Hello, Mojo!

Where have you been?   You've been pretty much MIA since I returned from Illinois.   I know I have been neglecting my blog when my Mom calls me and asks "Why haven't you been posting?"  (Hi Mom!)

It's not that I haven't wanted to sew, but I've been trying a new medication that has left me feeling worse than the original ailment, then tried another with the same side effects, so I have to trade one kind of pain for another.   Not fun.

I've also been a little scattered trying to figure out which of my many projects I want to work on.   For someone who likes to work on one at a time, starting 3 new quilts in class and a shop model partially finished has left me feeling overwhelmed.

Last weekend, I finally got bit again by the sewing bug and my Pfaff got a workout.  While Nicole and Thelma both finished their LARGE class projects, I thought the easiest course for me would be to finish our Schnibbles class project, Darcy.   I love the bright batiks I used for for this one.   As my friend Joyce mentioned, it has a tropical feel to it, and I love it.

This weekend I am diligently sewing on my shop model - almost finished!  And planning/cutting projects to take on my guild retreat (3 weeks away!!!)

The Bluebird of Happiness has landed in my sewing room and I feel that love of fabric and sewing returning - hallelujah!

Do yourself a favor

Please RUN - don't walk - over to the blog of the delightful Monique Dillard.   She's giving away this quilt kit and her terrific Mini Fit to Be Geese tool!  Monique's company is Open Gate Quilts.   You may already know her from her fabulous patterns and unique tools (she also has a Fit to Be Square tool for making perfect square in a square blocks).

I had the opportunity to meet Monique when I was in Illinois and she couldn't be sweeter.  AND she has a gorgeous new line of fabrics that she designed for Maywood called Olde World Style.   You NEED some of this fabric - it is elegant and stunning.    Heck - I NEED some of this fabric!

So go say "hi" to Monique on her blog and enter for a chance to win a kit!

Day 2: Lisle to Rockford

Our first full morning together, we checked out of our hotel so we could be at the first quilt store, The Quilt Basket, when it opened at 10:00.   It was a cute little store with a lot of variety and the owner couldn't have been nicer.

Next, we went to Pieceful Hearts in Lisle.  This beautiful James River Blues quilt stopped us in our tracks the moment we entered the front door.  We each grabbed a kit (can you say "sew along?")   Pieceful Hearts was a wonderful store with something for everybody - reproduction fabrics, modern fabrics, batiks, flannels, lots of samples on the wall and kits made up.   They were having a lively quilt class in their beautifully set-up classroom.  The entire store was wall to wall eye candy.

Our next stop brought us to Docia, The Quilt Merchant - the first place we were accused of being Carrie Nelson stalkers.   Who?   Us?   It seems that Carrie had been there before we arrived and was spreading vicious rumours about the 3 of us!

Docia's shop was fabulous - I'd done some online business with them in the past, but seeing the shop in person was a special treat.  Docia and her family couldn't have been nicer, the store and fabrics were incredible, and we had the pleasure of meeting her very talented daughter-in-law Beth, as well.  Beth designed this awesome Nottingham Star quilt that was just inside the front door.  What a stunning quilt.   We all bought the pattern for this one, too.

She had also just received the new Jo Morton line, Annandale, and though it wasn't even out on the floor yet, Docia allowed me to purchase some of the large red floral from that line (swoon!)

Our next stop was Quilter's General Store, who was sponsoring the class we were taking on Saturday.  The shop was beautifully arranged with room after room of fabulous kits, displays and fabrics.  One of my favorite finds was this kit displayed behind the cash register.

Our final stop of the day was at Acorn Quilts.  I had searched every store we'd stopped at that day in search of orange wool for a Halloween wallhanging I'm planning.   I found the perfect orange wool at Acorn Quilts!  They had the most amazing selection of wool of any of the shops we'd visited, or the ones I've seen in Washington.

I was also intrigued by this tiny beautiful grey and black quilt and bought some of their fabulous selection of grey fabrics to plan something like this on a larger scale.

The very sweet gal that helped us took our photo next to their beautiful wool quilt.   Amazing, isn't it?

We ended our day with dinner and returned to our hotel room.   Nicole and I had this adorable bunny made out of towels in our bathroom.   We were able to preserve Towel Bunny both days we were there - he was much too cute to use!

Day 1: Seattle-Chicago-Lisle

Midday Thursday, I left from Seattle with temperatures in the low 50s and buckets of rain coming down.   I arrived at Chicago O'Hare to 90 degree temperatures!   The temperature moderated while we were in Illinois, so it was more like the Northwest weather I am used to, so I felt very at home!

Nicole and I had timed our flights so that they arrived around the same time.  It worked out perfectly so that Thelma could pick up Nicole at her terminal's baggage claim, and then swing by and pick me up just as I gathered my belongings and not have to bother with parking at the airport.

We left the airport and headed to Lilsle, where we spent our first night in Illinois.   We had a very delicious dinner in our hotel - look at Thelma's delicious tower of grilled veggies! - then we turned in fairly early to prepare for our big day ahead on Friday.