Harvest Festival

Hello Everyone,

Joe and I took a break from quilting, pattern writing, and woodworking last Saturday and headed to Murphys, California for the Home Harvest Festival at Ironstone Vineyards.  It was a beautiful Autumn day with crystal blue sky and shirt sleeve weather.

What is it about Autumn that makes it such a special time of year?  Is it the low angle of the sun in the afternoon?  It is the beautiful colors everywhere you look?  Is it the smell of apples and pumpkin pie?  I know for me it is all of the above and I LOVE IT!  You have to get outside to really enjoy Autumn and feel the subtlety of change in the air..

These caught our eye and we were totally mesmerized by this garden art swirling in the sunlight.  They are copper marble spinners by Copper River Creations out of Pioneer, CA.

They were very unique and we thought one of the best buys at the festival.

This is the entrance to Ironstone. 

My friend Kathy and I are off to Pacific International Quilt Festival tomorrow in Santa Clara.  It is quite an event and feast for the eyes.  I'll take my camera and you'll be dazzled by the quilts.

Today I will be  hauling out my fall decorations and tear the house apart before it gets all back together again.  I'm really late getting my decorations out this year.  I was just way too busy quilting and pattern writing.

 Before you know it, we'll all be decorating for Christmas!  On that cheery note......have a wonderful week.

As always,

Lynn

Christmas Quilt-A-Long

Hello again,

Wow, two posts in one day! I've never done that before. This is all in the spirit of the Christmas Quilt-A-Long.

I decided to go shopping in my stash and make Christmas placemats. I'm sure that most of us have enough money tied up in a stash that equals the gross domestic product of Finland......so let's use it! Go shopping in your own closets, cupboards, pie safes and drawers. It is so much fun to say, "I forgot all about that!"  I have yards, and yards of this "vintage-looking" Thimbleberries fabric that I've always loved.  It was just sitting on the shelf begging to be used.

More Thimbleberries fabric tossed in with some Bonnie Blue fabric and I have the making of some nice looking placements. 

If you don't already have a flying geese ruler, it is time to buy one now!  Buy all sizes and you'll be so pleased.  You can make four absolutely "spot on" geese at once.  I have geese flying all over my dining room table right now.

I love the look of these old cards.  So pretty.....and fits my Christmas decorating style.  Of course I may not be keeping these placemats for me.  Too many family members read my blog, so everyone is just going to have to be surprised!

Placemat #1 in blue and red.

More half-made flying geese.

Placemat #2 in red and black.

Possibly another post after a bit.  We bought some fresh peaches at the Harvest Festival that need to be made into a juicy peach pie.

Sue, the winner of the pattern contest, selected the Party in the Garden pattern.  She was so elated when she emailed me that she forgot to give me her address!  Send me another email Sue so I can send your pattern to you in Canada!

As always,

Lynn

......and the winner is...................

Hello Everyone,

Today I'm announcing the winner of one of my patterns.  It took Joe, Zinny and me a fair bit of time to set up this photo shoot.  First, I wrote down all the names that I received from the comments and emails and assigned everyone a number......and wrote that number on the back of Zinny's doggy treats.  (While I was doing this, she was pacing back and forth waiting not too patiently for her treat.) 

Then we took her out to the backyard by the "Dogwood" (wasn't that clever) and placed all of the treats on a rock.  Joe was just off-camera ready to stop Zinny from eating every treat.  As much as I tremendously enjoyed all of your comments, I can't afford to send all of you a free pattern.

Zinny was intently trying to decide just which number to select.

There she goes.....making her selection.

The winner is #24.....Sue from Central Alberta Canada.   YEAH, applause, applause.

After reading Sue's email I think I have an idea which pattern she is going to choose.  I'll let all of you know after I hear from her.

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone.  Joe and I are headed to Murphys for the Harvest Festival.  When I get back, I have to start working on the Christmas Quilt-A-Long.  Click on the Christmas button on the left side of the blog and check it out.  People all over the world are spending the day creating Christmas presents and memories.

