Sunday, December 8, 2024

Decking the Halls at the Cabin

 Hello Everyone,

After creating a huge mess, it all comes together in the end.


The boxes and bins and vacuum cleaner are put away and everything is in its place.


We shared a nice meal with our delightful neighbors last night.  We are so lucky to have such great people living on our street who have become good friends.



I made the little stockings eons ago and enjoy bringing them out every Christmas.


This Nativity set was given to us in 1977. I love to put it out every year and I think of the woman fondly who gave it to us.  Bringing out these treasured gifts every year makes for pleasant memories.


My friend Candace gave us the counted cross-stitch and the little table topper a few years ago. Such a thoughtful gift.


The ice skates belonged to my mother, and they stay out on display throughout the entire year.  She brought them with her when she moved from New York to California in 1942.  I'm not sure if she ever used them in California.
 

Today I have to prepare for my last lecture of the year at the quilt guild in Pine Grove.  I'm scheduled to be the lunchtime floor show at their annual Christmas guild meeting on Tuesday.  This has been scheduled for almost a year now, and I can't believe how quickly the year flew by.

Enjoy your day while preparing for Christmas or just sit back and enjoy the coziness you've created.

Soon,
Lynn


Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Sew'n Wild Oaks Happenings

Hello Everyone,

Marcus Fabrics just sent me the full-page ad, which is going to run in Creative Spark, the online arm of CT Publishing. I LOVE it!


It was a very busy week under the pines at Sew'n Wild Oaks.  Between Thanksgiving and the arrival of my granddaughter with all of her video equipment to film the tutorials for The Quilt Show, things were hopping around here.

Here are a few photos of the filming of the videos in my jam-packed sewing room.





We also did some filming outside and took pictures of the entire Laurel Ridge quilt. This image really showcases the machine quilting done by Diane Schweickert.




I've been juggling the workload between Laurel Ridge and Gentry's Mill.  WHEW!!! It can be exhausting.  I just mailed off Gentry's Mill to Stitchin Heaven in Texas yesterday morning.  I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it arrives safely.

Soon,
Lynn






Friday, November 29, 2024

Block Friday Sale

 Hello Everyone,

I'm having a 'Block' Friday sale in my Etsy shop.  Click HERE for a link to my shop.  

Happy shopping!

Lynn


Thursday, November 28, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving

 Hello Everyone,

Reflecting on the past year with gratitude is the way I'm going to embrace Thanksgiving and my everyday life. I have a heart full of appreciation for the people in my life, and that is truly inspiring. You, the readers of my blog and posts keep me encouraged every single day.


I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with love, cherished memories and the spirit of togetherness even for those who can't be at the table this year. Let's keep the memories of our loved ones alive and celebrate the connections that make life so rich and fulfilling.

Soon,
Lynn
   

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Weekly Update

 Hello Everyone,

I've decided to just do weekly updates on my activities on my Sew'n Wild Oaks blog. This week has been a busy one, so what else is new?  I'm thoroughly cleaning the cabin as my granddaughter arrives the day after Thanksgiving to record my videos for The Quilt Show (TQS). I put tutorials together for those making the Laurel Ridge BOM.


I have one corner of my sewing room clean and tidy.  The quilt hanging is called Grammy Squares, and it is available in my Etsy shop. 


I love my little mail sorter which I found in an antique store years ago. It's perfect for fat quarters and wool bundles.


I store the Valdani thread in old typesetters' drawers.  How do you like the Valdani Easter Eggs?  That's what one of my followers called it. 


The antique pie safe holds bolts and flat folds of fabric.  When I think about it, everything is 'old' in my sewing room. I just might be the youngest thing in there!


My grandfather made this little hutch for me when I was about 6-7 years old.  I treasure it.  Country Charmer is hanging in the background.


When I'm not cleaning, I'm machine quilting Gentry's Mill.



I'm stitching around every single one of the motifs in the border.  Time consuming but worth it.


I was really on a roll until Thursday when my HandiQuilter decided to throw a tantrum. After watching several YouTube troubleshooting videos, I finally figured it out and resumed machine quilting, but I lost a lot of valuable hours.  I also called Richard at Elk Grove Sewing and Vacuum Center and he had some good advice for me. He's a gem and if your sewing machine or long-arm needs servicing, Richard is your man!

I'm down to the final border and hopefully will finish quilting this behemoth today.  The binding is all made and just waiting to be sewn to the quilt.  I will be so glad to check this one off of my to-do list! My goal is to watch football tomorrow and stitch binding at the same time.

My little community was right on the edge of the atmospheric river which hit California.  It finally caught up to us yesterday, and we've received 2" of rain in the last 24 hours with more on the way.  Another rainy day for us which means a good day to quilt......or clean the cabin......I think I will quilt!

Soon,
Lynn






Friday, November 15, 2024

Gentry's Mill Flimsy

 Hello Everyone,

Almost a month has passed since my previous post, and it's time to update you on the recent happenings at Sew'n Wild Oaks beneath the pines.

