Dream.Laugh.Create. Issue 2

YAY In This Issue - Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse...Happy Earth Day! - A Sweet Entrepreneur Serves up Something Delish (...and good for you!)

- What We Love About Spring - Our Facebook Fans Create a Playlist - Beautiful Light Voile Scarves, Just in Time for Mother’s Day - Make a Birdie Pin Cushion - Laminate Love - Happy Spring Quilt - Easter Fudge, Anyone? ...and oh so much more!

SPRING!!!

DREAM. LAUGH. CREATE. I S S U E 2

z

Welcome...

to our little corner of the quilty world! We’re excited to bring you a fun-filled magazine of quirky stories, fabulous projects, scrumptious recipes, your FAVORITE quilt celebs and soooo much more. What else would you expect from the Lizzie B girls? Come along for the journey. Let’s DREAM, LAUGH and CREATE things together!

Liz & Beth Co-Editors in chief

APRIL 2011

Springtime! Springtime!

Ok, I don’t think I can even admit what song is going through my head right now. In fact, I probably shouldn’t admit that my entire family, kids and all, break out into its chorus when this time of year rolls around. Trees start to bud and blossom, birds start to chirp, grass starts turning green, windows are thrown open for fresh air and everyone comes out from their winter gloom.

My family has a fine appreciation for Broadway musicals...our preferred movies to sit and watch together since the kids were little.

My kids have been singing songs, and quoting lines from “The Music Man”, “Singing in the Rain”, “My Fair Lady”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Phantom of the Opera”...and the list goes on. We even pull a certain Broadway song out of the hat when our kids are frustrated and want to give up.

Oh yes we do. We start singing, “Only youuuu have the power, within you...” from “Starlight Express”. And we even have a

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z

family theme song from a musical.

But um, it’s from “Spamalot”.

However, the song about springtime that we tend to sing together is a little more, shall we say, irreverent than Monty Python.

Incredulous? Perhaps. But this one speaks of Rhineland being a fine land once more, and Deutschland being happy and gay.

If you’ve seen “The Producers” you know which song I speak of !

And honestly, can you deny it doesn’t go through YOUR head this time of year too?

Maybe we should stick to our other family fav, “The Three Amigos”. So it’s not Broadway. But they do sing of flowers....“My little Buttercup....”

Hugs & Music - Liz

Our Contributors...

We’re soooo excited to introduce you to our CREATIVE team for this issue! They’re fabulous designers in both the craft and quilting industry. Some you know well, others....well. let us introduce you!

tine

en r Val e h t a e

H

Growing up my family reused everything, not because we were thinking of the environment but because we needed to. This reuse and repurposing always fascinated me. I would watch my mother refashion old clothes into new outfits for me with her trusty sewing machine or snuggle with my grandma on a Saturday morning while she darned thinning socks. One of my favorite things was sitting in a sunny corner of the sewing room sifting through buttons. Those buttons were like "eye candy" to me and not just because they were hidden in an old cookie tin!

There were just so many colors, textures, shapes and sizes, each one more intriguing then the next.

From these memories and life experiences my passion for creativity was born.

http://www.TheSewingLoft.com/ Sweet Loren's was the winner of The Next Big Small Brand Contest & People’s Choice Award, 2011. By June, 2011 we will come out with a brand new look, packaging design, and new flavors - so, this is a very exciting time. You can always order online and we can ship our 4 Dough sampler to anywhere in the nation! Or, request Sweet Loren's at your local supermarket as we are launching in New York City with the goal to be available nationwide soon.

http://sweetlorens.com/

Lore

n Br ill

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Roseann Meehan Kermes is the owner of Rosebud’s Cottage in White Bear Lake MN. She began her career as a teacher and designer at a local quilt store, focusing on soft projects and small quilts. As a designer, her patterns were sold to quilt shops and distributors in the quilting industry. Her projects are often featured in Better Homes and Gardens® publications and other craft magazines.

She’s currently a contributor to American Quilt Retailer, where she writes articles for quilting industry retailers, as well as American Patchwork and Quilting®,. Roseann opened her retail store fourteen years ago, following the closing of the store where she worked. In 2004, her store Roseann K was chosen as one of the top ten shops for Quilt Sampler® ermes magazine. Roseann grew up in a creative home in Lake http://www.rose Elmo MN — her father owned several businesses, and her buds-cottage.co m/ rosebudscottag mom was a 4-H leader, and one of the founding mothers of e.typepad.com http://www.fac Minnesota Quilters, Inc. In addition to working with ebook.com/ fabric and wool, she enjoys other forms of creative RBCottage expression, such as paper crafts, decorative painting, and altered art. With a camera always in her pocket, she takes lots of photos and shares them with others on her blog.

