Happy Thanksgiving 2021

 Happy Thanksgiving!

I can smell the turkey cooking in your kitchen as you read this post.  I can hear the laughter as friends and family gather together to give thanks on this day.  I can just image grandparents hugging their grandchildren and children, and friends hugging friends.  This is what we've been missing over the past two Thanksgivings.

This is my Harvest of Hope quilt. When I think of family, my personal family and my quilting family, I think about harvesting hope. We all sow the seeds of hope, love, friendship, and gratitude. Then we harvest that love, and fill our hearts to overflowing every time we gather together. 

Let's hope for the future while reflecting on the past.  As we go about our days and weeks, we are all harvesting hope in our lives by planting seeds of happiness, giving smiles along the way, a hug here and there, and spreading encouragement to help each other grow and prosper.

Our family gathered together last Sunday as it was the only time our eldest granddaughter could travel from college in Arizona back to California.  It doesn't matter what day you celebrate the holiday.  It matters that you are together.  This was a raucous group of partiers.  I love to just sit back and enjoy all of the conversations going around the table and the room.  Their voices and laughter filled the house.  

The puppy in the picture is our son's dog, Copper.  Mazey was camera shy, as she zipped in and out of pictures.  There were a few pictures just featuring her tail as she flew through the field of view.

Mr. Joe and I are going to spend a very quiet Thanksgiving together.  I see a football game or two in our future.  

I am so thankful for all of my blog readers, and our friendships which have developed over the years since I started blogging in 2008.  Many of you have been with me and supported me from the very start.  I feel extremely blessed.

Soon,

Lynn

Scrappy Quilt Using 1" Strips

Hello Everyone,

I've been able to spend time in my sewing room.....the happiest place on earth for me.  I've been trying to decide what to do with the fabric leftover from A Ribbon Runs Through It block of the month.  I finally settled on this design, a Chevron Log Cabin block.

It is a much easier block than what I was originally going to make.  There are no special rulers or templates required.  Just a lot of chain piecing using 1" scraps.  I think this is going to be beautiful!  It's amazing what you can do with tiny scraps, and this design will beautifully showcase the fabrics.

The fabrics will be available soon at Homestead Hearth and other online shops. This is the same fabric that I used in my Block of the Month program for Marcus Fabrics.

 

This was an important week for these two little sweethearts.  Our twin granddaughters turned 19 on Saturday.

Theses two beautiful young women have brought us so much happiness, and love in their 19 trips around the sun.  They constantly make us proud of their achievements, and make us laugh.  They are so loving and kind.  We are so blessed they are part of our family.

If you read my last post, you will remember my rant about FaceBook and a bogus site called Quilting Free Patterns.  My friend Kaaren and I were relentless in reporting them to FB as they plagiarized quilt picture after quilt picture.  I was contacted by so many other designers who expressed their anger and irritation at the site.  My friend Paula, actually followed a very convoluted series of links, which over time actually took her to my blog.  I'm so pleased to report the site has been completely taken down from FB.  I'm sure they are already back up and running under a different name, but I do feel a sense of satisfaction that the site was exposed for what it was and removed.

On a happier note, every morning, weather permitting, I stand out on the deck and greet the day.  It's always a real shocker when I open the sliding door and realize I forgot to turn off the alarm system! The other morning I was treated to this magnificent sunrise.  I think my morning ritual sets a good tone for my day ahead.  It's a peaceful time to express my gratitude for having another day on this earth. I just soak in all of the beauty around me and give thanks.

Today is going to be another busy day of picking up a printing order, grocery shopping, shipping more BOM patterns, and quilting.  We are celebrating Thanksgiving early as our eldest granddaughter is coming back to California for Thanksgiving.  We can't wait to see her, hug her, and hear all about her new adventures at Arizona State University.

Soon,

Lynn

 

Quilting Imposters on Facebook

 Hello Everyone,

My blood is boiling!  I shouldn't let this bother me so much, but it keeps happening.  I was notified by an anonymous reader (thank you) that a picture of my Heritage quilt was posted on Quilting Free Patterns site on FB.  The "poster" or imposter claimed her dearly departed mother made this quilt.  That is total BS!  I'm alive and well, and I'M NOT HER MOTHER!

This picture was stolen from my blog post from 2018!  Click here to see the original post.  I immediately reported the post to the administrator of the group......to no avail.

Then later in the day, this appeared on the same site!  A picture of one of my Country Charmer blocks.  It was originally posted here in 2013.  

My point in pointing this out to you, other than the fact that I'm really p***** o**, is that if you click on the link associated with the post, you set yourself up to have a virus invade your computer.  These people should be drawn and fat quartered!  DO NOT BECOME A MEMBER OF QUILTING FREE PATTERNS!  There, I feel much better now!  

I guess I'm going to have to put a Sew'n Wild Oaks watermark on all of my pictures that I post on my blog.  But, I would have to go back over thousands of images since I started blogging in 2008.  Sigh.

Be careful out there.  The Internet isn't all is cracked up to be when it comes to getting legitimate information out in the universe. Be careful where you click.

Soon,

Lynn

Additional Tutorial Update

Hello Everyone,

I just added to the tutorial for Block 1 for A Ribbon Runs Through It.  

