featured blogger:: Susanne Woods from Lucky Spool Media

 I chatted with Susanne Woods from Lucky Spool Media. That is her below. She is one creative lady. Wanna know more about Lucky Spool – read on. read on. You won’t be disappointed.

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Let’s first start out by looking at that logo. I am in love. It is perfect. I love the name too. Lucky Spool. I think we all love our spools and they are lucky to us too. I mean what else helps us make our quilty, crafty. garment making so awesome. Well those spools of thread.

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What makes Lucky Spool Media different than other publishers out there? Well for one they take the time to really get to know the authors and what they would like their book to be, including the contact, the cover, the style, the photographs, the everything. It is their name that will be on the book so how important would it be for the author to really love what they are creating for a book. Super important.

I have interviewed two of the authors, here on the Modern Sewciety Podcast episode 015, who will have books debuted in the Fall of this year. They couldn’t say enough about how great it was to work with Susanne and Lucky Spool. Susanne likes to really take the process of writing a book, editing it, and publishing it seriously. She wants it to be about the story of the author just as much as the content of the book. I love that. I love to learn about others in the creative industry. I mean you all know that from the podcast. I think stories make things more relatable. I think writing a book about your passion is reason to share your story.

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Alison Glass. Oh Alison has hit a home run again. I know this book on appliqué will be amazing. It will be full of rich colors. It will have Alison’s unique style and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I know it will be fabulous!

April Rosenthal has an awesome concept in her book. She has taken one pattern, put it with five different fabrics (styles) for you to mix and match to make your perfect bedroom. I am loving this. We all have different styles and sometimes we love more than one style so a book that shows us how to mix and match them to make something we love. Well people that is perfection. I need a quilt I have made on my bed asap!

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Susanne has compiled a lot of workshops from some of our favorite teachers and put them in a book. We can’t all attend the different things going on in the industry and this will allow us to at least get to attend some of the classes offered. I love this idea because as I have mentioned on the podcast I am not in a season of leaving my family to attend things. I would love to and this book will allow me to learn some of the techniques and classes offered but at home, on my own time. Perfect.

Carolyn Friedlander has a love for taking time to really enjoy the process of sewing and making. In her new book, Savor Each Stitch, she will talk about slowing down to savor each stitch… really being mindful about the process. I really need to do this more often. I need to be more intentional in my making. I really need to get my hands on this book and learn how to do just that. I know Carolyn is perfect person to teach me.

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Shea Henderson from Empty Bobbin Studio has thought about the basics of sewing and how to teach it. I love this idea and I think I am actually going to use this book at my daughter’s school. I think the older kids would love this and it would be like to use it textbook style. Doesn’t that sound fun?!?! And you could also use it with some friends who want to learn to sew or even you if you want some basic lessons. Shea knows her stuff and this book will be amazing!

Scraps… oh we all have them. We all need to find a way to use those savored last bits of the lines we love. What a perfect book for all of us:) A book of blocks to help us use up those scraps.

Keep looking for more to come from Lucky Spool…. so many more awesome books to come.

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Susanne has a blog, Beyond the Kids, that she doesn’t post to much anymore but it is full of inspiration. I think you would enjoy taking a look.

She converted a garage into a studio. So cool. Go HERE to check that out.

Some other articles about Susan that I thought were fun to read and get to know her a little bit better.

http://www.stashbooksblog.com/2010/04/who-am-i/

http://www.craftsy.com/blog/author/susanne/

http://www.everkelly.com/2011/11/editor-interview-susanne-woods/

Interview with Susanne Woods, Craftsy Editor

Go check out Lucky Spool Media. You will love it.

thoughts on the online community, giveaways, and winners

Sometimes I think I need pictures to post on here. I need to have super edited and beautiful pictures. Alas not today just my thoughts. I can’t tell you how awesome this online, especially the sewing, community can be. I have the nicest people that comment and email me about the blog and podcast, people who leave love on instagram, and when I ask for help for the Zeller family so many ask how they can help out. How cool is that?!?! And then I have those that respond to my emails asking them to come on the podcast to chat. I can’t thank them enough. And there is Jennifer that with all she has going on with her own family, blog (Ellison Lane), and Sew South made time to chat about Downton Abbey. I makes me wonder if I am being kind enough to others. If I am doing enough for others. If I am using my talents to help others. I hope so. I really do. I think you guys are so great.

