Sew Some Wild Oaks

Huckleberry Hill by Lynn Wilder of Sew'n Wild Oaks Designs (c) 2017

When I design fabric, 80% of the time, I already have the quilt designed for the collection and therefore, a specific picture is cemented in my mind of what I'll do with it.  Usually, I do make several other things with the collection, but after that, I've moved on to the next new thing.  

So, I am just delighted when I receive photos of what another designer is inspired to create with some of my fabric,  and so goes the story of the photo above.  This absolutely stunning basket is the creation of a very talented quilt designer, Lynn Wilder of California.  I had the pleasure of meeting Lynn at Spring Market last year after becoming smitten with one of her quilts that was hanging in the Marcus Fabrics booth.  

(Lynn's quilt, Heritage, is the quilt furthest to the left in the photo.)

She wanted to share what she is doing with my Star Spangled Liberty fabric and sent me these two photos.  Isn't it clever to use Log Cabin blocks like this?  And the ribbon border for the basket weave at the top?  And the bow is to die for!

Huckelberry Hill by Lynn Wilder of Sew'n Wild Oaks Designs (c) 2017

Here's an upclose photo of the basket rim and applique details.  I see some prints in there from Old Green Calicos and the little leaves with the berries are from Conestoga Crossing as well.

The basket blocks you see are for Lynn's new upcoming pattern called Huckleberry Hill.  Lynn plans to make two red and two blue baskets for her quilt.  I can't wait to see it all finished.  She also writes a fun, informative and inspiring blog I think you'll enjoy.  Click here for her blog.  Her pattern company is called Sew'n Wild Oaks.

I've seen sneak peeks at several of Lynn's upcoming projects that she's making with on of my future fabric lines, and let me tell you......DIVINE!

Enjoy reading Lynn's blog and perusing her pattern selections.  She's a very sweet and friendly lady, too!  

Conestoga Crossing Bundle Pre-Order Offer!!

In just a week or so, my newest fabric collection, Conestoga Crossing, will be delivered to quilt shops everywhere!  I'm so jazzed it is finally coming!  I love this collection as it's in so many colors and prints.  A 30 piece collection in all.  

Conestoga Crossing was designed along with this quilt as a brand new Block of the Month program.  The program will begin in most shops in January.  The quilt pattern and fabrics are available only through participating quilt shops.  (You know Marcus Fabrics brings you only the best BOM programs ever!!)

Click here if you'd like to join the fun and find a participating quilt shop. 

 I will have Fat Quarter and Fat Eighth bundles of the entire Conestoga Crossing collection.  And, guess what?!  

They're on sale for 15% off!!  

Click here to order yours today while supplies last!  

A Special Itty Bitty Mini

A little more than a week ago, these quilts were on display during Fall Market in Houston in the Marcus Fabrics booth.  Well, actually, it was a special booth all its own called the Marcus Makers booth.  

All of the Marcus designers, i.e., Marcus Makers, were asked to create a special 24 inch quilt that would represent their style, fabrics and designs. 

 What a wonderful array of quilts, don't you think?  What a nice representation of traditional and modern.

Can you guess which one is mine?  

Conestoga Stitches is the quilt I made for the Marcus Makers booth.  Those Nine Patch blocks are 1.5 inches finished and the Flying Geese are .75 x 1.5 finished.  Yup....I went itty, bitty.  Are you surprised?  

The fabrics are new from my upcoming Conestoga Crossing collection coming to your local quilt shop in December.

Tiny blocks are a challenge for me, so that's one reason I chose to do that.  And, those Flying Geese with the HST in the center were especially challenging as the HST's finished to 11/16ths!!

I would be remiss to not mention that my friend, Ronda, quilted Conestoga Stitches for me.  It was a challenge for her as well as sometimes it's hard to find quilting designs that work in 1/2 inch spaces!  She always does an awesome job.

I do not have plans to make a pattern for Conestoga Stitches because I honestly don't think many quilters would want to make those 11/16th HSTs.....right?  But...never say never.

Don't forget that shops all over the U.S. are getting ready to offer you my new Conestoga Crossing Block of the Month.    Ask for it at your favorite quilt shop!

I wanted to talk a bit about my Pocket Patchwork Sew-Alongs.  I love them, and had every intention of offering one this year, but family commitments, heath issues, surgeries (my husband had his knee replaced too), and a very busy work schedule caused my good intentions to offer a Sew-Along to be constantly postponed.  

