More Grammy Squares

Hello Everyone,

 

You are probably getting tired of seeing Grammy Squares......I am too!  Since I haven't posted for a few days, I thought I'd better show you what I've been up to, in addition to the normal, mundane chores around the house. I do not think a picture of a clean kitchen floor will do much for my blog rating! 

 

My squares started the day as babies with only a center and the first round completed.  The squares are in the same order in the following sequence of pictures.

After round two was added, they were beginning to grow and develop a personality. (Just like kids and pups!)

Round three really changed their looks.

By dinnertime, they had their last round attached, and they are fully grown at 6-1/4"......pretty tiny.  Our friend Kay said I wouldn't have to make so many if I made them larger!  She has a good point there.

Today, we are going on an outing up into the high country.  We'll pack a picnic lunch, load Mazey into the car, and off we go for an adventure at a high mountain lake.  Oh joy, we will have that wonderful wet dog smell all the way home!  So, my advice to you today is to frolic like a puppy, investigate and find the wonder in each and every little thing, leave no stone unturned, don't bark at anyone, and be so happy to see everyone you meet that you make them smile.

Soon,
Lynn

Trunk Show at Prairie Queens

Hello Everyone,

 

I had a fun day last Saturday at Prairie Queens quilt shop in San Jose during my trunk show.  It was so nice meeting so many quilters!  I took a picture of half of the room and totally forgot to take a picture of the rest of the room.

 

April, the shop's manager, just finished her Butterscotch Baskets quilt.  It is gorgeous!  She also made up some kits for this one, and I think they are going to sell out quickly.  The kits aren't posted to their website yet, but if you contact the shop HERE, you can inquire about the kits.

I want to thank Debbie, April and Rachel for making my visit to Prairie Queens so pleasant and successful.  I enjoyed meeting and chatting with your customers about my quilts, and sharing information from my Patchwork Math book.  All of you made me feel right at home in your wonderful shop.  I also want to thank those of you who drove quite a distance from across, and around the Bay Area.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

I'll be back at Prairie Queens next month to teach Patchwork Math on August 16th.  It is a fun class and I guarantee you will learn a lot about accurate piecing, resizing, block design, and you will learn quilting math.......painlessly!

Soon,
Lynn

Grammy Squares Update

Hello Everyone,

 

I have to get back into the sewing room and make more Grammy Squares to go with these cute little hexie flowers.

 

My bright idea is adding a hexie flower border.......which adds months of time to this quilt.  It is all just pinned up on the design wall for now.  I see a vine in my future too.

 I planned on making three blocks a day in order to get this quilt made in this lifetime.

I'm short of my goal. 

How about three blocks a week?

I tried.

Soon,
Lynn

Trunk Show Time

Hello Everyone,

 

I've been so busy getting ready for my trunk show this weekend that I forgot to write a post about it!

 

The trunk show is going to be at Prairie Queens in San Jose on Saturday, July 26th from 10-2pm.

 

I will have almost all of my quilts on display.  I will also be making short presentations throughout the day about Patchwork Math as an introduction to my class at Prairie Queens in August.

 

If you are in the area, I would love to have you stop by so we can meet.  Prairie Queens is a wonderful shop.....very much "my style".  The staff is delightful, and the owners Mark and Debbie are fabulous people.  They are "dog" people too!  They are raising two puppies at the same time.  I'm in awe as we are exhausted just raising one furry kid.

 

The shop is easy to get find.  If you've not been there before, it is worth the trip and I know some quilted goodies will follow you home.  Hope to see you Saturday.

 

Soon,

Lynn

Sew'n Wild Oaks Class is in Session

Hello Everyone,

 

My girls are at it again making beautiful quilts and blocks!  Vivian is almost finished with her Toyland Tree quilt!  This beauty is going to be finished and on display in her home by Christmas.  She is fairly new to applique, but you would never know it when you see her quilt in person.  Fabulous job Vivian!

 

The girls have been busy making blocks for Country Corners.

So many wonderful variations in fabrics.

They've been twisting and turning their components and coming up with many different layouts.

I think they've been having a good time, and learning new concepts along the way while practicing and achieving precise blocks.

This block looks entirely different this way.....

....and then this way for the final placement.

A scarecrow is coming to life!  He has authentic blue jeans too!

These parts and pieces are going to be beautiful leaves.

As Irene said, "One block down, only 119 more to go!"

Thank you girls for another wonderful day!  I look forward to our time together with each and every one of you.

Soon,
Lynn

Canine Chronicle
Mazey loves Cherry Moose Tracks ice cream!  She weighs 24 pounds now.  When we got her, she weighed 9 pounds.  Do you think she's been licking too many ice cream containers?  NMSue this picture is for you since you requested a Mazey picture.  I don't have your email, so I can't respond to your comments personally. ~~Lynn

Making Winterset at the Cabin

Hello Everyone,

 

Last week, my sister Gail joined us for a few days of quilting at the cabin.  We both set up our machines on the dining room table and quilted until it was time to each and time to take Mazey for a walk.

 

Gail is diligently working on Winterset.  She starts out with her pieces nicely placed on her block layout sheet.  

 

She is VERY precise and organized.  She inherited the "organizational" gene.......I did not.

All of her little parts and pieces turned into this gorgeous block.  This block is spot on when it comes to being the correct size.

Gail is making her quilt larger without the appliqué in the center.  Here are all of her finished blocks to date.  In addition to these, she has all 72 of her pinwheels made.