Her motto ... there’s inspiration everywhere!

Melanie Thornton

Melanie started sewing as a little girl - making projects at home with her mom until she was old enough to join 4-H and work on projects with her 4-H group leader....which was best for both her and her mother's sanity. (She may be a little teeny tiny bit stubborn.)

Over 25 years later, she is still creating with a sewing machine. Making clothes for her children (and herself!) is probably what she enjoys most - although she has certainly caught the quilting bug. In fact, she has started looking at fabric not only in fashion terms but quilting terms as well! A little bit scary for her! She owns and operates Above All Fabric online and plays with fabric as often as possible.

http://www.aboveallfabric.com/

Do you LOVE to quilt/sew/craft? Interested in being a contributor?

We’d love to have you! email us at: lizziebgirls@gmail.com 5

Looky!

Be

It’s

GIVEAWAY

time again!

hip Be happy Win a custom phone cover in your favorite Hip Happy fabric!

Step 1

A Step 2

iPhone 4

Choose your favorite fabric swatch

B

C

D

E

F

Choose A PHONE COVER from these options

iPhone 3g/3gs

Verizon iPhone "

Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant

iPod touch 4g

iPod touch 2g

" 3 " TO ENTER " " THE " DRAWING, " " SEND AN EMAIL to Step LizzieBgirls@DreamLaughCreate.com with your fabric & phone model info (or just tell us youʼd rather have a fat quarter stack oʼ 20 fabrics instead!) " " AND you must also tell us what your favorite part of the e-magazine is :)

Step 4

FOR an extra chance to win...

Join the Dream.Laugh.Create. facebook page click “Like”

Step 5

sit back and wait til May 20th Weʼll announce 5 winners of phone covers, and 5 additional readers will win a yard of their favorite Hip Happy fabric!

Can’t wait for the giveaway?

Click here to order a Hip Happy iPhone or iPad cover NOW! 6

UPCOMING ISSUES JUNE

Summer (June/July)

Table of Contents Spring has sprung, summer is on the a little lift to your heart. So go way! This issue is chock full of fun ahead, throw open the windows, spring projects, like the fresh scent shake out the winter blues and... of a spring breeze, these are sure to WELCOME SPRING! put a smile on your face, and bring

AUGUST

Meet Sweet Loren! - pages 12-13

Back to School (Aug/Sept)

Roseann’s Spring Pin Cushion pages 14-16

OCTOBER Fall (Oct/Nov)

DECEMBER Winter (Dec/Jan)

Love Laminates? - page 17

Our Contributors pages 4-5 The Big GIVEAWAY! page 6 10 Things We Love About Spring - page 8 Funky Facebook Playlist page 9 Heather Valentine, the Queen of RRR - page 10

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Melanie’s Spring Voile Scarf page 18 More Mis-Adventures of the Lizzie B Girls - pages 19-21 Happy Spring! Quilt - pages 22-28 It’s Easter! Oh Fudge... - page 29 A Cuppa...Choffy? - pages 30 Huge Spring Cleaning Sale at Lizzie B! - page 31

Things that we love about SPRING!!

Oh the bloomin’ possibilities....!

1. No. More. SNOW! 2. Daffodils, Tulips, Pansies, oh MY! 3. Green 4. Strawberries 5. Sunshine 6. Spring rain 7. Birds chirping 8. Blossoming trees 9. Open windows 10. Cadbury Mini-Chocolate eggs!

o

.. . . . y l s bviou

Music that Inspires We asked our facebook fans what music inspires them and what they were listening to in their crafty/sewing rooms that very moment! We have some seriously wacky fans... (and we LOVE it!)

1. A Lovely Game - Darker My Love 2. Black Tamborine - Beck 3. You Can’t Stop the Beat - Hairspray 4. Brown Chicken, Brown Cow - Trace Adkins 5. I Gotta Feeling - The Black-Eyed Peas 6. Cough Syrup - Young the Giant 7. A Dustland Fairytale - The Killers 8. Rumour Has It - Adele 9. Mood Rings - Relient K 10. New Shoes - Deirdre Flint 11. Falling In - Lifehouse 12. Dream On - Aerosmith Join our facebook page to participate in future polls!