I just wanted you to know that I have not abandoned nor forgotten about it.  This year, life has gotten in the way of a lot of plans, and it just happens to us all.  I actually have the next Sew-along designed but have no idea when I can make it happen.  I'm thinking about a new approach because TIME is always an issue for us all.  (We've talked about this before!)  So, I'll be thinking of a new way to fit it in.  It's important to me to continue, and I do so enjoy them as it really is a fun way to interact with all of you...and I miss it!!

Just wanted you to know.......

Scraps of Time ~ Scraps of Fabric Update

It's been awhile since I wrote about making sure to find time to sew everyday...no matter what, and thought I'd check in with you all and see how you're doing with this mission, and share how I've been doing.  

Back in June, I made a pledge that everyday, I would try very hard to make time to sew something, or at least prepare fabrics for sewing.  I called my mission.... Scraps of Time ~ Scraps of Fabric.  (Click here to read my original June blog post.)

Sometimes, we do what seems to be a crazy thing, and just when I was admitting I have very little time to sew, I went a really did something crazy, and signed up for Lisa Bongean's Summer Block of the Week (SBOW) called Clara's Stars.  It was love at first sight.  I tried hard to resist, honest I did, but I just had to make this quilt!!  Yes....lots of blocks to make each week for 12 weeks over the summer.  

Not only are the fabrics coming weekly, but...it's all HAND PIECED....and I've never hand pieced a block together in my life!  Now that's crazy!!  So....sure call me crazy, and I'm so, so happy I did this.  I read about hand piecing and went to You Tube, and took the plunge. Jumped right in and started to sew.  (True confession time: I am not making all the blocks I'm supposed to make each week, and never intended to.  I don't mind that it will take me however long it's going to take.  I'm just enjoying the journey.)

I'm hooked!  I'm smitten!  I can't stop!!!  I cut, trace and sew these blocks, and most everything else I am presently working on in the evening while watching TV.  I prepped loads of blocks, and popped them into zip bags to take with me while I'm away from home.  I pieced a bunch on a trip to Maine, and while I was in Santa Fe, NM over Labor Day weekend.  My stitches are getting better and better with each block.

I delighted to say I'm a hand piecer now, and will likely hand piece until I can't hold a needle anymore.

I'm still working on tiny little Nine Patch blocks and better step it up because I need it completed for a Christmas gift.

Basket quilt is found in the book When The Cold Wind Blows by Blackbird Designs

And, I managed to hand applique another basket block (block 110).  Both the block background fabric and the basket fabric are from my new Old Plum Calicos collection.  Oh, and the black fabric underneath is also new from Conestoga Crossing.  Love, love, love the black fabric!!!  

How about you?  Are you making time to sew something each and every day?  I think I'm doing pretty well considering before pledging to this mission, I wasn't sewing very much at all.  

Hoping we all find some time to sew something everyday.  It's so very good for us in so may ways!  

Introducing Conestoga Crossing!!

Conestoga Crossing by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics.
Quilt size: 95" x 112"

I had to bump my post about The Shelburne Museum because I am way too excited to wait to announce my newest Block of the Month program.....

Conestoga Crossing!!  

You just have to take a look at the fabrics I designed for this quilt.  Click here to see them on the Marcus Fabrics website.  Very soon, I'll post more close up photos of the fabrics for you to enjoy.

The colors are my favorites.... deep reds, greens, black, dusty golds, and a few yummy blues. All are reproduction prints created from my many antique quilts from that era.  The black border fabric turned out better than I hoped, thanks in large part to Faye Burgos, my awesome Art Director at Marcus.  We worked together to make it really special, and it has such a soft coloring about it, and looks very old, just as it should.  Spectacular!

You know how I love to include little historical stories about life in the 1800's, and I admit I am quite smitten with what it was like to walk The Oregon Trail.  The stories are about preparing for the journey, what is was really like to walk the trail (yes, walk!), some of the stops along the way, and arriving at the final destination....the Land Claims office.  

For the quilt design, I wanted to separate the center of the quilt and add a dramatic frame. Notice the medallion effect of the center "square" of Flying Geese which surround a large star....who doesn't love a star?! There are eight sampler blocks all framed by Chain Log Cabin blocks.  I also just had to have basket blocks in this quilt, which are probably my second favorite block to make.  I love all basket blocks, and this basket version seemed to really fit the quilt.  Not to worry about difficult blocks...I promise!!  All are rotary cut and use modern piecing skills you're very accustom to.  The block size is 12" with the finished quilt measuring 95" x 112". 

I really hope you like Conestoga Crossing, and invite you to take the Journey with me on the Oregon Trail!!  

Conestoga Crossing is an exclusive Block of the Month program I designed for Marcus Fabrics and is only available through participating quilt shops.  It will begin in January of 2017.  Ask for it now at your favorite shop, and I look forward to seeing you on the Trail!