Hey! The pattern sale is OVER!!

Just wanted to make sure everyone got the memo! I realize that I should have made an announcement on here, instead of just on my Facebook page...so here it is!

THE $2 PATTERN SALE IS NOW OVER! and it was really successful! Thanks to all of you who ordered!

PATTERNS GONE WILD!

Hello everyone!

I have recently been doing a little re-org with Chelsea of Pink Fig Patterns, who has been selling my patterns for me.
For quite a while we had this little deal going, but recently Chelsea has been doing a makeover in several areas of her life, which we all do now and again, or should! One of the things she decided to "let go" of is the selling of my patterns on her website. I am totally supportive of this change she is making, and am frankly surprised that she didn't do it before now!

I will be coming up with a new website for selling my patterns both retail and wholesale. Until that time, if you want to order patterns from me, please email me at: lilatuellerdesigns@gmail.com

We will work out everything that way until I have a new site up and running. Sorry for the confusion or inconvenience this may have already caused you!

In the meantime, I am doing a little

 Pattern Clearance Sale!

All of the patterns listed below are being sold for $2 each retail!! (plus shipping)
This sale is effective for the next 2 weeks or while supplies last!
Wholesale customers: please email me: lilatuellerdesigns@gmail.com
You can view these patterns on the right sidebar...just scroll down a bit!
 
The Funked Out Peasant Blouse
The Bohemian Bag 
The Snazzy Bag 
The Posie Bag 
The Sophisticate Skirt
The Athena/Calista Skirts
The Stella Skirt
The London Top/Dress tween sizes
The Abigail Dress/Top tween sizes
Day at the Park Jacket, Pants, Skirt and Cap (child)
The Lollipop-Lola Sundress, Hat and Shorts
The Halle Rose Baby Blanket
The Soire'e Quilt
The Orchard Basket Quilt
The Woodland Bloom Quilt
Pillow Pop Pillow Covers
The Natalie Bedding Set 

If you want to order please email me at lilatuellerdesigns@gmail.com!

New Fabric Collection on the Horizon!!

Hey you guys!
It's me again...I know I know, I am the worst blogger in the whole world! It's been a whirlwind since Christmas day when we had a little fire in our house which caused me all sorts of drama ever since! Everything in the house was damaged by the smoke it seems, and we have been busy cleaning and painting and laying carpet...etc. So that's my excuse for now.

But guess what!?
I am really excited because I just saw the final prints for my newest collection to be debuting at the May Quilt Market in Portland! 

The collection is called..."Priscilla"
It is full of soft color that will be perfect for spring and summer sewing...for quilts, clothing, accessories, bedding, you name it! There will be a few laminates as well...which make for some great bags and such! 

Major Tip of the Day: I also recommend recovering your kitchen chair cushions in laminated cotton, because then you can wipe off the spills instead of freaking out!! I just got a new kitchen table and chairs (a-la the fire) and as soon as I get a second I am going to recover the cushions in laminate even though we haven't even gotten them dirty yet! Not even gonna wait for that.

So here is a little sneak peek for you!
 
And the link to view the whole collection:
http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/shop/category/riley-blake-designs/coming-soon/priscilla/priscilla-cottons/

It's a little softer than I have done in a while! I hope it will be fun to work with...maybe a baby girl's nursery, or a big girl's bedroom! Maybe just some fun dresses or skirts. I hope you will enjoy it, and ask for it from your local quilt shop!

Giveaways are coming soon...check back!

Two Free Downloadable PDF patterns!!

Hello all...

Amidst all the pre-Christmas hub-bub and such... it seems that I completely forgot to mention that I have put up two new downloadable PDF patterns that are temporarily free of charge here on my blog!

They are:
The Every Day Wrap Skirt ( designed to fit pretty much everyone)


 

 And the Luggage Tags pattern:


  

 These are a couple of fast and easy projects that would work really well as last minute gifts for friends or family!
If you want to download either of these or both, please go to the right sidebar, right near the top. They are easy to find!

