever done this so it was definitely a learning experience. One of the things I learned is that scans of fabric that haven't been produced yet may not be as accurate as you would hope. The fabric companies try as hard as they can to give designers what they need to design beautiful projects using their fabric but some things are out of their control. My quilt didn't turn out exactly as planned but I am still happy with the result. The first picture is the computer mockup and the second is how my quilt turned out.

I also found some time to update some of my older designs. I started designing over 20 years ago but it has always been more like a hobby until recently. My older designs have never really been marketed so this year I have been trying to get them to be seen more but I have learned a lot over these years and have made some improvements to these older designs and have republished them. My best selling design has always been my angel.The first angel design was published in 2014 and was used as a fundraiser after a tragic accident in which my friend lost her 7 year old daughter. When my friend no longer needed the donations I published the pattern for sale as Christmas Angel. When I switched to a new design program I went back and updated this design and it is now called Angel Blessings. This is my most recent sew out of this design.

Here are 2 pictures of my older designs that I have also updated this year.

I also had the opportunity to do a few designs for Island Batik but I am not allowed to talk about those yet, but if you go to their website and look at their Fall/Winter catalog, I think you can see one of my designs on page 100. My next 2 designs for them will not be published until sometime in 2024 but I will post about them as soon as I am allowed. I am hoping that whomever reads my blog has had a wonderful year full of love and success and hope that next year brings even more high points for all of us!

What I've been up to

Obviously not blogging! I don't know if anyone even reads blogs anymore, but if I have a choice between designing, sewing, and teaching or blogging I'm absolutely not going to choose blogging. But because I occasionally get a notice that someone's been here I thought I should do an update. I'm working on a lot of different projects so I think I'll just do a photo dump to show you as much as I can!

Anonymous commentors email me instead

If you comment anonymously I have no way to get in touch with you, I can only respond to your comments here on the blog and hope that you see them. I would love to answer your questions or requests but it is impossible if you comment anonymously. Email me instead of leaving a comment that doesn't give me any way to reach you. larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

How to purchase my patterns!!!

I get numerous comments on my blog posts from people who want to purchase my patterns. Unfortunately they comment anonymously and I have no way to get in touch with them. If you are interested in buying one of my patterns I can be found on Facebook as Larkspur Lane Designs or on Instagram as larkspurlanedesigns13. You can also email me at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

Timeless Treasures new line of fabric! Honeycomb

My most favorite thing to do is to play around with Electric Quilt and try to come up with unique and beautiful designs. I could do this all day long if I didn't need to earn a living! I recently had the opportunity to design a quilt using a new line of fabric from Timeless Treasures. It is a batik line called Honeycomb. When I started playing in my design program, this fabric didn't exist except as scans that were sent to me by Timeless Treasures. I started working out my design and I knew I wanted it to have a 3 dimensional look.

This is what I sent the fabric company and what was approved for publication. Once the design was accepted, I then requested the fabric I needed to make a sample. I received the beautiful fabric but immediately realized that I wasn't going to get the look that I wanted using it exactly as I had it placed in my mockup. Unfortunately, it was too late to change it in the company's sales materials so I needed to make it using the fabric where I had originally planned. Don't get me wrong, I still love the quilt! It just doesn't have the 3 dimensional quality that my mockup had. Luckily, all it needs to get that 3 dimensional look is to move the fabrics around a little bit. This is a picture of the way the quilt turned out. As you can see, not exactly as planned but still very interesting, at least in my opinion!

When the pattern is published I hope to be able to show both versions and give the maker the option to choose which version they want to make. I'd love to hear your thoughts! If you'd like to reach me directly my email is larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

It's Finally Ready!

 My newest pattern is finally ready for sale! It's a paper pieced design (of course), and it's an updated version of my original pattern that I published back in 2014.

The older version was much smaller and didn't have as much detail as I was limited by the design program I was using at that time. I am so proud to bring this new and improved version to the market.

This pattern has complete instructions and full size foundations that you can use to sew on or make a copy and keep the original so you can make it again and again!

I used a beautiful border print that was dense on one selvage edge and more sparse on the other. There are so many incredible designs of this type of border fabric out there that you will definitely find one you love. You don't have to use this type of border but if you decide you want to my instructions are included.

This pattern sells for $14 + postage as it is only available as a printed copy at this time. For more information or to order please email me at: larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

Wholesale inquiries are welcome!

