JJ Stitches....

I’m home from Madison…. I had a class at the University of Madison in Contract Negotiations. The basic premise of the class was ‘be a tough negotiator..Just be nice…’


No negotiating, No persuading needed. You will positively love this quilt shop in Sun Prairie Wisconsin.

“Can I take a couple of photos of your shop…I promise to only write good things??”
“Sure—take as many as you want..”

I’m quite certain if I get to go to heaven one day---this is what it will look like. Coupled with the “angels” behind the counter, it made the 4 and 1/2 hour drive home worth it. If the pictures are blurry, it’s only because I was just having so much fun ‘clicking’ away… If there’s something you are interested in Just give them a call.. you can even email them one of the photos. They have a website.

The stenciling on the wall said:' Once upon a time there was enough time..."

I loved how the wool pieces were all in wooden boxes.

There were little signs peppered through the shop.

I purchased the pattern and kit for this one.  It spoke to me.  If you are a quilter you understand.

I'll share more tomorrow....Both pups went to the Doggie Hotel so I had to bathe them when I got home from work today. They are both sacked out.  I've got unpacking to do.  I have been pulling winter clothes out a piece at a time.  It's about time to put the summer things away and pull out the woolen sweaters.

Quilt some tonight....

It's Friday---

 An awesome week has ended... work went great...thanks for all the well wishes. What I learned this week-- I learned to laugh at myself.  It's O.K. not to be perfect and I knew I never was.  Second I learned if you get on a fit -- just say you're sorry and laugh about it......

Onto the quilt stuff---

I finished the binding-- and I'm so proud of this piece....I guess I'm like some tv commercial-- I did it myself.

Let's talk about it.

There are bats:

And spiderwebs...

Our Witches have Ruffles:

By the time I get home from work the lighting isn't good--- so I snuck out at lunch and shot these pictues-- the brush casts a shadow-- but if you look... there's a great pumpkin...(Remember Charlie Brown!!!)

Sailing among the stars-- this witch has a heart and pockets....

Everything I read about machine quilting says:Practice, practice.  Even from the top of the quilt to the bottom, I feel my confidence growing.... On the bottom border-- if you look close you'll see "Boo!" in the threads.

We had warm days before. We've had Beautiful Fall days before.  But to have a 79 degrees Fall day among the colors is a rare treat...

I took Bruno out one last time before bed last night.  It was anything from quiet with the leaves falling... But even in the dark-- I wasn't scared.. it was almost comforting...

Well, I'm off to hang my quilt. Remember if I was a witch---I'd use my powers for good....most of the time...

Have a great weekend...

Hop to it Block #7

Last night's wind storm knocked down a couple of trees in our woods -- so I used them to photograph my block for this month.

It's the 7th block in the series that I'm doing with Sue and Mary.  Funny-- I just read Sue's posting with her block reminding her of the fall colors outside her window bright and brilliant. 

 And until I read her post--- my block reminded me of the fall colors outside my home.  The Enchinea plants have faded from frost and days of sunlight. 

The ferns have used up there days and are now in muted colors with the milkweed.  I guess quilting can bring out the season's different perspectives. 

 The blue in the middle symbolizes my raining sprinklers that Don set up for my garden when the Good Lord doesn't see fit to water it for me.All of the wool pieces were scraps except for the blue.... showing the merits of saying scraps.

What am I doing this weekend?  As little as possible... It's been a hard week at work.  We've moved into our new building, but carrying on business and yet getting organized is not the easiest thing in the world for me... this too shall pass I guess.

Friday Night Doodling....

We're moving into our new building on the river at work.  Exhausted... it was pizza for supper.  I ran the pups and chilled on the couch last night.  I have Saturday housework to knock out where I can move onto the fun stuff...

Enjoy your weekend... The Beginning of Autumn 2011....

