Traveling with The Sewing Workshop started when I still had the sewing school in San Francisco. There was a student there who had a sister who lived in Italy and was in the travel business. We decided to offer a tour in Italy just to test the waters. Well, it was very successful and it set the standard for what was to come. When I look back, it is still one of my all-time favorite excursions.

We were mostly in northern Italy visiting a farm where women sit together and knit baby sweaters, a manufacturing facility weaving matelassé bedspreads, a felt hat maker using all of those wonderful old wooden hat blocks, a silversmith molding pitchers and other household pieces in silver and other metals, and shopping in Siena where I was inspired by a blouse in a shop which ultimately became the Siena Shirt in our pattern collection.

My daughter, Alex, and Betsy Blodgett, our marketing expert, now organize the trips for The Sewing Workshop. We usually have one major trip overseas per year and then we do other domestic workshops throughout the year.

For several years, we went to southern France, about an hour north of Toulouse to a place called Chateau Dumas. I fell in love with the whole experience. We would fly into Toulouse and make our way to the chateau where we would set up shop in a separate studio space on the property. There we would sew for a week. It was heaven - an uninterrupted sewing time with like-minded women from all over the US (and other countries) in a peaceful setting with fabulous food. We visited the famous market on Sunday in the medieval commune of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. If only I could have taken home the beautiful fruits and vegetables, the fresh bread and the homemade crafts. I did manage to being home something every year. My favorite is a black and white porcelain pot.

I have made the acquaintance of Mandy Pattullo, a vintage textile artist from northern England.

You can find out more about her in one of my previous Substack articles. On one trip, she was the instructor so she went to the market with us. She and I went into an old musty antique shop. She spotted a very small beaded bag and told me to buy it. I would never have noticed it, but of course, it is precious now that I have it and look at it periodically. One of the best revelations from that trip is watching her buy perhaps the ugliest pale blue semi-dirty bedspread. She sat for the next week unpicking it (I love that word instead of ripping) only to discover several layers of old bedspreads with pieces that would go into her art. She definitely knows what to look for.

Read more

One of our first experiences was decorating Alex’s first apartment in Cleveland in 2013. She had already ordered and received the major pieces of furniture from CB2 (a cheaper version of Crate and Barrel). I flew into Cleveland on a Friday night and off we went on Saturday to look for things that finished the space. Our first stroll was to walk by an Anthropologie store. In the window was a fantastic wall piece of a three-dimensional vintage half bird cage mounted on a collage of wonderful old fabrics. Even though it was part of their window display, they sold it to us. That set the stage for the “look”.

The next stop was at Arhaus where we spotted a vintage-looking bird cage floor lamp and a silver leaf side chest. We filled in with the lamp sitting on a tray covered in a hand embroidered linen cloth stitched by Maira Kalman.

In the old days, there was nothing better than a trip to Pier I. I am sorry to say that they are no longer in business. But while it lasted, it was a favorite. We walked in and found a floor length mirror with a hand painted frame.The problem became, “How were we going to get it to her apartment?” We certainly couldn’t get it in a car.” As we walked out of the store, mirrorless, we saw a Home Depot next door. We knew we could rent a truck for a short term. So here we are, two females, dressed pretty nicely driving a dirty truck and we only had 45 minutes to get to and from her place. We make it, laughing all the way!

Read more

The original sign which is still there today. They still have carhops.

Photos of the grand opening and the price of a hamburger - $.25.

Read more

I have used all sorts of fabrics from remnants from garment sewing to upholstery scraps picked up at odd place. Ribbons, tassels, and trims are favorites of mine, and finally, I had a use for them.

Here are the books that I wrote that include pillows. I tried to make each book different until I ran out of ideas. Yes, you can buy a pillow for $11.00 at a home goods store, but nothing is as satisfying as making your own that has a personal touch and finishes a room. It’s the best gift you can give someone and who cares about the cost?

