A Little Obsession

Funny thing, I have had three drafts in my blogger file for the last month and I just didn't have the time to post with pictures. So sad! I've been busy with work, and everyday stuff. Now, I am playing catch up.

I've had several magazine projects published in the last little while. American Patchwork and Gardens had my "be Merry" quilt on their cover and now my pincushions are in their current issue. They are quick and you can still make them for gift-giving. Unbelievable, I know.

Quilt It & More had an interview of me plus some holiday cards. They were so much fun to make. Really quick and cute.

Quilter's Home issue has me in their horoscope column in the current issue and their previous issue there was an article where I shared all of my sewing room necessities, wish list and fantasy list. It is such a fun publication and Mark is a hoot. Go and get yourself a copy because it is a refreshing read.

I wish you all Happy Holidays!!!!

Whirlwind

Paisley Parade

I came back from Houston two weeks ago. It was a whirlwind trip because I have some other deadlines but I had to go. Does anyone know how to successfully balance your life and not feel any stress? I'd sure like to know.

Houston was inspiring and upbeat this time. Brighter colors, and a more contemporary flair filled the air. My line "Paisley Parade" made its debut. I work with Henry Glass in NYC and they filled their booth with lots of samples made from my fabric. They even have a free pattern on their web site. Go and check it out. http://www.henryglassfabrics.com

It was so cool seeing the Henry Glass booth sign made from "Paisley Parade". People were a little crazy during Sample Spree. Luckily, I was able to get in before the 8 p.m. opening. Once they opened the doors, those of us inside just stopped and looked at all of the people running inside. Mayhem. We were like deer standing in the middle in the dark in the road waiting, watching a truck barreling down towards us.

I visited old friends. Amy Butler's [www.amybutlerdesign.com] booth was beautiful. I promised her some felted balls made from roving and delivered them. I promised them a while ago [way back at the Creative Circle of Excellence] but I had a legitimate excuse, . I had an allergic reaction over the summer. My hands peeled from touching unwashed fabric. Yeah, freaky, I know.

Mark Lipinski is such a hoot. He's the editor of a fabulous new magazine, Quilter's Home. I love his candid writing and it's so much fun to read. Refreshing! I'm in the October issue in the article on sewing room essentials. Check it out.

Cynthia Tomaczewski, is a super nice lady from Abu Dhabi, UAE. She travels a looooong way to come to these shows. We met at the Creative Circle of Excellence and she also designs for Henry Glass. Super nice lady.

The people from American Patchwork & Quilting treated us to a little party on Friday night. It was nice seeing everyone again. Catching up with someone is always a treat.

I met new friends. Letitia Hutchins of Mount Redoubt Designs and her husband Shaun were sharing our table at Benihana. They're terrific and let me tell you, there isn't a prouder Dad than Shaun of his two girls!

Lots of weird coincidences happened and they turned out to be great serendipitous encounters! As I am boarding, I hear someone saying, "Isn't that Linda?" I look around and I see the ladies from Henry Glass! We had not been in touch prior to the show because I had a zillion deadlines so they didn't know that I was going. What was even more strange, was the fact that I ended up with the seat right beside one of them! I was going to switch seats because I had a middle seat but I was too tired. So what'd we do the entire flight? We chatted, gossipped and I taught Karen how to knit!

Another strange encounter happened as I was leaviing the Hyatt on Sunday morning. I wasn't going back to the show that morning but for whatever reason I did. Then as I get into the shuttle bus, I hear, "Hey, I know you, Linda Lum DeBono." I look up and there was Cheryl Johnson from Leisure Arts. I was supposed to meet her boss but the meeting was canceled because she had strep. We talked the entire way and believe me, it was DESTINY. I have these ideas that I want to publish and I am looking for the right publisher and I think that Cheryl gets it! Gotta love a gal when she's on the same page as you. Hopefully we will get together on these ideas somehow. Their new booth looked fresh.

I just finished a book for Martingale two weeks ago. It was great fun and I am very excited to see it through. I can't wait for everyone to see the designs. Fun and exciting is all that I can say for now. Plus, I have had a seriously bad cold and cough for the past ten days.

My fabric line, Paisley Parade should be available this month. Henry Glass did a fabulous job of selling it in Houston. I should be working on some more soon.

Whew! I think that's it for now. I have some serious making up to do with the family. No food and attention and they get cranky. Yes, that mountain of laundry needs some tlc too.

