Pattern of the Week - Christmas Ribbons

 Hello Everyone,

Since it's Sunday, it must be time to post my pattern of the week offered in my Etsy shop for a 10% discount!  This week I'm featuring Christmas Ribbons.

This was the first time I did curved crosshatching on my longarm.  

The flange in the border can be optional.  I think it sets the border off so nicely.

The quilt finishes at 62" x 62", and the blocks are 10" finished.

It also looks great in non-Christmas fabrics too.

You could just call it Ribbons!

Click HERE for the link to the pattern in my Etsy shop. 

I have a very busy week ahead and I'll tell you all about it when I can.

Soon,

Lynn

Home to Stay & a Recipe

Hello Everyone,

My Gentry's Mill quilt has been out traveling around the country for months and she's finally returned home to stay for a bit.

My Calico Cottages design is on display on the left, and Minglewood is in the crock on the right.  Gentry's Mill is draped over a very old sled.

Calico Cottages is pouring out of a mailbox I found at an antique store here in town. The Rocking Chair Lodge sign came with the mailbox.  Perfect right?

I also use a sled to display my Americana collectibles and patriotic quilt.  Mr. Joe had glass shelves made for the sled and it's quite the conversation piece.

I took a picture of a new recipe I made for our company the other night called Smoked Deep-Dish Burgers.  

These are SO GOOD and would be great to make for your 4th of July celebration.

Here's the recipe:

Wood chips for smoking

1 T. butter

1 (8 oz) pkg sliced white mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 C. chopped sweet onion

2 T. steak sauce

4 Thick-cut bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled

3-1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 Beer or soda can used to form the patties

12 Thick-cut bacon strips

Salt and pepper to taste

12 Slices of your favorite cheese

Soak a great big handful of wood chips in water for 30 minutes, then drain. In the meantime, melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion until softened.  Stir in the steak sauce and cooked bacon and set aside.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray.  Form the ground beef into six equal-sized balls and arrange them on the baking sheet.

Clean the outside of the beer or soda can and coat it with cooking spray.  Press the can firmly into a meatball to form a cup, pressing the edges of the meat to an even thickness and fixing any cracks; wrap each with two bacon strips and secure with toothpicks.  Remove the can and repeat with the remaining meatballs.  Season with salt and pepper and fill with the mushroom mixture.

Grease the grill grate and preheat the grill to 300 degrees for indirect cooking.  For a charcoal grill, toss a big handful of the soaked wood chips directly on the hot coals.  For a gas grill, place wood chips in a smoker box.

Set the stuffed burgers on the COOL side of the grill.  Close the grill lid and cook for 30 to 45 minutes.  Top each burger with a cheese slice and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. DO NOT FLIP THE BURGERS!  We rotated the burgers, so each side had a turn close to the heat, so the bacon was crisp.

These smelled so amazing that we couldn’t wait to dig in—I completely forgot to snap a pic of the finished dish! They were incredibly flavorful, and no bun required. I paired the burgers with Danish potato salad and fresh sliced melon. It is the perfect summer meal!

I hope you all have a delightful weekend!

Soon,

Lynn

 

Pattern of the Week - Autumn Thyme

 Hello Everyone,

Summer may have just begun, but it’s never too early to let a little autumn charm sneak into your stitching. Embrace those warm hues and harvest-inspired patterns now, and you’ll be ahead of the curve when the crisp fall days arrive.

This whimsical design blends the rich texture of wool with the touch of cotton, measuring 38" by 10". It is made from my Hearthstone fabric collection for Marcus Fabrics, it radiates a rustic warmth that feels right at home in any cozy setting.

Of course, I have a plaid flange around each of the blocks!

I'm offering Autumn Thyme as my featured pattern of the week at a reduced price of 10% off. The pattern is available HERE in my Etsy shop.

You certainly do not have to use wool in the design.  It would also look great in cotton fabric.

The pumpkins have little 9-patch windows looking out at the world.

On the home front, I’m still hitting the pool most mornings by 7 a.m.—though there are definitely days when my to-do list wins out and I opt to stay home and tackle it one task at a time.

I'm still volunteering four hours a week setting up for the massive flea market in August, working in the Craft/Sewing/Linens room. As I sort through bags and boxes of donations, I can’t help but think of my own sewing room. It’s a gentle reminder (more like a full-fledge shaking) that I really need to get things in order at home... before my treasures end up at the flea market for 50¢.