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The Sewing Loft

HEATHERVALENTINE SHARES A FUN GIFT TO WHIP UP USING FABRIC SCRAPS! Every sewing room seems to have a basket of scraps hanging around and mine is filled to the brim. That means it is time to clean house and get crafting. But hmmm…what to make is the question. With spring blooms on my mind and Mother’s Day around the corner, I am thinking flowers! These little beauties can be used in so many ways. Add to your favorite hat, handbag, and jacket or even to a sash for a fun belt

SNAZZY HAT MATERIALS Assortment of fabric scraps, cotton, felt....etc.

Hat Hot Glue Gun Brooch Pin **Accu Quilt Cutter - contact your local quilt shop... most have one available to rent**

DIRECTIONS 1. Bring your pressed fabric scraps to your local quilt shop. Look at their selection of in-stock dies. I picked out this pretty Rose of Sharon by Sharon Pederson (#55045) 2. Using the protective mat, cut 6 to 8 flowers, several leaves and one large felt circle. After all your cut outs are complete, head on home and we can finish this up in a flash!

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3. Now it’s time to create the flowers! Holding one petal, on the wrong side, dab the center with glue and “smoosh” together with your fingers. (see pic above for “smoosh” action!).

Repeat with each petal shape. After all of your petals are “smooshed”, dab the bottom of each with glue and attach them together. Note: it is best to work around one center petal.

Keep adding additional petals until the desired fulness is achieved. The bottom of the flower will look messy. NO worries! We will take care of that later.

4. Now take one flat petal cutout and attach the leaves to the wrong side with a dab of glue.

Glue a small felt circle to the center of the flower on the wrong side over the leaves. Now, grab your cute flower from step 3, apply glue to the bottom and attach to the right side of fabric petal in center.

5. Glue a flat petal right side up to the bottom for a clean finish.

6. Add another dab of glue at the center in the back and attach your brooch pin. You’re all set! Now go decorate something CUTE! HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!

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Sweet Loren’s

MAKING DELICIOUS BAKED GOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOU! Last month I had an opportunity to attend a private party in NYC at the glamorous shop of Donna Karan, her flagship store on Madison Avenue. But gorgeous shoes, handbags and clothing made out of fabric begging to be touched (I swear, one was crocheted out of paper...) was not the ONLY thing there that had us all drooling. Trays of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and brownies wafted through the room as servers made their rounds. Can I just say melt-in-your-mouth delish? Then I was introduced to the brilliant mind behind the baked goods. And she was every bit as sweet as her cookies and brownies. Meet Loren, of Sweet Loren’s, and learn how she manages to bake with all-natural ingredients and still make ‘em taste YUMMY!

knew that the world could be just a little bit sweeter with Sweet Loren’s in it.

Sweet Loren’s is a NYC based all natural baked goods company that specializes in Cookie and Brownie dough. Our baked goods defy logic in that they are unquestionable delicious, and yet one-of-a-kind in nutritional value. We believe the only way to eat baked goods are warm and fresh out of the oven – that is why we created dough. Baking with my family as a kid – as a dessert for dinner parties or as a warm treat – are some of my favorite memories. We at Sweet Loren’s want to make it easier for people all over to eat delicious and healthier sweets, whenever they want to. Not only are our recipes unique, but so are our ingredients, as we have searched the world over for the tastiest and healthiest ingredients – ones outside the industrial food chain, rarely used in conventional baked goods. Our sweets are made from all natural, real, whole food ingredients. "

After overcoming cancer in 2006, the way I looked at food changed completely. Growing up with a mother that battled cancer for over 12 years, and passed away in August of 2010, I knew I wanted to try to change the world a little bit, making it easier to be healthier and enjoy delicious food. I no longer wanted to eat refined and highly processed ingredients. Having been a yoga instructor since my teens, I always wanted to take care of my body, but as a foodie, I never wanted to sacrifice flavor. Inspired by my insatiable sweet tooth, I started creating recipes in my mother’s kitchen in NYC. After hours, days, and now years of endless tweaking – with my sister as the Recipe Analyst and my friends as the Official Taste Testers – I entered a baking contest in 2009 and won. That’s when I

“There are two things I never compromise on: whole foods in what I make and great taste in what I bake.”

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You can make Sweet Loren’s baked goods at home any time, whether for a party, as a fun project with kids, or as a warm treat. It’s time for you to “Taste the Sweet Life™!”

“People are not used to cookies that are 100% whole grain, dairy-free or made with only natural sweeteners that are also yummy. At Sweet Loren’s, we have a whole new revolutionary approach to baking.”

Loren explained that creating the most delicious and healthy treats, is a treat in itself for her. “I love creating great food for people to enjoy and Sweet Loren’s has become my dream come true,” said Brill.

“There is no more rewarding job for me than creating really tempting treats that you can feel good about eating!”