The Pack 2011-2012 Season

To keep it a quilting post--- I have finished all twelve blocks on my Penny Garden BOW. I'm hoping to start borders-- of some kind-- this weekend.  Looking at this snap shot...the blocks my look good framed in half square triangles.....just thinking....

  I finished the last of the purple flowers and stems in the car on the Way to Green Bay....for the Season Opener of the NFL.  We went to see the The Packers play the Saints...It was nothing short of awesome.

We tailgated...Amazing how putting on team colors makes friends out of strangers....

Growing up in Louisiana and cheering the Saints-- through the lean years-- made the game great.  We texted back and forth with family back home....

Ok-- Be jealous for just a second-- we had box seats complete with drinks and buffet.....

Yes -- I'm a complete NFL junkie-- completely obnoxious I went to sleep watching Inside the NFL last night....

Lucky Finds....

I opened the fridge on Saturday and glanced toward our front window....I just had to grab the camera.  While it's not even a good photo, it's home to me--- in the Fall.

I worked today. When I got home, I ran the pups before supper.  Chelsey says Bruno is putting on weight, so he's in training.Tonight I playing with my weekend finds.

Yep, It's an old window... a steal for five bucks.  There was a matching one in black that I scooped up for Chelsey.  It definitely needs a bath, but something I've wished for forever. I think it's going above the fireplace.

This is a old tool box that was just begging to be filled with quilt fabric....It came home with me as well.

I better get busy.  It'll be bedtime before you know it..Who cares about laundry?!?!

Getting out of the Safety Zone....

This is  a sign from the snowmobile trail at the back of my property.  A reminder to hunters as to which way to point their guns....But that's not what I'm talking about...

You have to  know exactly  what I'm talking about....You saved and purchased the right fabric for the quilt (that's getting more expensive all the time).  You cut it out with care.  You did the best job piecing it.  You are soooo ready to  display it.  All that's left is the quilting part.  You want to quilt it a different way to get out of the safety zone-- but you don't want to screw it up.

I worked out to this view daily for about two weeks---

I quilted it no less than one hundred times in my head...wanting to try something different and yet not wanting to "mess" it up.  I made this chatting with a friend.  She took hers to a machine quilter that did a wonderful job.  There were bats and owls stitched in.  Each witch had a different outfit-- wow. But I wanted to quilt mine myself.

I'm going to do it.

So I planned.

and found the backing material on sale--

The binding was made first.  This may take forever...but I am working on it now.....

We'll keep you posted.....



Apple Watch 2011....

We had our first freeze/frost -- a combination two for one---this week. But I harvested my first apple crop.

One is missing-- because I ate it. You have no idea how proud I am of these.  Yes-- it's about $3.00 worth of apples.  Yes, I could have gotten a bag of them at the grocery store.  Yes- that bag is available any time of the year.....  But not these.   These were prayed over, protected from pests and deer.  These came from my back yard.

How many times have I gotten that phone call.... 'Mom,email this recipe.'  'Mom, I'm in Wal-mart.  Text me this recipe...'   I laugh --- it's part of my job description.  So when I had a meeting in Milwaukee this summer, we did a little shopping to kill time--- we were early.  I saw this and couldn't resist.

It was four bucks.  I bought us both one.  I've sent her cook books, recipe cards, emails.  She got a kick out of this recipe.

Knocking out chores where I can put the needle and thread in my hands.

Have a great weekend.

Keeping my Word.....

OK-- I've always wanted to take a picture like this.... I've seen them on quilt book covers.  No photoshopping, no filters.... But they are my quilts... Two of them are quilted and another on the frame.

The bindings are made for three quilts.. that's the most 'un-fun' part...

I had a helper outside as well.

It's the same deer I've protected my flowers from all summer.  She looked interested in quilt pictures-- and hungry.  I went into the garden and pulled out a handful of tomatoes... We have more than enough.  She changing into her winter coat as most things are in the U.P.  The high for the next few days is only in the 50's.  It will warm up again some... but those days are getting fewer....... 

