~ Lakehouse Drygoods Fabric Look a likes ~

 As you all know I'm a sucker for bright and happy quilts. Many of my quilts feature fabrics that are by a fabric company that is longer in business, LakeHouse Drygoods.  LakeHouse Drygoods was owned by two wonderfully talented ladies, Pam Vieira- Mcginnis of Pam Kitty Morning Blog and Holly Holderman that seems to have stopped all activity on social media.  These fabrics can still be found if you search hard, dig deep in the internet and your purse.  Every once in a while a print will pop up on Etsy or Ebay that I don't have in my stash.  So what can you do if you love these brights but can't find them, or more often for me, can't afford the out of print fabrics?  The answer is simple, find a look a like!  Pictured below on the left is Backyard Roses by Nadra Ridgeway for Riley Blake.  It too is a few years old but you can still find some fat quarters and yardage for sale if you're willing to search.  Nadra is still designing so keep an eye out for her up coming lines.

Nadra's current line on the market is Mon Bleau Jardin.  With a quick google search I found a fat quarter bundle on Etsy.  There was also some yardage and smaller precuts.  This is one I don't have in my stash so if you want it you better get it quick before I change my mind...LOL!

Some of Nadra's past lines that you can search for are Bloom and Bliss.  I have a few of these but not the whole line.  The trick to searching is to do it often.   Doing a  Google search will bring up those who paid Google to be at the top of the list, so dig deep in Google.  Which means going to more than just the first page of the search.  I once found Lakehouse on Pg. 16 of Google search, a little shop in Ohio, $4.50 a yard!  I bought almost all of it!

Arbor Blossoms is another great line by Nadra.  Sadly I have none.  Good luck with the search and dig deep.  In my quick search for writing this blog post I found very little in the first two pages of a Google search.  A little yardage but no precuts.

Another excellent look a like choice is Flower Sugar by Lecien.  Any Flower Sugar you find would work great.  It's easier to find than some of the fabrics I've mentioned.  Etsy and Ebay both have quite a few.  The downside of Lecien fabric is it's from Japan so the price can be a little higher sometimes, especially when it's new.  Playing the waiting game of letting the prices fall is a risky game.  I've missed out on many great fabrics by playing the odds.  All lines of Flower Sugar play well with Lakehouse Drygoods.  I was gifted a small bundle of these last year.  They are even more precious to me than the Lakehouse because I have so few in the stash.  The bundle below is still available in several online stores.  The first one that came up in my search was Fat Quarter Shop.

And later this month they have new Flower Sugar line coming out!  Woohoo!  Look at this cutie bundle!  Did you know you can sign up to be notified when it comes in stock on the Fat Quarter Shop website?  By signing up for the in stock notification you are NOT required to purchase them.  They will send you an email with a link to the product.  At that time you can buy it or not the choice is yours.  Click here if you would like to give this feature a try on Fat Quarter Shop Website.

I saved the best for last.  Why is it the best?  Because it's still pretty easy to find.  So I ordered a bundle this morning!   Hand Picked by Tammie Green for Riley Blake.  I found several different sites with this in stock.  Mine was order from a shop on Etsy.  It was the last bundle, but I found another good buy on Missouri Star Quilt.  

Before ending this blog post I want to address online shopping vs local quilt shop shopping.  By all means support your local shop.  I purchase locally whenever possible.  The issue I have is the local quilt shops around me don't carry what I want or need.  Recently I went in one of the local shops asking for a specific Lori Holt fabric. I was told they didn't carry it and it would be best if I ordered it online because they tried the Lori Holt thing and it didn't work for them.  Really?  You're turning down my business?!  

Here's the other issue.  Quilt shops buy what's hot, what's trendy and what will sell fast.  My color pallet isn't the trend, or so they say.  If this were true why do so many ask where I find these amazing lines of fabric?  And why do they sell out so quickly online?  So I buy my fabric where it's available and for me it's online more often than not.

My latest pattern using Lakehouse Drygoods and few of the mention above is Bluebirds and Blossoms.  This little quilt was an inspirational piece designed when I needed a break from the work side of designing.  All of the applique fabrics were small bits from the scrap bin.  It finishes at 

24 x 24.  The pattern is available in my shop as both a PDF instant download and a mailed paper copy.  Click here to go to my shop.

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#podunkpretties