One note:
You will want to use 8.5" X 11" card stock to print off the templates portion of the Luggage Tags. It will make your life a lot easier if you do.
So I recommend that you load your printer as follows: 2 pages of white card stock on the top, with at least 5 pages of plain paper underneath. The pattern will print in reverse order, so that your templates are printed on the card stock first, then the directions on the plain paper, ending with the title page.

Merry Christmas! and Happy Sewing for the New Year!

OH MY GOSH!...Where have I been??

HELLOOOO...I know it's been forever! I don't know why really, just busy with life in general. Of course there was that little thing called International Quilt Market that happened in the thick of things!


I had a really great time in Houston, getting a chance to reunite with lots of friends, and meeting some new ones too! It's always a good chance for me to get some fresh inspiration and motivation as well. The creative juices flow freely after market, every time I go.

It's time to do a little booth expo for all of you who were not there to see it in person.

This below, is a shot of my booth. The fabric collection we are focusing on here is called Mystique. It is essentially a collection of blacks, whites and greys that can be mixed and matched with solids or just each other to create a whole bunch of interesting looks.

 






This is a closeup shot of some items we made featuring Mystique. You can see the Cambridge Cargo Bag, made up in the Grey floral and dot. There is also a framed watercolor I did, matted out in the black floral.

Here you can see a little closeup shot of the dessert table. If you had come to my booth, you would have gotten a sample of my homemade chocolate walnut fudge, and my homemade licorice caramels! We also had little black boxes filled with yummy creamy mint sandwiches! 
You can also get a little glimpse of some of the new fancy clutches, which is a great new pattern on its way from my partner Michelle at Golightly Sewing Studio. Notice also the shots of the dress!

See that photo album?? I wish each and every one of you had taken a look at this album. It was shot and put together by my really close friend Lisa Coplen. Words cannot express the time, talent and love that went into what she did for me in creating the theme for this booth. The photos were EXQUISITE!! If you ever need a wedding photographer who will blow your mind, it's this girl. That's all I can say!!


This is the sweet little dress made from my Mystique fabric in grey by Chelsea at Pink Fig Design. She made this pattern for a magazine. I'll have to find out more about that so you can get your hands on it if you are interested!
There are also a couple of cool quilts shown here from Mystique. Many of the quilts shown in the booth are available through Riley Blake.

 The display you see below is showcasing the new Sundance Coats pattern, the Savannah Breeze Dress and Top pattern, and the Charlotte Sunshine Tween pattern which are new and available now! email:golightlystudio@gmail.com to order

Another view of the  Sweet Clutches  pattern:

 This, above is the famous DRESS. It was ogled over many times, with many, many onlookers demanding a pattern for it so they could make it too. OH BOY!! That's gonna be a job.

 
Oh...and did I mention that my booth won an award?? Second place in my category. That's pretty good out of 2300 booths!


This below is me during my schoolhouse. I am wearing the Every day Wrap Skirt pattern which I handed out to all the attendees. You can find this pattern on my blog very soon!

 And this is Michelle Golightly, below, at the same schoolhouse event talking about her new patterns.
 



I did a little make and take mini class teaching how to make luggage tags! 
This pattern will also be available on my blog very soon!







 Just a little bit of fun...This is David Butler and Ty Pennington here with Chelsea and I. (!!) :0



This below is my daughter Natalie and her friend Nick English who came along for the quilt market ride. I think they had a lot of fun goofing off in Houston, actually. Quilt Market wasn't exactly their scene:)

And last but not least, late night eats at Cheesecake Factory in Houston. Absolutely the BEST!!
Left to right: Michelle Golightly, Chelsea Andersen, Myself, Dana English
 

All in all, I had a really great time at market! Hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!

XO,

This is an old video of one of my favorite musicians of all time. 
I especially love this tune, and the words to this song. I just wanted to share with all of you:)
I think I would like to sing this to my grandchildren by their bedsides. 

Winners!!!

Oh My Gosh...this was torture!! You are all so sweet, and seriously I hated having to pick winners.
But I did, and here they are:

Debbie Spence!!
Brittany Pote!!
Please email me: lilatuellerdesigns at gmail dot com so I can get your mailing addresses!

