Crossing the Pond is Home

 Hello Everyone,

Just a quick post today.  I'm off to my sister's cabin for a mini-retreat with a couple of friends.  I just wanted to tell you that my Crossing the Pond quilt arrived back from France.  She was photographed for the May/June edition of QuiltMania magazine.  It is always such a relief when the quilts arrive safely to and from their destination.

The fabric is called Journey to America by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics.  The fabric is available at Judie's online store Fabric Designer Judie Rothermel, Schoolhouse Quilt Shoppe  Judie also carries my pattern.  The patterns for all four of the quilts are available in my Etsy shop.

It was fun to hang some bright, Spring-looking quilts.

The quilt hanging over the bed is Country Romance.  The one on the wall is The House on Edgewood Lane.  The quilt on the bench is Spoken For.

It's heads down and full steam ahead with my secret sewing for Marcus Fabric BOM quilt.  There's a light at the end of the quilting tunnel.

Soon,

Lynn

A Hodge Podge of Activity

Hello Everyone.

So much has been going on here at Wilder's Last Resort that I've not shared with you.  It's been a busy, fun, and hectic few weeks.  First off, let me introduce you to Yogi who decided to check out our deck this week, during daylight hours.

There have been many sightings of this bear in my neighborhood.  I think Yogi was looking for a pic-a-nic basket on the table.  

Yogi also likes to do a balance beam routine on the deck railing.  I guess he is smarter than the average bear.....even though he's not wearing his signature green hat, white collar and tie.

I was in the dining room at the computer with my back to the windows, when I heard a thump on the deck.  All pattern writing came to a screeching halt, and my heart rate elevated off the chart.  I grabbed the iPad and started taking pictures.  Mazey was completely oblivious to the bear.  Some watchdog she is!  I think my next quilt has to include a Bear Paw block.

Our grandsons spent their Spring Break with us.  We took them over to a skate park in Sonora, and took them to lunch at Covers Apple Farm and bought a mile high apple pie.  I LOVE this picture of the boys, and Mazey.  Let me tell you they made quick work of that pie!  

They spent a lot of time playing in the woods and constructed a fort.  If they had been here to see the bear, they probably wouldn't have stepped outside the cabin.

We kept them so busy all week, doing outside activities.  No video games, not much TV except to watch the new Godzilla vs. Kong movie. I was not a fan of that movie.  I kept waiting for Fay Wray to appear on the Empire State Building......didn't happen.

We took them to two skate parks so they could ride their scooters.  I'm now fluent in skate park lingo. I know what a vert wall is behind a quarter pipe. I always thought a "kickout" is what an irritated horse would do.

We went kayaking at White Pines lake which is just three miles down the road.  I love to kayak and be out on the open water.  The hardest part is getting in and out of the kayak.  I'm very pleased to report that my entrance and exit from the kayak did not involve any flatulence.  That would have been just too embarrassing in front of my grandsons.  

We went kayaking with our granddaughter and her new boyfriend a couple of summers ago.  I was mortified when I disembarked and, you guessed it! Once the laughter starts, forget about getting out of the kayak gracefully with any sense of decorum.

 

Yesterday, we drove to Plymouth for an antique truck show to see a friends trucks on display.  I love this picture of his truck.  The red truck is so striking next to the blue sky and clouds from the approaching storm.

This Politician's Wagon made me chuckle.

It's a manure spreader.  That says it all, and expresses my feelings about most politicians.

Soon,

Lynn

A Gorgeous Heritage Quilt

 Hello Everyone,

I love to receive emails and pictures from quilters around the country who've made my patterns.  When I opened this email from Dena in Wisconsin, my jaw dropped, and I uttered an audible gasp.  This is her gorgeous creation of my Heritage pattern.  

Here's Dena's email:

I just wanted to say thank you for this beautiful quilt pattern!  It was very easy to follow.  It is the first quilt I have finished and kept for myself!  I tend to make quilts and give them as gifts.  Some I have gotten very attached to, but I would never have been able to give this one away!  The colors were picked by my husband and I together.  I made it approximately 100" x 100", and hand quilted the entire top in between other projects.  It was on my frame for nearly 3 years!  I have received so many compliments!

Well, I couldn't give this quilt away....ever.  Take a close look at her incredible hand quilting.  This level of detailed quilting would be hard to do on a long arm.

I'm not a bit surprised that she has received many compliments on this show stopping heirloom quilt.

I love to see my patterns made in different colors.  The selection of batiks is just perfect for this design.

Thank you so much Dena for sending me the pictures.

On another note, I've been receiving emails asking if everything is okay since I've been so quiet over the past few weeks. I do appreciate your concern.  I've been doing a lot of secret sewing, pattern writing, and shop guide writing for the block of the month for Marcus Fabrics.  Just as soon as I can show you what I'm working on, I will.

I'm also trying to establish some balance in my life, and spend more quality time with Mr. Joe and Mazey.  We still go on our daily walks and stay out a bit longer than usual.  Sometimes the walls of my sewing room start to close in on me, and I need to step away from the machine.

While I've been doing so much sewing, I've been listening to Podcasts.  My favorite podcasts are American History Tellers and History That Doesn't Suck. I was always a good student, but I'm surprised at how much information I didn't retain.  The two podcasts refresh my failing memory...I do have a lot of tree rings at this age! The narrators make history interesting through their storytelling format. 

So I'm off to my sewing room for the day after I fill my Etsy orders.  The orders have top priority every single morning. 

Soon,

Lynn

Happy Easter - Happy Spring

Hello Everyone,

I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter and Happy Spring.  I do get out of the cabin occasionally, and one of those trips was a visit to Ironstone Winery in Murphys.  The grounds provided a great photo shoot for Mazey, as well as a wonderful area for us to take a walk through the flowers.

Thousands of daffodils, of many different varieties fill the area and line the walkways around the winery and through the trees.

I was playing around with the camera settings on my new phone, and snapped a picture of Mazey staring up at Joe.  She is the perfect model.

In honor of Spring, I'm having a Spring Fling sale on my Etsy site.  All patterns are 20% off for a limited time.  This is Party in the Garden, the perfect quilt to put on display Spring through Summer.  Click HERE to go to my Etsy shop.  I made this one several years ago, in fact I made it twice.

I've spent the last two weeks knee deep, literally knee deep in the 86 yards of fabric sent to me from Marcus Fabrics.  I'm working on all of the blocks for the upcoming Block of the Month.  I'm working my way through my directions, and shop cutting guide for quilt shops who decide to carry the BOM.  This is a big undertaking and a BIG deal for me.  It has to be 100% correct and it is extremely detailed.

I've made many, many components for the blocks.  I can't show them to you for a couple more months.  When I can, I'm going to flood the airwaves with pictures of the new design.  I can only tell you the name of the quilt is.....A Ribbon Runs Through It.  Now I'll leave it up to your imagination.

Next week we are going to have our two teenage grandsons with us for Spring Break.  We want to cherish this visit for a couple of reasons.  We know as soon as they get into High School, we will not be able to spend this much time together.  They will get all caught up in sports, FFA, cars, and girlfriends...not necessarily in that order.  We feel so honored they want to be with us.  Our young neighbor said we must be cool grandparents to have teenager grandsons who want to spend time with us.  To that I said YES, we are!

Soon,

Lynn