The names of the cookies and brownies promise – and deliver – joy to the taste buds: Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie, Bold Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Dark Double Fudge Brownie.

Sweet Loren’s first product launch was in mid-December, 2010 with tubs of frozen dough that will be available in the frozen food section. Pastry connoisseur Francois Payard calls them “remarkably delicious”, while acclaimed chef Laurent Tourondel calls them “very impressive.”

Special OFFER for DLC readers!

For ONE month ONLY....order the “Four Dough Sampler” and get a 5th FREE! -------------click on Sweet Loren’s, buy the sampler, then click HERE to email the name of the FREEBIE along with your name/address so they know where it’s going. What are you waiting for???

Eat cookies.

Click HERE to watch Sweet Loren in the Kitchen....caution, extreme drooling may occur.

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Roseann’s Nesting Wool Pincushion

PUT. A. BIRD. ON. IT. SUPPLIES NEEDED: Assorted hand dyed wool pieces … see cutting directions Embroidery floss to match or contrast Basic sewing supplies Basting glue or small pins Freezer paper

WHAT TO CUT:

Yellow wool ... cut two background squares-6” Blue wool … cut one bird Brown wool … cut one branch Green wool … cut two leaves Rose wool … cute one large flower Lavender wool … cut one flower center circle Light yellow wool … cut three small circles Assorted scraps … cut three medium circles Freezer paper templates: Trace shapes to the paper side of freezer paper and cut roughly around the shapes. Press the wax side to the wool. Cut on the traced line with a small, sharp scissors.

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DIRECTIONS: 1. Lay out all of the pieces on the top of the pincushion. Glue baste or pin in place.

2. All stitching is done with one strand of floss unless indicated otherwise. Use floss colors of your choice to match or contrast with the shape. Stitch down the shapes with a small whip stitch, just enough to anchor the piece to the background.

3. Use a random-width overcast for the branch. Go over the top of the branch to give it texture. There’s no need to whip stitch the branch in place as these stitches will hold it down.

4. Whipstitch the bird to hold in place.

5. Use a backstitch to separate the tail feathers.

6. Add a curved wing in the middle of the body with a backstitch.

7. Make a French knot eye on the bird.

8. Overcast the bird beak in gold.

9. Add nest straw, one gold & one brown floss strand on the same needle. Use random long stitches.

10. Stitch the center flower circle with a whipstitch, going through all layers. The flower does not get stitched with a whip stitch. The flower center holds it in place.

11. Attach the small circles with a star stitch. A star stitch is an X with a line stitched through the center.

12. Stitch down the center of the leaves. Tug lightly to gather the leaf a bit.

13. Use two strands and large random, stitches on the round flower buds.

14. Add three stars in gold above the branch. Place them randomly to fill up the space.

They shouldn’t show too much.

15. Use two strands gold and a running stitch to sew the front to the back, 1/2” from the scallops. Leave your needle dangle near the opening.

16. Stuff with cotton stuffing.

Finish the seam hiding the knot inside.

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BIRDIE PATTERN

Use as a template for pincushion (6” square)

©2011 Rosebud’s Cottage - all rights reserved www.rosebuds-cottage.com 651.426.1885

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For the LOVE of Laminates

It’s popping up everywhere. These long rolls of shiny fabric. Is it oilcloth? Is it vinyl? It sure is pretty, but what the heck is one supposed to DO with it? And where was this cute stuff back in the 70’s when my younger sibs were running around in those ugly, saggy plastic pants?? Ok so, maybe my mom wouldn’t have spent her time and money whipping up pants decorated with bright prints for the sole purpose of keeping cloth diapers from dripping....but still. Actually, maybe she wouldn’t have but, my Grandmother spent a good chunk of time knitting red, white & blue bathing suits for my brothers in ’76 to celebrate the Bicentennial and our first trip to the ocean. Take a moment and imagine what water does to polyesterblend knitted bathing suit trunks. Not pretty. And REALLY uncomfy! Thank goodness I got the handmade Hollie Hobby dress instead. But I digress....

When we first asked our fabric company, Henry Glass, if we could have laminates in our line, they had to do some research. They put a bunch of companies to the test to find a product they felt would be superior and long-lasting. If you’ve been looking at laminates, you’ll have noticed that they’re all a little different. Some are shiny, some are matte, some are very thin and feel like they’ve been covered in the kind of plastic wrap that doesn’t even keep your sandwich fresh; then others so thick it’s like running a thick slice of ham through your feed-dogs! So naturally, before a fabric company invests, they do extensive research.

In fact, they even asked for our input, sending us little samples to work with, sew with, play with.

