Getting Caught Up

Hello Everyone,

 

As always, it was a busy week.  I left early Monday morning and drove to Paradise for my guild lecture on Tuesday, and workshop on Wednesday.  I met up with my sister Gail at the motel, then we headed to Debbie's Quilt Shop in Paradise.  I must be a fabric whisperer since this beautiful selection just happened to follow me home.  I'll be cutting this up for kits and towers for my next show.

 



We arrived at the location for the morning lecture and we got a chance to view the opportunity quilt made by the Ridge Quilter's Guild.  I was so honored when they selected my Heritage pattern as their 2018 opportunity quilt.  If you are interested in purchasing tickets and the chance to win this heirloom quilt, you can contact Ginger.  Her email address is:  gmedbery@hughes.net

There was a full house for my lecture.  All of the women were so kind and welcoming.  There were representatives from the Chico, Oroville and Red Bluff guilds too.  We met so many wonderful people and renewed past friendships.

I got a good chuckle when a woman came up to me after the talk and said I lived up to all the hype!  I spoke at the guild four years ago, and so much of my quilting story has changed and expanded.  This guild gave me my jumpstart into the lecture circuit and I will be forever grateful.  As I told them in my talk, growing up in Paradise gave me roots, their guild gave me wings.

Wednesday I had another full house for the Patchwork Math workshop.  Sorry, no pictures of their work.  We didn't have the space to put up a design wall.  You will just have to take my word for it that the girls were very creative and a fun group.

I was really keeping my eye on the weather as a storm was predicted.....a cold storm with low snow levels.  I was going to spend Wednesday night in Paradise, but thought better of it and headed for the cabin after the workshop since I didn't want to get "snowed out".   I arrived home safely much to my relief and Mr. Joe's relief.....Mazey too.  We had about 5" of snow and the temperature has been down to 14 degrees.  Now we have Sierra cement.

I finished up all of the accounting for the week and found some time to quilt.  The little Eagle's Nest blocks have been so much fun to make.

Next week I'm headed to Livermore to teach at In Between Stitches on Monday and Tuesday.  I get to see "my girls"!!  I'm so excited because we have so much fun together.  I also get to see all of my kids and grandkids.  We'll go see the little boys play flag football and we'll watch a baseball practice.  As you can see, it's another full week of activity.

Soon,
Lynn

On The Road Again

 

Hello Everyone,

 

I finished another Eagle's Nest block yesterday.  I have several more cut out and ready to be sewn together.  This is a 6" block.  Just in case you were wondering, the flying geese finish at 3/4" x 1 1/2".  They are tiny but mighty when they are grouped together.  I use a Bloc Loc ruler for trimming.  In my opinion, it's the only way to go. 

 



If you click at the Virtual Classroom page at the top of my blog, you can find my tutorial for Flying Geese four-at-a-time.

Today I'm packing up the quilts and preparing for my lecture and workshop at the Ridge Quilters Guild in Paradise, CA......my hometown where I spent the first 20 years of my life.

 

Paradise is located in the foothills about 100 miles north of Sacramento.  It had a population of around 4,400 when we moved there in the early 1950's from the San Francisco Bay Area.  You knew just about everyone in town and we couldn't get away with anything! 

 



This is back in the day when you got S&H Green Stamps after you filled up your tank of gas back when gas was .25 cents per gallon.  Gail and I got to lick the stamps and put them in the book.  I can still taste them to this day.

 

 

Living in such a small community aided in the development of our active imaginations.  We had a hat for every occasion.  I guess on this day we were traveling the high seas.  I'm wearing our Dad's sailor hat from WWII.  Gail was the captain of our ship.

 

We put a million miles on our saw horses and galloped around the country saving the world from bad guys.  I still have my cap gun that has shot thousands of rounds of caps.  We watched Fury on Saturday morning and of course Roy Rogers & Dale Evans. We soon progressed to an air rifle, then learned how to shoot trap as teenagers. I never shot Gail's eye out, but once she chased me with a pitchfork!  Now that's a weapon of mass destruction and it's a good thing she didn't catch up with me.

 

We were free-range kids with definite leanings to tomboys.  We had the run of 8 acres with a large sledding hill in the winter, and two streams to splash in during the summer.  There were berries to pick, a chicken coop for a clubhouse, and a barn to store our trusty sawhorses.  Life was good.  This is all part of my lecture as I time travel back and tell my story through my quilts to the present day. It's a hoot!

Excuse me while I go find my trusty sawhorse and ride off into the sunset to save the world.

Soon,
Lynn

 

Hello Everyone,

 

Long time no hear from me.  I survived the quilt show in Folsom last weekend.  Came back home and took care of all the inventory, accounting and filled orders.....then I got sick.  It seems that I'm getting sick after every show.  I visit with hundreds of quilters during the show....and I'm a hugger.  I guess I need to start taking Airborne weeks prior to a show and try to build up my immune system.

 

Yesterday was the first day that I felt good enough to get off of the couch and into my sewing room.  I'm working on the design for the quilt that I'm teaching on the quilt cruise to Alaska in July.  This block is called Eagles Nest.  The quilt is going to contain blocks with names pertaining to Alaska.  I'm also converting all of the directions to Patchwork Math components.  These are my first two test blocks.  I'll get some more completed today if I can stay awake and concentrate.  Yesterday the cold medication was interfering with my normal thought process.  Mr. Joe might have a bone of contention that there is a normal thought process in my noggin!

