Pattern of the Week: Cute as a Button

 Hello Everyone,

I've been missing in action for the last week.  I was so busy at my Sew'n Wild Oaks retreat that I didn't have time to post.  So, I'm back now and will post retreat pictures throughout this week.  I wanted to let you know my pattern of the week is Cute as a Button.  

I made this during February of 2019 when the snowflakes were falling and piling up like crazy.  When it's cold and stormy, I move my sewing machine out to the dining room and pretend I'm in a snow globe.

The blocks are so addicting, I couldn't stop making them.....nor could I go anywhere except to wield the snow shovel in the driveway and make a path to the nearest tree for Mazey's powder room.

Here are some of the fabrics I used in my kits.  They are just so darn cute and colorful!

I put my strips on this Strip 'n Sew that Mr. Joe made for me.  A pasta dryer also works like a charm.

I made sooooo many blocks, that I ended up making a queen-sized quilt for the master bedroom.

Here's a picture of the 'girls' together.

I promise to post pictures of the retreat throughout the week.  We had absolutely the BEST time together!  

The direct link is located HERE to the pattern and my Etsy shop. 

Soon,

Lynn

COUNTRY COURTHOUSE - Pattern of the Week

 Hello Everyone,

If it's Sunday, it must be the unveiling of my Pattern of the Week!  This week the featured pattern is Country Courthouse. 

This is the perfect stash-busting quilt if you have a lot of scraps in your stash.

I cut hundreds, no thousands of 1" strips for this quilt.

Years ago, Mr. Joe was making and selling these handy dandy Strip'n Sews. I had been using a pasta dryer to display all of my 1" fabric strips.  He decided he could make something much more substantial, and he gave it 'stadium seating' so I could easily see all of my strips.  He wanted to name it Strip Seach which I immediately had to veto as president of the company!

Having an assortment of fabric strips at my fingertips, makes quick work of making all of the little 9 patches and Courthouse Steps blocks.

This quilt started out as the smaller Cute as a Button pattern.  A few years ago, we had so much snow that it made for rough travel whenever we left the cabin.  So, I just stayed inside and kept making block after block and ended up making a queen-sized Country Courthouse. 

I love this alternative colorway too.

Whenever I finish a quilt, I put it on display on my old sled a do a photoshoot.

I machine quilted around every single 'log' in the quilt.  Tedious but so worth the effort.

If you do your own machine quilting, then this one is for you.  Stitch in the ditch and stipple is in the entire body of the quilt.  I also added a feathered border.

The pattern is available and on sale in my Etsy shop HERE and it is offered at 15% off the regular price.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Soon,

Lynn    

Country Courthouse

 Hello Everyone,

I love to see my designs made in alternate colorways.  This was posted by Tater Patch Quilt Shop in Merrill, OR. You can go to their website by clicking HERE.

They are offering kits for this version.

I'm going to change my company name to Snow'n Wild Oaks.  Another snowstorm is rolling over us today.  I've had the best quilting weather for the past week.  Somedays it is hard to not just plant myself in front of the woodburning stove with a good book and a latte.  Sounds just perfect to me!

I had to turn on 'Comment Moderation' on my blog.  I had a JERK from a digitizing company post about 15 comments per day.  I called the company and told them I was going to have my lawyer send them a cease-and-desist order if they didn't stop.  They didn't stop.  Every day I reported them to Blogger and removed their comments on multiple posts and it was becoming a full-time job. Now that I'm moderating comments; they have given up.  I was irritated they were using my blog to advertise their company.  

If you leave a comment, I will receive an email and OK your comment. Don't give up.  I will get to you!

Soon,

Lynn

Two Beauties

 Hello Everyone,

I received two more pictures from quilters who made my patterns that I'm sharing with you.  The first picture is Country Courthouse which came from Jan.  This quilt took First Place and Viewer's Choice at Happy Trails Quilt Show in Surprise, Arizona. 

Jan did a great job and is very deserving of her ribbons.

The next picture of Heritage is from Betty.  The quilt was made by her husband Bruce.  Here's what she said in the email.