Until we FINALLY found what we wanted ours to look like. And it turns out. We LOVE it!

So what can ya make with Laminated Cottons? Well...go ahead, get those creative juices flowing and create something FUN. The sky’s the laminate! (LOL!)

Naturally, these newer shiny fabrics make us think of their counterparts from yesteryear.

Along with memories of vinyl application kits (still in existence!) to vinylize your OWN fabric. But like their evolving quilting cottons, laminates too, have come a long way.

That’s right, the latest version of these vinyl fabrics are correctly called “Laminated Cottons”.

Snooty, I know. I imagine they preen a bit more and look down upon their ancestors-of-vinyl/ oilcloth. But because the quality of cotton has changed, so too has the process to laminate it. Is it still covered in vinyl? Yes. Although the finished product is much softer and easier to work with than the vinyl of old.

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Melanie’s Pretty Voile Scarf THIS SUPER SIMPLE SCARF IS SO EASY-BREEZY EVEN A BEGINNER CAN WHIP ONE UP IN NO TIME! This project is made from two cuts of voile to make a luxuriously soft and delightful scarf. Long enough to be wrapped or knotted in style, loop a continuous piece together, using elastic thread to bunch it up! So many options!

Measures approximately 9 inches x 72 inches in size.

After experimenting with several sizes, this is the size that was perfect to wear in so many ways and even layer multiple scarves together!

Click HERE to see Melanie’s scarf tutorial... along with many different ways it can accessorize your wardrobe!

Kits Available: Above All Fabrics

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The (Mis-)Adventures of the Lizzie B Girls - Liz started writing these pages a while back, thinking that someday it would be a funny novel. We’ve included a chaper in the first issue of this here eMag, and here’s one more. The adventures continue.....!

home in this kitchen as in my own, I've probably cooked in it as much as mine. In fact, after my first visit, using a hand mixer from the 70's and pots and pans that hadn't realized there'd been a Teflon-coated revolution, I swore I wouldn't come back until she decked out her beautiful kitchen with the functional tools it deserved! The new cherry red Kitchen-aid with accompanying shiny stainless steel bowl was just begging to be used. " As it was merrily humming away creaming yummy butter and sugar, Beth walked in from her morning run. Now if a picture of Beth in a designer running suit and matching Nikes, hair pulled back and athletic glow to her face just popped into your head...let me clarify. The morning run requires no more than rolling out of bed in time to slide feet in slippers, grab keys, herd kids into the car and drive to school. Then drive home via the McDonald's drive-thru.

Instead, picture a jammie-clad Beth holding a bag containing two yogurt parfaits (okay, sometimes four because honestly, they just keep getting skimpier!) and two large Diet Cokes. Ahhhh, breakfast! " "You're baking?!" she exclaims while she puts down the typical Lizzie B sustenance. " "Well, actually, I'm being prepared." I answer and then continue at her quizzical expression. "I figure we'll be getting a visit from a certain Policeman this morning, and maybe, just maybe we can soften the blow with Banana Chococcino Muffins. I noticed the spotty bananas and, well, here we are." " "Great thinking, partner!" " "Yep, I got your back, babe." I replied as I punched the straw in my cup and sucked down the first hit of DC for the day, feeling the punch of caffeine course through the veins.

" The next day, I awoke early. That's what happens when you fly in from the east coast. I hail from Philadelphia, that city of brotherly love, home of soft pretzels, Tastykakes, sandwiches filled with chopped steak, grilled onions, smothered in cheese whiz; and fantastic underdog teams with the craziest fans. That's Philly. My heart momentarily thuds with a touch of homesickness, as I pull out my phone and check my MLB app to see how the Phillies are holding up. Yes, it's April and baseball is in full swing. So what in the world is a Philly girl doing waking up in a time zone three hours behind her own? Strike that question.

What in the world is a Philly girl doing in Tucson taking down armed bank robbers in the wee hours of the morning?! I replay in my head the events of the night before. What.

Were. We. Thinking?! I imagine big man Bertie snuggled under our beautiful quilt in a cold jail cell. Shoot, ours was practically an act of charity, that man could have been shot running from the police. Instead, he was apprehended by two gentle momsʼ--and a quilt. Ok, gentle is laughable, but still. " I decide it's time to get up. Running fingers through my crazy hair and swiping them under the eyes to make sure I don't scare anyone with that heroin addict look of sleep-smudged eye make-up, I throw on a sweatshirt and make my way to the kitchen.