All of these books are discontinued but still available through ThriftBooks and other used books sellers.

Read more

Spitalfields consisted mainly of fields and nursery gardens until its development in the late 17th century. The main local industry at that time was weaving, and many of the weavers were Huguenot refugees from France. Spitalfields’ historic association with the silk industry was established by French Protestant (Huguenot) refugees who settled in the area after the Revolution of the Edici of Nantes in 1685. Over time, as silk and other woven cloths were introduced in cheaper versions, the area became a slum.

Today, Spitalfields is a lively East End area, home to artists, creatives, and a large Bangladeshi community. Brick Lane is lined with curry houses but the area is also known for street art, quirky shops, and trendy bars. Victorian Spitalfields Market sells crafts and fashion, and nearby restaurants cater to lunchtime city workers. The 18th-century Christ Church Spitalfields, in the heart of the area, hosts concerts and art exhibitions.

A shop called Town House located at 5 Fournier St. in East London and right across the street from the famous Christ Church Spitalfields, specializes in both unique antiques and contemporary art (just my kind of establishment!). They were kind enough to treat us to coffee and cakes in their cafe in the back of the shop. But of course, I managed to look at their selection of fascinating things to sell in the main part and the dark and dank basement of the store.

Read more

Read more

I love everything I ever chose, mostly contemporary, colorful and large. I think that many people buy and hang art that is too small. Pieces get lost on a wall (plus they hang them too high) and make no impact in the design of a room. If you look at the great interior magazines such as Elle Decor, Architectural Digest or Interior Design, almost all artwork is really big and you study it. It doesn’t have to match anything. In fact, it’s better if it doesn’t. Art is very personal. You should buy what speaks to you either as a story or it sparks a memory or it just makes you feel good.

So now that I have put in a plug for large art, I want to tell you about a small piece that I have. It is hanging in my home in a small hallway on the only wall that is large enough to hold it.

Sometime in the 70’s, I was in Chicago, and I passed a gallery that was showing drawings by John Lennon. I think that most of us associate that name with the mega rock star with the Beatles. So I went into the gallery and fell in love with a piece named “Suitors” and bought it. I don’t remember that it was a whole of money but was a stretch for me at the time.

A chop signature is a traditional stamp, or seal, used in China, Japan, and Korea to authenticate documents and artwork in place of a handwritten signature. Typically hand-carved from stone, jade, or metal, these seals are pressed into a, usually red, viscous oil-based ink.

As the story goes, before John Lennon became famous as a musician, he attended the Liverpool College of Art in England for three years. He was known for drawing people with physical afflictions as well as including his offbeat humor.

He met Yoko Ono at a gallery showing of hers in 1966 in London. They were married in 1969. He produced 14 lithographs for the “Bag One” suite (the Lennon Estate). They were packaged in a white leather designer bag which you can now buy from a couple of sources such as Sotheby’s for a mere $7000.00. Each lithograph was printed in editions of 300. The prints celebrated his married life with Yoko Ono from the “Bed-in for Peace” in Amsterdam to his domestic bliss when he stayed home to care for their infant som, Sean. Eight of them were confiscated by the police for being too indecent.

The “Suitors” piece, which I have, is part of the suite. John said that men always wore masks when talking to women, and he believed that women had to see behind the mask to see the true person.

To promote John’s work after his death in 1980, Yoko decided to hand color some of the lithographs for which she was criticized. She didn’t want anyone else to do it after his death. She tried to color them in such a way that the color is not overwhelming, that it wouldn’t destroy the original touch. Obviously, mine is hand colored, which I love.

You can own pieces of art for many years and not really look at them. The other day, I was looking at a shelf of bric-a-brac in my home and noticed a sculpture piece that I have owned for at least 45 years and never really looked at.