Weekend Retreat at Seams Like Home

 

My new angel pattern called Angel Blessings is almost ready to go! I'm just waiting on my printer to finish up.

I will be teaching a workshop using my new design at Seams Like Home in Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania on September 23rd, 24th, 25th,

The cost for the weekend will be $350 and will include a 2 night stay at this wonderful B & B situated in the Laurel Highlands in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Also part of the package is dinner on Friday evening, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and brunch on Sunday as well as lots of personalized instruction from me and a kit to make the sunflower version of my design as shown.

There is room for up to 10 students. If you'd like to see photos of Seams Like Home or to reserve your spot check out their website https://seamslikehomeretreat.com/

Angel Blessings pattern almost ready!

 This is my newest design that I am almost ready to publish. She is an updated version of my original angel pattern that I first published in 2014.

She is 5" larger in both directions, I have refined her face and hand shape, added more wing and hair and her hands are now 3 dimensional. I also added a narrow inner border.

This pattern gives you an opportunity to use one of those amazing border prints that we fall in love with in the quilt shops but wonder what to do with them. For me, this minty green floral border print was the starting point for this new pattern. I loved the fabric but knew that the scale was too large to work with the original angel pattern so I made her bigger! This border print was mirrored so I had to be a little picky about how I cut it.

Here is another example using the same type of border print. This one was dense on one selvage edge and less dense on the other. I love the effect.

This border was large scale and directional with words that I wanted to be right side up in the finished quilt. The 2 long, side borders were cut first, perpendicular to the selvage because I needed the full length. The 2 short borders for the top and bottom were cut widthwise and sewn on first. This is my most recent sample so you may be able to see the shadow created by the hands being 3 dimensional.

I am currently working on writing the pattern and hope to have it ready very soon. You can email me at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com for more info or to be added to my email list.

Immeasurable Blessings

 

Back in December I started having computer issues. I noticed it first when I opened the design program that I had been using for about 20 years. I thought maybe I needed to update my program and went to the website. The only thing on the website was a notice that they were going to be shutting down. That was a huge problem for me because I had hundreds of designs that I created in the program that I no longer had access to.

My angel pattern has always been my best seller and I had wanted to update it and make some changes but couldn't do it because I only had a pdf file for it. So I purchased a new computer and the EQ8 quilt design program and redrew my angel with the changes I wanted to make and I couldn't be happier! 

This new angel measures 17" x 20", which is about 5" larger in each direction than the original. I also modified her wings, head, hair and hands. By adding a 1" narrow border and a 5" border like I did, the final size is 23" x 26"

This angel in particular will have a halo made with small watch gears in keeping with the theme of the fabric I used. This pattern is very versatile and can be used to celebrate any occasion, season or holiday. It can also be used as a memory quilt by using clothing from a loved one who has passed.

I will publish this pattern and make it available for sale sometime in August. Feel free to follow me on Facebook at Larkspur Lane Designs and on Instagram at larkspurlanedesigns13.

You can also reach me via email at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

A Silver Lining

 Right before Christmas last year I started having trouble with my design program so I went to the website to see if there was an update available that would fix the problem. Instead of finding the website I found a notice that said the software was going sundown and would no longer be supported. Well that's just great, I thought!

Shortly afterward, my laptop died completely and I had to replace it. Even though I use my computer pretty much everyday I wouldn't consider myself computer savvy so I wasn't freaking out...yet. And that was only because I didn't realize how screwed I was at that point! 

I had been using my design program for over 20 years and had created hundreds of designs but without a copy of the program I can't access them. It's like they are locked away in a safe that I no longer have the combination for.

After the initial shock wore off I purchased a different design program and started playing around with it to learn how to use it. 

My angel pattern has always been my best seller even though I had never planned on publishing it. In 2010, the angel design had been in my files for a couple of years when I found out that one of my friends had been in a very bad car accident. My friend was badly injured and spent 6 months in a rehab hospital healing. But even worse than that, her 7 year old daughter had been killed in the accident. 

My friend also lost the baby she was carrying at the time. Fortunately, her younger daughter survived. My friend and her husband were struggling so I asked my local quilt shop owner if she could help me raise funds for the family. If you've ever had the pleasure to meet Mary Beth who owns Quilters Corner in Finleyville PA, please know that you have met an actual angel.

