Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

 Hello Everyone,

Using the magic of EQ software, I updated my Country Charmer pattern which I wrote in 2011.  This version uses Cozy Christmas fabric designed by Katie Solberg for Marcus Fabrics.

Here is a close up of the corner.

I love this fabric line so much because I'm crazy about the plaid.

This quilt pattern has been around for quite some time.  I was contacted by Robert Kaufman as they wanted to showcase one of their lines using my pattern.  Of course, I said "Yes", and their beautiful version was on the cover of Keepsake Quilting a decade ago. I literally sold thousands of patterns from their recreation of my pattern.

I've made Country Charmer three times, and I love them all, just as I love all three of my children equally. (Although that love is on a rotating basis depending on what mischief or good trouble they are up to at the time!)😘  Love you kids!

I also hosted a Country Charmer quilt-a-long in 2013 and have an extensive tutorial on my blog for this pattern located HERE. I used up so many scraps when I made this version.  I find I can put together many different colors if I separate them with black in the sashing. 

I've gone back and forth on whether to write this post, but it’s time to address something that’s been coming up and quite frankly has been bothering me. Several quilters have reached out, asking if a pattern they saw in an email from a well-known online quilt shop is my Country Charmer. The answer? Yes—and no.

The design they’re offering is strikingly similar. The block construction looks the same, but their squares are larger and the borders have been changed. By industry standards, a design typically needs to be at least 20% different from the original to be considered distinct. How that percentage is calculated is anyone’s guess, so I’ll leave it to you to decide where you think the line falls.

Now I'm trying to decide whether or not to purchase more bolts of Cozy Christmas fabrics and make kits for MY version and re-do the pattern with the new fabric line. I would be very interested to read your feedback. Time is the big issue as I'm entering the busiest time of the year with three more retreats and I'm vending at one quilt show.

You know the old phrase, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'.  

Soon,

Lynn in a quandary

P.S. I'm offering my Country Charmer pattern at a discount as my pattern of the week in my Etsy shop HERE.    

 

It's Kit Time!

 Hello Everyone,

The cabin’s been bustling with activity as I ready myself for the last three retreats and one final quilt show of the season. Each week, the UPS truck rumbles up and unloads bolt after bolt of Marcus fabrics. The kits are just waiting to be stitched into something beautiful...my Cozy Country Christmas pattern.

I’ve been up to my elbows in fabric—cutting yards and yards to make Cozy Country Christmas kits. They turned out downright adorable, and I have a good feeling they’ll be a hit at the Independence Hall Quilt Show this October. With everyone starting to think about holiday projects, the timing feels just right. I went through nearly every bolt I had, and I’m seriously thinking about ordering more as once it's gone.....it's gone for good and I can't get enough of that plaid! The line was designed by Katie Solberg for Marcus Fabrics.

I finished making all of the tree blocks.

Just three more star blocks to go. The design wall is full, sashing in place, and I’ve begun stitching the rows together, though I’ll admit it’s my least favorite part of the quilting process. It feels more mechanical than creative. Still, there’s something deeply satisfying about stepping back and seeing it all come together.

When I have time, I've been writing the pattern and making my signature block layout sheets.  I call my block layout sheets the map to your success. 

When I’m not cutting kits or writing patterns, I’m deep into my Packhorse Librarian story and preparing the monthly directions for the Laurel Ridge quilt in two colorways for The Quilt Show. I’m just wrapping up Month #10 now—October’s installment—and it’s been quite the production! My granddaughter’s been handling the video edits beautifully. She sends them my way for review, and once I give the thumbs-up, they’re off to The Quilt Show. It’s a true team effort, and I’m so proud of how it’s all coming together.

I’m giving serious thought to combining the monthly chapters and pattern directions into a book which will be something fresh and new to release next year, once I regain the rights to the Laurel Ridge pattern. It would be a whole new adventure for me, stepping into the world of publishing and the idea feels exciting.

I was playing around with AI and it created this image. I imported the image of the quilt into AI, gave it some parameters of what I wanted it to include, and voila!  You have to image the saddlebags are full of books to be delivered into the Kentucky hollers. 

It's not too late to sign up for The Quilt Show and have access to my Packhorse Librarian story, monthly tutorial videos by Barbara Black and me, and pattern directions HERE.  I always look at the reviews in my Etsy shop and I received the following in June.

Jun 20, 2025

5 out of 5 stars    

In a time when there is so much emphasis on get-it-done-quick quilts, I’ve been especially happy to find Lynn Wilder’s exquisite traditional designs. These are quilts to nourish the soul! It has been a special joy to get acquainted with Lynn and experience her gifted teaching through the 2025 QuiltShow.com BOM. Her Laurel Ridge pattern and instructional videos are worth many times the very nominal membership cost, and the opportunity to join in is open through year end.

In a crowded marketplace, my Etsy shop truly lives and breathes by the kindness of customer reviews. Every bit of feedback shapes my shop’s standing, and even a single negative review can affect my rating for months. That’s why thoughtful words like this mean so much, they’re not only encouraging, but they also help keep my little corner of the quilting world thriving. This is one of the nicest reviews I’ve ever received, and I’m deeply grateful.

On a side note, I have to share this: I received a one-star review from a quilter who felt my Patchwork Math book had—wait for it—too much math. I mean, it’s literally a math book! Sometimes you just have to shake your head and beat it against a hard surface.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! My sister’s coming up to the cabin, and we’re heading to the Bear Valley Music Festival to listen to the Queen tribute band. It promises to be a fun-filled time with good music, good company, and a little mountain magic. 

Soon,

Lynn