Hey, hey! Happy Hump Day… and welcome to November! You sure wouldn’t know it’s November by looking at the thermometer right now. For the last few days it has been unseasonably warm here in WI, with temps around 70º and sunny! I know I keep saying these will be “the last nice days of the year” but Mother Nature – crazy as she is – seems to keep going out of her way to prove me wrong. I am certainly not complaining because as nice as it is right now, anyone who’s native to WI knows the white stuff is about to be here any minute, with no plans to leave for a least the next five months.

Since we’re starting a new month, I thought it would be a good time to do another PG Ribbon Winners Circle post. Several weeks ago I mentioned in my STITCH facebook group that it would be cool to see some of the Primitive Gatherings quilts that are out in the world, that have won a ribbon or prize in a quilt show, contest, or state fair. As you know I received a really great response and had the honor of showing off some of your amazing work as a result! That makes me happy because I think it’s super important to recognize creativity and talent, and to pay homage to those who excel at what they do. In fact, I’ve been looking forward to this month’s PG Ribbon Winners Circle ever since! Nothing inspires me more than seeing the creativity and accomplishments of others. That being said, without further ado let’s get started with this month’s featured ribbon winners!

The first quilt that I have to show you comes from Cheryl K. of IL. She won Best of Show out of approximately 140 quilts at the Crossroads Quilters Guild Quilt Show in Effingham, IL in 2017 with her version of my pattern, “Sunflower Gatherings.” She also took 1st place in the Embroidery and Appliqué by Hand or Machine Quilt category. I have to say, I can’t disagree with the judge’s decisions… Just take a look at her excellent work! Cheryl (pictured on the left) gives her cousin Joy V. (pictured on the right) credit where credit is due for the beautiful quilting she did on this project that definitely contributed to their big wins. They received hand-made ribbons for the event that were created by one of the original founders of the Crossroads Quilters Guild nearly 20 years ago. How cool!

Isn’t this a beautiful quilt? “Sunflower Gatherings” is one of those projects that looks way scarier to do than it really is. A fantastic scrap buster, this stunner of a quilt features 13 wool appliqué blocks as well as traditional piecing. Additional stem-work provides a perfect leafy frame around the blocks to go along with the sunflower motif. Even though it might look like a lot, I would consider the difficulty level of this project at around intermediate. At 68″ x 68″, “Sunflower Gatherings” is a great project to exercise your wool appliqué skills with impressive results. Ready to bring a garden of sunflowers into your home? Get “Sunflower Gatherings“ by clicking the link below!

The second quilt I have to brag up today is brought to us by Janet W. of Jackson, Ohio who took First Place in the Ross County Quilt Show in Chillicothe, Ohio with “Liberty Gatherings.” Beautiful work Janet! You should be super proud of your accomplishment. “Liberty Gatherings“ was a quilt I designed as a collaboration with my fellow Moda brother Doug Leko, way back in 2016 (I came up with the appliqué blocks and Doug did the piecing). If “Liberty Gatherings“ seems familiar, it probably is because it was also originally a block of the month in the past. If you loved it back then but missed out on the BOM, good news! Now you can get the whole pattern all at once!As I mentioned above, “Liberty Gatherings“ is another intermediate level quilt that features both appliqué blocks as well as traditional piecing. It might be on the difficult side for a beginner because of the squares being set on point. Free-hand stitching using the press and seal technique throughout the quilt adds to the challenge in this gorgeous work of art (there is basically some in every block). If you’re an intermediate stitcher looking to kick it up a notch, give “Liberty Gatherings” a try! You can get it now by clicking the button below. “Liberty Gatherings” measures 76″ x 76″ when finished.As I mentioned earlier I got a great response when I made my initial call-out for personal stories about your prize winning PG creations, so I have several more to share with you in future posts. The bunch I have won’t last forever though, and I’d really like to continue to make this a monthly thing, so please! If you have an award winning PG quilt in your personal collection I would absolutely LOVE to see it! If you’d like your quilt shown here on the blog please email a photo of it along with your name and state your from to my trusty blog manager Heidi at: heidin@primitivegatherings.us. Please include the story behind the quilt you made, why you chose it, and any bumps in the road you may have encountered throughout the process. Please also include any information you have on the contest/show that it was in so we can make sure to give you proper and accurate credit. 

Isn’t this fun? Since we’re talking all about winners today I think we should wrap things up by giving away some prizes. And since I’ve been kind of slacking in the prize department lately I think today we’ll give away three instead of one! Any objections? Didn’t think so! …especially if you happen to be Sue P., Darla R., or Lisa B.D.! Check your email ladies! You are this week’s lucky prize winners for commenting here on my blog in the last couple of weeks. Per usual, I don’t post last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re one of these lucky winners, please be sure to check your email A.S.A.P.! You can also contact Heidi at heidin@primitivegatherings.us if you have not already received a prize confirmation letter from her. She will use your email address to confirm that you are in fact the winner! Want to be considered for a prize? All you have to do is leave me a comment. That’s really all it takes.

Alright gang, the sun is starting to go down and the end of the day anxiety I get when it’s time to wrap it up for the night is starting to set in. Time to go water my chickens and head back to Anchor Point for some supper and family time. My good friend Linda Hrcka of The Quilted Pineapple is here all the way from MI for the next few days teaching her two-day intensive machine quilting workshop to a retreat house full of lucky students. Needless to say it will be busy busy around here for the rest of the week. I will try and post some photos in the next couple of days so you can see how much fun we’re all having. Please, do your best not to get jealous… LOL! See you all tomorrow LIVE on my YouTube channel for STITCH with Lisa Bongean at 1:00 p.m. CST where I’ll tell you all about her class and how it’s going. Maybe if we’re lucky she’ll even join us! Don’t miss it. Click the button below to tune in. See you there! ~Lisa