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

New Year, New Design

 Hello Everyone,

The New Year brings me to my computer then sewing room to create a new pattern.  I wanted to combine my new Gentry's Mill fabric line with my Hearthstone line.  This is just one block of the combination. Let me tell you I'm loving this new quilt design!

As I'm writing the pattern, I was thinking about including a page to help you keep track of the components as you make them.  So, I'm asking for your input.  Is this something you would like to see me include in my patterns?

I love to make lists of tasks and enjoy putting a check mark on a chore/task in my daily to-do list.  I find I get more done if I write it down and then do it.  If I don't get something completed on my list, then I carry it over to the next day. (Somedays I have more carry over than others!)  Insert grimacing face here!

In the comments, let me know if this page is something that would be beneficial to your quilting process to help keep you organized.  This addition will add more pages to my patterns, and some of them are approaching the status of a novel!

On a personal note, Christmas is all packed away for another year.  I love to decorate for Christmas, and I love having it stored away.  Mr. Joe and I moved all of the furniture around in the great room, which really made him happy, NOT!  I moved my desk area over by the window so I can create while watching the critters outside.  I haven't seen anything large than a squirrel yet.  I also don't see anything creeping by outside at 5am unless the bears press their nose against the window! Don't laugh, that has happened more than once.

Yesterday was my birthday and our middle son, his brand-new fiancé, and our grandson arrived to spend the day with us.   We played cards until the cows came home, laughed and ate our way through the day. The kids told us they want to get married in the back yard at the cabin since they love the setting.  We were thrilled until we thought of the yardwork that needs to be done! Maybe they could get married in the snow and we won't have to worry about it.  Just follow me for more wedding ideas!

Kelly is so sweet, and we love her already.

Soon,

Lynn