Stardance

 Hello Everyone,

I've been working on a new design, and I have a nice little assortment of blocks for Stardance. This is a snapshot of what I'm working on in EQ software.

This is what the actual block looks like.  I love that what I see in EQ software is very similar to the real block.

This is a snapshot of another block in the quilt in EQ.  The block placement in the quilt determines the framing around the block.

This is the actual block.

I'm combining my Gentry's Mill fabric line with my Hearthstone fabric line. I'm so happy with what I'm seeing so far.  When the graphic artist at Marcus Fabrics sends me the files, they are ready to import directly into EQ software.  I get a wonderful rendition of the quilt right from the get-go. 

I go between EQ software, to the pattern directions, and then to the sewing machine.  I'm also using my little organization progress sheet to keep track of what I've accomplished.  These sheets will definitely be included in the pattern.  I feel as though this is the most organized I've been while creating a new pattern.

On a personal note, it's coyote mating season here in the Sierra Nevada mountains and the coyotes are 'talking' every night.  When our dog Mazey hears them, she chimes right in and howls unlike any howl she's vocalized before.  It's a primal howl coming from deep within her chest which sends chills up my spine.  It feels like I'm in a horror movie and I never watch horror movies!  I'm blaming these dark circles under my eyes on the coyotes.....and Mazey.

Soon,

Lynn

A Day in the Classroom

 Hello Everyone,

My sister Gail and I spent a day in the classroom with the Independence Hall quilters teaching Finessing the Figures a.k.a. Patchwork Math.  Here is Sue's beautiful block showing the different components she made during class from my Patchwork Math book.

Isn't this a great organizational idea!  I'm going to get out my label maker and do this on my clips.  I teach how to line up stripes or checks on a square in a square.  Becky got extra credit for doing a fabulous job with those pesky checks!  They line up beautifully.  It's all those little details which add to the charm of a quilt.

Here's another tip.  You can use a BlocLoc Flying Geese ruler to trim your square in a square.

To center the flower in the middle of a square in a square, you can make a template out of cardboard or template plastic to audition the floral bouquet.

Once the class finished making a few of the components, they started working with them on the design wall and arranged and rearranged their components.

Here are pictures of more of their progress.  The girls learned my techniques and the math so they can make those components any size they want to design blocks, sashings and borders.

By the end of the day, Deanna had a lot of components made.  She is going to put them all together in a Christmas project.

What a wonderful group of quilters!  Gail and I had a special day getting to know you better.  It is a great deal of fun to spend time with those sharing our same passion for quilting.

Soon,

Lynn

Gentry's Mill is Starting Soon

 Hello Everyone,

Coming to a quilt store near you.....Gentry's Mill BOM from Marcus Fabrics.

Both the quilt and the fabric line are called Gentry's Mill.  When we were driving back from Quilt Market in Houston in 2023, I saw a road sign that said, 'Gentry's Mill', and I thought that's a great name for a quilt.....and here she is.  I always keep a notebook with me to write down ideas as they come to me, because I know I'm going to forget it in a nanosecond!

The quilt above the bed is my pattern called Emilie Elizabeth, made for me by my dear friend Deborah.  See the precious story behind this quilt HERE.  

The color palette is rich and just plain classy.  I've enjoyed every minute working with this line. I'm working on a new design which combines Gentry's Mill with my Hearthstone line.  I can work away in my sewing room and lose all tract of time while playing, I mean working with the fabrics.

Yesterday, I took a much-needed day off and Mr. Joe grabbed the old lady and packed up the baby (Mazie) and we headed to the Shenandoah Valley in Plymouth, CA to pick up a wine shipment and do some wine tasting.

It was a beautiful day considering we are in January.  We sat outside on the deck at Iron Hub, our new favorite winery, and enjoyed a charcuterie board for lunch.

The sky was crystal blue with interesting cloud formations.  We thought this one looked like the bones from a fish. Seriously we did not have too much to drink! 

On a personal note, our granddaughter evacuated from her condo just north of the LA fire area.  Her place should be okay, but the winds are supposed to pick up again today. They had been without power for days and she decided it was a good time to pack up her car and leave with their dog and cat.  Her fiancé stayed behind and is packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice.  

My heart is breaking for those who have lost everything and have to start over.  It is such a daunting thought to think of the infrastructure that needs to be rebuilt before anyone can start to rebuild their life. If you read the story behind the Emilie Elizabeth quilt, you will see how the Paradise fire touched my life.

Living in the mountains surrounded by towering trees is a constant reminder of the fragility of our way of life. No matter how much raking we do to keep our lots clean, it's not really going to matter if a huge blaze comes through with howling winds.  

Treasure your way of life and be thankful for each day and every minute.

Soon,

Lynn 

Stardance Quilt

 Hello Everyone,

Thank you all for your input about the organizational sheet that I'm going to start including in my patterns.  I used it while making the first four blocks for my new Stardance pattern. The stars will dance their way across the quilt.

I'm going to make 40 blocks in 10 different colorways.  This is a picture of the first four blocks.

I took your suggestions to heart and reconfigured the organizational sheet to make it less busy.  I used it while making the blocks and got a great deal of satisfaction checking off the components after I finished making them.

The new Stardance quilt combines both my Gentry's Mill fabric line with Hearthstone.  The two lines have been playing well together!

  

The sheet is streamlined and gives you more room to make 'notes' along the way.

I've also been asked to make these organizational sheets for all of my older patterns.  Although I think that is a great idea, there are just so many hours in the day.  I'll try to make the sheets for Gentry's Mill which is currently being offered in quilt shops beginning in Feb/March.  The patterns have already been printed, so it would be hard to re-coup the cost of the sheets.  I'll have to think hard about this request.

Have a great rest of the week.

Soon,

Lynn

New Year, New Design

 Hello Everyone,

The New Year brings me to my computer then sewing room to create a new pattern.  I wanted to combine my new Gentry's Mill fabric line with my Hearthstone line.  This is just one block of the combination. Let me tell you I'm loving this new quilt design!

As I'm writing the pattern, I was thinking about including a page to help you keep track of the components as you make them.  So, I'm asking for your input.  Is this something you would like to see me include in my patterns?

I love to make lists of tasks and enjoy putting a check mark on a chore/task in my daily to-do list.  I find I get more done if I write it down and then do it.  If I don't get something completed on my list, then I carry it over to the next day. (Somedays I have more carry over than others!)  Insert grimacing face here!

In the comments, let me know if this page is something that would be beneficial to your quilting process to help keep you organized.  This addition will add more pages to my patterns, and some of them are approaching the status of a novel!

On a personal note, Christmas is all packed away for another year.  I love to decorate for Christmas, and I love having it stored away.  Mr. Joe and I moved all of the furniture around in the great room, which really made him happy, NOT!  I moved my desk area over by the window so I can create while watching the critters outside.  I haven't seen anything large than a squirrel yet.  I also don't see anything creeping by outside at 5am unless the bears press their nose against the window! Don't laugh, that has happened more than once.

Yesterday was my birthday and our middle son, his brand-new fiancé, and our grandson arrived to spend the day with us.   We played cards until the cows came home, laughed and ate our way through the day. The kids told us they want to get married in the back yard at the cabin since they love the setting.  We were thrilled until we thought of the yardwork that needs to be done! Maybe they could get married in the snow and we won't have to worry about it.  Just follow me for more wedding ideas!

Kelly is so sweet, and we love her already.

Soon,

Lynn

Elegant Estate Collection

 Hello Everyone,

Last Summer, Marcus Fabrics sent me Judie Rothermel's new line called Elegant Estate Collection.  Last weekend, I finally carved some time out of my days to dig into it and create a couple of blocks.

Here's the entire line.

I look at this and see some Lucy Boston blocks in my future!

I'm teaching Patchwork Math for my local quilt guild this month, and I wanted to make some new step outs.  Instead, I couldn't help myself and make some blocks from my Country Sampler pattern. The pattern is very adaptable to make 9", 12" or 15" blocks.  The blocks I made are 9". I added the teal stripe from my Hearthstone collection and the teal fabrics match beautifully.

Also, last Summer, I recolored A Ribbon Runs Through It using this beautiful line in EQ8 software.  If you missed out on the original fabrics to make this quilt, Elegant Estate is a wonderful substitute.

On a personal note, a very excited granddaughter, Harleigh, called us yesterday with some fabulous news that she and her boyfriend are now engaged!  Harleigh is the producer and editor of my videos for The Quilt Show.  We welcome Dan into the family with open arms.  He is a GREAT guy!  He's so personable and we feel as though we've known him for years.  They met in Arizona while Harleigh was attending and graduated from ASU.  They recently moved to Thousand Oaks, CA and it is so nice having them in the same state.

What a wonderful way to jump start 2025!

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