Quilts and Cars

Hello Everyone,

 

Just a few more pictures from the quilt show.  Quilt Sue and I walked down to the nursery with Zinnie yesterday and strolled through the park-like setting.

 

It was a bit windy and the quilts waved to us as we walked by.

My friend Barbara, made this Madrigal quilt.

Before going to the quilt show, we went to the car show in downtown Livermore.  We are only 50 miles from San Francisco and Quilt Sue showed her allegiance to the home team.

 

 

If you want to have a chuckle this morning, go to Quilt Sue's blog HERE so you can learn about her driving lesson in Mr. Joe's 1956 Ford Crown Victoria.....or Miss Vickie as we call her.

 



Nancy from Nancie Anne Quilts and her husband Wayne made it down to Livermore from Idaho yesterday.  They left their goats in Sacramento.....darn.  Zinnie was looking forward to some new playmates. We failed to take a picture of us around the dinner table.  They will be with us for the next couple of days, so we will have the opportunity to snap a picture.

We are heading up to the mountains to give Quilt Sue a chance to see some different scenery and experience the majesty of the Sierras.  I think she will be impressed.

Soon,
Lynn 

Quilting in the Garden 2013

Hello Everyone,

 

Another full day for us here in Sew'n Wild Oaks Country.  Quilt Sue and I were up at the crack of dawn and started getting ready for our day at Quilting in the Garden.

 

Sue had her PICK FOUR book signing today in her booth right next to the In Between Stitches booth.

Words cannot describe the beauty of the quilts suspended from the old oak trees, so I'm not going to stop talking, and just let you scroll through the pictures.

Sandy Klop was the featured artist this year, and some of the quilts in the collage were made by Sandy.  She displayed 100, yes 100 of her quilts!  Can you spot the Country Charmer and Buttonwood made by my friend Barbara in the collage?

 

 Susan Else was another featured artist.  Her fabric sculptures were incredible.

 

Today we are headed back to the quilt show for another look-see, then we are off to the car show in downtown Livermore.  Blocks of the downtown area are closed to traffic to make room for over 700 cars dating prior to 1974.  Quilt Sue will be living the American Graffiti movie today.  Poodle skirts and saddle shoes anyone?  (We had to explain to her what a poodle skirt and saddle shoes look like.)  More fun is on the agenda for us today.  News of our day will be posted tomorrow. 

 

Soon,

Lynn

Driving Lessons

Hello Everyone,

 

Yesterday was our first day that Quilt Sue and I could really relax and enjoy each other's company.  After we went to a quilting and sewing exposition, we packed up a picnic lunch and went to a local winery.

 

Our 6-year-old grandson Jess, and his Mom and Dad came over for dinner and had the pleasure of meeting Sue. Jess thought it would be a good idea to give her driving lessons......on his remote-controlled boats.

 

I don't want to say that she failed miserably......but Jess was driving rings around her.

 



Speaking of driving, we put Sue up front in the passenger seat for all of our little trips around town.  Our passenger seat is the equivalent to her being in the drivers seat at home.  I love to sit in the back and watch her flinch when Mr. Joe makes a left-hand turn.  She stomps on the brakes very well sometimes!  No screams yet, the Brits are very good at controlling their emotions.

Lots of excitement is in store for today.  We are headed out early to set up the In Between Stitches booth for Quilting in the Garden.  Sue will get a chance to wander through the nursery and gaze at the 200+ quilts hanging from the oak trees before her Pick Four book signing begins at 11am. 

More excitement tomorrow too.  Nancy from Nancie Anne Quilts will be joining us for a few days.  Nancy is driving down from Idaho......with their goats.  I leave you to ponder that!  Check out Nancy's blog if you are a bit curious.

Soon,
Lynn

Another Day at the Nursery

Hello Everyone,

 

It was another beautiful day at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore.  Blue sky, sunshine, and a room full of wonderful quilters.

 

Sue and I took a brief break in "our thrones" at the nursery.

While we were eating our lunch, the Alden Lane staff came into the classroom and decorated the walls with quilts in preparation for the show this weekend.  Sue's class was a huge success.  Visit her blog HERE to see more pictures of her day of teaching.

Here's just a mini sample of the 200+ quilts that will be on display around the nursery both inside and outside.

The featured artist this year is Sandy Klop from American Jane.

 

I'll leave you today with these wonderful sayings posted on the oak trees.

 



Today is a free day for us.  We are planning a picnic at a winery and a general rest and recoup day.  Tonight I'm going to prepare a home-cooked meal for Sue.  We've been so busy I haven't had any time to spend in the kitchen.....until today!

Quilts are our art, our passion, our obsession and part of our circle of life. Our circle just got bigger and now includes a new friend called Sue.

Soon,
Lynn

The Queen Sitting on the Throne

Hello Everyone,

Here is Quilt Sue relaxing at Alden Lane Nursery the day after her long flight.  I let her take a brief break during my class.

We hit the ground running at 9am.  Quilters from all around the Bay Area and the Central Valley gathered in the fabulous classroom at Alden Lane Nursery for a day of quilting.  I've learned over the years that everyone learns and retains material in different ways.  This time I used a PowerPoint Presentation with many visuals that the class could refer to, in addition to their Patchwork Math book.

We also broke out in individual groups for hands-on directions.

We had lots of room with great lighting.

 

 

As promised, my class had lunch with Alex Anderson's class.  This is Alex, Sue and me during our lunch break. 

The nursery has fantastic oak trees.  Hundreds of quilts will be on display in the trees this Saturday and Sunday which is quite a sight to see.

We enjoyed our lunch on the patio right outside my classroom door.

Lunch was delicious!

After lunch it was time to get back to work and my girls worked hard all day long!  We worked our way through five of the components from the formulas to the piecing techniques.  They were so creative and arranged their quilting components in many, many different and beautiful variations.  The blocks are using many of the same components and they all look entirely different!

This component was an "oppsy" and we loved it! 

The girls were an absolute joy!  They far exceeded my expectations in what they could accomplish in one day.  They were fun, creative and they were absolutely delightful.  My sister Gail and Sue circulated throughout the class the whole day and they were a tremendous help to me.   We had a wonderful day spent with old friends and making many new friends.  Thank you all for being so special and making my job so easy.

Sue is teaching today.  She didn't heckle me once during my class, so I guess I'll will have to reciprocate today and behave myself. Both Gail, Joe and I feel like we've known Sue forever.  She's so much fun and we are making wonderful memories together.

Soon,
Lynn

The Queen Has Arrived!

Hello Everyone,

Just dashing off a quick note to let you know that Quilt Sue arrived safely from England yesterday.  We've already become fast friends.  I'll post pictures of us tomorrow.

This morning we are off to Alden Lane Nursery for my Patchwork Math class.  Sue, and my sister Gail are going to be lovely assistants for the day. 

If anyone is interested in purchasing the Patchwork Math book, they are available HERE. 

We will grab a quick bite to eat, (I bought some English Muffins for Sue) and then we are off to the classroom at Alden Lane Nursery.  I just found out yesterday that my class will be eating lunch with Alex Anderson and her class.  How fun is that!  We will be rubbing elbows with lots of quilting royalty today.

Wish me luck today.  There's always a few quilting nerves when I present a new class.  Lots of pictures tomorrow......I promise.

Soon,
Lynn