Deborah, Me & the Blackhawk

 Originally published in 2011:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEB

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I have been remiss...and fallen behind in my reports about the progress of the Blackhawk Hotel. Because Deborah missed our big cousins party -- I thought the least I could do was take her down there for dinner on the Friday night during her last visit...

Did I tell you how they found this hidden skylight during the restoration? Sadly, there was no glass left -- but they hired artisans to create the new glass. It is the centerpiece of the main lobby...

Still decorated for Christmas, Deb and I were horsing around on the grand staircase in the new lobby...

I always have to do one of my goofy in-the-mirror shots...

AND -- here we are, enjoying a really great dinner. This is dessert!! A banana bread pudding...

OH, YEAH -- it was awesome!!

Deb was in Iowa to babysit for her teenage grandchildren (Austin & Lexi) so her son and his wife could take a vacation.

It was great to have her back in the hood for awhile...we enjoyed our dinner at the Blackhawk. Hey -- I REALLY DID -- because Deborah insisted on paying!!

Deb has always been a generous, thoughtful person. She enjoyed her time with the kids -- and when they were in school, she was running two embroidery machines at all times. Near as I can tell, she gives away everything she makes.

THANKS AGAIN, Deb. Next time -- it's my treat! (I'll take her to Riefe's -- a great local joint with $2.99 daily specials)...

P.S. take a good look at Deborah's recycled wool vest...more tomorrow...

My Decorated Luggage

Sorry about the blog post that did not go up. I'm sitting in Minneapolis, at the Spring Quilt Market trying to write a blog post on a very old, slow business center computer at the hotel.


 The opening page says, "Blogger detects a browser that may not be supported..." Hey -- THAT CAN'T BE GOOD...


Quilt Market has been amazing.  I will be sooo glad to get home. 


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I still get more questions about my DECORATED LUGGAGE...than any other single thing I've ever done. Most of these bags have been burned...no rolling tote can survive the airline handling forever!  But, then -- HEY -- I just DO A NEW BAG!!

From 2011:

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Here I am, arriving in Rochester, New York with Mary Mulari -- remember our long wait at the airport? I don't think I've ever sat on a more picturesque bench...I am surrounded by all my favorite bags...



Years ago -- I started painting my luggage so it would be easier to find on those airport carousels....

I always ADD MY AIRPORT CODE....and my home phone number. There is NO WAY THEY CAN LOSE MY BAGS...
This bag was featured in an issue of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine. I always LOVE when I'm arriving in a big city where there's a major sewing event...the other women, also waiting for their bags, always notice my luggage and ask, "is your suitcase EMBROIDERED??"
Without cracking a smile, I say, "once you get it hooped, the rest is easy"...
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Mary is giving Doug's daughter, Luci, a plain suitcase for Christmas -- and I sent "embellishment instructions"...



So -- I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. And I'm hoping there WILL BE PICTURES...

Nancy's Notions Warehouse SALE

Of course, besides the wonderful classes, the beautiful hanging quilts, the excited crowds of sewing enthusiasts -- THERE IS INCREDIBLE SHOPPING in Beaver Dam.

Nancy's Notions completely transforms the warehouse for their BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR...

Always one of the most popular spots...

THESE are the smiling faces we got to visit with for 3 whole days. SUCH JOY, EH??

There is always something going on at the free stage.  Demos, techniques, new notions!

We had our own area in the Warehouse!

A few very special handsome men are always eager to help the ladies...

Mary and I ALWAYS look for John on Day One!!

Jon from CLOVER, working in the Ya Ya booth...

He looks a bit overwhelmed, eh??

Beaver Dam, Seminar #1

THIS IS THE WORLD'S MOST PERFECT AUDIENCE. No kidding. They walked into Peace Lutheran Church, WANTING us to do good.

Look at those smiling faces -- they WANT us to succeed...

It was a packed house!

On Day One, everything was very organized...

Mary and I had a pretty good idea of what the order would be.

Mary always has great samples, and step-outs...I was trying SO HARD to pay attention...

Harry and David

Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend is a CLASS ACT. No other show in the country does what they do. Let's just start with the SPEAKER GOODY BAGS...

Wednesday, at the Madison airport, I picked Mary up at 1:00, and I asked her if she wanted to get a bite to eat. She said, "something light -- I am saving myself for Harry and David."