 

Here's my original quilt with the center appliqué.  So I guess you could say that I inherited the "appliqué" gene.  Gail has an aversion to the "A" word.  One of these days Gail, you are going to get an intensive lesson in appliqué.  You can run but you can't hide.  I know where to find you!

 



We had a wonderful week working on our projects together.  Each of us were totally consumed in quilting for much of the day.  Mazey loved having Auntie Gail come for a visit.  She's just so much fun and we all love her.....both Gail and Mazey!  Everyone should have such a great, supportive, kind and genuine sister!

Soon,
Lynn

Puddles of Color

Hello Everyone,

 

I've been diligently working on the Grammy Squares quilt.  Block after block.....

 

...they are so much fun to make.

I love selecting the color combinations.  I love putting in strips of plaid.

I have quite a pile to incorporate. 

I work on five at a time.  I sew on a strip, press, then trim.

I would rather make the blocks than stitch them together. For every block I make, I'm forcing myself to stitch five blocks together.  These "Y" seams keep getting easier.  Maybe by the time I finish, I'll have this figured out.  At it widest point, this measures 48".  I can stop adding to the width and concentrate on the length, or I can make it a larger.  It is decision time when it comes to the size.

 

I had an ah-ha moment last night while sitting out on the deck with my sister Gail, and Mr. Joe during Happy Hour.  I've figured out the borders.  My figuring added months of time to this quilt, so a finish date will not be until 2015.....but it is going to be worth the wait.

I've titled this blog post puddles of color.  Gee, I wonder why I named it that?  Do you think I've been around the new little puppy too much?   

Soon,
Lynn

Country Corners Setting

 Hello Everyone,

When I get up in the morning, I look forward to deciding which project I want to work on.  Country Corners got the nod yesterday.  I'm trying to get way ahead of everyone so I can post directions on time, the 2nd Tuesday of each month. This is going to be the block for month #4, which I will post in August.  You can beg, borrow or plead with me, and I will send the cutting directions to you if you really, really want them.

 

 

I have quite a bit of fabric left over each month from my fabric packet.  Which means the people who signed up for the program also have fabric left.  So what to do??  How about cutting the leftovers into 1-1/2" strips and make some courthouse step blocks.

 



It would end up looking something like this....a real scrappy sampler quilt.  I have many more blocks to make, but I wanted to get a peek to see how this works for me.  It works for me just fine! Those of you in the BOM program through In Between Stitches will have to augment fabrics from your stash.  The program only includes the fabrics to make the different blocks, and not the final set.  BUT you will be using every scrap of fabric from your monthly packets.

There will also be some type of border.  I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.  How about a border comprised of quilting components? By the end of this program, you will be able to make accurate components in your sleep....I hope.

Soon,
Lynn

Emilie Elizabeth is in the Finish Column

Hello Everyone,

 

The pattern for Emilie Elizabeth is so close to being finished!  I'll do the final proofing today, then crank up the printer this week.

 

When I'm quiet for a few days, I'm either working on pattern directions or playing hooky.  The past few days have been a little bit of both.  I've spent lots of time at the computer and not enough time at the sewing machine.

 I like to densely quilt.....can you tell?



The fabric is all ordered, and I'll start cutting the BOM offered through In Between Stitches in the next couple of weeks.  Check out the details HERE.

Getting this pattern written and printed is a HUGE project off of my to-do list.  This one has a big check mark next to it!

I'm off to the shop this morning to see what's new since I worked last week.  New fabrics arrive every week, and I'm like a kid in a candy store.

Soon,
Lynn

Grammy Squares

Hello Everyone,

 

It's been good to get back in the quilting room and make some blocks!  I'm working through my stash one inch at a time.

 



A one inch strip is all I need to make these little cuties.  Sometimes I don't try to make the block really "match".  This one is quite random and I like the effect.

 

I start with a pretty center, pair it with some matching strips, and work my way around.  Stitch, trim, stitch, trim and round and round I go.  The strips in this block all match, and I really like this one too.

 



This quilt is going to be a collage of every color of the rainbow.  I've also included plaids, polka dots, checks and stripes.  It all works and the blocks are so much fun to make.  Three hundred more and I'm done!

Did I really say that?  Well it depends on how large this quilt is going to be.  Do I hear throw size would be nice?  But, I can just picture this as a large quilt on a bed at the cabin.  It would be so colorful, cozy. and really unique.  I think I should just plan on this one taking a fair bit of time, and just keep plugging away on it, a block here and a block there.

I'm debating whether or not to sew the blocks together as I go.  Right now about half of them are sewn together.  I'm so random in my fabric selections that I don't have to worry too much about the same fabrics next to each other.  It is going to take quite awhile to stitch them together, and I really don't want to face that monumental task at the end.  So I guess I talked myself into sewing them on as I go.  At least that way I'll have a better idea when it comes to the size of the quilt.

Tackle each big job just one step at a time, and it will get finished.......eventually.  Now about our garage cleaning.........

Soon,
Lynn

P.S.  Canine Chronicle Update

Mazey's weight has doubled since we got her just a few weeks ago.  I love the markings at the top and the sides of her eyes.  She has a little Court Jester look to her doesn't she? Boy is she a jokester and is so entertaining.

What a comedienne!  She is still uncoordinated at times and rolls around like the little pudge ball she is.  When we take her on her daily walks, she makes so many friends along the way, both furry and human. Neighbors come out of their houses to meet and pet her. Mr. Joe decided that she is a real "chick magnet".   Everyone loves her....but we love her the most.