In My Spare Time......

 Hello Everyone,

Between wedding and retreat preparations, and cobweb extermination, I've been making kits for Blue Plate Special, my new design.

I finished appliqueing all of the 'frames' around the blocks while watching TV, since I don't seem to be able to just sit still for a nano second.

I've enjoyed every minute while working with this color palette from my Timeless Stitches collection from Marcus Fabrics.

If you would like to purchase a kit, please send an email to:  sewnwildoaks@gmail.com and I'll add your name to the list. I won't be able to ship until mid-November, after my Sew'n Wild Oaks retreat.  I will be posting the pattern separately in my Etsy shop.  I will NOT be posting the kit on Etsy, because of the extra charges that Etsy imposes on higher priced items.

I'm also making kits for more Lucy Boston blocks.

I'm indecisive on which way I want to stitch this block together.

Fabrics like this, make the best Lucy blocks since there is so much potential in this fabric. The fabric is from the Canton Quilting Circle collection by Judie Rothermel.  The red is from Lily's Locket by Pam Buda.

I started decorating for Fall with some very old decorations that I remember my mom put out every year.  These are decorations made with pipe cleaners and the faces are ceramic.  

My friend Kaaren gave me the Amish baskets when she moved away.  I LOVE them and she couldn't have given then to anyone who would love them more.

The Autumn colors have been a bit disappointing this year. Our nights haven't been cool, and the poor leaves are falling off of the trees before they have a chance to change color.  This is about it for our little maple tree.

Our electricity provider, Pacific Gas & Electric, thoughtfully decided to turn off power to more than 80,000 customers in California for three days last week because high winds were expected. PG&E clearly took the "better safe than sorry" approach. The only small problem? The high winds apparently got lost on their way to our area and mostly hung out in Southern California instead.

This sort of thing happens occasionally during peak fire season. It's annoying, but admittedly preferable to the alternative of watching the neighborhood become a giant bonfire.

During the outage, I kept two running lists: things I could do with no power, and things I could do once we fired up the generator. To my surprise, I crossed off a remarkable number of items from both lists. Apparently, a lack of electricity is an excellent productivity tool.

In fact, I got so much done that I'm beginning to wonder if we should lose power more often...

...and then I remembered cold showers, warm refrigerators, and no internet.

Never mind. Let's not get carried away.

Soon,

Lynn

Pioneer Quilt Guild

 Hello Everyone,

What a week this has been!  I spoke to the Pioneer Quilt Guild in Rocklin, CA on Monday.

What a fun group of quilters who laughed in all of the right places during my lecture.

Here's just a small sample of their creativity on display during their show and tell.

Take a close look at the machine quilting......incredible!

I spy a gorgeous Ribbon Runs Through It!

Here’s just a glimpse of the creativity bursting out of my Lucy Boston class for the Pioneer Quilt. What a day of laughter, and fussy‑cutting frenzy. I’m pretty sure half the room was officially bitten by the Lucy Bug. Symptoms include uncontrollable block making, excessive fabric petting, and the sudden belief that every print is “perfect for fussy cutting.”

My friend Nancie has made a lot of blocks and is still going strong.  I tell you these blocks are addicting!

My friend Candy brought three quilts to show me that she made from my patterns.  This is her beautiful 'Spoken For'. 

This is 'Madrigal'.

The center basket of flowers was amazing!

Diana made my 'Lil Orphan Scrappy'.

Candy made 'Grammy Squares'.

I love seeing the quilts made from my patterns.

This trip was a little bittersweet, since it marked my last guild lecture and workshop. Don’t worry — I’m not disappearing into a pile of UFOs. I’ll still be designing fabric, creating patterns, and hosting retreats where the laughter is hearty and the seam rippers are busy.

