Monday, April 27, 2015

~ Inspiring Weekend ~

Hello to all my many friends!

Do you love making spontaneous decisions?
I sure do, and my spur of the moment decision to go on 
a family road trip to Madison turned out to be 
 very inspiring!

While my husband and son went to a car show in 
Jefferson, Wisconsin, I requested to be dropped off in 
Sun Prairie, a town near Madison.

The highlight of my trip was a shop called J.J. Stitches & Co....


This wonderful quilt shop has been in business for 40 years!



If you're ever in the Madison area...it's a great stop!



Sweet quilt plaque...hangs on the outside building entrance.



I'm not a quilter, but love gathering new fabrics for my 
finishing stash....I do love that big red star quilt!



This shop has a well done antique ambiance!



I have a problem with being drawn to antiques that are 
NOT FOR SALE....like this fantastic Amish double school desk!



One long school desk that has two individual openings!



Lots of fabrics to look through!


Lots of little pinkeep models scattered throughout the shop.

 I'm so excited about some very inspiring pattern books that
made their way home with me!

Here's a quick look at the fabrics I selected....


Viney floral and berry prints.


This is my favorite selection....lovely olives and sepia tones!

♦♦♦

The most inspiring find of the day comes on a spool....


I instantly fell in love with this beautiful wool handwork thread!

"Genziana" ~ Made in Italy

Having a hard time choosing colors I decided to
invest in these 16 shades.... 


~ spools are labeled with a color number 
~ each spool contains gr. 25, mt. 350
~ 50% Lana & 50% acrilico
~ $8.00 per spool

Lana means Wool in the Italian language, and acrilico
means acrylic. 

   
A perfect fit on my spool basket!

Can't wait to start using this wool thread on finishes!

♦♦♦

The city of Madison is Wisconsin's State Capitol....


This is a Lakeside view of the Capitol ~ the big domed building.


It has always reminded me of a miniature version of the 
Capitol Building in Washington, DC.


It's been many years since I've been inside....just beautiful!


Notice all the large statues surrounding the dome pillars!

We had a great road trip, but I always love getting back home
 to my comfort zone...especially with a bag full of  handwork goodies!

♦♦♦

Sunday, I made lots of progress on the model for 
Humble Hare Handwork's first club kit.

I'm working on the finishing and hope to POSSIBLY 
reveal it on Friday....cross your fingers!

♦♦♦

~ Weekly Soul Food ~

Stand in awe, and sin not:
commune with your own heart upon your bed,
and be still.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
and put your trust in the Lord.

~ Psalm 4:4-5...KJV ~

♦♦♦

Have a great week everyone...enjoy the nice spring weather!

Kindly, Tammy


8 comments:

  1. I love JJ Stitches and Madison! A fun day for sure :) Love how your new threads look in your sweet sewing basket!
    Blessings, Patti

    ReplyDelete
  2. How much fun too see familiar things through another's eyes. I wish I would have known you were coming down this past Saturday I would have tried to hook up with you. Please keep that in mind for future. As it turns out though I was visiting a quilt store in Crystal Lake, Illinois and another in Belleville, WI. I would have been happy to visit Sun Prairie though. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a Friday reveal... C

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love J J Stitches!
    Love the antiques and old wooden bins and metal pans with goodies in them.
    Also, the back room packed with 30's fabrics.
    There used to be a needlework store a few doors down called Prairie Junction, not sure it's there anymore though.
    Marilyn

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Tammy,
    I always enjoy "visiting along" with you on your little trips to fun places!! I so enjoyed all those lovely fabrics as well as the other fun things! Looks like a really wonderful shop!!! You got some lovely fabrics and those threads look perfect on your basket! Now it is time to PLAY!!!
    Have fun creating!
    Warm Hugs~
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  5. The quilt shop looks awesome--I think I am having quilt shop envy. You found some lovely treasures to bring home with you. Always fun to visit Capital cities--each is unique

    ReplyDelete
  6. JJ Stitches looks fabulous. Thanks for taking us along.
    What a wonderful psalm to meditate on today.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Tammy,

    I love the fabrics your chose. What a beautiful quilt shop. i wouldn't have been able to resist all those great colors of wool thread either.

    The sweet notepad that you generously sent me as the winner of your give away in January arrived yesterday. I love it! Thanks again.

    Diane in North Carolina

    ReplyDelete
  8. I could live inside that shop! I love the "civil war" fabrics, that is what I call them. I have an incredible antique quilt with these types of fabics. Great choices for the thread and what a perfect fit in your basket.

    ReplyDelete