Beautiful Quilts

 Hello Everyone,

I always encourage you to make the quilt your own—add your unique touch, reinterpret the pattern, and let it reflect your creativity. A pattern is just a starting point, not a rulebook! I was thrilled to receive these photos: one from a wonderful follower and another from a dear friend. Both quilts are beautiful reflections of their personal style and thoughtful craftsmanship.

This is my Calico Cottages pattern made by my friend, Judy.  She named the quilt English Cottages since she used the English Garden line by Laundry Basket Quilts. I'm so glad she's coming to my November retreat so I can see this quilt in person!

I love the backing fabric! It's like having a 2-sided quilt.

The following images are from Joan who made turned my Country Sampler pattern from 9" blocks to 18" blocks using her AccuQuilt dies. The ribbon border is striking and frames the blocks so nicely.

Look at those perfect points!

It brings me so much joy to receive pictures of your quilts. I truly understand the time, heart, and effort that each quilt demands, and I absolutely love seeing the beautiful work you’ve created.

Both patterns can be purchased HERE in my Etsy shop. 

A dear friend from high school and her partner are coming for dinner tonight, so today’s agenda is all about cooking and giving the cabin a good tidy-up. Honestly, if it weren’t for company, I’m not sure I’d ever bother to clean—nothing like a visit to spark some motivation!

Have a great weekend.

Soon,

Lynn

 Hello Everyone,

My friend Sue took my Country Sampler pattern and truly made it her own with incredible creativity and skill.

 After attending my Patchwork Math class at the Independence Hall Guild in Arnold, CA, she put her mathematical expertise to work, enlarging the blocks from 9" to 12". 

She seamlessly blended elements of her own design with a block from my A Ribbon Runs Through It pattern, selecting the perfect fabrics to create a stunning ribbon effect encircling each block. 

Last weekend, I picked up her quilt from the talented machine quilter, Dianne Schweickert, in Livermore. I adore this quilt so much that parting with it was almost impossible! Sue’s artistry and vision shine through, making this quilt a truly special creation.

I'm deep in preparations for my Sew'n Wild Oaks retreat, eagerly anticipating the arrival of quilters on Sunday for a wonderful quilting experience at Snowflake Lodge in Arnold, CA. Some will be coming in early on Saturday, and we're planning a cozy dinner gathering at my sister's cabin. No matter how soon I start getting ready, there's always more to do—but let's not even talk about the chore of cleaning the cabin and getting my sewing room presentable! Several bombs have found their way into that room and created chaos.

Soon,

Lynn

My Quilt Show Episode

Hello Everyone,

Sunday, December 29th is the premier of my episode #3601 on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.  You can watch it for free HERE! You can sign up for a trial membership and you have a week to view everything The Quilt Show has to offer. There's a lot to see and so many opportunities to learn!

The first part of the show started off upstairs in a beautifully restored mission church located in the heart of Denver, Colorado.

We were just chit chatting before the cameras were turned on. 

Then we moved downstairs for the rest of the filming.

I was going over Patchwork Math with Ricky.  My Patchwork Math book is available for sale in my Etsy shop HERE. 

Many of the principles in the Laurel Ridge 2025 BOM quilt are covered in my book and are thoroughly addressed in the pattern which you can get for free if you are a Star member of The Quilt Show.

I discussed the starch method of applique in addition to raw edge applique with Alex.  All of my monthly tutorials for Laurel Ridge will be available to Star Members for all of 2025! 

The quilt on the table is called Country Sampler.  It is an excellent learning pattern which includes nine block layout sheets for each of the blocks.  The pattern also includes the formulas to make the components any size you want them to be. The pattern is available HERE in my Etsy shop.

I had to sit on a stool the entire show because I couldn't stand for any length of time.

The filming took place on a Wednesday.  The night before the filming, my left leg doubled in size and turned very red. I was having an extremely difficult time walking and was in a great deal of pain. As soon as the filming was finished, Mr. Joe packed me up and immediately drove me to the hospital where I was admitted and in surgery to remove a 12" blood clot in my left leg. 

This picture was taken on Saturday when I was released from the hospital.  We drove back to the church so I could pick up all of my quilts and material that I used during the filming before we headed for our 3-day road trip back to California. 

Everyone at The Quilt Show was so supportive and genuinely glad to see that I was on the road to recovery before we hit the road.  We had to stop every hour and a half so I could get out and walk.  We know the location of every Starbucks from Denver to California.  Let me tell you there aren't too many in southern Wyoming!  

Filming for The Quilt Show was a very positive experience even with the hospital visit.  I was so lucky that everything turned out in my favor, and I was in the right place at the right time at a teaching hospital with nine vascular surgeons taking extremely good care of me. 

Enjoy watching the show.  I know I will be tuning in to see it and I'll be cringing when I say something questionable! You just never know what I'm going to say next!

This is the trailer for the show. You can also watch the next YouTube video from Barbara Black who goes into great detail with information about the 2025 BOM.

Soon,

Lynn

 

Preparations Continue

 Hello Everyone,

I've been singing a few bars of, "Leaving on a jet plane" over the past few days while preparing for my trip to the Pieceful Gathering retreat at Fox River Grove, Il.  The tutorials are finished and safely packed away in my suitcase.  All of the quilting components are glued onto the block layout sheets.

I'm teaching my Country Sampler pattern to the "retreaters".

I've dusted off my lecture and I'm ready to entertain the girls.  Because of Covid, I haven't been doing guild lectures for over two years.  I had to add so many new quilts to my talk.  I was amazed what I accomplished during the years of Covid.

My friend Candace made me two project bags.  I have them all packed with my special quilting tools.  This is one of the projects I'm going to offer at my own retreats.  I absolutely love these project bags!

