Mental Health Weekend!

What a great weekend.....so much fun -- so much laughter -- and so much catching up.  

After being gone from Chicago for two months, two very dear friends came for a visit to see rural Kentucky, do a little quilting, and catch up on our lives.  Skype is good.  Texts are good.  Email is good.  Old fashioned phone calls are great -- but face to face is the best!  So much to show them and so much to do -- along with projects and brainstorming and dreaming/planning.

You may have read a previous post about Whittle's Fabrics.  Just 30 minutes from where I live is a fabric shop like no other I've been to before.  First run fabrics are $3.50-$7.00 per yard because of low overhead, no advertising, lower cost of living.  The selection is not like a quilt shop but if you're looking to build a stash, buy backings, buy neutrals, get some wide backs, pick up a few batiks, love Civil War prints - this is the place for you.  We estimate they bought 122 yards of fabric!  Seriously....122 yards.  And I should mention, I went back earlier this week and picked up about 30 more after "shopper's remorse" set in and sadness developed over not picking up "more" of some fabrics.

 In addition to a little shopping at Whittles, we were able to squeeze in a trip to the Zappo's outlet (2 pairs of boots, three pairs of shoes bought -- all for less than $200); visit Among Friends which is an incredible quilt shop in Louisville KY with so many samples that's it's almost overwhelming -- and a notions wall to die for.  I believe another 20 yards may have been purchased there.  And finally -- lunch at Lynn's Paradise Cafe which is an absolute hoot!  Wonderful food.  A decor unlike most that you've seen.  Good service.  And fun.....before the airport.  Alas.  Too soon they had to wing their way back to the Windy City....without me.

The good news (for me) is that I'm driving up next week to visit and get some long arming done on a Gammill that one of them graciously shares.  I'll have a car load of fabric and a little Featherweight that didn't make the trip back to Chicago so that some shoes/fabric could!

So-my quilting mojo is renewed, I've gotten to see people I care about "live and in person", and I am reminded that friends are friends -- wherever you are.  Acquaintances are "local" and usually stay acquaintances -- friends go with you in your heart, wherever your heart is!

I hope you are finding time to piece and sew and visit with friends!  Jan

PS -- the quilts in the post are relevant only in the fact that these were the ones on the beds that they slept it.