Machine Quilting a Small Table Topper

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm still preparing for the Folsom Quilt Show.  The preparations included taking a serious look at what I could realistically finish, and physically pull together over the next week.  This little table topper was put aside after the Paradise fire, so I could work on the fundraiser.  It was time to finish it.

 



I decided this table topper was so small (20" x 20") that I could machine quilt this on my Bernina.  I had the center template, so I marked it on the front.

I drew the outside border on freehand around the pumpkins.

 

Now I'm starting to put kits together for the show.  Aren't they cute!  Now I just have to pull the pattern together.

Now that I have two laser printers going, they have been spitting out patterns at record speed.  Mr. Joe has been able to keep up with his pattern stuffing.  He works on his stack every morning and afternoon.  We are just about done with that process.  Now we have to price all the patterns, books, and product.  This truly is a cottage, mom & pop, industry.

Snow is predicted for the weekend, so I'm trying to get as much done as I can before the storm hits. One of the jobs is organizing everything for the show that is stored in the garage.  I think I may work on that today while the temperature is a bit warmer instead of putting this off until tomorrow.  Once this show is over, I can get back to quilting!  I can't wait.

Soon,
Lynn

P.S. On another note, my granddaughter got her drivers license yesterday.  How did this happen?  I swear she was just a baby a few months ago.  Time goes waaaaay tooooo FAST! What a milestone day.  I remember way back when I got my license.  I also remember when parallel parking was mandatory.  I took my test in a big, old boat of a car.....a 1957 Mercury.  Those were the days.

 

Heritage Photoshoot

Hello Everyone,

 

Friday was a beautiful day at Ironstone Winery in Murphys.  For us, it's just a short 20 minute drive from the cabin down to this quaint area.  Mr. Joe and I met up with Edie, the Independence Hall Quilt Guild Show Chairwomen.  Our goal was to take pictures of Heritage, the guild's scholarship quilt made from my pattern.  This quilt was made by 25 guild members, and machine quilted by Debra Coleman. 

 

When we arrived, both Edie and I realized the quilt didn't have a hanging sleeve on the back, so every picture you see, shows the quilt draped over something.

We got creative with our "draping" skills.  A flower pot is holding the corner on the old truck.  A metal sign is holding up the other end.

 

Ironstone Winery is a destination winery and also the location of the Mountain Heirloom Quilt Faire October 11 to 13th. 

 



 

Ironstone Winery is well known for their display of daffodils in the Spring.  Some of the early birds are getting a jump on Spring.

 

 

This is where I got creative with the pictures.

 

The Independence Hal Quilters have created and raffled quilts since 1976 to raise funds for scholarships for local youth with goals of obtaining a higher education.  To receive a scholarship, the students write an essay, and then go through an interview process with the scholarship committee.

I will be taking the quilt around with me in my travels.  Tickets are $1 each or $5 for six.  All guild members will also be selling tickets. 

I'm still preparing for the quilt show in Folsom, February 8 - 10th.  A three-day show is tough on this old gal.  I'm not the Spring Chicken that I used to be!  I have fat quarter, and fat eight towers coming out of my ears.  My cutting table and I have become one over the past week.  When I get tired of cutting, I sit and fold. 

Mr. Joe has been stuffing patterns into their plastic sleeves, and my pattern bins are full.  I've had the same wonderful HP laser printer since 2009.  It has printed over 300,000 pages.  It decided that it was tired and needed to be retired.  (I know the feeling!)  The printer quality just wasn't up to snuff......so I ordered a new printer. The day the new printer arrived, the old one decided to start working again.   I now look like a total geek with four printers set up in my office.  Two Inkjet, and two Laser printers. I have become the printing fool!  Poor Mr. Joe has paper cuts on his paper cuts!  Better him than me since I don't want to bleed on my fabric towers!  I know, I'm all heart.

Soon,
Lynn

Winner #2

Hello Everyone,

 

I'm am so happy to announce that Carolyn, from Independence Hall Quilt Guild, won my Emilie Elizabeth quilt from my Fundraiser for Paradise.  I was thrilled that someone I knew personally was a winner.  As you recall, Carolyn's number was drawn by one of the members of the Ridge Quilting Guild in Paradise last Tuesday.  I took the quilt to my guild meeting yesterday and made the announcement.  (Please note that my shirt, scarf, and snow boots all match!)

 



I'm still preparing, and will be preparing for my booth at the quilt show in Folsom next month.  I got this brainstorm the other night to make Fat 1/8th Flowers.  I have 61 fat 1/8's tied up together to look like a flower.  It is so much easier to display the fabrics this way.  They also stand up on their own. I was going to put them in a terracotta flower pot, but this way is more colorful.

I'm off to Quail's Nest Quilt Co. tomorrow to teach Cute as a Button.  I get to spend my day with quilters instead of folding fabric in front of the TV.  My day will be much more inspiring with the quilters!  If you are interested in taking the class, give Susan a call at the shop.

Enjoy your day creating something beautiful.