Run, don't walk

Run, don't walk to the bookstore and buy the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens' American Patchwork and Quilting. Last week, Karen, the gal that I work with at Henry Glass e-mailed me about my being on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting. I wasn't paying attention so I didn't bother asking her. Then, I when I walked into Kindred Quilts on Saturday, the girls there congratulated me on being a cover girl. HUH? I didn't realize that "be Merry" made it to the cover! I was so excited. Check it out. Not only is that quilt on the cover, they also wrote about the Creative Circle of Excellence that I attended in May. I made the pink block at the top left page of the article [the bright block with flower and green stem]. Mary Lou Weideman, Linda Milligan [Possibilities] and I made the Queen on the next page.

It has been a great week. My finished fabric arrived! It is always a thrill to see the finished product. The line is called "Paisley Parade" and I love the fabric. The images always look so dull on paper. They should be available in the next month or two. I see that it is available at http://www.fatquartershop.com. Pennington Quilt Works [http://www.penningtonquilts.com]in Pennington, NJ ordered the entire line. If you are in the area go and check the line out when it arrives.

Color Makes The World Go Round

I have done a lot of "work" related projects lately and haven't been able to post much about that work. I have spent a bit of time working on a couple of things for myself recently. There was an adorable blanket hanging at The Knit Cafe when I was in Toronto and I just wanted to make one too. For some time now I have been slightly obsessed with scrumbling and piecing bits of things together [perhaps that is why I like applique]. I can crochet to some limited degree but knitting is much faster for me. The beauty of this little blanket is that it is knit while still maintaining that sort of pieced together look. Here is version one in Cascade cotton.

Then trouble started when I wandered into a new shop [well, new to me], The Knitting Lab in Bernardsville, and I fell in love with Lumpy Bumpy Yarn by Charlene by Farmhouse Yarns. If I was obsessed before, then I probably need help now. The piece came out so funky! My neighbor, Jennifer, thought that it would look nice as a scarf. I think that I am set for winter. [Update: I think that I will use these circles to make a purse. Can't make up my mind!]

I've even added to my stash [shh, don't tell my anyone!]. I ordered some of SweetGeorgia's roving and yarn. Yummy, yummy, yummy. Even though I don't wear pink much, I still love these colors.

I went to two Quilt Pink Events in my local area this weekend. What fun and the ladies did a fab job of it all. Here's Toby, owner of Kindred Quilts [http://www.kindredquilts.com] in Clinton, in front of one of the quilts that we worked on.

Later on, I dropped by Pennington Quiltworks [http://www.penningtonquilts.com] to check out the Quilt Pink activities there. Another beautiful quilt. That's Jan Crane, the owner of Pennington Quiltworks, on the left.

I hope that everyone had a great time and supported your local quilt shop event!

Everyone's Back to School

I can't believe that we're into September already!

I have had an incredible summer. The only thing that would make it better is high-speed internet access. The big trip of the summer - Waikiki. So beautiful and luscious. Fabulous. It would be great to come here for a month or so every time I have a book to write. The only thing that was difficult was the length of the flight.

I loved the contrast between the green and the drabness of the wood in the photo above. It was worth renting a car and driving around the island. The beaches are gorgeous there and the flowers and postcard perfect pictures are inspiring.

The surfboards were so cool looking on the beach. The sky and water were two different shades of blue.

I just love the colors on the island and the scenary is beautiful. I took these photos of the flowers just walking down the street!

Equally fabulous was the time that I spent at home in Canada. Always fun. I love to go to The Knit Cafe in Toronto and hang out. You get to meet the most interesting people in this funky little shop. I sat there for an afternoon chatting with Iwona and some of her customers. She's the manager of the shop and has a really funky soul. Her designs are always outside the box but in an edgey sort of way. I am making a scarf and a blanket that she designed. I also bought some Fleece Artist. Cool fibers.

I went to visit my grandmother in Pembroke [near Ottawa]. I love going up there to relax and to see her. The drive up there is always relaxing and beautiful. It makes her really happy to have visitors.

I just finished my first knitting book with Leisure Arts. I think that it will be available next March. It was fun but challenging because I could only use certain yarns. The projects include purses, belts and scarves. My Christmas Decor book should be out about then. I will let you know when exactly because publishing dates change all of the time. I had a really fun time designing the holiday projects and I am sure that you'll love to make them for yourselves or for gifts.

Now on to the next book. Well, books. My next big projects include two books for Martingale/That Patchwork Place. The first one is a really fun quilting book and the second is a scrapbooking book. No, I don't sleep!

Again, the Houston Quilt Market is creeping up on those of us in the industry. It will be at the end of October but I know that the show will be upon us quickly. So much to do and so little time!

So Busy

Remember me? I have been a busy little bee. Buzz. Buzz.

Last Friday I went to the Knit and Crochet Show in King of Prussia, PA. For some reason that I cannot explain, I do not like to go to those shows during the weekends. I'm not a big fan of crowded places. They make me antsy. I am not scared of large herds of people, I just don't enjoy anything when there are too many people clamoring to see whatever it is there to see.