It reminded me of the Lennon lithograph in that there are two figures (female) facing each other and engaged in a conversation with a single female figure off to the side facing forward. My interpretation is that this is a take on the cruelty of women who gossip about someone while the lone person is off to the side and not invited into the conversation. I would love to know what the artist intended. While there is not a real relationship between the two pieces of art, the composition and the meanness that is expressed in both. It’s a good reminder to not talk about anyone in a mean way.

Cheers to having fresh laundry,

~LL

One particular artist stood out as a representative of the pop art scene. His name was Peter Max, now 89 years old and living in the US. He was born in Berlin and his family moved a few times within a period of time in Paris where he was influenced by Fauvism. The artists working in this style of painting emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of Les Fauves, a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over classical realism.

He was the first rockstar-scale artist and was the go-to artist for the leading rock bands in the heyday of the Woodstock era. His career exploded worldwide due to being named the official artist for the Grammys, the U.S. 2006 Winter Olympics team, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the Super Bowl and portraits for six sitting presidents and other world leaders.

Coming to America and seeing the Statue of Liberty influenced a lifelong tribute to the flag, the statue and other patriotic themes.

Early on, I remember falling in love with his work, and I purchased (I wish I could remember where) one of his cookie jars in 1989. The face on the piece is also one of the recurring themes of his work. Since I don’t bake cookies, the cookie jar ended up in my basement and finally into a vacation house in Arkansas. My husband and I sold the house recently, and I discovered that a piece of newspaper tucked inside the cookie jar. It changed how I thought about the jar. I had cut out a New York Times article about charming cookie jars and there written in 2015 listed the Peter Max Zero Cookie Jar from RoGallery.com for $650.00! I don’t know what I paid for it, but I know it was a lot less than listed in the NY Times.

Read more

My mother had a regular accompanist. Her name was Ferris Akey (isn’t that a great name?). Akey’s Bakery served the best nut rolls ever. Unfortunately the recipe went into the ground when Mr. Akey died. I would go along with my mother while they rehearsed. Ferris had the largest Steinway grand piano you can buy that took up almost her entire living room. There was room only for two chairs flanking her fireplace. They were upholstered in chintz, white background with beautiful flowers in bright colors. I had never seen anything so beautiful and have loved chintz ever since.

Read more

I recently wrote an article about her for Threads magazine, Fall 2025, Number 231. The article highlighted the work of 60+ years and featured her working with many well-known designers both in fashion and home interiors. Her most famous book is The Collier Campbell Archive, 50+ years of Passion in Pattern and her latest DIY book is Hand-Painted Textiles, A Practical Guide to the Art of Painting on Fabric. She gives it all away in this book. The article featured lots of exquisite photographs of dresses and other pieces of cloth for various customers, but in this Substack article, I would like to show you some of the photographs that we love but did not make the Threads article.

I love seeing Sarah in her own space. It’s full of color and pattern for which she is famous.

Here are some of our students painting in her workshop.

Sarah’s show and tell is always so inspiring.

And her painted shoes. We all rushed out and bought the store out of Vans. I went through a big shoe-painting phase.

We learned to cut potatoes to use as stencils. And how to use other tools of the trade.

We contracted with Sarah to design two fabrics for us. She named them Pastiche (left) and Little Jazz Bird (right). We used Little Jazz Bird for our new Byrd Blouse pattern. And Sarah designed fabric for Free Spirit Fabrics and illustrated our patterns using her fabrics. She used our Spring St. Blouse, the Hugo Top and Village Bag, the Haiku Two Jacket and West End Pants and the Eureka Top and Six Sense Skirt.

You can tell that we love Sarah Campbell. I hope you will read the Threads article and research her books - and join the fabric painting movement.

I hope everyone has a restful and wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

Cheers to having fresh laundry,

~LL

Read more

Many times I have said to someone, this pattern needs to be made in a drapey silk and they make it up in upholstery fabric, and it’s fabulous.

But there are some guidelines, and I am here to tell you what I know about fabrics after 70 plus years of sewing.

