September… a productive month!

Yes, I know it’s October already and I don’t have a good excuse to offer you but let’s smile and play catch up again…

We made a trip up to Wisconsin for Labor Day weekend to spend the time with some of the family.

Here are Joanne and Bonnie, wet from the swimming pool…
and here are Sarah and Caroline…

I think you get the idea! We had a super time at a hotel just outside Madison with the Wisconsin Redfords and Joanne and the girls. John was working, but not on Sunday when we all went over to their home for a BBQ. Julia and Matt and Matt”s parents came too.

It was a lovely day for playing outside.

Remember the ducks and geese from May? I’m afraid their days are numbered.The pigs will soon be in the freezer but they were still enjoying their digs…

Moving swiftly on…

I finished another embroidery.

I taught on Zoom some more.

I concentrate hard…Steve came in and took the pics during my STITCHES at home workshop.

We took the class picture before we were done…Good times!

I have also been out and about in real life. There was a walking foot quilting foot class at BERNINA of Naperville where I was so busy I forgot to take pictures.

I went out on the road.

I packed the car full…

Nimble Thimbles in Franklin, Indiana have been on my calendar for a long time. Their every other year show was booked for September 2021 and yes, it actually happened! I drove down south of Indianapolis with my friend Sue. We stopped at Crimson Tate (of course!) Still looking as bright and cheerful as ever.I nearly lost my credit card to the parking meter but all’s well that ends well…

And then we stopped at Two Chicks and a Hammer. It’s the store from Good Bones on HGTV. I had watched the episode where it was renovated a few weeks before and realized we would be going past. It was very nice inside.

I even took a selfie!If I needed stuff for my home it would be the shop to find it… I bought a magnet!

We were staying at a guild member’s guest house. I had been told it was a good place to stay… but you never know?

Turns out it was an excellent place to stay!! A real 1830s log cabin, expertly restored and with all the modern facilities you might require.

Just steps from downtown Franklin.

And a short drive (as long as you don’t go South when you should go North) to the fairgrounds where the Show was being held. We set up our booth.

I was the speaker on the Friday evening. Here are some of the ladies who found their seats in plenty of time…There were not many spare seats by the time I got started. We had a fun trip around the world with lots of laughs…

There are lots of quilts on display in the hall.

Some of the guild members kept busy at a quilting frame.

I last visited the area back in 2013 when I visited the Quilters Connection Guild in Greenwood. One of my class had some show and tell for me.A blast from the past with an African Folklore Embroidery tortoise! It’s always good to see a finished project.

We packed up, enjoyed a dinner with friends and came home again… My car knows its way to Indiana and back.

No time to sit around. I left the house three days later to head to Saint Louis to the Loose Threads Quilt Guild in Saint Peters.

Vickie’s home was all decorated for Halloween.

Time for the guild meeting. There was business to attend to and then one half of the room showed us their quilts…Then I was up. Too many to fit in one picture.There were lots of flowers in my Language of Flowers talk with some pretty threads for some special people half way through.

More Show and Tell, from the other side of the room this time.This fun looking bunch had taken the previous month’s workshop with Mary Kerr.The next day I taught a three hour embroidery class. It looks like everyone worked hard in the pics but really, I’m not very sure how much stitching got done…Everybody bought plenty of supplies so I hope they are finishing their projects at home!

And back to Naperville. I have been working on a secret project that you will have to wait until next spring to show you (!!).

That has now been mailed, along with kits for my November STITCHES at home class. Can you guess what it might be?I have also been making videos. This is just a screen shot of one of them. 😀

NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS!!

Baby brother, Theodore John Harmata arrived yesterday morning at 9.34 AM weighing 7lb 13 oz, 21.5 inches long. Mother and baby doing fine. I am hoping we can drive up and see them on Sunday when there will be pictures.

September, a productive month indeed!