I had made up a list of the booths that I wanted to see and I was not disappointed! I love the fibers that Grafton Fibers [www.graftonfibers.com] has to offer and to see it in person was inspirational! For an added bonus, I got to meet Prudence Mapstone, the fabulous freeform artist. She is so adorable in person. Linda Diak [L] was so much fun to chat with too. I don't know how she does it with three little ones. I bought a beautiful crochet needle that her husband makes and some fiber for needle felting. The fiber is oh so soft like cotton candy and the colors are luscious. I am in love. Can you see that creature behind Linda? It is a felted mermaid. So gorgeous. I asked her if she flew with it and she told me that she drove there with it. It would be quite a site to drive along and see a mermaid in the passenger seat in the next car, wouldn't it?

Then I met Anne Boyer of Fanatica Fibers. She sells really adorable needle felt ornament kits. I made a dove last Christmas and was so addicted that I wanted to make a whole flock [?] of them for my tree. Alas, I didn't have time to make many more. Maybe I will make one a year.

This week I was interviewed by Better Homes and Gardens' Quilts & More magazine. It was an interesting process. I am not one to talk about myself a lot but with this interview and the lecture that I gave at Kindred Quilts a while back, it has been fun to examine my path to designing in the quilting world. Look for the interview in Quilts & More. I think that issue hits newstands on November 16, 2006.

APQ Creative Circle of Excellence - Part deux

Yes, I a terribly sorry it has taken me forever to finish this post. I do have a great excuse though [at least I think so!]. I am very proud to announce the launch of my new web site www.lindalumdebono.com I designed it and put it up myself for the most part. Hubby provided some technical assistance! More news ... I am excited to launch "Cool Girls Quilt" and "Cool Girls Knit". Stay tuned for new info in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, I need to wrap up a knitting book for Leisure Arts. Enjoy the rest of the APQ Creative Circle of Excellence post.

Here are some more pics from the great time that we had in Iowa with Better Homes and Gardens' American Patchwork and Quilting.

Jo Morton is standing beside the "buffet table". What a treat. Many companies generously donated their products for us to play with. Heavenly.


One of the women I enjoyed talking to at the conference was Nancy Smith of The Great American Quilt Factory. Both she and her business partner, Lynda Milligan, were there. They are both an inspiration to me. I met them in Atlantic City when I did my first wholesale show so I only knew them as "shop owners" who bought my product. To spend time with them in Iowa was a treat. Both are funny and smart and I was inspired by their stories about how they started their business when their kids were still young.

Robyn Pandolph [below, left]and Lila Scott [below, right, technical woman extraordinaire for American Patchwork & Quilting] are two super ladies. It was fun getting to know them.

APQ Creative Circle of Excellence

I was invited to the APQ Creative Circle of Excellence 2006. What an amazing time. Better Homes & Gardens' American Patchwork & Quilting magazine hosted this awesome event to inspire 24 designers to cultivate their creative spirit. Heidi Kaisand, Quilt Group Editor, Jennifer Keltner, Senior Editor and Elizabeth Tsinger, Editor and the rest of their staff did a fantastic job of hosting the event. Thank you.

Here's a list of all of the amazing women who were invited and who inspired:
Barb Adams, Alma Allen, Laura Boehnke, Amy Bradley, Janet Brandt, Amy Butler, Kaye England, M'Liss Rae Hawley, Lynette Jensen, Roseann Kermes, Gayle Kessler, Jill Mead, Lynda Milligan, Jo Morton, Carrie Nelson, Robyn Pandolph, Renee Plains, Jackie Robinson, Lila Scott, Nancy Smith, Mary Sorenson, Cynthia Tomaszewski, and Mary Lou Wiedman.

We were treated to manicures and massages but most important of all, we were challenged with creativity exercises which challenged our individual and group skills. The entire event brought us together as a group and brought out our individual strengths as well.

Here I am with Lynette Jensen of Thimbleberries in the workroom where we each had our own stations to work on our projects. She's super nice and really down to earth. I was lucky enough to get a chance to chat with her because her table was right behind mine. She's got a wealth of experience in the industr and I was grateful that she was willing to share.



Here I am with Roseann Kermes. Great gal and we hit it off right away. She owns an adorable shop called Rosebud's Cottage [www.rbcottage.com] in North St. Paul, MN




The ladies from Blackbird Designs, Alma Allen and Barb Adams, were such fun. I admire how well they work together. I always wonder how two people can form a company together and still stand each other. Maybe it's just me! It is evident that Alma and Barb get along so well and that's what makes them successful.



Amy Butler is one talented gal. I love her fabric [who doesn't?] and her sense of style. It was nice chatting with her.



