Prairie Flower

 Hello Everyone,

My friend Sharon sent me pictures of her fabulous Prairie Flower quilt which won Best of Show at the Glenn County Fair in California!

Sharon also sent me pictures of her quilt label which made me laugh!

I first met Sharon in November 2017 while working as a vendor at a quilt show in Chico, CA. She and her daughter Kate stopped by my booth, and Sharon joked that she just wanted to pull up an armchair and stay there all day. That moment sparked a wonderful friendship that has lasted ever since! Here are some pictures of my booth from the show in Chico.

Now, Sharon and her two amazing and talented daughters attend my retreats every Fall.  What fun we've had together with Sharon and the girls.  I'll get to see them again this November.

Sharon's Best of Show award is well deserved as I know the level of effort it takes to make this quilt with the 300 leaves and petals! 

I'm truly grateful that Sharon and her daughters have become part of the Sew'n Wild Oaks family. Their presence brings such warmth, happiness and joy wherever they go.

Soon,

Lynn   

The pattern for Prairie Flower is available HERE in my Etsy shop.

Red Letter Day

 Hello Everyone,

What a way to start my day.  I knew Country Charmer was going to be the Cover Girl on the next Keepsake Quilting catalog....and here she is in all of her glory!!  I think she is looking pretty fabulous.  She is a centerfold without a staple in her navel.
 

 

Click HERE to see the new catalog.  If you have been thinking about making a Country Charmer, now is your chance.  All of the Robert Kaufman Holiday Flourish fabrics are selected for you.

 



 

 If you're thinking about purchasing the pattern or the kit, I'm going to dangle a quilting carrot in front of you.  I have an extensive tutorial for this quilt on my blog.  To access it, click on the Country Charmer tab on the top of the blog HERE.

 



 

Prairie Flower is also in the new catalog.  Click HERE to link to Prairie Flower.  The fabrics were designed by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics and the line is called Conestoga Crossing.

 



I'm just thrilled to see both of these quilts so artfully displayed in the catalog.  I'm just bubbling over with excitement this morning.  Thank you Keepsake Quilting for showcasing my patterns.  Thank you fabric designers Pam Buda from Marcus Fabrics, and Peggy Toole from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  Your creativity makes my job as a pattern designer an easy one.

After I come down from this quilting high, I have to get back to work preparing for my two retreats.  My sister Gail is here at the cabin and we've been cutting kits for two days straight.  My quilting room that was so nice and tidy, now looks like a bomb went off in it.  Creativity at work!

Soon,
Lynn

 

Coming to a Mailbox Near You

Hello Everyone,

 

Now I can let the cat out of the bag and share the news about the 365 pounds of patterns that we shipped off last week to.........drum roll.......Keepsake Quilting!  Their next catalog has two of my patterns, Country Charmer and Prairie Flower.  Both are offered as kits too.

 

Several months ago I was approached by Robert Kaufman fabrics to inquire about them remaking County Charmer in their Holiday Flourish Christmas fabric line.  I couldn't say "YES" fast enough!  To put the icing on the cake, I didn't have to make the quilt.....or quilt the quilt.  I don't know who made it, but I do know that it was beautifully machine quilted by Darla Padilla who just happens to live in the same town as me.  Small world.



Keepsake is offering Country Charmer as a kit and also only the pattern.  I have a bone of contention with Keepsake that no attribution was given to me as the designer of the quilt. I sent off an email to see if the online catalog could be fixed.  I'm sure the paper catalogs have been printed and mailed out by now.

I have an extensive tutorial HERE on my blog which shows you how to make this block step by step.

 

Next up is Prairie Flower.  I was driving down to Turlock to teach a class when I saw this street sign.  U-turn!  I went back and snapped a picture.

 





 

Prairie Flower is also offered as a kit or an individual pattern.  This quilt is made with Conestoga Crossing fabric by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics.

 



This quilt is going on the bed in Autumn and will stay on through the Holidays.  That is when it's not out traveling around the countryside.

It is my understanding that Keepsake rents a house for each photo shoot.  I love the way they displayed both of my quilts.

 

Now I have to get my head out of the clouds, and my feet back on solid ground, and start packing and drive up to Santa Rosa for a guild lecture tonight to the Moonlight Quilters of Sonoma County.  It should be a fun evening!  Prairie Flower is going to be there with me, along with a different version of Country Charmer.

