Stardance Update

Hello Everyone,

We've had the perfect weather for quilting, rainy, windy, and cozy. This is the best weather to sequester myself away in my quilting room and work on Stardance.

The Courthouse Steps blocks go together much quicker than the star blocks.  I can make four of them at a time in no time at all.

I've been ordering bolts and bolts of fabric to make kits for this design.  I can't start cutting until I finish making the quilt, so until then, the bolts will stack up.

While I'm making the blocks and putting them on my design wall, I'm always thinking about how I'm going to machine quilt it. I think I have this one figured out, but as soon as I load it on my long arm, I will most likely change my mine.  My prerogative....right?

I can just picture this quilt on our bed at the cabin.  It's going to be perfect looking at the star blocks dance around the quilt!

My Sew'n Wild Oaks retreats are filling nicely.  My email inbox exploded after Barbara Black announced that she is going to attend my November retreat. All of the retreats are fun, but the November retreat will be very special as Carrie Quinn, a designer for Marcus Fabrics, as well as Barbara Black will be in attendance.  

I'm sure the November retreat will fill to overflowing.  I still have a few openings in my April and August retreats.  I can still help you with Laurel Ridge during those retreats should you not make it into the November retreat.

Happy quilting!

Soon,

Lynn

 

Sew'n Wild Oaks Retreats for 2025

 Hello Everyone,

I've added an additional retreat at Snowflake Lodge at Blue Lake Springs in Arnold, CA to my calendar for 2025 to allow more quilters to attend and enjoy the absolute pleasure of going to a quilting retreat.

We have a spacious room dedicated to our quilting for 5 days. The staff at Blue Lake Springs bends over backwards to provide and attend to our every need.

The quilters set up on a Sunday and stay set up through Thursday.

Many friends attend together and have a wonderful time!

I can host 36 quilters at a time.  

Between quilting we take walks around Snowflake Lake.  The added bonus is that I provide 'bear bells' for anyone worried about seeing a bear!

You can choose to attend one of my many lectures throughout the five days, or you can work on any project of your choosing.  For those of you making the 2025 Laurel Ridge offered by The Quilt Show, this is the perfect time for you to get some one-on-one help.  Also, those of you making Gentry's Mill will get the added benefit of my time and expertise. 

During nice weather we eat our meals out on the deck. We always break at 4pm for appetizers before dinner.

The Lodge overlooks the calm and peaceful lake.

Here are the retreat dates, and I still have a few spots open. In the eleven years of Sew'n Wild Oaks retreats, this is the first time I've shared availability on my social media platforms! I'm able to do this since I added an additional retreat.

April 27th - May 1st

August 21st - August 28th

November 2nd - November 6th

The cost of the retreat is $400 which includes rental of the facility, your meals (brunch and dinner), and my teaching and organizational time.  Housing is on your own.  There are two motels in the area and many cabins are available for rental. If you are interested, please send an email to:  sewnwildoaks@gmail.com   I will email a registration form to you will all of the specifics.  A retreat is a gift you give to yourself.

Soon,

Lynn

Stardance Update

 Hello Everyone,

I have so many fun things planned for the day that it's hard to decide what to do next.  I've been playing around with Stardance in EQ8.  This is what I decided on yesterday.....that could change today.....but I'm really liking this look of the well-defined star blocks dancing around the quilt.

This is what the design looked like before I started to play.  The blocks were cut off and I think they looked incomplete.  To remedy that, I made half-blocks to put in the border.

I keep adding to my little pile of blocks.  I try to quilt every day even it's for only a half hour.  All of that time adds up to a finished quilt.

In addition to quilting, Mr. Joe and I have been stuffing patterns for Gentry's Mill.  The orders are rolling in and the patterns will be rolling out.  The first order is shipping to Australia tomorrow.  Maybe I can pack myself up and deliver them in person.  Now that would be fun!

Every time I do a BOM, the dining room is turned into a shipping dock.  I find myself apologizing for the mess, but it's a wonderful mess and one I can live with. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and have a lot of fun projects to keep you busy, energized and engaged.

Soon,

Lynn

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