We're ALL Winners!!

Thanks to all 104 folks who stopped by and for all your kind words regarding my finish in the Chicago Marathon. I've been surprised how great I've felt all week, I've felt happy and energetic. The training and stress of the whole experience was much greater than I realized, I've experienced first hand that saying, "felt like a weight has been lifted", I feel mentally and physically lighter!

While we all share our love of quilting, we are varied in our lives and goals, I loved reading about all of them and am inspired by you. I've always said I would never quilt one of my tops, but I didn't get out of bed and decide to run 26.2 miles all at once, it took me a year of training. That's the attitude I need for quilting, not to expect to sit down at my machine and start quilting, but to work up to it.

Someone's goal of starting to set goals put a smile on my face! I need a goal to set less goals! Like someone else said, how about a goal to lighten up and enjoy life. I agree, how about it!

We all do agree on something else . . . .

this book is awesome and a wonderful addition to your quilting library. A real go to book for meeting your current quilting need, whim, or desire.

And the winner is . . . . . . #53 - James-Linda who has a goal of finishing a table runner for her daughter for Christmas. Good Luck with that!

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DCCB - Progress . . .

So I got all 832 half square triangle units for Door County Cherry Baskets pieced and trimmed! Now I'm in the basket weaving - cherry picking business. (Door County Cherry Baskets is a pattern in Lisa Bongean and Carole Charles' book Summer Gatherings.)

I'm not making my basket blocks as called for in the pattern. My baskets will be the same size and I think look the same, but I think I came up with a way that works better for me. Me being the "lets square things up and much as possible as we go" me.

To help get each little piece in just the right place I made this help sheet.

I'm making my baskets in 4 units, A, B, C, and D. Once those are pieced I combine A to B and C to D. Once those are pieced I sew AB to CD. And there you have it, a nice, neat, square basket.

So this is the before picture.

And here's the after, with each unit in its proper place. I think it's a real time saver. I try to chain piece as much as possible on any project I work on, but I think the best way to keep these pieces all going the correct direction is to piece one cherry basket block at a time, so that's what I'm doing. So far so good. I'm not tired of making baskets yet, but I do have a ways to go!

Remember that great Red and White quilt show I mentioned at Temecula Quilt Company? They've created some great red and white quilt patterns. A booklet with 6 small patterns and another pattern called Red and White Favorites. If you've been looking for some great red and white traditional looking patterns, you should check these out. (click here for patterns)

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Whew, one crazy notion off my To Do list . . .

So, if you stop by my blog on a regular basis, you've read where I ran a few half marathons this year. At the beginning of this year, after I knew I would be running 3 half marathons, I got this idea that maybe this would be a good year to try and run a full marathon. And if you're going to run a full blown 26.2 mile marathon, why not pick a good one, so in February I signed up for the Chicago Marathon, and didn't tell a soul. Because really, signing up doesn't mean you have to run it, especially if no one knows you signed up. Well after two successful half marathons I decided to go ahead and commit to the training and go for the full blown marathon.

My official marathon training started in June, and for the last 4 months I've been running in the country, watching the corn grow, dry, and be harvested. I started my training with empty cornfields and ended with empty cornfields, and look what it got me.

Ta Da!

I actually did it. Sunday, 10/9/11, I ran the Chicago Marathon. It was harder than I expected, definitely a once in a lifetime experience for me. And what an adjustment, going from running solo down country roads to running with 45,000 folks from every state in the nation and 103 different countries, surrounded by skyscrapers not corn.

Training for a marathon is sometimes a selfish thing, you have to put yourself and your training first, which, as a woman, wife, and mother isn't an easy thing. But I'm glad I did it, I was worth it, and so was running the race.

I think this calls for a celebration!

This is big Picnic from Carrie Nelson's latest book, "another BiTE OF SCHNiBBLES"

I think it may be my favorite pattern in the book, but as you know, I'm going through a bit of a basket phase.

There are a wonderful variety of 24 quilts, one to please you I'm sure.

And if none of the patterns appeal, reading the pattern book will, it's a fun read with amazing pictures. Those quilts in the book got to spend an amazing vacation at the beach.

When I pre-ordered my book I ordered two, one for me and one for you! ( plus that qualified me for free shipping!)

So to celebrate the fact that I was able to not only finish my first and last marathon, but to live to tell about it, I'm giving away one of these books.

To qualify just leave a comment about a goal you set for yourself and achieved or hope to achieve. I can hardly wait to read all about it.

You have until the end of day Saturday, October 15th, I'll announce the winner on Sunday!

CnD disclaimer - Carrie Nelson did not pay for this book or pay me to giveaway or promote this book. I'm doing it just because I like the book and thought you would too!!

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A Few More Shops . . . .

So here are a few more shops I was lucky enough to visit on my Shop Hop around Wisconsin.