Taking stock of ingredients in Beth's kitchen, I turn the oven on, tie one of her cute aprons around my waist, and start dumping butter and sugar into the mixer bowl. Totally at

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" We ARE partners, but really, we should have been sisters. Although then we wouldn't share one of the most quirky things about us, our name. No that's not a typo. Our name, singular. As in, we have the same one.

Same first, middle and last. And while the question marks pop into your head and you try to figure out how that could happen, I'll make it simple for you. Our dear mommies both named us Elizabeth Ann. Then we just so happened to marry brothers, giving us the same last name (and in-laws) too. And before you ask, because it HAS been asked, no, our husbands do NOT have the same name as well! But they do get along, and if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have found each other.

Thankfully, she's always gone by Beth, and me Liz so we've never been confused.

Though we confuse plenty of others.

Because we had more than just a name in common. We had a common hobby, which we thought would be fun to turn into a business, us having the same name and all, we'd only have to print ONE business card. " Thus started Lizzie B Cre8ive, our quilt design company. Which throws us together on occasion, well lots of occasions really, as we get invited to lecture and do quilty workshops. On top of which, twice a year we attend an industry trade show called International Quilt Market, with a few retail shows thrown into the mix throughout the year. So yes, in a nutshell, we're crazy busy creative women who love nothing more than creating new things together. And it just so happened that this very month of April, when I left my chilly frost-covered ground in Philly for the highs in the 90's of Tucson, we had been planning a design blitz week combined with a guild show at the end of the week. It was crunch time to get ready for spring market, and we'd been invited to lecture, teach and have a small booth at a show sponsored by the Prickly Pear Quilt Guild.

The scent of warm chocolate, coffee and banana filled the room. And just as I was pulling the first batch of muffins from the oven, timed like a choreographed black-andwhite TV show from the 50's, Max walked into the kitchen. I held the pan of muffins up like a shield and smiled. " Not far behind him was his partner, Jeeter, carrying our folded quilt like a baby. " “Wow! Something smells A-MAYZING” he exclaimed rather excitedly. But I knew a cue when I heard one. " “Fresh out of the oven! Have a seat boys, canʼt have the cityʼs finest go all malnourished on us, can we?” " “Beats donuts any day!” Jeeter enthusiastically replied while simultaneously handing off the quilt to Beth and relieving me of my pan of muffins. He walked to the table, sat, and promptly began eating them straight from the tin. Max simply looked at him and raised his brow. " “What?”, he mumbled over a mouthful of warm gooey chocolate. “Did you want some of these too?”

Max shook his head, slugged him on the shoulder and grabbed a couple for himself before Jeeter could hide the pan under is arm. " “Manners.” Jeeter mumbled as he bit into his second. " “So,” Beth began. “Did you have the house bugged and know that your aunt was baking today? Or did you just drop by for a friendly chat?” " “Mom”, Max said, slightly shaking his head. “I still canʼt believe what you did last night.” " “Ah, so itʼs the friendly chat then?

Ok...” " “Seriously mom. I know you guys mean well, and all, but honestly, you just got lucky.”

" Beth had pulled out our many to-do lists on Google docs, mapping out our week.

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" “And Max here,” interrupted Jeeter.

“Got a good talkinʼ to by the Sarge.” Max cut him a hard glance. “What? Oh yeah, I wasnʼt supposed to mention that. Sorry.”

I promise. Weʼll invest in some ʻcuffs, maybe a....” That darn hand went up again. I think this time it meant, stop-talking-so-I-can-get-aword-in-edgewise! Well I know how to zip it.

Yes I do. I can zip it when someone tells me to. They donʼt have to tell ME twice. You say zip it, I zip it. " “NO! Not THAT kind of help!” Max cried. “This time itʼs really quite serious.

There have been a number of homicides recently. We think it may be a serial killer.” " “Really?” Beth asked incredulously.

“I havenʼt heard of a series of similar deaths.

Whatʼs the killerʼs MO?” Yeah, I was impressed, Beth could speak a certain amount of cop talk. “Whatʼs the repeat pattern? The common thread?” she continued. " “Well thatʼs just it.” Max replied.

“Theyʼve been searching and searching. At first nothing matched up, we couldnʼt make any connections. But then it hit me, the common thread, ironically is just that.

Thread. And fabric. The three victims so far are husbands of quilterʼs, young and old.

Weʼre not sure why theyʼve been targeted.

All we know is that security for the guild show has to be amped up. And we wondered, well, if you might be able to tell anything from this....” " He pulled a clear plastic bag from his pocket and laid it on the table. And there, sitting next to the now empty muffin tin, was a braided rope of fabric stained with blood, but clearly recognizable. Dulled from its original state, but vibrant in meaning. Little purple button flowers from our first fabric line.