As always,

Lynn

Holidays Recipe....YUM

Hello Everyone,

Here is my most requested recipe ever!  It is Marinated Cheese.  Your guests will be begging you for this recipe before the first course gets to the table.  It is colorful, tasty and easy to make.

 INGREDIENTS

½ cup olive oil
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced green onions
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, chilled
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, chilled
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

• Combine first 10 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Set marinade aside.
• Cut block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices; set aside. Repeat procedure with cream cheese. Stand cheese slices on edge in a shallow dish, alternating types of cheese. Pour marinade over cheese. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours.
• Serve with assorted crackers. Yield: 16 appetizer servings

I prepared this the other night when we went over to a friend's house for dinner.  It was a big hit!  With the Holidays approaching, I'll be posting more and more of my favorites.  This recipe is the best!

As always,

Lynn

Out and About for the Day

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday Joe, Zinny, and I played "hooky." No quilting, no pattern writing, and no woodworking. We headed over to Sonora which is about a 45-minute drive from the cabin. Our destination was Bearly Quilting.

The shop is all decorated for Halloween.  Some stores have a shop dog or cat......this one has a shop bear.

Does this quilt look familiar?  It was time to take it down from display and move it to another shop.  I'll let you know where it is going next.  Bearly Quilting has a couple more Edgewood Lane kits left.   Give them a call if you are interested. The kit has a wonderful selection of fabric that will make a beautiful quilt for someone.

There is inspiration everywhere you look.

There are wonderful displays throughout the store.

Lots, and lots of plaids, checks and stripes.....my favorite!

Isn't this cute!

There a lots of patterns and a huge wall of books.....sorry I forgot to take a picture of them.

All around the world, quilters gather together and create.  This group of ladies are called Piecemakers.  They meet at the shop every Wednesday for companionship, a little lunch, and a lot of creating!  I can tell you first hand they were having a fabulous time.  While I was shopping, I kept hearing laughter bubbling out of the spacious classroom.  One of these Wednesdays, I'm going to join in their fun.

So today I have to get back to work and do some creating of my own.  Why don't you join me?

As always,

Lynn

Antique Quilts

Hello Everyone,

Joe and I headed over to the Alameda Point Antiques Faire last Sunday. The event is held the first Sunday of the month on the island of Alameda, just across the bay from San Francisco.

There are over 800 vendors. We managed to see about 2/3 of them in four hours. Then called it quits and drove home. The antique show is only about 40 minutes from our house in the East Bay Area. We venture over to the show a couple of times a year. It is complete overload by the time you walk up and down the aisles.



There is so much to see. I only took pictures of the antique quilts and linens.

There were wheelbarrows full of quilts.





I love the old linens on the clothes dryer.














If you are looking for anything "vintage" this is the place where you will find it. You won't find anything new here. The items have to be at least 20 years old.

I hope you all have a wonderful week quilting. I've been busy writing up the instructions for the Madrigal pattern. I'm trying to get it completed so I can offer it as one of the choices in my giveaway. Check out the September 30th post and make a comment to be entered in the giveaway. Or shoot me an email to patched55@comcast.net to be entered into the drawing.

As always,
Lynn

The Birth of a Quilt

Hello Everyone,

The other day my friend Kathy called. The conversation started with Kathy saying, "Oh good, you're there. I have something to show you. I'll be right over." I knew that she had been working on The House on Edgewood Lane quilt but I didn't know that she was done!

This is how her quilt began in the February class. She started with some fabric from her stash then added to it with fabric she selected at the shop. At this time she had no idea what the border fabric would be.

Here are the first three blocks that she completed in class.

A few months later, and after her daughter's wedding, Kathy finished up all of her blocks and added the setting triangles. She was persistent and had a "stick-to-it attitude."

The border fabric and blue check was absolutely the perfect fabric to highlight her quilt.

I love her house and I love the quilting!

Having someone make one of my patterns is one of the most heartwarming feelings I've ever had. I love seeing the creativity and personal expression that someone else brings to the pattern.

Kathy you did a fabulous job! I love it!

That's all the inspiration I have for all you quilters today.....this is enough inspiration for the next week I think!

As always,

Lynn

P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway! You too could win and make The House on Edgewood Lane.