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

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

Sew'n Wild Oaks Happenings

Hello Everyone,

Marcus Fabrics just sent me the full-page ad, which is going to run in Creative Spark, the online arm of CT Publishing. I LOVE it!

It was a very busy week under the pines at Sew'n Wild Oaks.  Between Thanksgiving and the arrival of my granddaughter with all of her video equipment to film the tutorials for The Quilt Show, things were hopping around here.

Here are a few photos of the filming of the videos in my jam-packed sewing room.

We also did some filming outside and took pictures of the entire Laurel Ridge quilt. This image really showcases the machine quilting done by Diane Schweickert.

I've been juggling the workload between Laurel Ridge and Gentry's Mill.  WHEW!!! It can be exhausting.  I just mailed off Gentry's Mill to Stitchin Heaven in Texas yesterday morning.  I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it arrives safely.

Soon,

Lynn

Weekly Update

 Hello Everyone,

I've decided to just do weekly updates on my activities on my Sew'n Wild Oaks blog. This week has been a busy one, so what else is new?  I'm thoroughly cleaning the cabin as my granddaughter arrives the day after Thanksgiving to record my videos for The Quilt Show (TQS). I put tutorials together for those making the Laurel Ridge BOM.

I have one corner of my sewing room clean and tidy.  The quilt hanging is called Grammy Squares, and it is available in my Etsy shop. 

I love my little mail sorter which I found in an antique store years ago. It's perfect for fat quarters and wool bundles.

I store the Valdani thread in old typesetters' drawers.  How do you like the Valdani Easter Eggs?  That's what one of my followers called it. 

The antique pie safe holds bolts and flat folds of fabric.  When I think about it, everything is 'old' in my sewing room. I just might be the youngest thing in there!

My grandfather made this little hutch for me when I was about 6-7 years old.  I treasure it.  Country Charmer is hanging in the background.

When I'm not cleaning, I'm machine quilting Gentry's Mill.

I'm stitching around every single one of the motifs in the border.  Time consuming but worth it.

I was really on a roll until Thursday when my HandiQuilter decided to throw a tantrum. After watching several YouTube troubleshooting videos, I finally figured it out and resumed machine quilting, but I lost a lot of valuable hours.  I also called Richard at Elk Grove Sewing and Vacuum Center and he had some good advice for me. He's a gem and if your sewing machine or long-arm needs servicing, Richard is your man!

I'm down to the final border and hopefully will finish quilting this behemoth today.  The binding is all made and just waiting to be sewn to the quilt.  I will be so glad to check this one off of my to-do list! My goal is to watch football tomorrow and stitch binding at the same time.

My little community was right on the edge of the atmospheric river which hit California.  It finally caught up to us yesterday, and we've received 2" of rain in the last 24 hours with more on the way.  Another rainy day for us which means a good day to quilt......or clean the cabin......I think I will quilt!

Soon,

Lynn

Gentry's Mill Flimsy

 Hello Everyone,

Almost a month has passed since my previous post, and it's time to update you on the recent happenings at Sew'n Wild Oaks beneath the pines.

Over the past week, I've brought the Gentry's Mill quilt to its flimsy stage. Devoting two entire days to the borders, they truly serve as the icing on this quilted cake.

I organized a retreat at Snowflake Lodge during the first week of November. The attendees were a group of incredibly talented and fun-loving quilters. We had an amazing time!

 

Right before the retreat, I was a vendor and featured artist at the Independence Hall Quilter's annual quilt show.  It was great seeing so many of you in attendance at the show!

These enjoyable activities serve as my reason for not posting more frequently. However, I regularly update my Sew'n Wild Oaks Facebook and Instagram sites because it's fast and simple and doesn't require me to be at my computer.  I can just whip out my phone and do a quick post.

We went down to the Bay Area last Friday night to watch our grandson play junior varsity football in the last game of the season against the cross-town rivals.  Kade's team won decidedly, and we were so happy to watch him play.  He's on the field for most of the game playing both offense and defense.  The varsity team won, and they will be going to playoffs.  Kade found out last week that he is moving up to the varsity team, so he's practicing with the 'big' boys.  He doesn't think he will play much if at all during playoffs, but he was delighted he was selected to be moved up.

Winter is upon us here at Wilder's Last Resort.  We had our first dusting of snow the other day with a chance of more snow today.  We still have quite a few leaves on the oak trees and dogwood.  When we get a heavy snow early in the season, the branches tend to break.

Just as I need to work in the garage on Gentry's Mill for my longarm quilting, the weather decides to turn cold. I keep a space heater nearby to take the edge off the chill, yet it remains cold, and I find myself bundled in layers and snow boots while quilting.  Mr. Joe keeps me supplied with hot chocolate with a splash of Bailey's.  

I posted my last complete Bridle Path kit in my Etsy shop.  I listed three and now there is only one left.  I may have to rethink my shop and start offering more kits since they tend to sell like hot cakes.  It takes a lot of time to make kits, and I have to have a lot of material on hand to pull it off.  

I'm currently preparing the instructions for The Quilt Show (TQS) Block of the Month BOM. Today, I'll upload four months of instructions into TQS's shared folder. It's always busy around here! Additionally, I have another four months' worth of instructions ready, which I need to go over before adding them to the folder. Since my health incident, I often joke that I've lost a few pixels, so I make sure to check and double-check all my work.  

As I write this, I've just glanced out the window to see the snow beginning to fall. Today, we'll stay snug indoors, cook up a pot of chili, and bask in the warmth of the fire. To me, it sounds like the ideal day.

Soon,

Lynn