Thanks to all of you who commented! I enjoyed reading them all, and you are all deserving!! I will give away more stuff soon, so try again!

Hugs to all,
Lila

Giveaway is Now Closed!

Thanks to all of you who commented on the giveaway either here or on my Facebook pages! The response was wonderful!!

I have decided to give away TWO fat quarter bundles because of the many wonderful comments to this post! You are all deserving, and I wish I had a gift for every one of you!

This is always the hardest part, and I would like to ask that if you are chosen, and you have already won a giveaway from me in the last year, please allow someone else to win this time.

I will be posting the winners shortly!

Thanks again to all of you! You are wonderful friends:)

GIVEAWAY!

Hello all!

I am giving away this fat quarter bundle by this time tomorrow! (Wed. August 22)

Please leave me a comment here, or on my facebook page about why you believe you should win!

There will only be one winner...but it's a short contest, so your chances are good!

Hugs to all,

 

PS: You could make this or something like it:)

The Future Looks Bright

Looking ahead...
Fall market in Houston is looming ever closer. In late October I will be heading to Houston with my little team of helpers, to set up my exhibit for my new fall collection which will be shipping in November. I know that seems far away, but you know how time flies. 

 The theme for my display is...WEDDING!


These colorful little desserts are just a sampling of the delectable eye candy that I will have on my dessert table, so be sure to drop by if you are there to check them out! There promises to be many yummy surprises.

The collection I have to show will be a little different from what I've done in the past. In fact, it may be hard to recognize as mine...simply because of the palette. It's not classic "Lila Tueller" colorful. In fact...there's no color at all!
Here's a little sneak peek at the fabrics you will see on display at my booth if you go:



Now you understand.
This collection is called MYSTIQUE. And as you can see...it has a sophistication and drama that I have not done before.
Also...if you are coming to market, please be sure to arrange time in your schedule to come to my Schoolhouse class! There will be good reasons to come...I think you will be glad you did!

So that's all for now...I hope you will stay tuned for some great giveaways coming soon! I have Bohemian Festival fabrics to give away :)

Beach Bag Tutorial!

Hello friends!

I have decided to ignore the fact that it's getting a little late in the summer, and I am going to do a tutorial on how to make a VERY SIMPLE laminated cotton beach bag, in two sizes!

I know that some of you like a really BIG beach tote, and some of you would rather carry something a little smaller. Therefore I have suggested two sizes for the bag I am going to make. But you can make it any size you want!

Finished sizes:

Small: 20" wide at the top, 14" tall, with a 6" bottom depth 
Holds two big beach towels easily, among other items.


 

Large: 26" wide at the top, 16" tall, with a 6" bottom depth  
Holds 4 big beach towels easily, among other items.
Front pocket is optional.
 

     

Keep in mind that you can make your own laminated straps, or you can opt for webbing straps that you can buy at your local fabric store by the yard. Obviously the webbing option is faster and easier. But then you only have a few color options, so it's a bit of a toss-up. I will include instructions for both.

You may notice that the strap method here is a little unconventional. This is because turning a laminate strap will likely drive one nuts. I created this method to save you unladylike fits of rage as well as unnecessary hair loss. 

I am using some of my "Bohemian Festival" laminates for these bags. 
 

I LOVE laminated bags for so many reasons, but of course you can also use regular quilting cotton or maybe some home decor weight or twill or denim for a more substantial bag. 

Speaking of substance, I am including fusible fleece (bolt end photo below) in the instructions because I like how substantial it makes the laminated cotton bag, but it is optional. You should determine for yourself how flexible/flimsy or substantial/sturdy you like your bags to be. If you are using regular quilting cotton, I suggest using the fusible fleece. Either way, you will still need fusible fleece for the laminated strap option.
Note: for the large bag I fused fleece to both the outer and the lining layers of fabric.

Another note about substance...I like to put something substantial in the base of my bag to keep it from being too saggy in the bottom. (Heaven forbid our bottoms are saggy;) There are different things you could use for this, and one that I rather like is plastic canvas, (photo below, as it looks in my local store on the rack) which is typically used for needlepoint. 