We had a delightful summer thunderstorm roll through on Monday. Dark clouds gathered over the mountain, and for nearly an hour, thunder rumbled off in the distance like an old engine revving up. I sat out on the deck with my book, soaking in the calm before the rain. When the drops finally came, they brought that sweet, earthy scent I love which is called petrichor.  There’s something about a summer rain—it not only soothes the soul but also offers a little relief from the looming threat of fire season.....my least favorite time of the year.

I'm off to the flea market this morning, then home to my sewing room.  I started stitching the rows together for my Christmas quilt.  When I get tired of sewing, I work on the pattern.

I hope all of you are enjoying your Summer so far.

Soon,

Lynn

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Beautiful Quilts

 Hello Everyone,

I always encourage you to make the quilt your own—add your unique touch, reinterpret the pattern, and let it reflect your creativity. A pattern is just a starting point, not a rulebook! I was thrilled to receive these photos: one from a wonderful follower and another from a dear friend. Both quilts are beautiful reflections of their personal style and thoughtful craftsmanship.

This is my Calico Cottages pattern made by my friend, Judy.  She named the quilt English Cottages since she used the English Garden line by Laundry Basket Quilts. I'm so glad she's coming to my November retreat so I can see this quilt in person!

I love the backing fabric! It's like having a 2-sided quilt.

The following images are from Joan who made turned my Country Sampler pattern from 9" blocks to 18" blocks using her AccuQuilt dies. The ribbon border is striking and frames the blocks so nicely.

Look at those perfect points!

It brings me so much joy to receive pictures of your quilts. I truly understand the time, heart, and effort that each quilt demands, and I absolutely love seeing the beautiful work you’ve created.

Both patterns can be purchased HERE in my Etsy shop. 

A dear friend from high school and her partner are coming for dinner tonight, so today’s agenda is all about cooking and giving the cabin a good tidy-up. Honestly, if it weren’t for company, I’m not sure I’d ever bother to clean—nothing like a visit to spark some motivation!

Have a great weekend.

Soon,

Lynn

Catch Up Time

 Hello Everyone,

It may feel like I’ve vanished from the map, but summer has swept me up in a flurry of projects. Between prepping fabric for upcoming retreats, assembling kits, volunteering, writing patterns, and starting each morning with a swim, the days have flown by.

One recent delight: Marcus Fabrics released a beautiful new line by Dolores Smith called Franklin House. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to audition those prints for my upcoming design, Cozy Country Christmas. I'm in the midst of writing the pattern now, and the fabric is adding an entirely different look to the pattern.  

I sent the image to a friend to get her thoughts.  She suggested it would be a quilt that you could put on display all through the entire Winter season. I may have to change the name of the pattern to Cozy Winter.  Are there any thoughts out in blogland for a pattern name?

I think the quilt and fabric radiate a quiet, low-volume elegance that’s both subtle and striking. My cuts from the Franklin House line are already on their way from Marcus Fabrics in New York—can’t wait to get my hands on them. I may not have the time to stitch the full quilt just yet, but I’m eager to piece together a few blocks and start exploring how it all comes together. It’s like a gentle whisper of the full story taking shape, one block at a time.

On another note, as if I don't have enough to do, I started volunteering at Independence Hall on Tuesday and Thursday to help with the organization of the upcoming flea market the first weekend in August.  This is the hall where my guild meets every Monday throughout the year.  The hall is the old Hazel Fischer School which was given to the community of Arnold.  The hall is in desperate need of a new roof to the tune of $100,000.  Every year the Hall holds a HUGE flea market, and the monies collected sustain the Hall through the year.

This is the most organized flea market I've ever seen!  The Hall has quite a few rooms which are going to be filled with children's toys and clothing, women's clothing, men's clothing, collectibles, books and games, furniture, Christmas items, tools.....you name it.  Different people are in charge of each room.  I've been volunteering in the craft/sewing, home goods room.  My superpower is folding fabric, so that's what I do.  I'll take a picture of my progress today.  This is a picture of Karen's area showcasing sets of dishes.  Great care is taken in each area showcasing the items for sale.

A dear friend from high school is in town, and she and her partner are joining us for dinner tomorrow evening, along with another longtime friend Kathy, from Livermore who has a cabin nearby. We went to dinner last night at Lake Alpine Lodge with Kathy and it felt like no time had passed. We never run out of things to talk about. Our sons grew up together and our friendship spans more than 40 years. This week promises to be rich with stories, laughter, and plenty of reminiscing, I guess like a verbal scrapbook of memories.

Soon,

Lynn

Gentry's Mill Month #4 Tutorial

 Hello Everyone,

I just posted the tutorial for Month #4 in Google Docs.  You can download and print the tutorial HERE.

