What a beautiful day it’s been so far! The sun is shining and there’s not a cloud in the sky. It’s the perfect day to take my little black convertible out for a spin – a sweet and sporty two-passenger roadster I have stashed away for just such occasions. Admittedly, I don’t bring it out much and think about selling it from time to time, but then I drive the darn thing and all the appeal comes rushing back! I have a feeling that if and when I do decide to re-home it, the space in the garage will quickly be filled with new and more appealing toys – like maybe another Harley Davidson??? Nick and I both already have one but as anyone who rides Harleys knows, once you get your first you just want to keep adding to your collection… Kind of like tattoos!

I love being part of the Harley family. It’s one of mine and Nick’s favorite things to do together in our free time. We are firm believers in the power of wind therapy! That’s why when I found out about the Hogs for Heroes Organization I knew I had to figure out a way to get on board and help. As most of you know we’ve been partnered with Hogs for Heroes for two summers in a row now, and have currently raised over $43,000 between private donations, our 2021 “American Quilter’s Stitch Along” fundraiser, and our recent online auction. Truly amazing! If you’re not familiar with the Hogs for Heroes Organization, let me tell you why I love them so much. This stellar group of people helps give back to injured WI veterans by raising funds, and using the proceeds to provide recipients with a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Seriously, this idea couldn’t be any more right up my alley! If you would like to learn more about Hogs for Heroes or want to make a donation directly, visit the Hogs for Heroes website by following the link below!

I’m proud to say that Primitive Gatherings continues to contribute toward Hogs for Heroes and their fundraising efforts by combining our love for stitching with an even greater love for these deserving heroes. Our current “Mystery Mission” is right on track, and quickly coming to fruition. With your help, we were able to collect enough donated red, white, and blue flag blocks to create over 30 quilts, which will be donated to Hogs for Heroes bike recipients in the near future. Last month, the amazing generosity of my quilting family continued as stitchers from near and far showed up to help at our volunteer assembly event.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this mission. Whether you sent in blocks, or came in to help assemble the quilts – or both! –  we could never have achieved this massive goal without you! I can’t tell you how humbling it is to see these true works of art in their final stages on the longarms right now. If you tuned in to “Stitch with Lisa Bongean“ on YouTube yesterday, we came to you LIVE from the quilting studio where you got a sneak peek of the progress the guys are making. Check it out!

Things are really coming along down there. In fact, Jake just told me that he suspects that they will be finished with all of the quilts by the end of the day today, which means we are that much closer to being ready to go when it comes time to present them to their new owners. While we don’t have the exact date of when that will be set in stone quite yet, you can catch the replay of yesterday’s episode of “Stitch with Lisa Bongean” for more details on when that miiiiight be by clicking the STITCH button below. Our plan for that day is to not only help Hogs for Heroes award this year’s chosen bike recipient with their new hog, but also to present each bike recipient – both past and present – with their own flag quilts as well. I can’t wait! It’s going to be an amazing day to say the least.

T.G.I.F.! I just about forgot it was Friday but don’t worry, Nick was quick to remind me with all of his fishing talk. As always, I hope you all have a great weekend and that the weather is a bit more cooperative than it has been. I know many of you have been dealing with some super hot temps lately, so I’m hoping we’ll see a little relief in that department by Sunday. In the mean time, if you’re stuck inside hiding from the fireball in the sky, now is the perfect time to do a little shopping both online and in our retail shop (we have great AC!). Don’t forget that we’ve extended our summer fabric SALE! Now through midnight this Sunday, July 24th, 2022 – take 25% OFF all fabric in stock (SALE includes pre-cuts and yardage – minimum of 1/2 yard cut. Sorry, offer does NOT include my Garden Gatherings line or any fabric that is already on sale).

Have you taken advantage of this great sale yet? If so, were you buying for a project already in the works or just for a bit of inspiration for your next one? Let me know in the comments! I’m always super curious about what everyone else is doing. I get a lot of comments thanking me for inspiring other people, but it really does go both ways! I find inspiration all around me, including from all of you! It’s one of my favorite things about being a stitcher – I couldn’t ask to rub elbows with a better group of people! Have a great weekend and I will see you all Tuesday during “Shop Talk with Shelley.” This week she’ll be talking all about wool! We might even get lucky enough to welcome a special guest…or two! So don’t miss it. See you soon! ~Lisa