It All Began With a Four-Patch…

This quilt (above) is made from leftovers, and to be honest, I like it more than the original quilt!

It all began with a four-patch idea (for another quilt) which turned into a double four-patch. I had a jelly roll of Moda Richmond Reds fabric that didn’t sell in my fabric destash, so I decided to use it up!

I made four-patch blocks, but they looked too busy and I added black plaid, making it a double four-patch (I think).

I prefer scrappy quilts and to scrap it up even more and to add to the overall size, I found pieces of fabric to use for the large solid blocks. Some pieces are fairly new, but some are older cotton prints, which has always been my preference.

This is the original below…

(Backing in progress)

Once the original quilt top was finished and pinned to the batting and backing (which is pieced), I went to clean and oil my sewing machine before I started to machine quilt it.

And then it happened…

I saw a few dozen leftover four-patch blocks by my machine and thought, what if I sew triangles on these and make them on point?! That will make them bigger and I can probably get a small throw quilt out of them. I took these apart and re-pieced with different prints to make them scrappy.

So I gathered up all the leftover fabric from the first quilt, and started cutting 4” squares, then cutting them diagonally and sewing them on.

I had to pull more fabric to get enough but I managed to find scraps that worked.

During all of this, my pin basted quilt is still on the living room floor. I totally abandoned it!

I arranged all the squares on the floor (on top of the first quilt) and numbered each row before I picked them up. I do this because no matter how careful I am, I get them mixed up or turned sideways.

After all the blocks were sewn together, it was still fairly small. I forget just how much a quilt shrinks when there are so many seams! Again, I gathered every bit of scraps from this project and cut strips for a border. They are 5” long and vary in width. I added narrow sashing between the blocks and the strip border. 

I ended up piecing a few fabrics just to make them big enough. If you look closely you can see the tiny brown check is pieced, as well as the green floral in the last photo. I also used two fabrics to set this block on point.

I can hardly wait to get both of these quilted! I’ll be back in a couple weeks to share with you.

Take care & God bless,

Lana

P.S. I still haven’t cleaned and oiled my sewing machine. 🥴

From Block Prints to Lavender Sachets

Many years ago, I did a lot of block printing, but most were small designs for cards.

I also used the designs to print on fabric to make lavender sachets for a festival each summer. 

Earlier this year, I had my designs printed on fabric at Spoonflower. I made tons of lavender sachets! They always sell well, but since I made so many, I still have plenty to add to my shop!

You can order directly from me or go to my Honeysuckle Lane Etsy shop. They make lovely little thank you gifts and stocking stuffers. I have 4 designs available: farmhouse, gable barn, Gothic arch barn, and church. Which design is your favorite?

That’s it for today… I hope to have a few things around the house to share with you before much longer.

Take care & God bless,

Lana

Pumpkin Art for Your Home

 

Now’s the time to start easing a few fall items into your decor… or maybe you bring everything out as soon as September arrives!

I usually do a little at a time, so I don’t feel overwhelmed trying to do it all at once.

If you are looking for some unique handmade pieces, I’ve got several things in my shop.

I searched “pumpkins” on my shop homepage and have the link right here for you. Everything has been made by me and is one of a kind.

What do you do for fall? Do you decorate a little or change everything out?

Take care & God bless,

Lana

Pumpkin Pillows are Here!

 

I was looking through my blog for the first time I posted about pumpkin block prints… do you know it was 15 years ago??? The ones below were from my first carvings.

I was making art prints for a festival a few months back and decided to make a few slight changes to my designs. Once I had the pumpkins ready, I thought they’d make fun pillows for fall!

What do you think?

If you’d like a set for your home, you can order them from my Honeysuckle Lane shop.

Did you notice the fall sign in this photo?

The sign was designed by my daughter, Jessica / Simply Jessica and is sold in select Kirklands stores! 

Now, how do you decorate for fall? Do you go all out or add a few touches here and there?

Happy decorating!

Lana

Vintage Velvet Pumpkins

 

I’ve been making vintage velvet pumpkins for several years, and this year is no exception. Over those years I have collected a lot of vintage velvet fabrics and a tub full of wool sweaters for this purpose.

These are so sweet to display individually, but they are wonderful as a collection, too!

If you’d like to see more, visit the Folkart page on my website, Honeysuckle Lane.

Déjà vu - Adding Etsy To My Shop Options - Again

 

Don’t want to bore you, but this is a business update of sorts.
Some of you noticed that I have added items to my Etsy shop recently, so here’s the reason…

I love having my own website, Honeysuckle Lane. And yes, there are expenses such as annual charges for a domain name and annual charges for hosting my shop on Shopify. The Shopify charges are increasing in September. And then there’s always PayPal fees when someone makes a purchase. One more thing is that no one knows my website exists if I don’t constantly blog(which I need to start again), post on Instagram, send newsletters, comment on other blogs and social media accounts, etc. Despite all that, I like being in control of my shop.

However, Etsy can reach scores of customers that I can not easily reach. The downside is Etsy charges so much in fees, fees for every aspect of selling and shipping and being paid. They also promote other shops at the bottom of my page, so I am constantly in competition on my own shop page. Having said all that, I decided to grin and bear it and try selling on Etsy as a secondary source of income. Because their fees take a bigger cut of my sales, some of my items on Etsy will be priced higher than on my website. I wanted to explain that so you would understand.

My handmade business has always been an outlet for me to be creative, but it has always been a source of income to allow me to be at home and available for my kids, parents, and now, grandchildren. Recently, my husband and his brother have had to step down from building houses, which was their job for more than 35 years. They both have had back surgeries and are now helping a local cabinetmaker, so once again, I am trying to keep my business afloat to supplement our income. It’s more than just a hobby, as is the case for many of you.

If possible, I’d love to have shoppers order from Honeysuckle Lane.
But if you prefer to shop on Etsy, you are more than welcome to shop Honeysuckle Lane on Etsy.

All these years I am so appreciative of all of my customers, many of which have been with me from my early days. I am blessed and so thankful for your business and most especially, your friendship.

Take care and God bless,
Lana

Lavender Festival Tomorrow!

Tomorrow’s the day! If you live near Oak Ridge, TN come for a visit! I always look forward to seeing familiar faces… and getting acquainted with new ones! The Lavender Festival began in 1999 and I think I started setting up my booth in 2000 or 2001.

You can find me in my usual spot, on the sidewalk in front of the Ferrell Shop. Be sure to stop and say hello!

See you soon!

Lana

Antique French Letters and Velvet and Gilt Frames

Ooh, la, la! I think love is in the air! I have a small collection of framed love tokens made, ready to gift to a special someone! I know, Valentine’s Day has passed, but love is always in season. And you never need a reason to give something lovely to your wife, mom, sister, best friend, etc.

I’ve collected stacks of letters, papers, receipts, cards, and envelopes over the years. I usually keep my scraps until they are too small to handle, maybe 1/2” in size. So when inspiration strikes, I get out my box of goodies and find my tools and get started.

I’ve collected frames over the years, too. I’ve gone through most of them, but I have always kept back a few favorites for myself. The old velvet frames and the gilt frames are getting harder to find at an affordable cost. I’m hoping to find more soon.

My love tokens are available at Honeysuckle Lane. Come over for a visit and see which is your favorite! 🥰

Thanks for stopping by. I will do my best to post a little more often. I miss my blogging friends!

Lana