End of Summer.....

It's that time.... Don't forget to get your lotion for Fall from Bath & Body....



I'm stitching away  on my last block for my Penny Garden Project from Primitive Gatherings.

I started the project not knowing what the finished quilt would look like.  I trust Lisa Bongeans designs--- never met an ugly one.  We were told we'd have different border packages at different prices to pick from.. So I dived in Head first..

Here is the border she designed...

It looks Happy... Like a County Fair.

But completed won't fit in my house. It wasn't what I pictured.  But how sad if every quilter saw everything the same...... I researched my Quilt dream and here is my game plan---Inquiring quilters asked....

It's Northern Cardinals Fabric by Holly Taylor.  It's not a good picture but colored in shades of brown.  We'll keep you updated with pictures.  I'm going to use my wool scraps and add some things in borders, I haven't got that part of the dream figured out yet.

Don's working today so I have a date in the garden and in my quiltroom. I plan on purchasing some mums for the picnic table.

Have a great weekend.



Labor Day Weekend----

 We made a road trip.... It was on my bucket list... Something I wanted to do.  When friends called us up, We called Chelsey to watch the pups and threw some things in a bag and left.

There was quilting involved-- because I worked on this block while we drove and laughed.

I wanted to do the Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge.  It's a five mile stretch across Lake Michigan.  It's in the record books now.  I've done it.  It was pretty chilly.  Everyone laughed at me when I packed winter coats, but it was 47 degrees with wind gusts Labor Day morning when we started walking.

We first drove a couple of hours the night before so we wouldn't have so far to drive the next day.  The bridge was only closed to traffic for 5 hours.

We spent the night on a quiet lake with Kayaks,Bonfire pits,and cabins. We laughed at the metal ice trays in the fridge and yet they had direct TV---what's wrong with this picture? We play cards until late.

I wanted to get a picture but didn't think of it until after dark. So first thing in the morning I took it.

But Here's the bridge --

And Lake Michigan under the bridge grates beneath our feet.  I have always been afraid to drive on this bridge... not any more. 

We met so many nice people.  It started out really overcast, but by noon it was sunny.  We went wine tasting in Mackinac City and headed home for the evening.

It was a great holiday and one of those times when I ask myself --- How come I've never done this before....

It's a constant reminder... I       need       to      slow      down..... Slowing down is nice.

J J Stitches......

Monday started out rough.  I knew I had my trip to Madison and the whole classroom scenario after 30 years terrified me.  I had a 10 am meeting and I planned on getting on the road after that.  Only when I got to work did I realize the meeting was in another town--- Rhinelander--  and hour and a half away....

I regrouped and made it through and drove down there. I sat through the meeting and Headed for another 3.5 hour drive to Madision. I arrived in Sun Prairie at 4:30 pm.  I was not lost and I was alive-- Time to reward myself. I headed to JJ Stitches,  a quilt shop that had been featured in the Quilt Sampler a few years ago.... I didn't had a camera--- But I will when I go back in 3 weeks--.  The shop was wonderful with a small town look to it.  Wooden floors and tall ceilings  were lined with quilts.  The only thing better was the lady that rang up my purchases.

The pocket book is made from a bendable ruler.  I've studied the pattern. It doesn't look complicated.  I'm hoping to find something easy to make as several Christmas gifts.

Needless to say the Quilt therapy helped me get it through the classes. I can't wait to go back....

I'm Home....

From the Carol's mailbox to mine.... she sent me her penny squares to add to my collection from summer projects we need from Primitive Gatherings.

My 3-day weekend list is a mile long with things a want to accomplish.  My Sunday School class starts a new season with all new kids so that takes the front seat this morning getting everythign ready.

For the record--- I love my  U of WISC classes.  I have to go back in three weeks. The pups survived without me. Work was chaotic yesterday....I just kept telling myself a had a three day weekend ahead. 

I'll type more later.  Thanks again Carol.....