Not only did she agree to help but she generously made my very small donation into something so much bigger than I could have ever done on my own. I gave her my files for my angel pattern, which she printed out and then created kits that included the pattern and fabric. She sold the kits and every cent went into a fund set up for my friend's family. It made a huge difference for my friend.

After my friend recovered and the family was able to support themselves again on their own I decided to make my angel pattern available for sale and it has done very well for me. I had thought about updating it and making some changes but since the only copy I had when my computer died was a pdf copy I couldn't do much with it.

When I purchased my new design program one of the first things I decided to do was redraw my angel and make the changes I had been thinking about, so pictured above is my new and improved (in my opinion and hopefully others) angel. This pattern is not available yet but my original one is. The new one should be available soon!

Support your local quilt shops whenever possible!

 My angel design has gotten a lot of notice lately and is now in several quilt shops so I thought I'd publish a list of the shops where it's available. Support your local quilt shops!

The Quilted Thimble,12628 Chillicothe Rd., Chesterland Ohio 44026. 440-729-2259

Amy Baughman Sew and Quilt, Creekside Commons,100 Perry Hwy, Suite 120, Harmony Pennsylvania 16037. 724-779-1390

Sew Special, 688 W. Main St., Uniontown Pennsylvania, 15401. 724-438-1765

Pine Tree Quilt Shop, 175 Wade St., Waynesburg Pennsylvania, 15370 724-833-9147

M & E Quilt Shop, 279 E. Market St., Sandusky Ohio, 44870. 419-502-9123

I hope to add more in the future for this pattern and my other ones but if you have any suggestions please let me know!

If these shops are out of stock or too far away from you you can always get a pdf copy of the pattern directly from me by emailing me at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

The Trials and Tribulations of being a "Stepmom" RANT FORTHCOMING

 This has absolutely nothing to do with quilting except that it's keeping me from doing it so keep reading at your own risk.

I am a 58 year old woman who was married for almost 20 years. I have 2 grown children, an almost 24 year old and a 21 year old. They are both living on their own now. My nearly 24 year old daughter, found herself a job in New York City and moved herself there about a year and a half ago and although she struggles sometimes she is pretty self sufficient and I am extremely proud of her.

Her younger brother lives in a rented house not far from where he grew up with his dog and works a full time job and I'm very proud of him as well.

After being on my own for about 5 years, I am now engaged and living with a man and his 2 teenage sons, 14 and almost 18. The boys are here 3 or 4 nights a week and with their mom the other nights.

They are both good kids most of the time although I have gotten the "You're not my mom and I don't have to listen to you" either to my face or implied from each of them at least once. But, I do all the mom things and even more for them so that really makes me angry to hear it.

I don't put the clothes into the washer and dryer but I fold and put away everything that comes out. Also, I am not the main cook in the house, although occasionally I do prepare the whole meal, and when I'm not cooking on my own I always participate in preparing it with my fiance or his younger son. 

Rather than asking for help and being ignored or argued with, I will often empty and fill the dishwasher sometimes twice a day when the boys are here. The younger son is much more helpful around the house and is extremely responsible. Don't get me wrong, he has his moments, as I'm sure I do. But if I ask him to help with dinner or bring wood in for the fireplace he usually does it without much fuss.

The older son usually arrives here after school and heads straight to his room. I won't see him again until dinner is ready. When he is called for dinner, sometimes he will join us. When he doesn't sit down to eat with us, he will eat his dinner later and will often leave his dirty dishes in his room for weeks at a time.

I have cooked for him, taken care of his laundry, brought firewood into the house and stoked the fire to keep it warm, driven him places, picked him up from places, taught him how to drive using my car. When his dad calls his name the first word out of his mouth is most often "NO" without even knowing why he's being called.

I have had enough. I refuse to be at his beck and call and told him in no uncertain terms that unless he starts to contribute to the upkeep of the household in some way I will no longer do anything extra for him. He asked me twice the night before last if I would give him a ride somewhere and both times I told him no and explained why. His response was to tell me he didn't care and headed back to his room.

Today his younger brother asked me for a ride into the village. I said I was working on dinner but if he did some vaccuuming for me I would be happy to give him a ride. He did the vaccuuming, then went to his brother's room and told him I was giving him a ride into town. The younger then came downstairs and told me that the older was coming, too. My response was, "No he isn't." The younger asked why not and I told him that I had set my boundaries and if the older can't be bothered to make changes I won't be doing any favors for him. It would have been easier for me to drop both of them off and have some time to myself but then I'm not teaching anyone anything except that I don't keep my word.

