Hibiscus and Lilly

Okay -- it is a well established fact that I am NOT A GARDNER. And John has been a little distracted by the golf this year....

But I wanted to share two spectacular flowers that -- despite my deliberate lack of interest and John's unintentional benign neglect -- were persistant enough to flourish right outside our living room window.

This flower is a stunning burgandy hisbiscus...(right??)

Then, right below it -- a gigantic persistant surprise lone-lily.

We've been so busy this summer, John called my cellphone and said, "be sure to look at the lilly outside the picture window when you get home."

The next morning, as we were getting out of bed at 5:30 AM, John asked, "did you look at that beautiful lily?"

Me, "Yes...it is stunning..."

Then John asked me, "What color is it, Rita?"

After 40 years of marriage -- he still doesn't trust me...? Lol...YES, JOHN, I REALLY DID SEE THE FLOWER. I EVEN TOOK A PICTURE. ITS DARK PINK, TRIMMED IN WHITE...

Farmer's Markets

Hey -- SPEAKING OF FARMER'S MARKETS!!

On a recent road trip through Wisconsin -- this one was happening in Fennimore, Wisconsin. When I'm on a road trip -- I am always looking for AN EXCUSE TO STOP...so when I see a Farmer's Market -- I start to pump the brakes...

On this beautiful summer day -- it was the fabulous Amish quilts on the line that caught my attention...

During my little walk-around -- this hand-made wooden furniture was stunning...

And the produce was amazing...imagine the time it took to arrange the carrot & beet towers...

THANKS, Fennimore -- for providing me with a little travel diversion -- and some DELICIOUS fresh vegetables!!

I'm telling you -- BUY YOUR EGGS AT THE LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET...

Iowa, Eggs & Salmonella

On behalf of the entire population of the State of Iowa -- I would like to apologize for the recent ALARMING outbreak of salmonella in this country -- whereby nearly 500 million eggs have been recalled. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

This is all about greed...and an issue that is always a hot-button in my part of the world -- AGRI-BUSINESS... Decoster Farms should have been shut down years ago...

Decoster Farms, the mega-farms that produced the contaminated eggs -- has a troubling history of poor standards and practices . And that is an EXTREME understatement. It seems to me that for years -- they've violated so many health codes -- Ray Charles could have seen this coming.

Here is an article from the Des Moines Register

And, an even more detailed article from the Chester River newspaper

In the Spring, John got a new batch of baby chicks. 12 of them were destined for our Sunday dinner table. The rest he planned to keep for egg production.

And -- go figure -- last week they LAID THEIR FIRST BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BROWN EGGS. Just in time to save us from salmonella.


Believe me -- there is absolutely no comparison between an egg you buy in the supermarket and a farm-fresh egg. Right now, our bonus is that when chickens first start to lay eggs -- you get a lot of double-yolkers. WHAT A THRILL!

On the day John brought in the first four eggs from his own chickens, I said, "What perfect timing! How can we reward them? What can we do for those sweet chickens, doing their best to save us from salmonella? Could I make them a nice fruit cake? Maybe they'd like some fresh shrimp? Their own little car?.."

How can we ever thank them...

I know it may not be possible for you to have your own chickens -- but I'm just saying -- DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES. BUY YOUR EGGS AT THE LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET...

Sew a Pillowcase!!

Because making pillowcases is one of my FAVORITE THINGS TO DO -- remember -- I actually WROTE A BOOK called "Dress Your Dream Bed" -- I am delighted that the Sewing & Stitchery Expo is making pillowcases for the children at Mary Bridge Pediatric hospital.



Many of you have written, asking about patterns. If you have a Pacific Fabrics near you -- stop by and they have simple directions. Which, I realized, are also on the Pacific Fabrics website

Also -- if you go to this link -- our very own Katrina Walker has great directions for doing that beautiful french seam finish..

Or -- you can also go to the website to watch videos about the "roll-it-up" method -- and read all about the Million Pillowcase Project.