 

Soon,

Lynn

 



Spoken For

Hello Everyone,

 

Not a lot of quilting going on at Sew'n Wild Oaks this week.  When I have the time, I've been working on another version of Spoken For.

 

Here are some blocks all appliqued down to the background.  I'm not sure yet if I'm going to add sashing to this version.  I may just quilt a floral wreath in the space between the blocks. I do know this quilt is going to have every color of the spectrum in it as I'm pulling from my stash. I can just picture this quilt on the guest room bed.  This is also going to be a long term project.  A block here and a block there will eventually add up to a finished quilt.

I've been stitching the blocks to the background at night.  During the day, I've been writing pattern directions for Prairie Flower, and running all of the errands since Mr. Joe is still down for the count.  He is getting better, but he's not his normal perky self.  I didn't realize how much he does for me during the day.  It takes forever to stand in line at the post office and the bank.  Not to mention trips to the office supply store, grocery store, and all points north.

I'm also preparing for the quilt show next weekend in Concord sponsored by the Contra Costa Quilt Guild. For information click HERE.  I will be setting up my booth a week from today.  I can't get sick!  I don't have time to be sick!  Here is their hand-quilted opportunity quilt.  I saw it in person and it's gorgeous!

I went to the optometrist yesterday and found out that I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other.  I'm using one eye for up close, and one eye for distance.  After paying a small fortune for two pairs of glasses, I realized that I just need a piece of tape to tape down one eyelid while I sew, and tape down the other one when I'm driving.  Sounds like a good plan to me. Maybe it will be a new fashion statement that will start trending on social media.

It's going to be another rainy day here in California.  I'll be at the computer working on Prairie Flower directions.  The quilt is still back East for the photo shoot, and I'm not sure if I will get it back in time for the show.  I'm experiencing separation anxiety.

I'll be enjoying the rain today along with a nice bowl of Minestrone soup with Mr. Joe. Soup has been his meal of choice for days......

Soon,

Lynn

 

Prairie Flower Photo Shoot

 Hello Everyone,

Serendipity.  noun Definition:  The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way

Last Monday night we met the family at the local Cattlemens restaurant to celebrate our grandson's 20th birthday.  We've been to that restaurant a lot over the past few decades.  Did we ever notice the wagon out front until now?

We thought that it would be the PERFECT place to do a photo shoot for Prairie Flower to showcase Conestoga Crossing fabric by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics.

 

We got the okay from the manager, then started taking pictures.

 



Just as we were finishing up, a Coors beer delivery truck drove up.  I think I'm going to leave it in the picture to make the cowboy a happy camper. Perhaps I shouldn't put this picture on the front of the pattern cover without a little "photoshopping" first.

Thank you all for your comments over the past few weeks.  I seem to have picked up some new readers who are 'no reply' status, so I can't thank you personally for commenting.  Please know that I read, and enjoy every single comment. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to send me a message. 

Now that this quilt is going in the box and shipping out TODAY, I can resume my normal, less hectic life......until this Saturday when I'm headed off to Napa for a lecture and workshop for the Napa Valley Quilters. Hopefully I'll have time to stop at a winery and enjoy a sip or three.

By the way, getting back to our grandson's birthday dinner. Austin finished off a 32 ounce steak with all the side dishes, in addition to the leftover steak his little brother didn't eat, and birthday cake.  You would have had to put in the wagon and roll me home!

Soon,
Lynn

Prairie Flower is Almost Finished

Hello Everyone,

 

My incarceration, I mean wonderful days spent in my machine quilting room are almost over!  This is my reward for four and a half days of machine quilting.  I am one happy camper!

 



 

One set of borders.  I call these Gail's border since my sister Gail made all of the blocks for me.

 



I first started this quilting marathon almost one week ago, and I do mean marathon, not a sprint.  When I decided to quilt in each of the little 1" squares, I didn't do the math.  There are 640 individually quilted squares in the Double X blocks. Had I calculated that in the beginning, I may have changed my mind on how I was going to quilt this.  I'm actually delighted now that I didn't change my mind.  If you had asked me that last Thursday, I would have looked at you cross-eyed! 