     "Wanted you to see my husband’s completed quilt. He has been encouraged to enter it into the 2024 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Quilt Show.  He is a 72 year old male who began quilting a little over a year ago, with no prior sewing experience.  He plans to begin “A Ribbon Runs Through It” next.  He really appreciates your quilt plans and looks forward to creating more in the future.  He gave me this quilt to display in our guest quarters."

Wow, Bruce, you are amazing.  I really hope you do enter the quilt in the two shows.  I'll be you will be sending me pictures of your ribbons too!

California has been under another atmospheric river for days on end.  The rain was so torrential the other night that it kept waking us up.  I love to hear the pitter patter of rain on the roof unless it resembles elephants tromping across the roof for hours at a time.  The high country is receiving a great dumping of snow which is fantastic.  I'll put up with the rain instead of four feet of snow.  Last winter was brutal when it came to snow at my location.

All of the rain has kept me inside my sewing room.  I'm spending more time quilting and listening to books on Audible.  I just finished and highly recommend The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and Code Name Helene by the same author.  Look these books up and see if they might appeal to you.  Both books kept me quilting for hours on end, and the reader drowned out the elephants tromping around on the roof.

Soon,

Lynn

P.S.  If you are interested in purchasing the patterns for Country Courthouse or Heritage, they are located HERE in my Etsy shop.

Mini Quilt Show

 Hello Everyone,

I get a huge smile on my face when quilters send me pictures of what they've created from my patterns.  My friend Lynnette, sent me this picture of her gorgeous Grammy Squares quilt.

Lynette added her own special touches in each of the corners.  This also showcases the excellent quilting by Dianne Schweickert.

I love the little bird.

This is a picture of Lynnette with her award-winning bikini that she made and presented to me.  She said she was tired of making the blocks, and needed to do something fun, so she made me a Grammy Squares Bikini!  I love her sense of humor.  I also laughed at the fact that I would need about twenty of the blocks to go around me!  Mr. Joe visibly cringed when he thought about me wearing this.  It is going to stay on the dummy, and I don't mean me!

Yesterday, I received a question about a pattern order from Sherrie, the owner of  Painted Pony 'n Quilts in La Porte, TX.  She made Country Courthouse after she saw it in QuiltMania magazine.  The quilt is now on display in her shop, and I asked her if she could send me a picture.  Her quilt is gorgeous!

Both of the quilts that I'm showing you today are an excellent use of your scraps.  You can mix, match and throw just about everything in the mix.  I always tell my quilters not to stress when making a scrap quilt.  Use it all, and they work beautifully together. 

News on the BEAR front.  Another bear strolled by during breakfast the other day.  My sister and our friend Paula were here to see it. This bear was a little shy about having a picture taken, but let me tell you that it was big, it was golden, and it was in our yard.  Note to self:  Don't forget to take the airhorn when I go out for my walks. 

Now, news on the BOM front.  The blocks are almost all sew together and it is really starting to look like something.  I'll finish up the rows today, and start on the borders tomorrow.  Then I'll make the backing and get this quilt loaded on my longarm.  I've decided my least favorite part of quilting is stitching the rows together.  It takes me an eternity!   My second least favorite thing of quilting is loading the quilt on the longarm.  That takes me an eternity also.

Let's hum a few bars of....If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.  Sorry for the earworm, but it's what I will be humming today.

Soon,

Lynn

Magazine Signing

 Hello Everyone,

Quail's Nest Quilt Company in Sonora, CA is celebrating their 4th anniversary beginning this Thursday, October 22nd.  I'll be there on Friday, October 23rd for a mini-trunk show, and QuiltMania magazine signing. 

My Country Courthouse quilt was featured in issue #139.  If you have the magazine, bring it in,  Magazines will also be available for purchase.

There will be demonstrations during the 3-day celebration.  You will need to call the shop ahead of time to secure a time slot at 10am, 11am, 1:30pm or 2:30pm.  The shop's number is:  209-536-4009.  Social distancing will be observed, and masks are required.

The quilt looks so different in either a contemporary or traditional setting.

I'm still working on my leaves for my Leaf Peepers in Batiks.  I'm totally hooked.