If you've gotten all the way through this and you have any advice I am all ears!

Locked out but I'm back in now!!!

 Wow, I have been locked out of this blog for over 5 years! I finally figured out how to get back in.

I want to give you an updated picture of my angel pattern that has received over 5000 likes and hundreds of comments and shares on Facebook over the last 4 days.

There is a pattern for my design available from me. I charge $10 for the pattern and I am able to email it directly to you after I receive payment via Paypal. I can also accept a payment through Facebook and I am setting up a Venmo account.

This is a copyrighted design and is one of the ways that I am able to earn my living so I really appreciate that you respect my copyright!

You can reach me at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com to purchase the pattern or ask any questions you might have.

I also wholesale this design to quilt shops so all you have to do is ask!

Christmas Angel on Craftsy!!!

My Christmas Angel pattern is now available for immediate download on Craftsy! The pattern is $10 and is ready for you to turn into wonderful gifts or holiday decorations. Follow this link to purchase the pattern: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/christmas-angel-too/34062?rceId=1443697389730~5su6wwx6

Lexa's Angel on Craftsy

This is my design called Lexa's Angel. The pattern is available on Craftsy. It is an elegant, quick and simple project you still have time to make for Christmas! The pattern sells for $10 and you can download it immediately and get started.  http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/lexas-angel/33816

Angel Pattern available

I haven't posted in a long time for a number of reasons, but with Christmas coming up my Christmas Angel pattern has been receiving a lot of attention so I wanted to post some information about it. The pattern is available directly from me via email or regular mail. It costs $10 and I can take payment by check or Paypal. The version with the blue border is called Lexa's Angel and is available on Craftsy.com. http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/lexas-angel/33816 It is a little smaller than the Christmas Angel pattern.

By changing your fabric choices you can modify the pattern to work for any season or almost any occasion. I have done a spring version as well as a version with orange as an accent color, which I'm told is the color for leukemia.

Feel free to leave a comment or contact me via email at: larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

I Need Help!

I know its been awhile since I posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working!

This is a picture of my latest design. I still have 3 more blocks to make and decide on borders. I am so happy with the results, so far, but I'm having trouble naming it.

Any suggestions?

Right Place, Right Time

I had the most amazing experience yesterday that I just have to share!

I've been helping a friend at an ice cream place and happened to be working alone yesterday when a family came to the window. There was a young woman who looked to be about 18 or 19, her younger brother, and her mom and dad. I remember thinking that this young girl could be my own daughter, but not because she looked like me or even like my own daughter. I'm not sure why I felt that way but the feeling was so strong I actually had to stop myself from saying it out loud to her.

After waiting on the girl, her brother and her mom, the three of them headed back to the car. Now, after turning my attention to the dad, I realized he looked familiar to me. When I told him I thought I knew him, he told me his name, and sure enough, I did know him. About 20 years ago, I was dating a guy that worked with the man standing in front of me. I had met him and his wife and became friends with them through my then boyfriend. After getting to know them, I found out they had been trying to have a child and had gone through a couple rounds of fertility treatments that were very expensive but unsuccessful.

It was at this time one of my best friends discovered she was pregnant. She knew she didn't have the ability or desire to care for another child on her own, so she decided adoption was the best solution. I got my friend in touch with this couple and after they worked out the details, they adopted my friend's baby. That "baby" was the young woman I had felt so drawn to yesterday!

A few minutes after I had finished talking with the dad and he rejoined his family in the car, the mom and young girl came back to the window. The mom told me she wanted to introduce her daughter to the woman that was the reason she came to be part of their family. I was honored to know that's how she felt about me, but realize my role was very small and it truly was a case of being in the right place at the right time.

When I told my Monday quilting group about my experience, they told me it was a Christmas miracle. I don't know about that but I felt it was something I needed to write down and share, so here it is!

New Pattern from Larkspur Lane Designs!

DEAR SANTA, I'VE BEEN NAUTICAL

My newest design is called DEAR SANTA, I'VE BEEN NAUTICAL, and the pattern is finally ready! The signal flags spell out Merry Christmas and the included embellishments add to the Christmas theme. This design is perfect for anyone that lives near the water or wishes they did! The design is mainly paper pieced but there is a little bit of applique as well. The pattern is only available from me right now and I can be reached via email or by commenting on this post. My email is larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com