 My task today is to turn the quilt, and machine quilt the side red, and then rust colored borders.

My back is scrappy.  I cut up all of my left over fabrics into large squares and sewed them all back together.  I love to use what I have, and just about every scrap was incorporated in the back.

 

After I finish machine quilting the sides, I will attack the miles of binding.  The quilt is 94" x 94"......that's a ton of binding.  My arm is starting to ache just thinking about it.  The minute the hanging sleeve and label are finished, this quilt is shipping to the East Coast for a photo shoot for Marcus Fabric.  The yummy fabrics are Conestoga Crossing by Pam Buda.  As far as I know, we will be kitting this quilt at In Between Stitches exactly as you see it here.  I will also be teaching the class in the near future at In Between Stitches.  I guess it would help to finish the pattern writing first!

It's a very rainy Sunday morning here in California.  We may wash away during the rain or shine flag football game today.  Time to get out the yellow rain slicker.....again.

Soon,
Lynn



 

The Quilting Saga Continues

Hello Everyone,

 

Well, the long arm quilting continued very s-l-o-w-l-y during this week.



If you remember a couple of posts ago, this was how I was going to quilt the Double X block.  As you can see, I've changed my mind.  I wasn't completely "sold" on this design.  I let it percolate in the back of my mind while I was walking the dog on Monday, and in class on Tuesday.  I just knew a brilliant idea would enter my brain.

 

Wednesday morning I had to make a decision since I'd quilted my way down to the first row with the blocks.  I was stumped.  I went to my machine quilting board on Pinterest, and saw an idea that looked something like this.

 



I just knew this is what I had to quilt.  But what I didn't realize is that it would add an additional day....or three to the entire project.  I LOVE the basket weave look that it gives to the quilt.  I can't wait to get it off the machine and see the entire thing.  But I'm days away from that.

This row of blocks is a snap.  I can zip around these in a jiffy.  It's the rest of the quilt that is bogging me down.

Tomorrow I'll be going to the little grandsons Little League games and then there's Flag Football on Sunday.  I can't miss any of them.  They need to have their number one fan cheering them on every pitch, hit, and catch of the way.  Yet I know in the back of my mind, this quilt is going to be calling my name, and cheering me loudly to get back to work!

Soon,
Lynn

P.S. Do not go and see A Dog's Purpose with your grand kids.  Last Friday night we had date night with the little guys.  Jess held my hand throughout the entire movie saying, "It's alright Grammy. It's just a movie."  I started crying during the opening credits.  Then in another part of the movie, Kade started to cry.  We were a bunch of blithering idiots during the entire film.  If you are going to watch it, wait for it on Netflix, and see it with a box of Kleenex in your own home.

Machine Quilting Progress

Hello Everyone,

 

Here are some images of my machine quilting progress on Prairie Flower.

 

I quilted my way across the top of three borders.

I was glad to finish the first set of borders and then moved on to the setting triangles.  So far I'm sticking with my plan.  You can see my very scrappy back rolled up on the uptake bar.  I only had scraps left from all of the fabrics Marcus Fabrics sent me, so I cut them all up and put them to work on the back.

The Prairie Flower blocks go fairly quickly.  I am also quilting in the center section of the flower to nail that down.

In the comments section, some of you asked some very good questions, and I'll answer them all collectively.  I have a Handi Quilter (HQ 16) which I purchased new in 2006 directly from the manufacturing plant in Salt Lake City. I was in the market for a machine, and HQ fit my price point which was under $10,000.

I signed up for HQ's beginning machine quilting class before I purchased a machine.  I wanted to take the class first to see if I had an aptitude for machine quilting.  With airfare and all it cost me around $1,000 to attend the class.  I figured that was an inexpensive investment to make before I plunked down the big bucks for a machine.

The class was wonderful! Even though I was the only person in the class of 15 who didn't own a machine, the staff made me feel completely comfortable.  Each of us had our own machine to use during the 3-day class.  The instructors were incredible and the food even more incredible.  By day two of the class, I purchased my HQ and I immediately named it Arthur.  As in Arthur Murray.  Because I learned how to dance with my machine.

HQ sent a distributor to my home and completely set up my machine and I was up and running.....and terrified.  I loaded on large pieces of fabric and started practicing.  Our two dogs had the nicest dog beds you've ever seen! 