Soon,

Lynn  

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

Hello Everyone,

I received my digital copy of QuiltMania yesterday, and here she is in all her glory!

She's not the centerfold, so she doesn't have a staple in her navel!  I was surprised to see her in a very contemporary setting.  I guess it's to showcase the fact that it works in this setting as well as on my log bed, in my log home.

The issue is #139, and is available online right now.  I'll get my paper copy soon, I hope.  Both the digital copy and the hard copy contain the pattern for her.

This pattern is an excellent use of scraps, since the blocks are made up of 1" strips.  I know you all have a ton of 1" strips.  I never throw anything away, and I incorporated many little pieces that probably should have been tossed out. Nothing goes to waste here.

I'll make a cup of coffee and sit down with my digital copy today, and pour through it.  Thank you QuiltMania for selecting my quilt to display in your gorgeous magazine. I am so honored.

Soon,
Lynn

Country Courthouse is Home

Hello Everyone,

Her journey across the pond to France has come to a conclusion.  Country Courthouse is home after being photographed for QuiltMania magazine.  If quilts could talk, I wonder what she could tell me about her travels.

I received a notice from QuiltMania that they were shipping her back via FedEx on Sept. 4th.  I received the box on the 8th.  It took less time to go from France to the west coast of the US, than a first class letter going 100 miles within the United States.  My Etsy orders are taking forever to ship, and it's becoming very frustrating.

The QuiltMania edition with my quilt, should be out any day now.  I can't wait to see it.  I keep checking my post office box every day, but so far no luck.  It will probably be delivered by the Pony Express a month from now.  Carrier pigeon maybe???

Thank you all for your delightful comments about our anniversary. Someone mentioned how interesting it is that random events can change the course of your life. In our case, that random event was the best thing that ever happened. The anniversary fun continued last night when our neighbors invited us over for dinner, complete with cake and four candles, one for each decade.

I'm sure that you've seen the horrific pictures of the fires, and the blanket of smoke over California.  We haven't seen the sun in days, maybe even weeks.  The temperatures have dropped from 100 degrees during the day to the low 70's. The smoke is keeping the temperatures down, but it is making for difficult breathing.  The rains can't come soon enough.  Pray for rain for California, and Oregon.

We are under this huge plume of smoke.

Soon,
Lynn

A Well-Traveled Quilt

Hello Everyone,

This is the reason I was excited and nervous at the same time.  Yesterday, I shipped my Country Courthouse quilt to France to be photographed for the Fall edition of QuiltMania magazine.

I'm not worried about her once she gets there.  It's the between here and there and back that worries me.

I really wanted to take her personally for her photo shoot, but shoot, who wants to travel now?  That's why the photo shoot was cancelled at my log cabin by the editor.

I hope she doesn't kick up her heels too much.  I also hope she doesn't end up with a staple in her navel, drink too much red wine, or eat too many baguettes.

I feel like I gave birth to her while I machine quilted around each and every log.  Now I feel like I sent my kid off to summer camp for three long months.

I'm acting like a nervous Nellie.  It's only a quilt, it's only fabric, it's only....my baby.  I'm going to suck it up, and just tell myself that I sent her off to France to finishing school.  In my mind that sounds to much better.

Soon,
Lynn

Country Courthouse Was In Session

Hello Everyone,

 

Here are some wonderful blocks the girls made in class for Country Courthouse.

 

Carrie started working on her quilt ahead of time, and brought (229) 2" x 2" 9-patches.  You will need to make 405 9-patches for the large quilt.  Carrie is over halfway there!

Jean made a lot of 9-patches ahead of time too.

Blocks were born......adorable blocks.

Carrie chain-pieced about 8 blocks at a time while making her Courthouse Steps blocks.

Heidi's quilt is going to be made in beautiful blues.

Jean's is going to be made in brights.

I love this center 9-patch.

Stripes work so well in the blocks.

 

If you don't want to make the large version of this quilt, you can always make a smaller version called Cute as a Button.  Whatever size you make, it is fun, and addicting.

 

I'll be with my Sew'n Wild Oaks girls today and tomorrow.  Fun times are ahead.

 

Soon,

Lynn