I put up a call for those to help make quilts for the Zeller family on instagram. If you don’t know their story, please read this post. I think we have enough who are going to help but then others wanted to help but not make quilts. I get that. Time is precious and sometimes we just don’t have the extra time. So if you would like to help then shoot me an email. I think showering them with love no matter what we send is awesome. I think pillowcases, doll quilts, pouches, handmade toys, etc would all be awesome to send them. Heck even some embellished hand towels. Every time they would look at these things in their home they will see hope. They will see kindness. They will see color to help brighten their world.

And then there are the people you meet online that you connect with and feel like you are instant friends. I have had that happen a lot lately. Take Julia from My Rainboots are Red. And Nathalie from Nathalie Bearden. And Ellyn from Ellyn’s place who leaves comments on the blog which make my day. I have seriously felt so much love and kindness from each and every one of you. I can’t stop having people on the podcast because there is always someone I want to chat with and get to know a little more. I love getting to know you. I love allowing you to hear your favorite bloggers laugh, voice, and passion. It is so cool. So stay tuned and hold on because there are some awesome people coming on the podcast. I don’t know how I am going to keep up but I will find a way. Somehow. Someway.

If you haven’t entered the giveaway for the Downton Abbey fabric from Andover, please go HERE and enter.

And Shari is the winner of the giveaway from Amy’s Creative Side!!! She won Modern Basics II and Kitchen Stitches. YEA! (Shari I have emailed you)

Okay talk to you guys soon.

Featured Blogger:: Lindsay from Pen & Paint

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That awesome Southern girl up there is Lindsay from Pen and Paint. Yes the Pen and Paint that I can’t get enough of. I think I could swim in her drawings with all of their color and creative yumminess. That totally makes sense, right? RIGHT! So if you listened to podcast episode 14 you heard our chat and learned a little more about her. Today I wanted to share a little bit more about her with you guys.

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I am dying over that logo. I mean I think that is THE BEST logo ever. I mean the color and the different elements. I love it. total logo crush!

Her logo says a lot about her as well. She uses pens and paint to create her artwork. She likes to mix the two but also sometimes using them solo. I love how she is so bold with color as well. She likes to really mix and play with her colors making her art very vibrant and full of life. I am in awe of her talent.

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I always love a good journal. I love to make lists… ha ask my husband he laughs at all of my lists. I love to look back on them. Each of my daughters love to have their own journal. I think these from Lindsay are going to make their way into the girls presents this year. I love them. I think they are fabulous and I love that they have quotes to inspire. Perfect for journaling any kind of notes, sketches, or ideas.

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During our chat on the podcast I loved how she spoke about the above piece. It was one of her most popular and I can tell why. It is amazing. I think this quote is very Lindsay because I think she is doing just this. She finds a way to make sure she is reaching her dreams. I love that. I love that she is so focused but still dreaming. I think all of us and our daughters should have this hanging in our spaces.

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I am seriously swooning this picture. I love the texas canvas you can hardly see up at the top with her other canvases she has in the shop and one with the potential to be anything. Lindsay is the best styler and photographer in my book. She has a great eye for things. She offers these canvases in her shop, Pen and Paint on etsy, so go check them out. They would make a great gift!

Screen Shot 2014-02-27 at 8.00.43 AMAnd last but certainly not least. I hated that I found this when the school year is wrapping up. I will be using it for next year and every year that follows. Lindsay said her husband is a teacher and she thought it would be nice to know what to get her children’s teachers since he always got things he may or may not use. I always think about the teachers and how they must get some pretty random stuff so this would be a great way to get to know the teacher in a cute and oh so helpful way. Again look at that styling. Girl sure does have the gift!

So I hope you all learned more about Lindsay and now I would love for you to go check out her blog, Pen and Paint, and her etsy shop, Pen and Paint. I don’t, well I know, you won’t be disappointed.