Over the past week, I've brought the Gentry's Mill quilt to its flimsy stage. Devoting two entire days to the borders, they truly serve as the icing on this quilted cake.





I organized a retreat at Snowflake Lodge during the first week of November. The attendees were a group of incredibly talented and fun-loving quilters. We had an amazing time!
 

Right before the retreat, I was a vendor and featured artist at the Independence Hall Quilter's annual quilt show.  It was great seeing so many of you in attendance at the show!

These enjoyable activities serve as my reason for not posting more frequently. However, I regularly update my Sew'n Wild Oaks Facebook and Instagram sites because it's fast and simple and doesn't require me to be at my computer.  I can just whip out my phone and do a quick post.

We went down to the Bay Area last Friday night to watch our grandson play junior varsity football in the last game of the season against the cross-town rivals.  Kade's team won decidedly, and we were so happy to watch him play.  He's on the field for most of the game playing both offense and defense.  The varsity team won, and they will be going to playoffs.  Kade found out last week that he is moving up to the varsity team, so he's practicing with the 'big' boys.  He doesn't think he will play much if at all during playoffs, but he was delighted he was selected to be moved up.


Winter is upon us here at Wilder's Last Resort.  We had our first dusting of snow the other day with a chance of more snow today.  We still have quite a few leaves on the oak trees and dogwood.  When we get a heavy snow early in the season, the branches tend to break.

Just as I need to work in the garage on Gentry's Mill for my longarm quilting, the weather decides to turn cold. I keep a space heater nearby to take the edge off the chill, yet it remains cold, and I find myself bundled in layers and snow boots while quilting.  Mr. Joe keeps me supplied with hot chocolate with a splash of Bailey's.  


I posted my last complete Bridle Path kit in my Etsy shop.  I listed three and now there is only one left.  I may have to rethink my shop and start offering more kits since they tend to sell like hot cakes.  It takes a lot of time to make kits, and I have to have a lot of material on hand to pull it off.  


I'm currently preparing the instructions for The Quilt Show (TQS) Block of the Month BOM. Today, I'll upload four months of instructions into TQS's shared folder. It's always busy around here! Additionally, I have another four months' worth of instructions ready, which I need to go over before adding them to the folder. Since my health incident, I often joke that I've lost a few pixels, so I make sure to check and double-check all my work.  

As I write this, I've just glanced out the window to see the snow beginning to fall. Today, we'll stay snug indoors, cook up a pot of chili, and bask in the warmth of the fire. To me, it sounds like the ideal day.

Soon,
Lynn
  









Monday, October 28, 2024

October Magic

 Hello Everyone,

It is so enjoyable to bring the Fall quilts out of storage and display them around the cabin.


I put a varied number of colors into my Autumn quilts.


Oh my, the house landed on the wicked witch!


The mailbox was Mr. Joe's idea.


Now look at Paula's quilt.  It is spook-tacular!

The level of detail is over the top gorgeous.

The careful consideration given to the selection of each fabric is truly appreciated.




I love seeing my designs come to life through the interpretation of another quilter.  Paula created a masterpiece of perfection.

Have some fun decorating your home today.  I'm late with my decorating this year and will be doing a streamlined version this year since I'm getting ready for my last retreat of the year beginning on Sunday.  Yikes, I'd better sign off and get to work!

Soon,
Lynn









Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Introducing Laurel Ridge

 Hello Everyone,

This is the day I've been anticipating for months and months, the rollout of my block of the month for The Quilt Show (TQS) with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.  I was so honored, excited and a bit intimidated when I received the call asking me if I would design the 2025 BOM for them. Let me introduce you to......drumroll......


This is the Grandmother's Autumn version of Laurel Ridge.


This is the reason I went to Denver in August to film an episode with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims for The Quilt Show. The episode will air at the end of December, just in time for the start of the BOM in January.


I've been known to have a lot of small pieces in blocks.  This quilt will make me known for a lot of small blocks in a quilt.  The blocks finish at 5".  This image shows the breakdown of the blocks in the quilt.


The lighting in the following images really shows off the amazing quilting by Dianne Schweickert from Livermore, CA.  It's hard to get a really good picture which showcases the machine quilting.





The kits at TQS will be offered in two different colorways.  This is the Granddaughter's Spring version of Laurel Ridge.


The wonderful people at Marcus Fabrics recolored my Hearthstone fabric line just for the Spring version of the quilt.  LOVE the plaid!




If you become a member of The Quilt Show, you will receive the pattern for free.  The pattern is released digitally on a monthly basis.  The cost of a membership is $49.95 a year which more than pays for itself with the amount of information which is at your fingertips 24-7.  There are kits available for BOTH colorways of the quilt.

The BOM will also have monthly videos which will walk you through the process.

So now I have to really buckle down and try to get caught up here under the pines at Wilder's Last Resort.  I have a lot on my to-do list to prepare for my final retreat of the year......and I have another quilt of two to finish along with some pattern writing.

Soon,
Lynn