We haven't set our "goal" yet -- but I think it's going to BE A BIG NUMBER!!

Remember, the pillowcases will be given to Mary Bridge and they are Delighted that every child coming to the hospital for treatment will be able to pick out their very own personal "pillowcase". So -- think CHILDREN...be creative -- and USE UP THAT STASH!!

Zelo's Schmetz Designer Dinner

One of my favorite parts of my job is attending sewing conventions and events around the country. The spring Quilt Market was in Minneapolis, Minnesota -- and I got to help out in the Schmetz Needles booth. In this picture -- the Marketing Director for Schmetz --Rhonda Pierce (on the far right) hosted a lovely dinner at Zelo's. Two special guests of honor, Tammy and Jane, are sewing machine dealers who submitted their customer "sewing stories" to the Schmetz blog.

Some of the Schmetz Designers enjoying the Zelo's event -- Luveta Nickels, Janet Pray, Linda McGehee and Kaye Wood. Oh, yeah -- we're having a PRETTY GOOD TIME!!
HEY -- today -- Linda McGehee is featured on the blog -- Schmetzneedles.blogspot.com.

If you want to SUBMIT YOUR OWN SEWING STORY -- go to the Schmetz website. It's easy! Have somebody do a little video (hey -- my $120 point and shoot camera will do it!) and TELL THEM YOUR SEWING STORY...

The best part of that dinner was hearing everybody's "stories"....well....the dessert was pretty good, too!

Thanks for a fabulous dinner, Schmetz! I'll SEE YOU IN ST. LOUIS!!

Walgreen Fashions

I have a favorite pair of lightweight summer pants -- white with turquoise splashes of color. I LOVE these pants...and always wear them with a white t-shirt...because I could never find a top of the right turq. color...

Then -- at a WALGREEN's -- I found the perfect color shirt -- and the white words were a great bonus...

The good news is the shirt was $3 -- but the bad news is it's a size SMALL...

But HEY -- I SEW! The whole thing has turned into a sewing challenge. Using a white shirt that DOES fit me -- I'll poke the turq shirt inside -- make a double collar -- then maybe cut away the white to expose the turq shirt words??

Hummm...I could make a turq stripe somewhere....or maybe cut up the turq shirt to make some of my favorite stuff -- t-shirt fringe!!

If it works out -- I'll wear it to Baby Lock Tech next week. I'll be working in the Schmetz sewing machine needles booth -- and it's ALWAYS fun to have a new outfit. (and they will never know I do my fashion shopping at Walgreen's...)

Mystery Quilt Squares

At a recent Saturday afternoon auction with my friend Bert -- I stumbled onto a treasure-troves of amazing linens. (you already saw the pillowcases)...

Something I almost never buy -- some quilt squares. The fabrics were great examples of the 30's chicken feed sack calicos. But I hadn't paid much attention until I got them home and noticed the one square that was not completely finished...that's when I noticed, for the first time -- the quality of the work...

I could hardly wait to take them to the next Breakfast Club for "sew & tell". Cousin Jackie is visiting from Oklahoma on this day...

Really. The quality of sewing on these mystery quilt squares is absolutely incredible...the stitches are invisible on the back side of the muslin...

There are 16 quilt squares....although I paid $20 for the box -- mostly, I was bidding on the FIVE sets of embroidered cotton pillowcases -- so these quilt squares were an amazing bonus...

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THEM?? My breakfast clubbers thought I should put them together with some nice zebra-stripe banding to "make it my own"...lol. Hummm...the mystery quilter did have a "black & white" piece in almost every design...

I'm thinkin' on it...

CHAD PREGRACKE WON!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Thanks to our team effort (I'm sure it was ALL ABOUT US) -- Chad Pregracke won the Mitchem deodorant's "Hardest Working" award. On June 13, I wrote a post about Chad's efforts to clean up America's rivers. Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" show, nominated Chad for the award -- and he won $100,000.

