Happy First Day of Spring!

I'm sure many of us wish there were more visible signs on spring this year, then just a calendar date!
So here are my spring lilacs from last year, when our warm weather arrived way ahead of schedule and my lilacs were in full bloom at least a month before they normally are.

I can't wait for this year's blooms. I have been keeping a close watch on the budding of the leaves and other signs of spring, around my yard.
It felt wonderful last weekend on a mild day in the low 60's, to be out dead heading hydrangeas and cutting back the roses.
I couldn't help but blow a few kisses at the 16 lilacs in my yard, starting to leaf out!
I will do a big photo shoot of this year's crop, as soon as they arrive.

Most of these lilacs are specialty varieties from
The Hulda Klager Lilac Garden in Washington
I make a trip there every May 1st to buy another plant or two for my yard.

Did you know LilyOake is the ancient English folk name for the lilac?
It's my favorite flower and I thought it was perfect for my business name.

Enjoy!

Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted

It is a warm but rainy day on this Saturday so I decided to play around with a couple pieces of Royal Copenhagen's Blue Fluted Half Lace and some pink tulips I brought home this morning.

They look so lovely together!

Of course, I am just stalling. I really need to be in my studio, working on a campaign logo for a friend who is running for a state senate seat. although I would rather be designing fabrics, I am thrilled to be helping this friend in the first step of an important journey in his life!

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:

NEW 2014 Fabrics in navy!

Happy New Year, friends.
 (I think I'm OK to say that if it's still January).

I have started the new year off with a bang - lots of new projects under way.
The one I have been concentrating on the most involves expanding my horizon in fabric design beyond the usual Blueberry Blue colorway that fills my Spoonflower shop, LilyOake!

Lilyoake on Spoonflower

The new direction still involves designing with blue and white, but now includes a rich navy with which I also plan on printing on silk, cotton voile and knits to sew clothing with, in order to add one-of-a-kind detail and pattern to my all navy and white wardrobe!

I have designed a collection of navy and white florals that would work beautifully for romantic dresses and feminine wrap front tops or silk scarves!

But they would also make fabulous wallpapers or linen slipcovers.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination (and perhaps, limited sewing skills, hahaha)

I'd love feedback and also am open to suggestions on patterns, or if you need a certain look or pattern for a wedding or house project.

Have a great day, and I do hope you enjoy my new designs!

Vinter Vanter Wrapping Paper

Hello!
(vinter vanter is Danish for winter mittens)

And that's just what I designed for the Spoonflower mitten-theme wrapping paper contest!
Check it out here:http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=223
and don't forget to vote, hopefully for mine!

I designed winter blue mittens with Scandinavian folk art patterns in white, with gold cuffs and scattered golden snowflakes, on a clean white background!

Here is what my pattern looks like close-up.
And thank you for checking out the entries....
I have an entire shop full of blue & white patterns for you to enjoy too.
They'd make wonderful wrapping paper, wallpaper and fabrics!

Linked to The pink Pagoda's Blue and White Bash!

Head on over to The Pink Pagoda to se all the exciting links to everyone's blue and white blog postings on this first Monday in November!
Click here:
the Pink Pagoda