The Growth of a Medallion Quilt

Hello Everyone,

Emilie Elizabeth is growing on my design wall. It all started with the center last week.

  

For days I auditioned a red border and changed it to blue yesterday.

I added 20, double flying geese.

Then another blue border.

Today I'll finish up my 52 sets of parallel geese. Now I'm adding the red to the mix.

Ironing was key to getting the seams to line up correctly.

They will make another border that looks something like this.

Then I will be adding 20 basket blocks.  This is what I will be working on today......and tomorrow.....and the next day.......you get the idea.  There are several more rows after the baskets.  If I keep it to the original design, the quilt will measure 80" x 80". 

All of the parts and pieces are components from my Patchwork Math book.  I'm becoming a master of the quilting components!  I can whip these little guys up in two shakes of a lamb's tail.  Well, a bit longer than that, but I'm getting pretty fast!

California is receiving some much needed rain.  It is so cozy sewing upstairs in my sewing room and listening to the rain, wind, and thunder.  Another storm is arriving tomorrow.  I can't wait to listen to it and watch our yard get the soaking it needs.  I shudder every time I hear the water rationing words. We've been through this before in the 1970's, and it's not pleasant.  So, I will continue to do my rain dance and quilt up a storm!

Soon,
Lynn

Sew'n Wild Oaks Class is in Session

Hello Everyone,

The girls outdid themselves again.  They have been working so hard and finishing so many projects.  I'm very proud of them!

I love this addition of the sun or harvest moon on Judy's barn for her Harvest of Hope quilt.  I see a silhouette of a black weather vane in her future.

The added little "touches" make the blocks so special.  Evelynne has bales of hay stacked in her barn and I love the realistic pumpkins.

Gail's 3D Noughts and Crosses is totally in the finished column!  She finished the binding this week and the quilt is ready for display in the shop and class this Saturday at In Between Stitches.  We still have a couple of openings if anyone is interested in making this quilt designed by Quilt Sue.  Click HERE for the class information.

Karen's Country Charmer is a beautiful flimsy and this is the first time I've seen it in person!  Karen has been emailing me pictures while she worked on her quilt.  Karen drove a considerable distance to come to class yesterday, and I was so happy to see her again and see her quilt.

I love the fussy cutting!

Cindy is finishing up her last block for Toyland Tree.  The giraffe fabric couldn't be better!

Vivian's little Jack is almost finished.  Vivian is fairly new to applique and she's doing a wonderful job!

Cindy is going to give all of her little characters some eyes, and all of her blocks are completed for Toyland Tree.  I know how hard she's been working on them and her persistence is paying off.

Donna is working on a quilt with an Asian design.  She is making fans to applique to the border.  I'm looking forward to the end result on her design.  The colors are amazing.

Karen is starting to sew her Scrappy Leaves quilt together.  She put it out on the design wall so see exactly what colors she had and determined what she needed to make.  I love this quilt and I might just make another one someday.

I then have my "basket ladies", Jan and Kaye.  They are diligently making 120 little baskets for their quilts.  Love the colors that they've selected.

Sometimes, when I have time during the session, I step back and look at "my girls".  They are busy working away, chatting, and offering praise and support to each other.  They are such good, creative quilters and such good women.  I adore and appreciate all of you!

Soon,
Lynn

The Magic of a Wedding

Hello Everyone,

Melissa, the co-owner of In Between Stitches was married in a beautiful ceremony last weekend.

Melissa and Pete are a beautiful couple!

There was magic in the air at Old St. Hilary's Church.  It was a spectacular day both inside and outside under a crystal blue sky with views of San Francisco and the bay.

The shop's logo is a honey bee.....how appropriate is this on the cake made by one of Melissa's good friends.

The quilt that several of us made for Melissa and Peter, decorated one of the massive walls at the Corinthian Yacht Club.  Melissa is really checking out the quilt as this was the first time she'd seen it.

 

Melissa was radiant.

 

I've posted a short slide show of the wedding on the shop's blog HERE.  I took over 150 pictures so I have to distill it down to the best of the best.

Weddings are so special.  It was a good time for all of us to renew our own vows to our loved ones.  Many of us had our tissues in hand ready for the first happy tear to fall.....and they did! We all wish the bride and groom every happiness in their new life together.

Soon,
Lynn

Potty Mouth Piecers Day Two

Hello Everyone,

My time has come to an end at the Potty Mouth Piercer Annual Retreat. I got so much accomplished in just two days on my new design.  If I had two more full days of quilting totally free on interruptions, this quilt would be done!  Well, not really, but I'd be way ahead of the game.

 

 

 

I put a few of the blocks up on the design wall.  I finished 60 squares in a square, 80 HST for the basket blocks, and 20 double flying geese for the first round of the medallion quilt.  Then I started working on the basket blocks.  I'm taking parts and pieces from previous designs with a few modification, and incorporating them into a new quilt.  This quilt is going to be 80" x 80" so there are going to be many more rounds added to the medallion.  I'm only incorporating quilting components from my Patchwork Math book.