Chad was the #1 vote getter -- with over 50,000 votes!! Here's the link to the Quad Cities Times article about what Chad intends to do with his prize money.

THANKS again for playing my blogging game!

Talbot Size 14 Pants

Last year, at a critical moment of delusion, I purchased this beautiful pair of embroidered pants from Talbot's -- size 14.

Okay -- I was at a consignment shop -- and I only paid $5. But still....looking back -- WHAT WAS I THINKING??

Obviously, the black embroidery was just TOO STUNNING for me to pass up. At the time, I was losing weight -- and maybe a size 14 seemed like a possibility.



Hey -- I'M OVER IT!! But, I am so in love with the black embroidered flowers...I wonder...what if I could find a pair of beige pants -- just the perfect matching shade -- could I marry the two pair of pants??


Then -- BINGO -- RITALUCK. I found this pair of size 20 pants at the Goodwill store -- and bought them for $1.69...


I love the fact that the legs are embroidered DIFFERENTLY. Sooo creative...

My fat pant legs are a lot wider at the bottom than the embroidered Talbot pants...but I think I can work with them...

If things go well -- one day soon, I'll post a picture of me WEARING MY NEW PANTS.!!

Balltown, Iowa

Once or twice a year, John and I day-trip up to Balltown, Iowa. This was a beautiful summer day...one of those stunners...

The great thing about this destination, Balltown, is that it has a very famous restaurant -- Breitbach's. The oldest continuously running restaurant in the State of Iowa...

They have a wonderful buffet -- fried chicken, shrimp, ribs, beef -- you name it. And when Alton Brown visited there last year during his "Feasting on Asphalt" show on the FOOD network -- he RAVED about the homemade pies. And he got that right...the coconut cream pie was the best thing I ever ate in my life...

Yes, the food is delicious -- but people drive for miles to this tiny little barely-a-town because of the incredible VIEW. It is absolutely magnificent...in the fall, when the leaves are changing, there are hundreds of people standing in line to see this astounding view...

But on this day -- we had it all to ourselves...(except for the two bikers who took this picture)...

As we were leaving Balltown -- I took this picture...

Even though you NEVER read this blog...Happy birthday, John.

Ritaluck Pillowcases

So -- okay -- Bert and I are at an auction. (shocking, I know)... There is a box with at least five sets of white-on-white embroidered pillowcases. Without looking very closely (because that would only draw attention to the treasure, y'know) -- I bought the box for $20. WHAT A BONANZA. The pillowcases are all large, and, apparently -- unused. Although there is some staining from being folded and stored in a drawer for the last 50 years -- they are in perfect condition and the embroidery is exquisite.

One set had elaborate cutwork embroidery work...

And the last set I got out of the box had a fabulous embroidered monogram. Yes, of course...IT WAS THE LETTER "F"....

To answer your question. Yes, I do know that I am a very lucky person...

They don't call it "Ritaluck" for nothin'....

Eileen Roche

If machine embroidery is your "bag" -- then you know my friend Eileen Roche. She is the master-mind and creative force behind "Designs in Machine Embroidery" magazine. Here she is, setting up for a class at the Minneapolis Quilt Market...


This sewing industry gig is HARD WORK, PEOPLE..!! And nobody works harder than Eileen Roche. Besides the tyranny of hectic magazine deadlines, she write books about machine embroidery, teaches, presents seminars AND loves to bring it all together for you at the "Stitchin Sisters" events all across the country.



The next Stitchin Sisters event is in San Antonio, Texas -- September 10-11...AND if you are a machine embroiderer - beginning OR advanced -- you will have the time of your life!! SO DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GO..!!


Eileen has done a FANTASTIC JOB of getting DIME up on the internet. If you haven't visited the website for Designs in Machine Embroidery lately -- you must go. you can get free embroidery designs, lots of tips, advice and INSPIRATION.