I have a busy week ahead. My plan is to dig my way out (snow is predicted Sunday night) of the cabin on Monday, and head to Paradise to speak to the Ridge Quilters' Guild on Tuesday with a Patchwork Math Workshop on Wednesday.  I'm going to baby my throat all weekend and not say a peep for two days.  Insert pictures of Mr. Joe doing back flips here.  Maybe I should just carpet bomb him with emails all weekend. 

In reality, Mr. Joe has been making me soup, or buying chicken soup from the local Chinese restaurant.  He's been keeping the cabin extra warm, and has been very attentive.  He's a keeper. 

So I will keep on, keeping on and see all of the good people in Paradise next week.

Soon,
Lynn

 

Country Sunshine is Available Now!

Hello Everyone,

 



Country Sunshine made her debut in the quilt show at Folsom this past weekend.  She broke out of Folsom Prison and made her getaway into my car, and is now ready to travel the world via my Etsy site as a pattern.    

Sorry, it's early here and I get a little goofy before my first cup of coffee.  I've been humming Folsom Prison Blues all morning and I just can't get rid of the ear worm.

 

Gail and I had so much fun at the quilt show in Folsom over the weekend.  We met so many wonderful people!  We received and gave out many hugs.  You have absolutely know idea how much we appreciate your kind words which buoy our spirits and keep us going the entire 3-day show.  Many thanks to our friend Jeanne who helped us too.  Laughter is the best medicine, and we giggled our way through breakfast on the last day of the show.  By day three, we were all a little disoriented.....especially Gail!

Here's Gail, perched on her stool by her beloved cash register.  We always played store as kids......she still loves to play store!  She didn't have much time to spend on her stool.

This is me manning my battle station......I mean my demonstration table.  I talked my way through the show and never lost my voice.  I demonstrated Patchwork Math and how to make hexagon blocks for Grammy Squares.  I've lectured at almost every guild around the Folsom area, and now, many quilters own a copy of Patchwork Math.  I'm trying to dispel math phobia one quilter at a time.....and it's working!

Yesterday was my day to regroup and renew.  I got caught up on my show accounting and product inventory, mailed Etsy orders, and took a nap.  Today we are filling a large order for Keepsake Quilting.  The quilting fun never ends!

So, if you are interested in making your own Country Sunshine, or any of my patterns, they are available by clicking HERE.  I personally fill every order.  Mr. Joe and Mazey always take them to the post office, and give the patterns a nice send off as they start their journey across the country and the world.  Our little cottage industry is a family operation.  Mazey now recognizes the words, "You wanna go to the Post Office?"  She's such a smart girl.

Soon,
Lynn

Morning Quilt Show

Hello Everyone,

 

A very poor Internet connection at the hotel didn't leave me much time for a post.  Here are some pictures of the show in Folsom.  It's a great show!

 

Here's my Heartfire pattern.

Linda stopped by to show me her spectacular super-sized Country Charmer!  It is phenomenal.

I was so happy to meet so many of you at the show who read my blog!  What a treat.

And we're off to the show again.  We will be packing up this afternoon and heading for home.

Soon,
Lynn

Let the Shopping Begin

Hello Everyone,

 

Yesterday was a looooong day as we prepared our booth for the quilt show in Folsom, CA.  My sister Gail, Mr. Joe,  and I left the cabin at 9am with three, fully-loaded SUVs full of quilty stuff, and one dog for the show in Folsom.  For us, Folsom is a beautiful 2-hour drive through the countryside.  No freeways, mainly a 2-lane road through rolling hills and farmland.  It's a beautiful drive.

 

Set up began at noon sharp, not one minute sooner, and we turned an empty space into a haven to sit back and enjoy.  But we were too tired to enjoy it for too long. 

I want my booth to look like my living room, cozy, and comfy.  I've had quilters ask if they could bring in an armchair and just sit.

I always put my little note cards on the antique portable desk.  You never know when you might want to send someone a letter.

Set up needed to be completed by 5pm.  We dashed to our hotel and cleaned up to be more presentable for the Guild's Preview Party beginning at 6:30pm.  Each member is encouraged to bring a friend and they shop until they drop, (and we drop) until 8:30pm.

We staggered, I mean gracefully walked to our cars and drove back to the hotel and literally fell into bed.  We tried to watch some of the Olympics.  We really tried, but I kept flinching every time a skater fell on the ice.  Each flinch woke me up, so off with the TV. 

I will be demonstrating in this area for the next three days, or until my voice gives out, whichever comes first.  I'm demonstrating Patchwork Math, and quilting with hexagons.....or whatever people asked me to show.  I have to be on my toes and pretend that I know what I'm talking about!  Do you know how hard it is to act, and speak with any sort of intelligence for three days!  By Sunday I will be a babbling idiot.

Here's a wide screen view of the booth.  First thing this morning, after multiple cups of coffee, and an Aleve, we will restock from last nights two-hour shopping spree.  Once the crowds start to arrive, we will forget our aches and pains, and enjoy chatting with the quilters and non-quilters alike.  It's amazing how many non-quilters come for the show just to enjoy the works of art.

Come on by if you can and give us a hug.  We love seeing all of our quilting friends, and meeting new quilters.  Your comments and love keeps us buoyed throughout the day.

Soon,
Lynn