J.J. Stitches in Sun Prairie.

This store was loaded with fabric, mainly reproduction fabric, but they had other fabric too.

I can't imagine walking in with a pattern and not being able to find the fabric I needed to make it.

The store was decorated nicely, neat as a pin, and the help welcoming and helpful.

I also stopped here,

Mill House Quilts in Waunakee. This building is an historic old mill and still has the original large plank flooring inside. They carried all types of fabric, there was plenty of room with great lighting.

I arrived at the store around 4:30, plenty of time to browse before their closing time of 5, or so I thought. When I walked in the greeting by the staff was chilly, and someone followed me all over the store wanting to know if they could help me with anything. I got the impression they were wanting to help me with anything that would get me out of the store by 5. I was out of the store before closing time. It's a nice store, not a destination store like the other shops I hit, but if you're driving by it's worth the stop. Just don't stop if it's close to closing time.

Now this shop, you can't get in and out in 30 minutes so don't even try.

The Country Sampler is in Spring Green.

Their main focus is reproduction prints and patterns, but really they are so much more.

It's hard to describe, but this shop has a way of taking any pattern and selecting fabric so different that you hardly recognize it when you look at the pattern and at their completed quilt. They mainly go for soft and muted combinations, everything was just breathtaking and inspiring. Take a look at their kits online for a better idea of what I'm trying to describe, you will be amazed.

They have the ability to do what I'm always hoping to do, take a pattern and make it completely their own and different and better! They also had fabric by designers and makers that I had not seen in other shops.

The staff was amazing, finding each completed project for the kits (there were kits everywhere!) sometimes twice, locating patterns, all the while trying to fill their online orders, which were extensive. They were working hard but didn't make me feel like I was in the way or taking up too much of their time. I hear this store has an amazing Christmas Open House, what I wouldn't give to be able to go!!

I also stopped here.

The Quilter's Compass in Monticello. A very nice quilt shop, a nice variety of fabric, great lighting and a helpful staff. They do a huge online business, but with free shipping anywhere in the US for orders of $35 or more, it's easy to see why.

So that's my Wisconsin Shop hop, be sure to check out each store's online shop, and if you buy a kit from the Country Sampler, drop me a note, I would love to know what you picked out.

Finally, awhile back I talked about a Red and White Quilt Show being sponsored by the Temecula Quilt Company. It's the reason I started my Red and White Tribute quilt. My project wasn't done in time to make the show, but some other folks did an amazing job with their projects. Click here to see their show. Congratulations to all the amazing quilters, the pictures are stunning, that sure would have been something to see in person.

Added Later: Here's a link to Elizabeth's blog, OccasionalPiece. Not only did she attend the show, which lasts the whole month of October by the way, she had two projects in the show! More great pictures, don't miss them!!

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It goes on . . . .

I'm still working away on my Door County Cherry Baskets quilt. I'm only going with 64 baskets as opposed to the 99 baskets in the pattern by Lisa Bongean and Carole Charles. That still requires 832 half square triangle units. Belle Meade required 656 hst units and I started making those 3 months before I actually started on the quilt.

So my days have been pretty much spent piecing hsts. I use the Easy Angle but still make my units larger than required and square them up. It's relaxing, making all these units, and even if I only have 30 minutes to spend in my sewing room, I still feel like I'm making progress.

This is my current definition of progress. I am getting close to having all my hsts done, then it's on to assembling those baskets and picking those cherries.

A couple of weeks ago I actually got to visit Lisa Bongean's shop, Primitive Gatherings.

The shop is in Menasha, Wisconsin. If you read my blog regularly, you know I don't get to visit quilt shops very often, I need to drive approximately an hour one way to hit a shop, so I was very excited to get to visit any shop, let alone a shop with such a wonderful reputation. It did not disappoint. The staff, fabric and pattern selection, and overall feel of the shop was wonderful. I think I was in that shop for over 2 hours!

This is the quilt that greets you as soon as you walk in the door, 45 & Life To Go. It's a stunner, I really love the black and tan combination of Little Gatherings by Lisa Bongean for Moda. I also like that checkerboard pattern in the center of each star.

So much that I bought a fat quarter bundle and the pattern. A couple of nice souvenirs of my visit to the shop. The pattern has directions for two sizes, a small size lap quilt or a king size quilt. (Don't you think those checkerboards would look even better with a little red thrown in?)

I'm not in the know when it comes to fabric, so I'm not sure if the Little Gatherings fabric is a one time thing or something that shops can reorder. The fabric will make great projects on its own (as you can see) or work wonderfully with other fabrics. If you've not bought any yet, I wouldn't wait much longer. I did notice the black fabric was in short demand in every shop I visited.

I hit a few more shops while I was in Wisconsin, be sure to stop back by for my review of them later this week.

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