" “Whatʼs this?” Beth asked, ever the concerned mother. With a sigh, Max reiterated the words that had come forth out of his superiorʼs mouth. Had maybe even toned it down some for his momʼs benefit.

Most definitely had. " “Iʼm so sorry.” She apologized. I hung my head and added my apology to hers. " “We really didnʼt MEAN to do it.” I tried to explain. “Itʼs just he was there and we were there, and you guys WERENʼT there and your mom listens to that stupid cop radio app, and is informed every time thereʼs a bank robbery (which seems a little high in number for a town this size, no?)....” I was rambling, and I knew it. But we really hadnʼt meant to take down an armed thug. Shoot, we didnʼt even know he was armed! Max told us. Guess we should have checked that, huh? " “Listen, Mom, I know you like to help me out, and I love when I can bounce ideas off you. But you really need to keep out of police business.”" " Thoroughly chastised, we hung our heads. " " “But....” He said, which hand our heads snapping back up. “I didnʼt really come here to yell at you.” He held his hand up to indicate “silence” as Beth was about to speak. “Actually,” he said, “And this is very hard to admit...” he suddenly had to clear his throat. “The thing is....I may.....needyourhelp.” The last three words spoken so fast we could barely make them out. " We looked at each other aghast. And a bit confused. More than a bit really. " “You want us to take down another bank robber?” I ask? “Cuz we can do it better next time. Next time weʼll be prepared,

Whimsyland.

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! g n i r p

S y p p a

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Happy Spring! www.LizzieBcre8ive.com

Finished size 46� x 58�

This fresh little quilt is so easy... you have time to whip it up before the Easter Bunny arrives!

Choose two fun fabrics for the piecing...done in an Irish Chain pattern but sewn with a hippity-hop-fast strip-piecing technique.

Add a few raw-edge appliques along the border, and Spring has arrived!

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S T N E M E IR U FABRIC REQ

yard ares, 1/4 /2 yard u q s lg r al fo res, 1 Pink flor sm squa ds r fo t n e c r c s Green a ground, 2-3/4 ya 2/3 yard , g in k d c a in b der & b White cent bor gs, 5” x 7” each c a r fo k Pin r eg for easte ” x 5” each s p a r c s 8 ,4 for tulips 8 scraps

Cutting InstructionS

" " " " " " " " " " " "

" "

From the pink floral fa bric, cut: 3 rectangles 3.5” x 15 ” (label as A) 2 rectangles 3.5” x 11” (B)

"

From the green fabric, cut: 6 strips 2” x 17” (C) 4 strips 2” x 13” (D) From the white backgr ound fabric, cut: 2 strips 2” x 15” (E) 2 rectangles 3.5” x 13 ” (F) 3 rectangles 3.5” x 17 ” (G) 3 rectangles 6.5” x 13 ” (H) 2 rectangles 6.5” x 17 ” (I) 2 rectangles 8” x 11” (J ) 1 rectangle 9.5” x 11” (K) 2 rectangles 9.5” x 15 ” (L) 6 strips 8.5” wide x 40 -42” for outer border. " (Set aside to trim later .)

From the pink fabric, cu t: 4 strips 1” wide for the accent border. " (Set aside to trim later .)

6 strips 2.25” wide (fo r double-fold binding).

"

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SEWING INSTRUCTIONS 1. Sew the A, E, and L pieces together as shown.

Press all seams towards the darker fabrics.

Carefully trim to make 4 strips that measure 3.5� wide.

Label strips as #1.

Cut

Cut

Cut Cut

2. Sew the C, G, and I pieces together as shown.

Press all seams towards the darker fabrics.

Trim to make 8 strips that measure 2� wide.

Label strips as #2.

Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut

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3. Sew the B, J, and K pieces together as shown.

Press all seams towards the darker fabrics.

Trim to make 3 strips that measure 3.5� wide.

Label strips as #3.

Cut

Cut

Cut

4. Sew the D, F, and H pieces together as shown.

Press all seams towards the darker fabrics.

Trim to make 6 strips that measure 2� wide.

Label strips as #4.

Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut

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5. Sew all of the numbered rows together, according to the diagram.

The quilt center should measure 30.5� x 42.5�.

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ADD THE ACCENT FLANGE The accent flange is the “loose” pink fabric set in-between the quilt center and outer borders.

1. Use the four pink 1” wide strips. Trim two of the strips to a length of 30.5”, and the other two to a length of 42.5”.

2. Press the strips in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, so that they measure 1/2” wide.

3. Baste the 42.5” strips to the sides of the quilt, raw edges together, with the folded edge of the flange towards the center of the quilt. Use a very scant 1/4” seam.