My sister and I have loved our quilting road trips — two women, one SUV, and approximately fourteen tons of quilts and patterns. We've driven thousands of miles from California to North Dakota. We have many funny stories to tell and special moments to relive for the rest of our lives. My vehicle's navigation system got us lost countless times and we found ourselves traveling in circles through multiple states. And then there was the time I drove into a bank's outdoor teller to order a vanilla latte! I learned a lot about my sister and discovered she has a lead foot and loves to drive 80mph through Montana. We’ve met wonderful quilters everywhere, but let’s be honest… hauling bag after bag of quilts from hotel room to car and back again is starting to feel like an Olympic sport. I’m ready to retire from competitive quilt schlepping. Now I will have more time to design and keep all of you extra busy!

Soon,

Lynn 

May You Find Paradise.........

 Hello Everyone,

I spent three days in my old hometown of Paradise, California last week for a guild lecture and workshop.  I was a bit apprehensive about going, as I hadn't been to Paradise since the town was almost completely destroyed by fire in 2018. Eighty-five people lost their lives in the fire.  153,000 acres were burned; 18,000 structures were lost including 11,000 homes.  My family home was one of the homes lost.

The original welcome to Paradise sign was destroyed in the fire and has been replaced with a new one.

My apprehension grew the closer I got to town. Did I really want to see my hometown almost totally gone?

My sister, Gail and I drove around town.  This is what is left on the lot of our home.

This is what it used to look like, and it is the memory I will always hold.  The woods where we used to play have been totally replaced by tacky apartments.

As we drove around town, there were no longer any landmarks left for us to find our way around.  We completely missed the turnoff to our grandparents' old home.  Paradise used to be covered in towering pine trees, and now they are almost all gone.  BUT, the cemetery is still completely intact.  Every tree is still standing. 

We drove up to Paradise Lake where I spent many happy hours fishing with my dad.  The fire got close to the lake, but fortunately it was still the same lake I remember. The one remaining memory left intact.

As we drove around the area, I became more and more emotionally detached.  I was sad but not overcome with emotion as it wasn't the town I remember with great fondness.  

The rebuilding is picking up steam, and we saw new construction after new construction everywhere.  The phrase 'Paradise Rising' is all over town.

Tuesday morning, I spoke at the Ridge Quilters' Guild.  I love to see the show and tell and this one didn't disappoint.

My friends, Laura, Tina and Laura surprised me by each making my Leaf Peepers quilt design.  Each so different and all so pretty.

Here are just a few of the many beautiful quilts.

Monday night, Gail and I had dinner with a friend I hadn't seen in 30 years, and we had a lot of catching up to do.  Teri lost her home, but she still lives in the area.

On our way back to the motel after dinner, I took a detour to view the sunset over Butte Canyon. Years ago, Mr. Joe and I came very close to buying a home on the canyon to be closer to my parents in their later years......that home is now gone too.

Wednesday morning, I taught my Patchwork Math class at the recreation center.  

As soon as I returned to the cabin from Paradise, we headed to Livermore to attend our son's 50th birthday party with family at friends at a local restaurant.

Here are the loves of my life, my three children.

This week, after I finished filling all of the Etsy orders, I started preparing for my class and trunk show in Loomis, California for the Pioneer Quilter's Guild.  I'm teaching Lucy Boston blocks for the class.  My dining room table is filled with kits and blocks. This quilt has been my ongoing, travel project for the last 15 years!  Of all my UFO's this is the one I want to finish first.

This is my last quilting road trip of the year and possibly forever. It's hard work preparing for a trunk show and class......in fact it's exhausting. I really enjoy meeting and being with the quilters, and I will miss that interaction.

As soon as I get back, I'm heading to Livermore to go to my granddaughter's wedding shower.  My daughter and DIL have been busily making table decorations and planned the entire celebration.  I just need to show up the day before and help decorate.  It's so nice to have the youngun's take over while I step back and enjoy the day.

The night before the shower, our grandson is a participant in the Rowell Ranch Rodeo, so we are going to have a fun-filled weekend with family!

Soon,

Lynn