Adding Color to My Living Room

I am a blue and white person through and through!
I usually add color to my rooms with flowers (whether fresh or faux) and accessories.
I know pillows are accessories too but I had always chosen blue and white pillows too, not wanting too much alternate color changing the mood of the beach blue rooms I was creating.
But now in a smaller home with white slip covered furniture, and a need to find homes/new uses for several pillows I pulled from my ETSY store stock, I decided to use them in my own living room.

I'm so glad I did!
They added a new life to the room and actually enhances the blue and white I already had going on.
Now I realize the full potential pillows can make in a room!
I think the burst of color through my floral pillows (even though my color ways are pastels) can bring a sense of romanticism to the room.

The pillows are in linen cotton canvas in the pattern ROSEWITHA on peony pink, aqua, or basil stripes.  Its a favorite look of mine, flowers with stripes.

I also experimented with one yard samples of other patterns, tossed over the back of a chair.
Harald Check in peony and Bridal Suite in buttercup.
Both lovely and possible choices for future slip covers!!

A Star, A Star - Danish Paper Stars

  What to do when you have grandkids whose little fingers won't leave the glass ornaments alone on your tree?
Well, I don't have kids OR grandkids but my oldest sister does and great auntie PK is coming to her rescue with some hand made paper stars, to fill in her empty Christmas tree this year!

So easy to make - just check out my Pinterest boards under either Creative Pursuits or Scandinavian Christmas for instructions, or google it.  I used someone else's photo tutorial and can't figure out who's it is so I won't post it due to copyright!
I am on Pinterest under LilyOake.
(you'll love my blue and white boards - in every category!!) lol

So here are a few paper stars I made using my own Nordic inspired fabric designs, printed on card stock paper at home.
They are easy to fold and glue.  I added a bit of shimmer with fine white glitter on the top creases.
I love red and white kitchen twine - makes for a fun hanger.

I made them in a few short hours while I watched Rick Steve's European Christmas show on youTube.

I displayed these on two fabrics in my cottage collections.  Jane's Rose Bouquet on blueberry blue and Imma Toile in sorbet pink, both on linen cotton canvases printed by Spoonflower and myfabricdesigns.com!

Fall is For Knitting!

Now that the temps are dropping, I turn my attention back to knitting.
I put it away in warmer months because there's so much other stuff to do outside AND who wants a ball of hot, wool yarn in their lap?  lol

There's nothing more relaxing for me right now, in between office work and house projects, then to sit for 30 minutes in the sun on a quiet Sunday morning and just knit.

Here is a current new project, color coordinated with one of my pillows I designed.  I didn't plan that, it just happened.  hahaha
The pattern's name is ELVIE in blueberry, printed here on the eco canvas.

ELVIE in blueberry, on eco canvas

A Fun Article in Romantic Homes Magazine

I was honored to be included in the early spring 2017 issue of Romantic Homes magazine!
They featured some of my fabric designs and a brief blurb about what inspires me.

Honestly, I get inspiration from a variety of things, including this magazine! lol

But hopefully seeing my work in it, has inspired some other artists out there to go for it and design their own fabrics.
Its such a fun way to further explore art and design and express one's style.

Spring projects

With an eye on the weather, hoping for a chance to dash out to the yard and begin cutting back roses, dead-heading hydrangeas and preparing the bed for the vegetable garden, I am keeping as busy as I possibly can be indoors, with my newest designs in

tea towels for my ETSY shop!

Right now I'm sticking to spring styles and colors

because that's where my mind is.  

Flowers, birds, pale clear colors, blues...

I'm sure you'll all understand where I'm coming from!  

In the world of graphic design, I have been taught to design

out of season because wholesale markets are always at

least 6 months ahead of what you're buying for.

But with my ETSY shop, I have the freedom to go with the flow of the season if I want, because its all on my own time.

Here is the link to my ETSY shop where I have a few tea towels for sale, currently. Many more will be added over the next few weekends as I sew on bindings and photograph.

I'm always working on new fabric designs for my 

LilyOake Spoonflower shop too, and will be

featuring hand sewn slip covers made from my

Caroline Bouquet

fabric printed on heavy weight cotton twill, and curtains made

from my Theodora in blueberry blue.

LilyOake on ETSY

LilyOake on Spoonflower

With warmer temps hitting Seattle (upper 50's) and some sun, it's an inspiration to get in the art studio and create.

My newest tea towels are not only great for displaying on hooks or drying off your most beautiful porcelain, they also make wonderful serving tray or bread basket liners,

a pretty cloth for a dresser top

or a napkin or placemat at the table.  

Use one to wrap a special gift for someone 

or convert into an apron or a cushion.

There are so many uses for a pretty tea towel!

LilyOake tea towels are 55% linen/45% cotton and are roughly 17" x 28", depending on how I finish the edges.  They are truly, completely designed by me, (some feature my own paintings, like the blue and white plates), are printed in the USA and finished by hand, by me, in my tiny yet pretty blue & white floral wallpapered art studio,

Let me know what you think and please check out my ETSY shop for new designs, as I am adding them each week.

I'd love to hear how you use your best tea towels!

A sampling of my tea towel designs: