Gentry's Mill Update

 Hello Everyone,

I'm slowly making progress on my Gentry's Mill quilt.  The large floral in the center of this block is gorgeous!  There is also a red floral which will be in four other blocks.

I broke some rules on this block.  I wanted the stripes to frame the block, so I cut the fabric out on the bias.  I starch all of my fabric first, and the stripe fabric received a double dose of starch so it wouldn't stretch.  In fact, the fabric was so stiff, you could bounce a quarter of it.  I love this block!

The cameo fabric around this block is one of my favorite fabrics in the line.  I scanned one of Mr. Joe's ties and the graphic artist at Marcus Fabrics put the floral bouquet in the center.  This block is just so special to me.

The next two blocks take a fair bit of time to make, and I have three more of each one to construct.  The pieces are all cut out, and this is going to be front and center in my sewing room today.

Please talk to your local quilt shop if you are interested in the BOM offered by Marcus Fabrics.

I'm feeling so much better and have to remind myself that I need to take it easy occasionally throughout the day.  On a funny note, I have to wear compression stockings every day and all day to keep the blood flowing.  I have a silk sleeve which I put over my foot to get the compression stocking on......but I can't pull the silk sleeve out through the toe area.  That is Mr. Joe's job.  

At the end of the day, I can't get the stocking off by myself and that's Mr. Joe's job too.  Keep in mind these stockings are compressed to the max.  The first time he took the stocking off, his manhood was brutally attacked by this spring-loaded large piece of elastic!  Luckily, we don't want to have more children.  After doing some research, I found compression stockings with zippers.  I can put them on and take them off all by myself which makes for a happy husband who's no longer gun-shy about being attacked by a large piece of flying elastic! 

Soon,

Lynn

Updates and a Special Offer

 Hello Everyone,

I've felt well enough in the last week to venture into my sewing room.  I go between my computer writing a pattern, and my sewing machine where I try to follow my own directions, and then I go to the recliner to elevate my leg.

I'm making good progress on my new Gentry's Mill BOM.  I cut out the pieces for a block, make the block, then make corrections to the pattern if needed, and it's always needed! Then I proceed to cutting out the pieces for the rest of the block.  I have everything labeled and marked so I can work on it at my retreat at Zephyr Cove at Lake Tahoe later on this month.

It is extremely satisfying to work with my very own fabric line and watch the blocks come to life.

Now to the special offer. This really is a good deal, and it is the last time this offer will be available this year.

Today and tomorrow, (Sept 1st & 2nd) you can sign up for The Quilt Show for $10.00 off your membership. The cost is $39.95 for the year. TQS is my resource for when I need to learn a new technique or have a technical question.

You will have access to hundreds of videos covering every topic imaginable at your fingertips. Your membership more than pays for itself.

Here are just a few of the benefits you will receive:

-Instant Access to all episodes of The Quilt Show

-Get the 2024 and 2025 Block of the Month Pattern (value $79)

-Get 25% off a Store Purchase*

-Free Book Download: Piecing Makeover - A Guide to Diagnosing and Solving Common Problems ($20.99)

-Download "Critique" by Lyric Kinard. A semester of art in 19 pages.

-Get First Shot at Project kits (frequently sell out!)

-Get special offers and store discounts for Star Members only

https://thequiltshow.com/

This would make a great year-round Christmas present for your quilting buddies.

I'm now able to sell my Bridle Path pattern in my Etsy shop.  So, if you missed the BOM, you could now make your very own Bridle Path in any fabric of your choice.

Click HERE to take you to my Etsy Shop. 

I feel that my leg is making great progress.  I'm trying to add an extra 500 to 1000 steps per day on my Fitbit.  I still can't stand for long periods of time, or walk for long periods of time, but I'm soooooo much better than I was last week at this time.  I still have waves of fatigue that wash over me, and I have to sit and rest. But when I do that, I immediately fall asleep.  I figure this is want my body needs right now, and I'm not fighting it.    

Soon,

Lynn

Calico Cottages

 Hello Everyone,

Since I haven't been able to do any quilting in the past couple of weeks, I asked my sister if she would send me pictures of her finished Calico Cottages quilt. 

Her cat, Quinn, wanted to be in the picture while he was checking out the quilt. Her kitties become a problem when it comes time to work on the binding. 

Gail really disliked foundation paper-piecing when she started this quilt.  It took about 3 days for the process to sink in.  Once she got it, she got it, and she couldn't stop making the little cottages. Every time I start paper-piecing I have to get my tutorial out and read it before I begin.

This quilt makes use of all of the little scraps you have in bins and on shelves in your sewing room.  Gail had so much fun selecting the fabrics, and she did a great job combining the different colors.  She loves this quilt as well she should!

The pattern is available HERE in my Etsy shop. 

I'm feeling better and I had a good day yesterday, Friday.  I'm not doing much at all which is hard for me as lounging around is not in my vocabulary.  But I've learned I can lounge around, and I know that's what I need to do right now.  This picture was taken three days after surgery.  I'm standing, and walking, but not for very long.   Alex and Ricky were so concerned about me.  Alex texted me a couple times a day on the trip back to California.  Alex, Ricky and the entire Quilt Show crew are very caring, and I appreciate them.

Soon,

Lynn

A Road Trip to Remember

 Hello Everyone,

So much has happened since my last post a bit over a week ago that it is hard to know when to begin.  As you know, Mr. Joe and I set out on a road trip to Denver on August 10th for the taping of my segments on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.

We took a slight detour through Bryce Canyon National Park.  The clouds parted when we got there, and the thunderstorms and hailstorms stopped. The remnant of the hail is visible in this picture.

We arrived in Denver on the 12th of August.  On the 13th we went to the old, restored Mission Church to drop off quilts and all of my supplies.  The church is now an event center.

Alex and Ricky were filming promos for The Quilt Show.

The church is beautiful inside.  

My scheduled day for taping was Wednesday.  Tuesday night I didn't feel well and then my left leg blew up like a sausage.  It was red, hot and extremely swollen. For those of you who follow my blog, it is the same leg that received the venomous bites a year ago.....almost to the same date.

Somehow, I was able to shower, do my hair and get dressed which was a HUGE deal since I had to keep sitting down. I had great difficulty getting a pair of pants on over the swollen leg. I crammed my foot into a sandal. We set off for the church even though I felt horrible and just didn't look good.  I explained to the crew what was going on and I told them I was going to get through the taping no matter what. It was an issue dragging this weary body up the stairs to the choir loft to tape the before and after show segments.

The crew is getting ready to reveal my super-secret project so we could talk about it.  We sat for a bit and just ran through the segment with the producer.  It is amazing how comfortable Alex and Ricky make you feel so at ease and it's as though you are just sitting and chatting, and you forget about the cameras and crew.

Then we went downstairs to film the three other segments.  My leg was ready to fall off by this point in time so they got me a stool which was a big help because I couldn't stand up for very long.

When the filming was over, Mr. Joe and I headed right to the emergency room at Saint Joseph's Hospital where I was admitted and in surgery Thursday morning to remove a blot clot of epic proportion.  The clot started in my abdomen and ran down my thigh.  One clot started and other clots joined in on the fun!  After the 2-1/2 hour surgery they showed me a picture of the clot and it looked like a string of pop beads.  Remember them?  

I was released on Friday night with a sworn promise not to start driving home until Saturday.  All was well and we left Denver Saturday morning.  They told me to stop every hour, and I know where every Starbucks is from Denver to the California border.  There aren't many across southern Wyoming.

Again, all was well until yesterday. Wednesday when I ended up in the ER again for a 6-hour stay and more ultrasounds.  My blood thinning medication wasn't working, so a pill has now been added to my arsenal of medications.  

Before we headed back to California, we stopped by the church to pick up my quilts and supplies.  The crew treated me like a conquering hero.

We stopped at a restaurant the day I was released, and this sign was over our table. 

Cherish every day you are privileged to live.

Soon,

Lynn

From the Sierras to the Rockies

 Hello Everyone,

We hit the road fairly early yesterday to make the drive from Arnold, CA to Ely, NV, with our final destination Denver and The Quilt Show. We set off over Ebbetts Pass which is a very scenic, yet narrow road through the Sierras.  You enter some harrowing curves called Cadillac Curve and many unsuspecting big rigs get stuck here when their dispatchers send them over the wrong pass.

We drove by Lake Alpine and then on up to Mosquito Lake.  I would love to stay in one of those cabins!

After stopping for lunch in Woodsford, we drove into Nevada.

We then got on highway 50 also known as the Lincoln Highway, and also known as the Loneliest Road in America.  This sign does not lie!  We saw range cattle, wild Mustangs, and elk droppings.  We also saw some rather amorous cattle that got a bit carried away and one of them fell over backwards after the encounter.  I guess it was head of heels in love!

We gassed up in Fallon, NV to make the 4-hour trip across landscape that looks like this.  It is stark and beautiful all at the same time.  I'm standing in the middle of the road, and you couldn't see a car in any direction.

Not only do you need to pack water and snacks, you need to pack an iron-clad bladder unless you want to squat behind a tumbleweed.....but then you run the risk of rattlesnakes. 

We made it to Ely, had a nice dinner at The Jailhouse where we dined 18 years ago.  I doubt that our waitress when even alive 18 years ago!