It is a heavyweight but flexible plastic mesh that is inexpensive and can be cut to almost any size. You can find it at most chain fabric/craft stores. There are different sizes and weights...choose the one you like best. 
It is placed in the bottom of the bag between the exterior and the lining layers, and can be stitched or hot glued into place. Of course you can use whatever you want, or use nothing at all. But be aware that without it your bottom will be...well you know:)



 If you have scraps of this, you can piece them together with your machine really easily to get the length you want.



A word about needles: These are the needles that I use with laminates. They sew more smoothly through the coating than normal needles do.




 And you might want to use these tools to make this project much easier.



  
If you are using laminated cotton for the first time, check out these TIPS. 

OK. Now let's get started!

 Materials:

(extra yardage needed for directional prints)

Small Bag: (20" X 14" X 6")

2/3 yd. 44" laminated fabric for outer bag

2/3 yd. 44" laminated fabric for lining  
2/3 yd. fusible fleece (optional for bag body)

1/3 yard more laminated fabric for laminate strap option 
1/3 yard more fusible fleece for laminate strap option

OR 54" of webbing for straps (optional)

1 sheet plastic canvas (or a piece approx. 6" X 14")

quality thread

sharp machine needle size 80/12

press cloth (see TIPS)
Hot glue gun and glue (optional)

Large Bag: (26" X 15" X 8")
1 5/8yd. 44" laminated fabric for outer bag   
1 5/8yd. 44" laminated fabric for lining  

2 1/2 yds. fusible fleece (optional for bag body and lining)

1 lg. sheet plastic canvas (or a piece approx. 6" X 20". Canvas can be pieced)

1/3 yard more Fusible fleece for laminate strap option

OR 54" of webbing for straps (optional)

quality thread

sharp machine needle size 80/12

press cloth (see TIPS)

Hot glue gun and glue (optional)

Cutting:

for Small Bag:

CUT

*4 rectangles, 21"Wide x 18"High: two for the outer bag, and two for the lining

*2 long strips for the straps, 27" X 5" (finished strap is 2" wide)

*2  fusible fleece rectangles 21" X 18" (optional)

*2 long fusible fleece strips for straps: 27" X 4 1/2"

OR cut 2- 27" straps from webbing

*4 rectangles, 8"W X 6"H from lining fabric (makes two inside pockets)

*One 6" X 13 1/2" rectangle from plastic canvas. Round the corners slightly with your scissors.

for Large Bag:

CUT

*4 rectangles, 27"Wide X 20"High: two for the outside, and two for the lining

*2 long strips for the straps, 27" X 5"

*4 (optional) fusible fleece rectangles 27" X 20"   

*2 long fusible fleece strips for straps: 27" X 4 1/2" 
 OR cut 2- 27" straps from webbing
*4 rectangles, 12"W X 6"H from lining fabric (makes two double inside pockets)
*2 rectangles 10"H X 8"W for outer body pocket (optional)

*One 6" X 20" rectangle from plastic canvas. (Piece this if necessary) Round the corners slightly with your scissors.

Sewing instructions For Either Size:

SA= Seam Allowance (1/4" unless otherwise noted)

RSF= Right Sides Facing each other

Step1. FUSING: 

Place one body fleece piece on your ironing board, with fusible (rough) side up. Lay one outer fabric piece right side up, on top of the fleece. Using a press cloth and your hot steam iron, fuse (the back side of) the fabric to the fleece one section at a time. 
 

Make sure edges and corners are stuck down. Tip: Make a LONG skip-stitch with your machine all around the edges (1/8" SA) after fusing to keep the fleece from shifting.

Repeat fusing with the other outer bag piece.
Note: If making the large bag, fuse fleece to lining pieces as well.

Step 2. STRAPS: (if you are not using webbing)

Lay fleece strip horizontally on ironing board with fusible side up. Align fabric strap piece on batting strip to the lower raw edge. Use the press cloth and fuse all the way down. 
 

Flip strap over. 

Fold the flush edge of strap/batting piece toward the center (fleece to fleece)  
1 ¼”. Pin all the way down.