4. Baste the 30.5” strips to the top and bottom of the quilt, again using a scant 1/4” seam.

BORDERS 1. Trim two of the border strips to a length of 30.5” and sew to the top and bottom of the quilt.

2. Trim the other two border strips to a length of 58.5” and sew to the sides of the quilt.

APPLIQUE Position the Easter eggs, flowers, and stems on the quilt top, referring to the photo for placement. Use your favorite appliqué method to stitch the shapes in place We used a rawedge appliqué technique, which is fast and easy! Just pin the shapes in place , and sew around each shape 1/4” away from the edge.

QUILTING IDEAS The quilt center was stitched in an allover grid of 1.5” squares, giving it the look of a more complicated pieced quilt! The borders were quilted with an allover stipple, and then the flowers were individually quilted. For a raw-edge appliquéd quilt, you must be careful NOT to quilt over the raw edges, or your quilt will not fluff as much when washed!

WASHING and FLUFFING a raw-edge appliquéd quilt After you have quilted and sewn the binding on your quilt, you may fluff! The easiest way to do this is with a chenille brush, sold in quilt stores. Spritz a little water on the raw edges of the motifs, gently scrub a little back and forth with the brush…. and the edges will fluff nicely.

Once you have brushed all of the shapes, wash your quilt GENTLY in cold water and then lightly tumble dry. You will need to trim a little of the longer threads, but then your quilt will be ready to love!

Enjoy your

Happy Spring! quilt

You may copy this pattern for your personal use, but PLEASE, if you’d like to share it with friends, direct them to our online magazine and let them download and make their own copy. This protects our copyrighted information, while still allowing you to share!

Everyone gets a free quilt pattern, and “Dream.Laugh.Create.” gets new readers.

We’re all happy!

©2011 LizzieBCre8ive 28

HAPPY EASTER! (Errr.....CHOCOLATE DAY!) " S T R E N G T H I S T H E C A PAC I T Y T O B R E A K A C H O C O L AT E B A R I N T O FOUR PIECES WITH YOUR BARE HANDS - AND THEN EAT JUST ONE OF THE PIECES " ~ JUDITH VIORST

MAKE FUDGE, NOT WAR....

I know fewer things on this wide earth that stop an argument in my house faster than chocolate. It soothes bickering siblings, calms a mother’s stressed-out heart, and has the power to bind a friendship for life. What is it about chocolate that gives it this amazing power? Is it the antioxidants which we KNOW are good for us? Or the flavonol-rich cocoa that’s good for the heart, and which studies have shown have the same effect as aspirin? Or maybe it’s the theobromine, caffeine,

Springtime Fudge **save extra marshmallows to throw in at the end so they don’t melt. Add crushed Easter candy on top, if desired**

3 1/3 cups sugar 1 1/3 cups evaporated milk 1 tsp. salt 4 Tbsp. butter 2 tsp vanilla 3 cups chocolate chips 3 cups mini-marshmallows

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tyramine and phenylethylamine, stimulates found in chocolate, that provide our foggy brains with a muchneeded lift.

Or could it be the tryptophan amino acid that produces serotonin and lessens anxiety?

Honestly, who cares?

What I want to know is why it’s not being utilized by our world leaders. Chocolate bombs, that’s what’s needed. Think of it. We’d be a less-stressed, energized, relaxed, happy world. And so I hear-by decree.....Make fudge, not war.

Butter a 9x13 pan. In a heavy saucepan mix sugar, milk, and butter.

Cook over medium heat until it boils, continue stirring for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add vanilla, chocolate and marshmallows.

Smooth into pan and let cool. Cut and ENJOY!

A cuppa...

choffy?

I don’t know about you... but I'm enjoying reading this new issue of our e-magazine while sipping my NEW love...

Choffy!

It's like coffee, only made from pure ground cocoa beans.

Yum! Look at that

yummy chocolatey goodness steeping away in my cute French Press!

And the best part? It has ALL the benefits of Chocolate...

Full of antioxidants Heart healthy Boosts Serotonin (in other words, it makes us Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure

happy!)

...With NONE of the fat!!!

Read this great article about chocolate from the Huffington Post: Chocolate's Startling Health Benefits And to find out more about Choffy, click here: Choffy Website

...tell 'em Liz sent ya!

Gotta run...my chocolate's getting cold.

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Buy Choffy

Gotta have some

Dream Laugh Create

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Spring Cleaning Sale

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Yardage, bundles, kits, even the laminates are ON SALE!

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