On Sunday afternoon Sue and I headed west to the hilly bit of Illinois… yes, there are hills in Illinois and they give you quite a roller coast ride if you keep your foot down!
Sue has a home in the Galena Territories and I just love the view out the back window into the woods.
It’s probably at least two weeks until the colors will change but I was prepared to appreciate the scenery just the way it was!
There was a little pot of brassicas on the deck. They last well with minimum care so just right for occasional visits.
We headed into Galena on Monday morning for some breakfast and a wander. No, I didn’t go up these steps!
We made a short trip over the river to the Dubuque Arboretum. Lots of berries might be a sign of a harsh winter on its way?
Or not!
We stopped to buy an ornamental pumpkin.
I was left wondering what is going to happen to all the left over pumpkins at the end of the season. Someone thought they would get fed to the pigs. That’s certainly better than them going to waste. There was an amazing variety to choose from.
It would have been wonderful to t think that we had made the trek out West just for fun but really? Catherine had a job to do…
Come six o’clock in the evening we headed to Elizabeth to meet the Friendship Quilters who had booked me for Lessons Learned While Quilting.
It’s always so interesting to have a look around before the meeting.
The “free” table…
and an ongoing “secret sister” gift exchange.
It’s just a small guild out in the fields. I asked the ladies to smile for a picture before I began!
I tried again at the other end of the room!
Oh well, what are you supposed to do? Some ladies posed better than others but they all joined in the fun during the lecture. We had a lively discussion about how difficult, or not, the stitches I do in my Folk Art embroidery are!!
After a short break for shopping and a closer look at the quilts I had with me there was the usual business meeting followed by Show and Tell.
A cute pets quilt!
Christmas is coming. This tree was as big as the quilter who had stitched it!
Halloween is before Christmas. We shared the story of the bias binding…
Pat is off to Hawaii next year and has made a bag.
Inside the bag is a snap fasten wallet…
and a glasses case!
Happy travels Pat!
These next two ladies had taken part in a challenge. Everyone was given a magazine and told to make something inspired by whatever was on page 52… they had both had the same magazine. 
There were obviously some fall colors on page 52.
I do love a challenge!
And back to Christmas. We rounded out the evening with a round robin Holiday quilt that was finally finished, ready for the upcoming season.
A fun evening but I was glad that Sue was driving on the very dark, hilly roads…
Things to do back home meant we needed to pack up and leave on Tuesday morning for our return to to suburban life.
I spent yesterday stitching a new embroidery. It seems to have been raining all night. I have my October haircut booked this afternoon. Maybe it will be dry by then?
Catherine, what a wonderful review of your visit to our beautiful part of the world. Your presentation was delightful and so informative. We marveled at your intricate work and your way to teach us about the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Thanks again for providing such an amazing evening for our little guild.
Thanks Barb!