I've got more pics and I'm going to stop here for a breather because I am starting to look like a celebrity stalker! "Here I am with..." I promise those who are looking for more pics from the Creative Circle of Excellence that they'll be posted soon!

Catching Up

Whew! It has been a busy week or so.

I flew to Minneapolis for Quilt Market. It is always a great time but lots of work. I used to have my own booth but I stopped when I had kids. I primarily go to make contacts, promote my stuff and talk about future projects with my publishers and fabric company. I am happy to say that I have lots of new things lined up for the future. Yes, we work years ahead. When I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, we would book appointments 3 years in advance! So, I guess you can say that I am used to it.

I saw a lot of old friends. Here's Dougal of the Freckles Collection from Alberta, Canada. We had a booth opposite of each other one year. Super nice lady with lots of cute stitchery designs.



Here's Martingale/That Patchwork Place's [my publisher] booth. Happy 30th birthday!



I met lots of new friends. Here's a great lady, Susan Breier , with her hubby, Jeff . She's got a terrific book coming later this year with Martingale. I got a sneak peak of it and she's got some nifty designs.




Lizzie Kate is my sister's fave cross stitch designer. I can see why. She's super nice and talented. She was at Market with some really adorable punch needle designs. Check them out at her web site www.lizziekate.com




New friends are to be made too. Here's a great couple from Patchwork Schoolhouse from Alberta Canada. Of course, I am partial to Canadians!



It is always exciting to see the latest and greatest products all in one place. There was the usual quilt pattern companies and fabric companies, a lot of wool suppliers [addictive!] and punch needle designs. This year though, I was only able to run throught the show because I was invited to the Better Homes & Gardens' Creative Circle of Excellence and had to stay longer for that instead. More about that in the next post.

Old Favourites

I am re-releasing my favourite block of the month designs. Each design will come in one complete package! The first one is ready for sale.

"Believe" was my first block of the month design. It is very whimsical and fun. The pieces are very easy to applique. I had Teresa Fusco, a professional quilter, quilt it for me. She did an amazing job and it was all done on her Pfaff machine!

Trunk Show

I gave a trunk show lecture this week at Kindred Quilts in Clinton. It was great fun. I talked about my quilts, my books and my fabric design. I even showed them my very first quilt! It was a great night and getting ready for the talk made me sit and think about how far I have come along in enjoying this craft.

Most of us in the quilt industry are gearing up for Quilt Market next week. It will be held in Minneapolis. I am soooo looking forward to the trip. I am invited to a Better Homes & Gardens Circle of Excellence Retreat right after the show. That should be great fun. I am in need of a creative jolt. My mind is in a bit of a jumble right now. When there's so much going on, my mind races a million miles a minute because my creative process involves visualizing everything out in my mind first.

Just Released!

I am so excited! My new book, "Row by Row Seasonal Quilts" has been released by Leisure Art [ www.leisurearts.com]. The cover is so bright and fun! The folks at Leisure Arts did a fab job. Thanks!

I self-published some of the designs when I first started my business and a couple of others are totally new. I hope you love the quilts.

I am taking a small break today. I say "small" because the big crunch is coming in the next couple of weeks as I gear up for the wholesale Quilt Market in Minneapolis later this month.

Minneapolis will be one of my "vacations" this year. I was invited to take part in the Better Homes and Gardens' American Patchwork & Quilting Circle of Excellence Retreat right after Quilt Market. FIVE days filled with creativity! Whoo! Hoo!

I will be giving a lecture at Kindred Quilts [www.kindredquilts.com] on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. Come and join me for a book signing and chat. It will be a fun night.

New beginnings

Here I am. I have thought about doing this for a long time [mainly because it is easier than updating my web site for my design biz] and what a better time than when there's whirlwind of activity in my life? There's stuff happening all of the time but this stuff's more interesting than most.

My design life has come around in huge ways in the past 6 months. I started "linda lum debono - contemporary quilt dzynes" almost 8 years ago. I slowed down for a little while but I am getting back up to speed.

I shipped off four placemats for the upcoming "Quilt It For Christmas" issue by Primedia. The week before I shipped all of my designs for my new Christmas decor book for Leisure Arts. In between, I have been designing fabric again. Now you will be able to find my fabrics in quilt shops and in chain stores [JoAnn's and Hancock]. Of course, all of the designs will be exclusive to each particular store.

Our local quilt shops [New Jersey] are having their annual shop hop this weekend. If you are in the area you should check it out! My local shop in Clinton, Kindred Quilts, is a little gem. She's got a couple of my quilts and my latest book, "Color Crazy Quilts" in her shop. I will be giving a lecture there on May 9th. More to come on that.

So, welcome to my journey. I hope that you find inspiration, creativity and passion in making things within this digital framework.