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 24th - 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