Soon,
Lynn

 

Kit Making at the Cabin

Hello Everyone,

 

This has been a busy week!  I taught at Cloth and Quilts in Hilmar on Monday.  I was in Chico with the Paradise Guild on Tuesday.  The rest of the week I spent preparing for the quilt show in Folsom.  Here is the start of some kits for my Cute as a Button pattern.

 

I had three yard cuts of fifty different fabrics.  I had stacks of fabrics in my quilting room just waiting in the wings to be cut.

I cut the yardage into fat quarters, fat eights, and 2-1/2" strips until the cows came home.

I started packaging the kits first.

 

The kits will be at the Folsom Show only.  If there are any kits left, I will put them on my ETSY site.

 



Here's a link to the Folsom Quilt Show.  It's my biggest quilt show of the year, and I need to be ready for it!

This Wednesday, I'm teaching Cute as a Button at Quail's Nest Quilt Co. in Sonora.

So, another busy week ahead preparing for the show and finishing up a few other projects. 

We are supposed to get some snow tonight.  All of the other storms have only included torrential rains and howling winds.  We had power outages, and overflowing gutters full of pine needles.  Last week, Mr. Joe went out to the garage to make sure the snow blower was up to snuff.  He pulled the rope which immediately came off in his hand.  It is truly amazing what you can find on YouTube.  He watched a video about snow blower repair, and we are now back in business.  I might add we are back in business with a minimal amount of swearing at an inanimate object! 

You can go to YouTube and find me there by clicking HERE.  All of my Patchwork Math classes are available to you all the time.....always free.  Get your popcorn, hot cocoa, and watch some quilting videos on this snowy day......if you have power or a generator!

Soon,
Lynn 

And the Winner is.......

Hello Everyone,

And the final winner is.......I don't know yet!  Here is why.

I went to the meeting of the Ridge Quilters Guild on Tuesday.  My friend Kaaren and I left Arnold at 5am to get to the guild meeting in Chico by 9am.  We drove into the parking lot at 9:05am. Kaaren's role was to be a smiling face at the guild.  More importantly she went along for the ride to keep me awake!  We met up with my sister Gail at the meeting.  She had a three hour drive to the meeting.

I was asked to put a short talk together about my fundraiser for the residents of Paradise.  This is my cover slide.  The iconic Paradise sign, burned to the ground during the Camp Fire.  I thought it fitting to begin the talk with the sign and the beautiful view of Butte Creek Canyon which flanks the west side of town.

It was determined ahead of time that the members were going to select the winning numbers.  One number would be selected for each of the two quilts.

Lukie, a member of the Paradise guild was first, and she selected the winning number which belonged to Deborah Juster from Ann Arbor, MI! 

 

I contacted Deborah via email, and this is what she said.

From the moment I sent in the money for the raffle, I knew if by some miracle I won, as much as I would treasure your beautiful quilt, it should really go to someone in Paradise who lost everything.



So one of the quilts will revert back to the Ridge Quilter's Guild, and they will have their own raffle to decide which one of their members who lost everything will get the quilt.  The guild is still working on the details. 

Another guild member selected the 2nd place winner, who just happens to be a member of my guild in Arnold, CA.  I'm going to keep her name secret until our meeting next Monday.  Then I will tell the world who she is, and that she selected my navy blue Emilie Elizabeth quilt to live in her house.  I was so excited to know one of the winners.

During my life as a quilter and designer, I've been very fortunate to be included in many events.  My time spent Tuesday at the meeting of the Paradise Ridge Quilters Guild, is one the highlights of my quilting career.

There was so much positive energy in the room. Yes, there were some tears, but that is okay.  Many of the guild members had not seen each other since the fire.  Before I started speaking, I'd put Kleenex in both of my pockets.  I didn't need them, since the guild members lifted me up with their positive attitude.

 



I love this picture of the woman in the center room with open arms.  That was the theme of the day.  The event was held at the Chico Women's Club. The architecture was beautiful. This is going to be the new home and meeting place for the guild, since their building burned to the ground.

Prior to the meeting, Country Pines Quilt Shop in Susanville, CA delivered around 120 quilts to the guild.  All of the quilts were made by the customers of Country Pines.  Laura, the shop owner, said the quilts were made with love, so surround yourself with it.  Please check out their shop online or in person.  They offer many kits in a great variety of styles.  Their selection of fabric is phenomenal.  I was so "taken" with this shop that I signed up to attend their quilt retreat in May.  I'm looking forward to spending time with the quilters in the Susanville area.

Here's a couple of the members looking at the donated quilts.  How could one decide?

 

The members sat clutching their quilts.

 

 

There were many free items donated to the guild.  My friend Lynnette Pham, made 20 pincushions for the guild members.  By the end of the meeting, the table was empty.

 



 

Of course there was food!  These adorable scissor and thread cookies were delicious.  I speak from personal taste testing.