My Gentry's Mill quilt has been traveling around the country and it's down at the post office waiting to be picked up and return home.

The quilt has been gone forever!

I can't believe I quilted around every cameo on the borders.

On another note, we attended our grandson's high school graduation last Friday in Livermore.  In the blink of an eye, Jess traveled from pre-school graduation........

.....to High School graduation.  He once had an angelic glow, but while that has faded, his warmth and kindness remain. He's still an incredible kid/young man and is a wonderful human, now with a playful, mischievous streak that keeps the whole family on their toes.  

This August, he’s heading to Feather River Junior College, where he plans to earn a degree in Ag Mechanics, followed by a degree in Ranch Management. With his passion for welding, he’s spending the summer working as a welder, gaining valuable hands-on experience. He also has his sights set on joining the college’s rodeo team. His hard work and dedication have earned him two scholarships—one from the Livermore Rodeo Association and another from the Alameda County Farm Bureau. Exciting times ahead!

His mom—our daughter-in-law—put together an incredible slideshow for the graduation party on Saturday. Kicking things off with the first song "Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" set the perfect tone—what a fun and fitting choice!  Livermore High is known as 'Cowboy Nation'. 

At just three years old, he earned his first—and only—belt buckle as the fastest stick pony rider in the West. All these years later, he still wears it proudly, and now, it finally fits.

The college is small, and the dorms filled up in just two days. Luckily, there's an RV park half a mile from campus, so he bought a trailer and will be moving it there soon. Whether or not he knows how to cook is still up for debate, but one thing's for sure—life is about to get interesting!

We couldn't be prouder of him and are excited to see the incredible journey life has in store for him.

Soon,

Lynn

Christmas in June

 Hello Everyone,

I've been sequestering myself in front on my computer and in my sewing room working on projects.  At my request, Marcus Fabrics sent me sample yardage of Cozy Christmas by Katie Solberg from Pieceful Gathering Designs. I sat down with my EQ software and came up with a design that I am calling Cozy Country Christmas.

I LOVE the plaid in the line and wanted to showcase it throughout the design. 

The entire line is just so attractive!

I started making blocks and I'm getting a nice little pile of them done while listening to Audible books while testing out my pattern.  I'm really happy with these cute blocks!

This throw quilt will be a nice addition to the couch, bringing a festive touch of Christmas cheer to the great room.

I'll be placing an order for this line so I can make kits available for my retreats.  Whatever kits are leftover will go into my Etsy shop.

On another note, it's Prom season around the country.  Our grandson Kade, and his sweet girlfriend went together. 

What's a boy to do when his girlfriend didn't want to get her heels dirty?  You just scoop her up and carry her to the car of course!

Our other grandson, Jess, went to the prom stag with a group of his FFA friends.  A man/boy and his truck form a very tight bond.

I love this picture of the FFA boys on the boat out in San Francisco Bay.  Did you read the book Boys in the Boat?  I highly recommend it.

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial weekend.  We celebrated with a little dinner party with some friends.  

Our small mountain community has now been invaded by the Summer People.  The grocery store runs out of food, and we know to shop early in the week.

Memorial weekend also means our HOA pool opens up for the season.  My morning routine of lap swimming for an hour followed by 45 minutes of water aerobics started on Tuesday. The 7:15am early bird gets the pool all to themselves.  These old muscles didn't know what happened to them yesterday!

Soon,

Lynn

Prairie Flower

 Hello Everyone,

My friend Sharon sent me pictures of her fabulous Prairie Flower quilt which won Best of Show at the Glenn County Fair in California!

Sharon also sent me pictures of her quilt label which made me laugh!

I first met Sharon in November 2017 while working as a vendor at a quilt show in Chico, CA. She and her daughter Kate stopped by my booth, and Sharon joked that she just wanted to pull up an armchair and stay there all day. That moment sparked a wonderful friendship that has lasted ever since! Here are some pictures of my booth from the show in Chico.

Now, Sharon and her two amazing and talented daughters attend my retreats every Fall.  What fun we've had together with Sharon and the girls.  I'll get to see them again this November.

Sharon's Best of Show award is well deserved as I know the level of effort it takes to make this quilt with the 300 leaves and petals! 

I'm truly grateful that Sharon and her daughters have become part of the Sew'n Wild Oaks family. Their presence brings such warmth, happiness and joy wherever they go.

Soon,

Lynn   

The pattern for Prairie Flower is available HERE in my Etsy shop.