This month's issue includes, among many other exciting topics, a great article about embroidered bed linens! ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS...which I'll be writing about tomorrow..(a vintage embroidered FIND)...


Good work, Eileen -- see you in St. Louis, eh?

Bra Challenge!!

HEY -- here's an exciting sewing challenge for you to consider. The American Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan (September 24-26) is sponsoring a BRA CHALLENGE. This link will take you to an article in the Detroit Free Press with all the details.

I already know this much -- the winner of the challenge could win a Janome Sewing machine!!

All the money raised will go to a very good cause -- the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

For more information about the American Sewing Expo AND the Bra Challenge -- be sure to visit the ASE website -- AmericanSewingExpo.com.

If you are a regular at the Sewing & Stitchery Expo -- you'll recognize a familiar face on the American Sewing Expo website. Janet Pray, also owner of Islander Sewing Systems, is one of our most popular vendors & speakers. She is also a Schmetz Portfolio Designer, and the President of the National Sewing Council.

I'm telling you -- this sewing industry gig is HARD WORK...and Janet Pray is one busy beaver!!

Treasure Hunting!!

As you know -- my friend Bert & I go off every Saturday for some kind of junking adventure. We've been doing this for many years -- long before we ever heard the term "pickers". A couple of times a year -- we go to Princeton, Illinois -- to the Sherwood Antique Mall. IT IS HUGE...

You NEVER know what you're going to find...

Isn't this a charming painting?

This table was only $60 -- and THANK GOD I wasn't driving a pick-up truck...

OH NO...IS THAT REALLY AN OLD CAT CLOCK??

Bert gives me a hard time about my ugly lamp fetish...this pole lamp would look great in my living room....if I didn't already have a funky pole lamp in that spot...

But -- wow-- TWO LAMPS -- what an interesting shape!! If only I had that 1950's room -- with a sofa and two of those tiered end tables!!

Another great day with Bert. We talk, we laugh, we do what I call the "download" on each others week...

Cuz the real treasure isn't the shopping...it's the time spent with a friend...

2010 Hummingbird Summer

John has turned the feeding of hummingbirds into an extreme sport. When Lilly visits, she has a high chair 12" away from a hummingbird feeder.

No matter how hard I try -- my pictures (through the screen) of the hummies just do NOT do them justice...

So -- after breakfast yesterday -- I tried to make a video. It's about 4 minutes long. Given my limited skills, and the fact that I am looking at the hummies through a screen -- I am DElighted with how it turned out. Hey -- these hummingbirds are very entertaining!! I only wish YOU could come join me for LUNCH on the porch one day!!


And, I have to tell you -- this was a pretty good morning showing. But there are TWICE AS MANY HUMMINGBIRDS in the evening. There is so much chirping, it's hard to have a conversation...

The Value Of Friends...

As you know -- inspiration for this blog can come from anywhere -- at any time -- and be about any darn thing. Today, I'm posting some random pictures from Expo...and there's a poem at the end that came to me via a forwarded email. I love it...

This is a picture of me and Joanne Ross, the Chair of the show. It is the last day and we are GIDDY...


This is a pic of Ann Sagawa and Janet York -- backstage on the LAST DAY of the show -- also giddy. They might even be a little euphoric...the show has gone REALLY, REALLY WELL...and it's almost over...


Here's a backstage shot of the Midwest Ya Ya Sisters with their stalkers...Judy and Chris are best friends who COME TO THE SHOW EVERY YEAR...


And I hope you got a chance to meet Helen and Wendy at last year's Pink & Red Event. Two of our favorite girlfriends -- coming to the show together for 15+ years. For me, their story epitomizes the value of women friends....

This summer, I got to spend a few days in Chicago with my friend Marion -- and we always talk about how important it is to live in the moment and enjoy every single day...


So I want to share this poem -- and encourage you to CALL YOUR GIRLFRIENDS and plan something special. Do it today...

To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

Remember....

Hold on tight to the ones you love!