I really worked at machine quilting for 6 months, then returned to HQ for the Intermediate class. Then I felt confident that I could quilt for others. Would I recommend that....probably not.  It was the hardest job I ever had in my life.  I was so afraid that customers wouldn't like what I quilted, but they loved how I quilted! I did have one problem person who I found out later was never happy with anything.  I was devastated.   What I thought was absolutely stunning, she didn't. (Insert sourpuss face here!)

Sue asked if the machine was easy to maintain.  The answer to that is yes it is.  I oil it and clean out the lint after every two bobbins. I've only had to call for technical support once in 11 years when something got out of whack.  Now I hope I haven't jinxed myself. It is a good, quality machine that doesn't require taking out a second mortgage.  My entire set up at the time was $8,000.  It has paid for itself over and over again.

Have I quilted something and didn't like the results?  Yes to that!  I quilted an entire row of Baptist Fans across a 103" quilt using a groovy board.  What took 20 minutes to quilt, took 8 hours to pick out.  I was not a happy camper. 

I think deciding what to quilt is the hardest thing to figure out.  There are many resources available on line, and you can spend hours scouring Pinterest and the Internet for ideas. If you can't draw it, you can't quilt it.   I repeat, practice drawing first before you begin stitching.

Once I started designing and running the pattern business, I became so busy I only have time to quilt my own things.  Now Arthur collects dust between quilting sessions.  But he's just like an old friend, and we get reacquainted with each new project.

I'm off to the shop today to spend the day with my Sew'n Wild Oaks girls.  I'll spend the day with Arthur tomorrow.

Soon,
Lynn

Quilters, Start Your Engines

 Hello Everyone,

 

The backing is made and now it's time to get Prairie Flower loaded onto the long arm.  I put a roll of film over the blocks, and with a dry erase pen, started drawing what I think I'm going to quilt.

 

I was going to cross-hatch the beige area in this quilt, but then I remember that cross-hatching would look like horizontal and vertical lines on a block which is set on point.  Back to the drawing board, and I came up with this.

This should make the red squares pop along the outside border.

The outside triangles will look like this. 

 

The only part of the quilt I actually marked is the black setting squares.  I used a Sewline chalk pen.  It doesn't rub off easily, has a nice sharp point, and I can see it!

 

 

So that is my quilting plan.  I may change my mind once I get going if I don't like the look.  It is going to be an intense week of quilting.  Nothing about my long arm is computerized, so I will be driving my machine across the top of the quilt. I had to learn to dance with my machine.  I take the lead and orchestrate the dance.  Hopefully I don't trip over my own two feet!

Soon,
Lynn

Officially a Flimsy

Hello Everyone,

 

Prairie Flower is a flimsy!

 

I must have made it for this bed since it fits perfectly.  Now I wonder what guests are going to be sleeping under her?

I put a flange on most of my quilts.  This one is no exception.  It's all about the details.  Just this little 1/8" of color adds so much to the look of the quilt.

Doesn't the border look like a soft chocolate swirl ice cream cone?

Of course Mazey wanted to get into the picture.  This quilt was too large for the design wall, so it spent a fair bit on time on the floor so I could measure, measure, and measure again while preparing the borders.  I found myself stitching her dog hair into the seams more than once.  I know it was her hair since it is much longer than mine! 

 

I'm plotting my machine quilting for this one.  I have a good idea what I'm going to do and it is going to be pretty intense, both the quilting and the time involved.  I love to machine quilt when I have the right mind set for creativity.  Since I'm under a deadline, to get this completed and shipped off for a photography session, my mind set had better shape up pronto! 

Many have asked if this is going to be a pattern, and the answer is yes.  I have some of it written already, but that will be my main task in March.  I also have to calculate the fabric requirements which isn't trivial.



I'll work on the backing today as long as the power stays on.  It's coming down in buckets right now and the winds are starting to kick up.  It is pretty amazing to see just how far the pine trees can bend in the wind without snappy like a toothpick.  It is also a little scary. Yet ANOTHER major rain event is hitting California today.  Thousands are on standby evacuation orders as many rivers are spilling over their banks.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Sonora to teach.  You know the phrase, "Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise".  Keep warm and safe today.

Soon,
Lynn