Central Illinois Antiques Week ~ Autumn 2018

A few weeks back, Mom and I attended the primitive antique shows in central Illinois.

So many lovely treasures to choose from...

The antique textiles always catch my eye!

Aren't these pennies stunning! So much work!

There were so many talented needleworkers years ago...

This one was truly stunning!

I love the combination of techniques.

Antique hooked rug art

Amazing Amish stump work

I love the subject of this hooked stool cover.

Such a cozy scene!

Another lovely hooked rug

I couldn't decide which to look at first -  the hooked rug or the wood carrier...

*sigh* so many lovelies

My eye also looks for folk art -

shoe forms and carving - what a delight!

such sweet birds

a magnificent cupboard

This antique flocked tree was amazing!

Would love to have it in my home!

And vignettes to get you ready for the coming season

Loved this wagon of antlers!

Perfection!

I'll take the entire stack please ;)

Of course you know that Mom and I didn't go home empty handed,

but I'll save that for the next post...

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

~Psalm 136:1-3

Blessings, Patti

A Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

"Autumn Fowl"

by Rebekah L. Smith

As soon as I saw this, I knew that I had to stitch it immediately! 

Lucky for me, it is available as a pdf and I could start stitching immediately.

You can find Rebekah's website here.

"Thanks"

by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm

I stitched this piece several years back. It was part of a pattern from her club. I never fully finished it, so I finally did this year. :)

While these two were finished in the nick of time, there were a few that didn't quite make it... 

"Grateful, Thankful, Blessed"

by With Thy Needle and Thread

after midnight, this one will be put away until next fall when stitching will resume.

and unfortunately

"Gobble Gob"

by Plum Street Samplers

will join it. I think that I was distracted by so many wonderful Thanksgiving designs!

Today we had much to be thankful for.

Mom has moved into a lovely home 30 minutes away rather than 3 hours.

She hosted her first holiday in her new home and our family is thankful that we were all together giving thanks that she is still in remission. 

Mom has been busy stitching and I really need to post a new edition of Pennies from Heaven - as soon as we have some good lighting for picture taking.

While we are grateful for all that we have, I do have a request.

My sister-in-law, Joy, has had a set back and will be going through chemo for the next six months.

Prayers and positive thoughts are greatly appreciated!

I hope that you are having a Happy Thanksgiving filled with blessings.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. 

Thank him and bless his name, for the Lord is good and his gracious love stands forever. 

His faithfulness remains from generation to generation

~Psalm 100:4-5

Blessings, Patti

A Crafty Weekend

Just a week after the Bittersweet Stitching Sisters trip, 

I was off for a weekend at my niece's new house.

A crafting weekend with my mom, sister and niece.

It was fun spending time with their two cats as well.

They are so much fun to watch and so different than my pups!

Wesson is sweet, social and so funny!

This could hardly be comfortable?!

Wesson was happy to help Mom with her wool applique :)

When I got up to take a few pictures, he decided my chair was the most comfy spot ;)

Nash aka Nashville came out to see what was going on once we had been there a bit.

They both get along so well despite being rescued several years apart.

We were so lucky! My niece, Angela, made each of us the sweet pumpkin sign on top! Isn't it darling?! And my sister knitted and felted us each an awesome pumpkin!

Angela's sign even has a little secret....

Flip it over and you have a Christmas tree for display!

I love it!

And I now have quite a collection of knitted pumpkins from my sister.

I'm a lucky gal!!!

While there, I stitched on "Grateful, Thankful, Blessed" 

by With Thy Needle and Thread.

Angela created an amazing advent calendar from a print she bought on a  trip to Nashville.

My sister knit a baby sweater for a shower later in the month.

And Mom finished this lovely piece from Buttermilk Basin.

Unfortunately, we had to leave first thing in the morning...

So that my husband and I could head over to Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods.

My husband's sister is exhibiting her art at the 

4th Annual Enriching Life Art Exhibition.

