I’ve been home from my last work trip for two weeks. I’m heading out again Thursday. I have no idea where the time goes but I have been busy getting sorted, packing bags… I’ve even finished a quilt (or maybe not quite finished a quilt?)
I had a booking for a lecture in McHenry(far north suburbs) on the Thursday and then a lecture and workshop in Kenosha (south Wisconsin on the lake) on the Monday and Tuesday of the next week AND it was the Wisconsin Quilt Expo in Madison AND the Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson County at the weekend in between…
I made a plan!! It took a bit of organization, particularly with the suitcases but I did it 🙂
So it was that the Thursday after Labor Day I drove up to McHenry, checked in to my hotel, and arrived in good time to renew the acquaintance of the Country Quilters of McHenry. I last visited them in May 2013. A lot has happened since then!!
Business came first before I was on. There was a good turn out. Time for the customary photo op.
Looking right,
and looking left.
They were still smiling after some Lessons Learned While Quilting!
We had a short shopping break and then the members got the opportunity to share their work.
Getting ready for Christmas?
A big bag to put things in…
and pot holders for all the family.
There was lots more on display but you get the idea. I hope it won’t be another 12 years until I see them all again?
I slept well in my hotel room and then got back in the car for the cross country drive to Joanne’s house. There was no direct route but I enjoyed the scenic route while I listened to an improving podcast.
Joanne was ready to go. She had taken the day off work so she could come to the quilt show with me. We met up with her work friend there. I didn’t take a lot of pictures but I did get one of the two of them with Heather from Crimson Tate who was vending. Heather refuses to “just smile” for the camera
John and the children were just pulling into their drive from school as we arrived home.
I was taken on a tour of the animals on Saturday morning.
We started with the sheep.
We said hello to the pigs.
We checked out the bikes and pedal powered tractor.
Onto the fruit and veg gardens.
Just enough corn for sweet corn.
Posing for pics by the raspberries.
Off to the Sheep and Wool Festival. We had been all been quite warm while we were walking around at home but then the sun went behind a cloud… I’m not sure what happened but I managed to come home without pictures. We watched the sheep dogs at work, enjoyed some carnival food, talked to people about preparing fleeces for spinning and I bought some yarn!!
How about making some cookies? Joanne chose the most complicated recipe in the book.
The cookies were good.
I spent one more night at the farm. Joanne had decreed that I did not want to be there on Monday morning while they were getting ready for work and school so I left while the going was good on Sunday afternoon!! It had been a fun couple of days with them in their field in Wisconsin. Teddy at almost four is an excellent conversationalist. We had some good chats.
Ever onwards. I spent the night in Waukesha (a suburb of Milwaukee). I needed to be in Kenosha for a lecture in the evening so I made the trip south via IKEA and Woodman’s. An excellent way of getting a good number of steps and I might have found a few things I needed…
And then to Kenosha to meet with the Southport Quilters Guild. It was 6 years since I was last in Kenosha. This time I was booked for my Trip Around the World lecture. I forgot to take a picture before I started but the quilters were still smiling after I was done!
Of course there was show and tell.
This member had lots to show in her bag!
This quilt was made from all sorts of meaningful fabrics in her stash, including vintage fabrics that were from clothes her mother had made!
The butterflies on this next one were also stitched from vintage fabrics.
Kitty was ready for all the seasons!
Just short of thirty stitchers came to the Intro to Folk Art Stitching class on Tuesday. They kept me very busy for the whole day!
Fun times! There was a lot of shopping taking place. I hope there is now a lot of stitching happening in homes around the area 🙂
I am realistic about to what to expect when I set off to drive home past the airport at 4.30 in the evening. 77 miles, almost all on the highway took just over two hours… An opportunity for lots of improving podcasts!
It was a great five days away. The planning paid off. I had everything I needed for the lectures and workshop and I didn’t run out of clothes.
So what was next? I might have been away but Steve hadn’t… so let’s go on a trip together!
How about a weekend in Chicago?
We spent Saturday morning at the Art Institute visiting the Gustave Caillebotte exhibition. This painting of his mother working on her needlepoint caught my eye.
A picture of things to some?
And for something completely different in daywear. Is this the equivalent of wearing the t-shirt and red lipstick to a Taylor Swift concert?
We took advantage of the lovely sunny afternoon to take the architectural boat tour.
I think it must have been a least 20 years since I went on the tour. I took lots of pictures.
Here’s just two of my favorites.
Chicago is such a great city to visit.
Back home I worked on a quilt.
In earlier zoom days I taught an improv class for Stitches. I made lots of blocks for my demos and it was about time I put them together and quilted my quilt… I’m waiting for a picture of the whole thing but here’s a teaser shot.
It is bound but the (one person) jury is still out as to whether or not it’s finished. It might need a little hand stitched something?
That will have to wait because this week I am packing for my 10 day trip to Paducah for the Seam Retreat which will be closely followed by a 5 day trip to Houston for International Quilt Festival. I have lots of bags and several lists in progress!!