To see the entire tutorial, click on The Ribbon Runs Through It Block #1 section at the top of the blog.

The tutorials will help you with the construction of this block.  You can also apply the techniques to other patterns you are making.  I have direct links to my free videos on The Quilt Show explaining the math behind the components.  It's a wealth of information to digest which will add to your arsenal of quilting information.  In the end, it will make you a better quilter.   

Have a wonderful weekend.

Soon,

Lynn

Cheddar and Coal Fabric

 Hello Everyone,

I placed an order with Homestead Hearth for some Cheddar and Coal fabric by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics......and it did not disappoint when it arrived!

I'm imagining some beautiful pumpkins with the rich gold and orange tones.

The line has some beautiful backgrounds too.

It is hard to get beautiful blacks that aren't black and white.  I LOVE the black and gold.  The touch of gold makes them so soft.

This line would be perfect in my Peek-A-Boo Pumpkin table runner.

I'm not going to make another one, but I do have a brilliant plan for this fabric line.  I can't wait to dig in and start designing.

In my last post I showed you the "Meals on Wheels" dining room table that we purchased last week.  It still hasn't been delivered, which isn't a bad thing.  I'm moving our old dining room table into my sewing room which has prompted a completed cleaning out and furniture rearranging in my room.  I would have taken a "before" picture but it was really not very tidy.  I'll take an after picture once the dust settles.....and I do mean dust.  The dust bunnies were multiplying like rabbits. 

Each and everyday Mr. Joe and I are stuffing A Ribbon Runs Through It patterns for shipment around the world.  The dining room is looking like a shipping dock!  This is what 600 patterns look like after they've been boxed and await shipment.  The response to this block of the month amazes me everyday and I feel so blessed.  

Mr. Joe has been taking orders over the phone when I'm away from the cabin.  He makes little notes on the orders telling me how nice everyone has been.  When I ship the orders, I always inform the buyers that my husband enjoyed chatting with them.  Maybe he's just so happy to unchain himself from the table and have interaction with a human voice instead of a plastic bag full of directions!

So if you are reading between the lines, you can tell that we've been really busy here under the pines at Sew'n Wild Oaks.  Yesterday was a very rainy day, and just perfect for being indoors stuffing patterns  The sun is out today, and it's Mazey's turn for a nice walk through the woods. Maybe we will stay outside for an extended length of time.....

Soon,

Lynn

A Trip to Wine Country

Hello Everyone,

After the intensity of the past few weeks, it was so nice getting out of the cabin for a drive to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Northern California.  

It was a beautiful, crystal clear day at Helwig Winery just outside of Plymouth.

Mother Nature was exuding "fall" everywhere we looked.  The vineyards were putting on a display of color along with seeing snow in the mountains. It was a Thanksgiving kind of day.  We were thankful for the gorgeous day, weather, and the opportunity to soak it all in.

This was our lunch spot at the winery.  They are also pet friendly so Mazey enjoyed her day.

Luckily for us it was cool, and that makes the rattlesnakes a bit slower.  Maybe I could out run them with Mazey in tow. This sign was right by our picnic table.

We stopped at another winery on the way home, and saw this sign.  I'm very curious as to what word was blacked out.  So I guess we all have to fill in the blank.  What do you think?

We stopped at Water Street Antiques in Jackson on the way home.  Notice the red sold sign?  The sign had my name written all over it!  I named our new dining room table.....are you ready for this?  Meals on Wheels!  This is so unique and is going to look great in the cabin.  I'll take a picture after it's delivered.  It's going to take two men and a boy to get this table down to the cabin.  I think some dis-assembly is going to be required to get it through the door.

Our neighbors asked what was wrong with our old dining room table.  Joe said it had a flat tire, and needed alignment!  On that note.....

Soon,

Lynn

 

Mountain Heirloom Quilt Faire

Hello Everyone,

What a beautiful weekend for a quilt faire!  The quilters came out in droves to the see the quilts, their friends, and the vendors in the spectacular setting at Ironstone Winery.

 

This is a destination quilt show located in the cute little mountain community of Murphys, CA.

The quilts are on display in the music room at the winery.  It's an amazing, and impressive room filled with beautiful quilts.

This is just a small sampling of the quilts on display.

I was apprehended and put under arrest by the Quilt Police, aka the Material Girlfriends, Lisa and Lora.  They were so much fun!  I was arrested for making Patchwork Math just too easy.  So yes, there really are quilt police lurking in the shadows.....beware.

It really was a spectacular, Autumn weekend for a quilt show.  

We were surrounded in beauty the entire time.  From the quilts, to the glorious Fall colors, to the quilters.  It is so special to be able to meet so many of you in person, and I'm filled with gratitude that you stopped by and introduced yourselves.  Yes, shows are exhausting especially right after a four day retreat.  But on another note, I'm energized to start working on new designs to bring to the world of quilters. 

I couldn't have pulled this off without the help of my friends Karen, Paula, Deborah, Sue, Jocelyn, my sister Gail, and of course Mr. Joe.  They made the booth possible, and were a tremendous help.  I love you all.....my support team, friends, and family.

Soon,

Lynn