Read more

If there is one thing that stands out for this company, it is the constant reinvention and updating that we do. It started out as a sewing school only in San Francisco, offering everything from beginning sewing to a myriad of interesting classes related to sewing and taught by incredible artisans. Within a few months, I realized that the school was a losing proposition. I loved the place, the concept, the instructors and the students, but there were space constrictions as well as a huge distance problem trying to run a school in San Francisco from Topeka, Kansas, where I live and work. And the travel to and from became more than I wanted to handle.

So we added a pattern collection, something we could do from Topeka to supplement the school and attract people from all over the world who were visiting the area or would travel to take classes from amazing people (frankly, I think we were ahead of the times). The pattern collection grew and the school did not. So I sold the school and took the management of the pattern collection to Topeka, all of which has turned out very well.

After some time of running a pattern collection only, we added an inventory of garment fabrics, notions, kits, and lots of tutorials. We set up a filming studio in our space and that has been amazing with the ability to film tutorials, Q & As, and do livestreams every Tuesday, which has completely changed how we operate. We also had added a sewing membership club called Sew Confident!. This is a program that drives us to produce new patterns and reach into “the vault” to rethink our older patterns that were discontinued and again, ahead of the times.

We are constantly chasing more younger sewers, which is not an easy task. Since Alex (my daughter) has joined the company, she is leading the way to find new customers and is in charge of the Sew Confident! program, among other things.

So you see the evolution of this company, and I have been thinking about more big changes in the future. I have a friend in the floral business. He is my age and a fabulous designer. He told me once that I am the only person he knows who had reinvented herself multiple times. And when I think about it, I think he is right. I am not afraid to make changes.

Alex wanted me to list 5 tips for staying in business. So here they are. Ask me tomorrow and they will probably be different.

Read more

You can read more about my journey with painting in an earlier Substack post, “Fit the room,” they said.

Urban Sketchers, a real movement, was founded by Gabriel (Gabi) Campanario. He is a Spanish journalist and illustrator living in Seattle. He is a journalist for The Seattle Times where he contributes as an artist and a writer to both the printed edition as well as blogs. Urban Sketchers has grown so much that there are now many chapters around the world.

Read more

Paris

#1 - Puffy’s Cookies

Betsy and I have discovered our mutual love for chocolate chip cookies, so it was an elite and dangerous experience to have a cookie shop right next door to our hotel in the 8th Arrondissement. If you’re looking for a warm, doughy, delectable cookie experience with chocolate flavors of all kinds, look no further. I’ve already checked to see if they’d ship to the U.S. Sadly, it’s a no.

#2 - Fashion at the Louvre

Visiting Louvre Couture was a definite highlight, seeing as it was the museum’s first major fashion exhibition. Couture garments were paired alongside objects and displays within the Louvre’s permanent collection. You would turn a corner and be struck by a look that paired so perfectly with the existing historical selection of the gallery. The exhibition features over 200 pieces from the most highly regarded fashion houses and spans from 1960s to the 2020s. Spreading across Napaleon's Apartments, it was a wonderful immersive experience in merging the worlds of fashion and art.

#3 - The perfect rooftop views

Looking for a grand rooftop experience to celebrate your last night in Paris? Visit Perruche, located atop the esteemed Printemps Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement. No reservation? I’ll tell you a little secret. They’ll most likely seat you in the back (it seems it’s where they put the smokers) and it’s like you have your own private aisle with direct views of the Eiffel Tower. Dreamy!

Geneva

This global city became a landing place for me as I ventured off into the French Alps with my mom for a painting class. I spent a total of four days here and seemed to still have money in my bank account and seeing as it’s the most expensive city in the world, I’d say that’s a big win.

#1 - La Bastide Cafe

For some reason I decided it was a good idea to climb up a giant hill in old town to get to this coffee shop everyday. It’s one of my knacks in life — I’m good at finding good coffee. This one had fine coffee but an even better vibe. I sat here one morning and even sketched a scene. It still needs paint, but it was fun!