On the other edge, the fabric extends ½” beyond the batting. Fold that ½” over the edge of the batting. Now fold that  side toward the center, overlapping the  raw edge by about ¼”. Make sure the finished width is uniformly 2”. Pin all the way down.
 

  Stitch down the center through all layers.

Step 3. INSIDE POCKETS:

Place two inside pocket pieces together RSF, and stitch around the perimeter, leaving a 2" opening for turning. Trim across corners diagonally. 


 Turn right side out, pushing corners all the way out, and press neatly. (don't forget the press cloth!)
 
 

Choose one side to be the top of the pocket, (not the side with the opening) and top-stitch along that edge in a 1/2" SA.

Repeat with the other two inside pocket pieces. Now you have two pockets.

 
Step 4. POCKET PLACEMENT:

Lay one lining body piece out right side up, with longer edges at the top and bottom. Center one pocket 3" down from top edge of the lining, (4" down for large bag) and equally distant  from each side. Make sure top-stitched edge of pocket is up towards the top of the lining. Pin. 



Top-stitch the pocket into place (just the three sides) in a 1/8" to 1/4" SA. 



For the large bag inside pocket: Stitch down the center of pocket as well, to divide pocket into halves. Reinforce pocket stitching at beginning and ending points.

Repeat with the other pocket on the other lining piece.

Step 5. LINING:

Lay the two pocketed lining pieces together RSF, making sure pockets are both facing the same direction. Align sides and bottom. Pin. Stitch sides and across bottom in a 3/8" SA. 

Step 6. BOXING CORNERS:

While still wrong side out, open lining side panels out away from each other, and fold the bottom seam inward. Bring the two side seams together forming points. Keep seams aligned. 


 

Using a ruler, draw a line across one point where it measures 6" across. Pin to hold point in place. 





 Stitch along your drawn line. Trim away the excess at the point, 1/4" from stitching line.

 

Repeat with the other point. Now you should have a neatly boxed bottom. Turn lining right side out.

Step 7. OPTIONAL OUTER BAG POCKET:
Follow step 3 for making the outer pocket as you did for the inside pockets.

Lay one outer bag piece out right side up, with longer edges at the top and bottom. Center the outer pocket 5" down from the top edge, and equally distant from each side. Make sure top-stitched edge of pocket is up towards the top of the lining. Pin. Top-stitch the pocket into place (just the three sides) in a 1/8" to 1/4" SA. Top stitch again 1/4" away from first stitching.

 

Step 8. OUTER BAG:
Lay the two outer bag pieces together RSF, aligning shorter sides, and bottom. Pin. Stitch sides and bottom in a 1/4" SA.

Follow step 6 to box the bottom of the outer bag in the same manner as the lining. Turn right side out. 

Step 9. ATTACHING STRAPS:
(For Webbing Straps: Cut two 27" straps and follow directions below for placement.)

Place the ends of one strap at the top raw edge of the outer bag, about 4" from each of the side seams. (7 1/2" for the large bag)
 

Make sure strap is not twisted. Stitch strap ends into place 1/2" and again 1/4" from raw edge. Stitch again to reinforce.

Repeat with the other strap on the other side of the outer bag.

Step 10. BOTTOM REINFORCEMENT:

While outer bag is still right side out, slip the plastic canvas piece into the bottom of the bag. (It helps if you finger-press the center bottom seam to one side.)


Using your hot glue gun, drizzle a little glue into the corners and along center seam to secure the canvas to the bottom of the inside of the bag. You can also secure it using needle and thread if you would rather. Once the glue is totally dry, turn the outer bag wrong side out.

Step 11. FINISHING:

Slip the lining into the outer bag RSF. Align the top raw edges, and pin, laying side seams in opposite directions to reduce bulk. Stitch the perimeter of the top edge in a 1/2" SA, leaving a 6" opening for turning.
 

 Pull everything out through the opening carefully,


 and then stuff the lining down into the outer bag. 

Work the seam you just made to the top neatly, and smooth out the lining into the inner corners of the bag. Top stitch the perimeter of the bag in a 1/8" SA, 


and again in a 3/8" SA, being sure SA of opening is tucked into the seam neatly.

Enjoy!!