When you arrive in your hotel room -- the giant Harry and David bag is waiting on the desk...

This year, the bags were HUGE...and had to be double-bagged. Holy Cow.  Our escort, Diane, picked us up for the speaker dinner on Wednesday night, and we told her we had to get back to our rooms to see our boyfriends...

(surprised), she said, "your boyfriends?"

In unison, we replied,  "Harry and David" ...

30 years ago, Nancy Zieman started the tradition of a hand-written note for each speaker.  Mike Schuster has carried on that wonderful tradition...

Inside the bag??

Really. WELL DONE, Nancy's Notions!!

On that first night:

Me: Wow. The Harry and David bags are huge this year. I'm sure my bag was bigger than your bag, Mary...

Mary: My bag was huge, too. But there was a lot of tissue paper.

Me: Tissue paper?  There wasn't room for tissue paper in my bag....I mean, with that little cooler full of ice cream...

Mary almost bought it...for just a brief nanosecond, I thought I had her...

SUE FROM MILWAUKEE??

Well, I enjoyed my 24 hours in Iowa.  Today I'm flying to Minneapolis for the International Spring Quilt Market.  This is a lot of travel for me...and I'm kind of out of the habit.

I'll be working the show with Rhonda Pierce,the Marketing Director for Schmetz Needles.  We'll be looking for new topics for the digital magazine, Inspired To Sew.  There will be interesting people, stunning quilts, some fabulous dinners...hey -- it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!!

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I will be writing MANY, MANY blog posts about the wonderful 2015 Sewing Weekend in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Boy-o-boy-o, did we have fun...

And the Friday Night Midwest Ya Ya Sister event was extra-special for me because Emily and Lilly came from Iowa to see what Grandma Rita does.  AND my young friend from Cedar Rapids, Anne, also came with her daughter Sarah...

From the far right corner of the picture, Lilly, Emily, Anne, Sarah -- then the NW Stalkers.  Chris and Judy!!

At the end of the night, Wendy from Babylock gave a wonderful doorprize -- a Rachel sewing machine -- to a lucky winner.

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT -- the winner of the prize was a blogging friend. Sue from Milwaukee (that's always how she signs her comments)...

BUT, I don't have to TELL you what happened -- you can read about it in HER OWN WORDS...as she blogged about it today. AND I AM SO STUPID I did not realize she even wrote a blog.

I AM SO EXCITED...and now I have gone back to 2011, because I plan to read every post Sue ever wrote -- in the proper order!!  It's like we are sisters separated from birth...Congratulations, Sue.

This is my best picture...but I think Emily got one of Lilly drawing your name...

Please read Sue's report of her time at Sewing Weekend.

YOU WON'T MISS IT NEXT YEAR!! Sue's blog is called: Sewing in Wisconsin http://www.sewinginwisconsin.blogspot.com/

Becky in NEW YORK CITY

One of my blog readers -- and an Expo fan -- made the mistake of sending me an email, asking what she should do during her upcoming visit to NEW YORK CITY...

Believe it or not -- I've written poor Becky so many emails -- I'm sure she's SORRY SHE ASKED ME...!!

I love, love, love New York City. A couple of years ago -- I went with some Iowa friends...
Of course, I start them off in my favorite part of the city. Rockefeller Center....most of the time, I make everybody get up AND OUT OF THE ROOM SO WE CAN GO STAND OUTSIDE OF THE TODAY SHOW STUDIO...

Yes, I know it's touristy...but this part of the city is SO DIFFERENT from any other place in the world. St. Patrick's Cathedral...

The buildings are extraordinary. I always say "LOOK UP"....

Here we are, after our official tour -- our docent, Sylvia -- Carol, me and Evelyn (Sandy was taking the picture)...

On another trip -- riding a bus back to New Jersey -- this great picture of the billboard in Times Square with Buddy, from Cake Boss. I LOVE BUDDY...

Okay, Becky -- sorry I became such a stalker. I'm over it. And whatever you decide to do in New York City next Saturday is fine with me. Just remember to TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES so I can live vicariously...!!

And -- Marion -- saddle up!! Let's coordinate our calendars so we can GET OUR NEW YORK CITY FIX this summer...!