Read more

Along with that has come an interest in hand sewn embellishments. There are many new designers who are adding simple embroidery stitches to their designs. Umit Unal, a Turkish designer, is one of my favorites. Pick stitches along a collar edge, random cross stitches at the shoulders and long basting stitching in the well of seams, all in white on black, plus subtle appliquéd patches, are just a few of the details he uses.

All of this has lead to many trips to workshops at Alabama Chanin where I learned to love hand embroidery again, and a continued friendship with Nancy Shriber, who established herself as an expert in using traditional Japanese sashiko stitching as her trademark of Contemporary Sashiko, I now look for all kinds of excuses to add hand stitching to my work.

Read more

I don’t think anyone dresses like they do there anywhere else in the country. Suede, fringe, ikat-style motifs on blankets, jackets and bags, boots, silver and hats with wide brims. I found myself getting caught up in that look until I remembered that it’s like going on a cruise, buying a pareo wrap, getting it home to Kansas and saying, “What was I thinking?”

But the real highlight of the trip was the jacket workshop. This year, thirty-one women joined us at La Fonda, a hotel with a rich history which is located on the corner of the central square. Easy for dining, shopping and strolling.

Kathy Davis, a friend and long-time associate, created a series of jackets that basically involve layering fabrics with stitches using both the sewing machine and by hand to create a “new” fabric and texture. Samantha Ploch joined in and created her own set of fractured pieces and it showed how diverse the concept can be. We created a video course named Fractured Jacket Class between the three of us that highlight the three core techniques, starting with simple appliqué techniques and soon moved onto reverse appliqué, strip appliqué. We are finding that more techniques are emerging — serged squares and outside seam techniques. It seems never-ending.

We have now done this class twice in Santa Fe, also in France at Chateau Dumas and Topeka. Every one of them is so different. It’s like it’s in the water. Everyone comes to the class with an idea of what they want to do without having talked to anyone, and amazingly ,there are a lot of people doing the same technique, probably based on a video that we send ahead of time, but of course, nothing looks alike.

Here is the class at work, some finished jackets, and some in-progress projects captured on video. If you want to join our team in Santa Fe in 2026, it will be fun.

Read more

My mother, Adabelle Haughawout (now isn't that a name?), was a music major at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas in 1933. Lindsborg was, and still is, a small town in the middle of Kansas. It was known for its art and music program and its Swedish heritage. Every year, they put on a full production of the Messiah, and they invite famous artists from around the world to come to Lindsborg to sing the solo parts. My mother sang one of the parts while she was there. That's how good she was.

About that time, a new professor from Sweden was recruited to come to Bethany to teach art. Birger Sandzen was just 23 years old when he landed in Lindsborg for what he thought was a short stay and he ended up staying until his death in 1954. It was the open spaces, the sky, the unusual rock formations, the poplar, cottonwood and willow trees and the nearby Rocky Mountains that captured his attention. He had a huge studio in which to work and teach, and it is there that he developed his American impressionistic style that made him famous all over the world.

Since Sandzen could also sing, I am assuming that my mother met him through music. I am pretty sure she never took an art class.

This was the Great Depression. No one had any money. My grandfather owned a feed store in Stafford, Kansas, another small town in the middle of nowhere. So at least he had a job, although he probably bartered and traded and got very little money.

Read more

Read more

I came from a family of hand stitchers and my hobbies as a child were embroidery and needlepoint. Somewhere along the line, I stopped doing any of that. But a few years ago, I made a trip with Alex to Alabama Chanin in Florence, Alabama. There we learned the art of hand stitching on pre-printed stencil designs on knit fabric. The itch to hand stitch came back.

So as we all do, I went down a rabbit hole on the internet to find other professional hand stitchers and teachers. The designers who I discovered that suited my sensibilities were mostly in Europe and the one that stood out was Mandy Pattullo. Mandy is a textile designer working out of a converted manse in rural Northumberland.

Read more