I've been pretty quiet lately on my blog and social media.  There's been so much to do like the taxes, tutorials, and organizing my four Sew'n Wild Oaks retreats.  My days have been filled with work, work, work!

I'll try to post during the retreat so you can get a feel for what I am up to.  I'm looking forward to the adventure,

Soon,

Lynn

More Country Sampler Blocks

 Hello Everyone,

I'm still making more blocks for my Country Sampler quilt in preparation for my class at a retreat hosted by Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop in Fox River Grove, IL.

I combined the red polka dot from Maria's Sky fabric with Mary Ann's Gift fabric by Betsy Chutchian, and created this block.

I just love how all of Betsy Chutchian's fabrics play well together.  I stored the last two lines in an old toolbox.  Fabric has always been part of my decorating scheme.  I rotate fabrics through this toolbox since it is such a good way to see and have the fabric at my fingertips.

We had a dusting of snow the other day.  I took this picture of the lake in the early afternoon on our walk.  That water looked positively frigid!  By early evening, we had about 4 inches of snow.  It was so cold, that it froze overnight.  We couldn't get out of our driveway until noontime, and even then, had a bit of trouble on the road.  This is the first time in over 50 days that we've received any kind of precipitation.  This mega-drought is getting very scary.

I was in the classroom yesterday at Quail's Nest Quilt Shop in Sonora teaching A Ribbon Runs Through It to a delightful group of women.  I haven't been in a classroom very often due to Covid.  It felt so good to be in the company of quilters.

I had another Zoom call with the good people at Marcus Fabrics on Wednesday.  It's full steam ahead on my fabric line.  To say that I'm thrilled is an understatement.

Soon,

Lynn

Olympic Quilting Country Sampler

 Hello Everyone,

I've been doing some Olympic quilting this week as I prepare for the retreat for Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop in Fox River Grove, Illinois in March.  I'll be teaching my Country Sampler quilt which incorporates a lot of the quilting components from my Patchwork Math book.

It is my understanding the shop still has a couple of openings for the retreat.  Click HERE for the information about the retreat.  They are also putting bundles together using Kansas Troubles fabric.  Click HERE if you are interested in a kit.  You can purchase a kit even if you aren't attending the retreat.

When I finished the first version of the quilt, we took Country Sampler out to the country for a photoshoot.

Since Covid, I haven't been in a classroom, so I thought I need to brush off my teaching skills and remake this quilt using Rose fabric by Jo Morton.  All of the blocks are made and securely adhered to their block layout sheet.

The pattern includes a full-sized block layout sheet for each block.

I adhere the components to the block layout sheet with a Sewline glue stick.

I'll pack up the blocks and put them in the bottom of my suitcase for transport to the retreat.  My suitcase had better arrive with me or else I'll be making shadow puppets in from of the projector!

I'll get busy and make the sashing just as soon as my fabric arrives.

I really had fun making this quilt again. 

I bought this Wooly Presser Bar, and it has become my new go-to pressing bar and quilting clapper.  It is the best for pressing all of my little seams on the wool, then I put them under the wooden clapper to set the seams.  I bought mine at Pieceful Gathering during their online FaceBook presentation. It makes so much difference to have good tools that you use constantly to aid you in your quilting.  It's worth the investment.

The Country Sampler quilt pattern in available in my Etsy shop HERE.  It's a BIG pattern filled with cutting charts in full color and 9 full-sized block layout sheets.  

I'm going to do some marathon ironing and fabric organization during the Super Bowl.  I have a hard time just sitting and watching TV.  I have to be doing something to make maximum use of my time.  

I looked up the definition of "time".  This is what I found and is something to think about.

Time - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.

So, I will be involved in my continued progress of existence at the ironing board during the game.  Now doesn't that sound exciting!!!!

Soon,

Lynn

Country Sampler Pattern

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.  This was the strangest Mother's Day in history!  I, like you, would give anything to be able to wrap my kids, and grandkids in my arms.    When that day comes, it's going to be the best day ever.

Now to get to the matters at hand.  The following pictures are my Country Sampler quilt and design. This is the pattern that I taught on a Quilting Cruise to Alaska two summers ago.

It's a learning quilt pattern which reinforces the construction of the same components over and over again.  It looks much more complex, and detailed than it is.  I've been contemplating remaking this pattern using Betsy Chutchian fabrics.  I just need more hours in my day.

We found this old truck when we took the quilt out on a photo shoot.  It was the perfect backdrop for display.

Here is the picture that I have on the pattern front which I exported from EQ software.  I chose this picture for the pattern cover so you can really see what the quilt looks like.

Now I will get to the point of this post instead of making it look like a shameless, self-promotion of my pattern.  Sales have been very brisk on my Etsy site for this pattern.  When sales start to pickup considerably on one pattern, it usually means that a quilt shop, an individual, or the photo has been widely reposted on Pintrest, Instagram or Facebook.  I was curious, so I did an search on the Internet to see what I could find.

I found a picture of MY DESGIN on a Tee Shirt website.  You can buy a super king size quilt/blanket for $89.99!  No self respecting quilter would call it a blanket.  You can't purchase the fabrics for $89.99 to make the quilt.  Most importantly, did they get my permission to mass produce my design!!!  NO!!  There is also a tab on their website covering their copyright dispute policy in great detail.  This is just so irritating.

I don't think this is why sales have picked up on this pattern.  I never would have found it had I not be curious.

Now I need to decide what to do about this copyright infringement.  Is it worth my time, effort, and money to pursue a company that is most likely off-shore?  I would like to buy one of the "blankets" just to check out the shoddy workmanship, but I don't want to give them one red cent.

Most likely I will just sit a fume about this for a few days, (insert red face emoji with steam coming out of my ears), and chalk it up to imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Soon,
Lynn