Soon,

Lynn

 

The Quilt Show

 Hello Everyone,

I'm so excited and happy that I can tell you that I'm going to be featured on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims!  Mr. Joe and I hit the road this Saturday to make the drive to Denver loaded with quilts and quilting supplies for the filming.

I was on The Quilt Show ten years ago.  Now you can watch it again and see how gray my hair has become! All of my previous classes are located in the classroom section located HERE.  In addition to my classroom, I also filmed episode #1604.

I've created a special project, of which I've been showing you little snippets over the past few months.  I will be revealing the project in my episode, and I'll be teaching some tutorials during the filming. This is monumental for me, and I feel The Quilt Show and Marcus Fabrics really jumpstarted my entry into the world of design.

The filming will take place in a refurbished Mission Church in the heart of downtown Denver.  I've been asked to bring quilts along with me to showcase during my show.  They are packed and ready to go.  There are four segments to my show, and I promise to fill each segment with valuable and interesting information.  

To say I've been busy is an understatement.  I finished the binding on my special project last night.  I have to attach the hanging sleeve today.  I've been working on my tutorials and information I need to impart during the episode.

In addition to that, my Gentry's Mill fabric arrived last week, and I've been working on the BOM for Marcus Fabrics. I just want to create with my new fabric line, but all I can do is stare at it longingly while I'm working on my episode.

If you aren't a member of The Quilt Show, you really need to think about becoming a member.  There is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips with tutorials and shows galore.  I've used it as a resource for years and years.  The cost is $4.95 per month and well worth every penny.

I'm off to the pool this morning to swim laps with my kickboard, then it's pedal to the metal the rest of the week. I can pretend I'm preparing for the Quilting Olympics!

Soon,

Lynn

Laurel Ridge Fabric

 Hello Everyone,

The past week has been filled with quilty goodness arriving at my door!  My Laurel Ridge fabric line was posted on the Marcus Fabrics website, so now I can show you the entire line in all her glory. 

I've been working on a new project with this line.  I don't consider myself a 'bright' person, intelligent maybe, but not a person who uses bright fabrics.  Surprise, surprise, I've enjoyed working with this line.  This is my Hearthstone line which has been re-colored in a bright colorway.  You can see it up-close by clicking HERE.

The following is a sample of some new blocks using this new line.

This block is my favorite and I would like to make an entire quilt of varied basket blocks.

The blocks are all 5".

I've also been experimenting with raw edge applique. I have to cover up the raw edge, as I'm not a fan of the unfinished look.  I got out my wool applique tools and applied the concepts to the unfinished edge of the cotton. Why not?  I love doing hand work and this is very fulfilling to my soul.

I'm having just way too much fun here!  I've been watching the Olympics and stitching my day away.

Ask for Laurel Ridge at your local quilt shop.  The sales literature is now being distributed to the sales reps who are taking it around the country.  I have absolutely no idea where I'm going to store the bolts of fabric when they arrive.  I have my eye on Mr. Joe's closet.....

Soon,

Lynn

Gentry's Mill Fabric Announcement

 Hello Everyone,

I'm so excited that I can finally share images of my new fabric line called Gentry's Mill and my new block of the month for Marcus Fabrics.

You can see the entire line up close HERE.  This is the new BOM which will start next year.

The large red and blue floral prints are gorgeous!  

The line is elegant and classy.

Surprise, I didn't include a plaid in this line or a flange in the quilt!  What is wrong with me?

Part of the beginning design process starts with scans that I send to the graphic artist.  This is a scan I sent of one of Mr. Joe's silk ties.  I'm always searching for interesting designs that can be tweaked into a fabric.  This little scan started the entire process to the birth of a new line.

After a lot of back and forth and color corrections, this is the final pattern.  The graphic artist incorporated little vignettes of flowers in the intricate design. I will always look at this fabric and remember Mr. Joe's tie.

The colors complement all of the SKU's in the line.  It's a fun, labor intensive process and I love every step along the way.  My plan for this line, includes designing a quilt around the large blue and red prints. I can see the design in my mind, I just need to make it become a reality and get it out of the back recesses in my brain.

When you don't hear from me for a while, just know that I'm working on bringing fabrics and designs to a reality and to you.

My sample yardage should arrive any day now from the mill in South Korea.  Every ounce of work will stop when the FedEx delivery person knocks on my door.  

Being a part of the Marcus Fabrics group of designers is a dream come true.  Throughout the weeks, emails and zoom calls take place from the beginning to the end of the process.  The graphic artists carry out my every thought and include their own suggestions.  The process is fascinating and fun!  What you don't see is the attention to detail by the Marcus Fabrics staff from beginning to end.  They are sticklers for perfection in the delivery of the final product.  I appreciate that attention to detail.

I'm still working on other projects which I will be able to reveal over the next few weeks.

Soon,

Lynn