Designer Spotlight: Leanne and Kaytlyn Anderson and The Whole Country Caboodle

We checked in with Henry Glass designer Leanne Anderson recently and she gave us a few minutes to share lots of exciting developments from the Whole Country Caboodle. First, here's how you may know Leanne and her daughter Kaytlyn, from this new collection, called "I Love You This Much."


As well as her other collections with Henry Glass:

And this one Leanne and Kaytlyn created together called Whispers of Wisdom. In the collection are faith based sayings that encourage and inspire all ages.

Talking to Leanne one hears her faith in action, as she confidently shares the plans for her business, she also just as confidently shares her faith walk as the family has struggled this past year with her son's cancer, the passing of a dear relative, and postponement of several business goals. 

While it may be that she has struggled through a darker season, the light is now coming through as there are several major exciting plans in the works for the Whole Country Caboodle.

The first and most exciting for quilters is that Leanne and her husband Ed have been busy building a quilter's retreat on their property. Idyllically located in the countryside of Nashua, Iowa. Nashua also happens to be the home of a famous historical church, "The Little Brown Church". So the quilter's retreat housing may also serve as a respite for families who visit Nashua for nuptials. 

The quilter's retreat has two bedrooms, and is just a stone's throw from Leanne's quilting studio. So guests can enjoy some quiet retreat and relaxation right next to the lake on the property, and then step into a guided or unguided teaching session with Leanne. Leanne says she is just as open to people just coming to work on whatever project they want as to give a 'lesson' or two on quilting. Just bringing women together to share heart stories and rest in God's peace is what is most important to her. 

"The goal of this retreat cabin was never to make money" she shared. "It has always been about giving back to others what Ed and I have worked so hard together to create." 

That is evident in the name that has been bestowed upon the open concept cabin, "Sow in Peace." A fun play on words, and a nod to James 3:18 that says: "Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." A tiny little blessing for those who may travel here. 

Leanne says that she can see this being a hub for other designers and quilters who may want to come and teach their own classes. She and Ed have lots of ideas that have been born from lots of conversations with customers, quilters and friends about what they would like to see in a destination such as this. And they have built as much as they can into the finished product. And this is the view. 

 

The opening of the "Sow in Peace" retreat is scheduled for April, but Leanne shares that it is all in God's timing. 

Also slated for this spring is a whole new website, which will include scheduling for the cabin, as well as continued focus on e-commerce. 

"Kaytlyn has been the driving force behind the new website," said Leanne. "She is really the technology brains behind us now. She helps with getting the drawings into Illustrator, and adding colors. She works with me just two days a week, and has another graphics position at the church we attend." 

Kaytlyn and Leanne built the "I Love You This Much" Collection together. "Creating it was full of giggles and fun the whole time. Dinosaurs are a timeless icon, they just don't go away," said Leanne. "Whimsical or real, it was our twist on the designs that they would portray a positive message of love even through the eyes of a funny dinosaur."

And we think it does too, Leanne! 


Here is a giveaway from a collection by Whole Country Caboodle called "Build Each Other Up" 


Let's Get Quilting - 216 Edition Whole Country Caboodle Bundle