If you live near Riverwoods, Illinois, it is definitely worth the drive!

Not only is the Art Exhibit amazing, the historic Ryerson home is lovely.

And the pristine woodlands are beautiful.

If it hadn't been such a rainy day, we definitely would have gone for a hike.

Thank you so much for participating in my little giveaway! I am so happy to hear that so many of you are traditionalists like me, enjoying Thanksgiving in all its glory, before decorating for Christmas. I know that some decorate early as they need lots of time to get it all set up! I would love to see all of your decorations! There were 51 entries in my little giveaway. Using random.org, the winner is #31 Barb. Barb, I have sent you an email. Send me your mailing address and it will be on its way...

I'll be having some more giveaways soon!

All this is for your sake so that, as his grace spreads, 

more and more people will give thanks and glorify God.

~2 Corinthians 4:15

Blessings, Patti

Playing tourist in my own hometown

The weekend before I met the Bittersweet Stitching Sisters, 

my husband and I played tourist in downtown Chicago.

We went to see "Hamilton" and it was absolutely amazing!

I bought the soundtrack before we went and we read the book several years ago, 

so we could really enjoy all of the nuances of this remarkable show.

I highly recommend it!

We decided to make a weekend of it,

so we spent the night at the Chicago Athletic Association.

(The elevators are lined with the wood floors of the original fencing studio.)

This amazing club was built in 1893 and was a private club until 2007.

It was reopened a few years ago as a hotel.

I attended several professional events here during my career when it was a private club 

and I was anxious to see how much of the original club remained.

I was delightfully surprised to see that most of it remains original.

The library is as beautiful as I remembered.

With all the original windows overlooking Michigan Avenue and Millenium Park.

A wonderful place to relax on a cold and rainy afternoon.

This mosaic above the elevators was stunning.

Another delightful surprise was finding two of Henry Kupjack's miniature rooms on display in the Drawing Room! Henry and his father Eugene are world-renowned miniaturists - their works are on display in many museums around the world including the Art Institute of Chicago. 

(We have one of their rooms in our local library as I live the same neighborhood 

where Eugene and Henry lived.)  

While not as opulent as the first room, I really love this miniature room as well.

The details are absolutely amazing!

Do you see the face jug next to the three barrels?

Later in the evening, we went up to Cindy's - the rooftop bar.

The glass and iron roof was lovely,

but the view really stole the show!

Do you see Skygate (aka The Bean?) and the ice rink starting to be set up?

Such a great view of Millenium Park and the skyline.

Here is a closer view and the red structure is Pritzker Pavillion - the site of many outdoor summer concerts.

and here is the modern wing of The Art Institute of Chicago. 

We could even see a few twinkling lights from Indiana - around the bend of lake Michigan.

When we came back down, we had to take a peek at

the bocce ball court in the original game room

and the staircase to the original swimming pool is stunning as well.

All too soon it was time to head home

But first we stopped at the Pittsfield Cafe for some breakfast.

It is a traditional diner, but my favorite is the cafe seating in the atrium of the historic Pittsfield Building - the tallest building in Chicago when completed in 1927.

So many lovely details.

Before taking the short "L" (elevated train and subway) ride home, 

we made one last stop in one of my favorite buildings.

The Chicago Cultural Center - always open to the public.

This building opened in 1897 and was originally the City's replacement library  - built after the great Chicago fire.

It is the home of the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world.

Pretty details and a view of Millenium Park.

Wonderful quotes remain in the walls from its days as a library.

One more lovely than the next.

The tilework is absolutely stunning!

Here is a close up to see the luminosity and details of the tiny pieces.

The names of great authors etched in the very ceiling.

And in about 40 minutes, we were home sweet home :)

Thanks for letting me share some of my Sweet Home Chicago!

I hope that you have a chance to visit and experience it as well!

There is still time to enter my little giveaway - be sure to comment here.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

~Psalm 100:5

Blessings, Patti