 



 

Many of the guild members spoke openly about their loss, and their hope for the future.  There were also members who still have their homes, but for now, they are uninhabitable.  There is benzene in the water making it impossible to drink, bathe, or wash dishes.  In most cases there is no electricity, phone service, or Internet.  There are dangerous trees that need to be removed.  The lots need to have all of the hazardous waste removed by the Army Corps of Engineers.  The tasks facing the town of Paradise are monumental before the residents can return. IT IS CRIMINAL what has happened to this little piece of heaven that I called home for 19 years. 

 

I'll get off my soap box now and turn my post back to the fundraiser.

 

There was a total of 3731 tickets sold.  Several people did not want tickets.  They wanted their checks to be a donation.  The final amount collected was:  $19,410!!!!

 

I started the ball rolling, but you, my readers, kept the ball moving at a rapid clip, and made a huge difference in many lives.  I can never thank you enough.

 

This fundraiser has shown me the generous hearts and souls in the quilting community.  There is so much goodness in the world.  I feel so lucky to be a small part of it.

 

I still have more funds to distribute.  In talking with the guild, we have established plans on the best way to distribute the remaining money to help the most amount of people.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you all. 

 

Remember, Paradise and Butte County Strong!

 

Soon,

Lynn

 

P.S.  Over lunch, one of the guild members was telling us about a Face Book page where people were asked, "What was the dumbest item you took with you when fleeing the fire?"  One woman said she took her Spanx.......then at least she would look skinny while sifting through the debris!  I think her sense of humor will get her through this.

 

P.S.S.  This post is late because our power has been on and off for two days due to a huge storm sweeping through our area.

 

 

 

 

 

Huckleberry Hill Sashing

Hello Everyone,

 

I just wanted you to know that I haven't been idle this week.  I've been working for a few minutes here and there on the setting for Huckleberry Hill.....my newest pattern-to-be.

 

I started making the checkerboard as the border.  When I put it on the design wall during class, I thought wait a minutes.  Wait one cotton pickin' minute!  I thought this must might work as my sashing.  There will be a blue star in the center area.  The fabric is called Star-Spangled Liberty by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics.  This quilt is going to be a fun one to display throughout the Summer months.

Now what do I do for the borders?  Most of my patterns start out with some semblance of a plan, and that plan quickly morphs into something else.  I've learned to just go with the flow of ideas that never seem to leave my brain.

I'm off to Cloth and Quilts today to teach Cute as a Button.  Quilting Digest posted a picture of it again on their FB page and their website.  I've been very busy filling orders from my ETSY site!

On Tuesday I'm off to Chico to meet with the Ridge Quilters Guild.....the quilters from Paradise.  The members will draw the winning numbers for my fundraising raffle.  I will do an entire post dedicated to the raffle when I return home.

Soon,
Lynn

Sew'n Wild Oaks Class Was In Session

Hello Everyone,

 

I spent the beginning of the week with "my girls" at In Between Stitches in Livermore.  We gather together once a month for two days.  As always, they have been very busy quilting since we last met.

 

Valery totally finished her Cute as a Button table topper.  She bought one of my kits during my retreat, and here is the beautiful result.  I am in the process of making more kits and I'll post pictures of them when I'm finished.

 

Melody used scraps from her stash to make her adorable version of Cute as a Button.

Kristi is in the beginning stages, and is starting to assemble her little nine patch blocks for the quilt.  She is tapping into her stash of Jo Morton fabrics.

Rhonda brought in her blocks for Country Sunshine.  Just six more, and she's finished with the time consuming process.

Valery is also working on her Country Sunshine blocks which she is making out of her batik stash.  Another beautiful quilt in the making.

Susan is going to have a very attractive table runner when she is finished.

Barbara is making Nut Crackers for a table runner for next Christmas.

There is so much wonderful detail in each one of her men.

Her choice of fabrics is all from her stash too.

She enjoys making her "men" so much, she's decided to make a Nut Cracker of the month quilt.  Here is Mr. February.

Suzanne dazzles each month with a new block completed in wool.  Wonderful, decorative stitching!

Kristi is also making more use of her Jo Morton scraps in this striking quilt.

Isn't this bag cute!

Barbara is making this quilt which she named Psychedelic Singers.  Again she's tapped into her stash for her creation.

Melody is make mermaids.

Marti finished a quilt for her granddaughter.  Very classy.

Here's the back of this beauty.

Rose is working on her Homemade Holiday table runner.   She quilted the background first before she started the applique....good idea.

Cindy is working on Fresh Cut by Sue Spargo.  The blocks are gorgeous!

 

Barbara is making a baby quilt.  She makes sure good use of her time, and works diligently through the day.

 

Gail finished all of her pinwheels for Zinnie's Choice to complete the section of the blue field for her flag.

My girls are amazing quilters and wonderful human beings.  They are so caring and so funny.  It is an absolute joy to spend time with them.

 

Today I'm working on my class step-outs for Cute as a Button which I'm teaching at Cloth and Quilts in Hilmar on Monday.  I head to Chico on Tuesday to meet with the Paradise Guild.  I have to get my talk pulled together pronto!

 

Soon,

Lynn

 

P.S.  All of my patterns are available on my ETSY shop.