Mauna is working on stockings for Christmas.....smart lady to get them started now.  Look at the flange under the name!  I do love a flange!

Kaaren finished another pillow she made out of wool for a friend who collects quails.

Even the back is attractive!

There's so much detail from topknot to toe.

 

Shirley and Mauna are making strip sets for a block exchange.  Each of their work areas were filled with strips.

Here is part of our workspace.  We each had our own area so we could sew and watch the Olympics or listen to music.  The cutting table is a dream, and we all took advantage of it to save on back strain.  Denise is working on a wonderful new design which you are going to love.  I will be sure and post a link to her site when the pattern is ready.  It's gorgeous and so are her fabrics!

Here's a sample of what we had to eat.  My contribution to the retreat was breakfast yesterday.   I promise I will post recipes in my recipe tab at the top of the blog.  We began with an orange coffee cake.

 

With a fruit salad......

 

.....and Fiesta Brunch.  This dish is made with eggs, corn tortillas, sausage, cheese and spices.

For our dinner, Denise prepared homemade chicken enchiladas.  Our plates were licked clean!  We ate like royalty. 

I had to say goodbye to the girls last night.  I'm going to miss them, Kaaren's studio and the fabulous meals.  A quilting retreat is a great way to spend your day.  Everyone is focused on quilting, and you can always ask for a consultation when needed. I had a wonderful time and look forward to being with the girls again next year.

This was my first year as an official Potty Mouth Piecer.  In the past, I've visited with the girls and I've had them over to our cabin for wine and cheese.  But this year I became official.  I passed the hazing, and I didn't get "thrown off the quilting island".

Here's a special "shout out" to Pam who couldn't make it this year.  We missed you Pam and we hope you will feel better soon.  It was good to hear your voice yesterday.  I'm looking forward to seeing you at In Between Stitches soon.

Today it's back to the real world for me.....housecleaning the cabin for company this weekend.  Friends always stay at our cabin this time every year to celebrate family birthdays.  I have to get out the long duster and get after the cobwebs that have a way of multiplying like bunnies!  I can't use the line that I'm decorating the cabin for Halloween anymore!

Soon,
Lynn

Potty Mouth Piecers Day One

Hello Everyone,

 

Yesterday was the first day for the annual retreat of the Potty Mouth Piecers.  Kaaren, our hostess, finished up a pillow by early afternoon.  There was so much wonderful detail and color!

 

 

 

I worked on 60 squares in a square for Emily Elizabeth.

I also finished 20 double flying geese for the same quilt.

 Mauna quickly sewed HST together for a baby quilt which she will finish today.

 

 

Denise, from A Graceful Stitch is working on a new design.  No pictures, you'll have to see it when it comes out on her website.  Shirley is also working on a project that I will post tomorrow.

 

After a full day of sewing, we sat down to a wonderful dinner of Chicken Marbella.  The aroma of this dish found its way up the stairs into the quilting studio and enticed us to leave our machines and drift downstairs for dinner.  WOW was this good!

  

 

I get to spend another whole day of quilting with the girls, then its back to the city for me.  I have a very important wedding to attend this weekend! 

 

Soon,

Lynn

 

Emilie Elizabeth

Hello Everyone,

Maybe you've been wondering what I've been up to.......or maybe not. Well I tell you that I've been designing and working on a new quilt called Emilie Elizabeth.  Emilie Elizabeth was my maternal grandmother's name.  Since she was the one who introduced me to quilting, I thought it was fitting to name a quilt after her.

I've had this idea for a medallion quilt for quite some time.  I've made this center a couple of times but it just wasn't right color wise.  Third time's a charm.  The whole quilt is going to be blues, reds, dark golds....basically the colors in the center.

I'm going to The Potty Mouth Piecers quilting retreat which starts today, so yesterday I thought I would just select the fabrics and save all of the applique preparation for the retreat.  The fabrics almost selected themselves, they were saying, "Me, me, me, use me!"  I couldn't stop working on it and prepared all of the pieces yesterday.

 

 

I prepared the background piece over the weekend and had it ready for the applique.  I tucked the little flange between the inner and outer fabrics and continued using the checked fabric in the ribbon and bow, giving it the effect of a twisted ribbon.  You know me, I have to have a flange on my quilts.

 



By the end of the day, the little applique pieces were pinned to the background and ready for stitching during the Olympics.  Look at all of the wonderful open space just waiting to be filled with machine quilting to enhance the design.

The rest of the quilt will be comprised of quilting components and blocks from my Patchwork Math book.  I'm really excited about this one!  It has to be an epic quilt, worthy of my grandmother's name.  She was a wonderful woman.  Although she faced many hardships in her life, she didn't let it bring her down.  She always had a smile, a good nature, and she was the best grandma a little kid could wish for.

I've got to get everything pulled together for the retreat.  It is in my friends incredible quilting studio up here in the mountains.  I'll be quilting and eating there by day, and come home to enjoy my own bed at night. I'll post pictures of the retreat over the next couple of days so you can be part of the fun too.

Soon,
Lynn