Hey everyone! I hope your Monday is treating you well! Weekends fly by so fast, but Mondays almost feel like they go even quicker for me… No matter how hard I try to tie up all the loose ends of work by Friday afternoon, they always seem to unravel again by the end of the weekend. That’s ok, though. I always say, job security is good! I’ll never be one to complain about being busy because as we all know, staying active and being productive is one of the keys to a long and happy existence! It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who works 40 hours a week or if you’re long retired. Doing the things in life that make you happy is super important – right along with taking time for yourself to enjoy what you love most. It’s sad, but so many people are guilty of depriving themselves of much needed “me” time. Whether that means a trip to a far away place or a simple stay-cation, they just simply avoid taking the initiative. What a shame too, considering planning a mini-vacation can be so super easy to do – especially if you’re into the quilting scene and have something like The Gathering at your finger tips – even if you’re not local!

If you’ve been to a retreat at The Gathering before, you know what a wonderful experience it is. In addition to expert hands-on instruction and incredible exclusive projects, accommodations include hotel-style rooms ranging from single to four beds, which allow us to sleep up to 25 guests at a time. While you’re here, feel free to spread out and enjoy excellent lighting, multiple steam stations, and large spacious sewing tables, conveniently equipped with electrical outlets. Not to mention, our top-notch kitchen crew will keep your tummy full with delicious homemade meals made from scratch right here at The Gathering. You can’t beat it!

Still debating on a retreat at The Gathering before summer is over? You still have time – our next retreat is coming up in August! If you’ve ever wanted to attend a basket class at The Gathering, this one’s for you. I’m super happy to announce that we are offering a series of four individual basket making classes starting August 9th through August 12th, 2023. Take your pick between a handy magazine storage basket, a quilt storage basket, a swing handle basket, a divided carry all basket, or all four!

Strapped for time? The beauty of these classes is that you can keep it short and sweet and sign up for them as individual classes as your schedule allows. Or, if you’re looking for a multi-day retreat you can sign up for all four with lodging available to suit your needs.

These classes are already filling up by word of mouth alone, so if you’re debating on signing up don’t wait too much longer! Both Gloria Parsons and Cheri Sweeney are extremely talented basket makers who love sharing their knowledge and expertise with others – not to mention they are two of the nicest most patient teachers you’ll ever meet! I personally can’t say enough good things about either of them and highly recommend taking a class with them when you can. They are truly both a wealth of knowledge that I feel lucky to have on my team… Don’t just take my word for it – sign up and see for yourself by calling Gloria at 920.778.8031!

I realize that despite our super convenient location (that just so happens to be less than ten miles from an international airport), not everyone can make it here for a retreat. That’s why we continue to work toward our goal of offering classes via LIVE stream in the near future. Though we’re not quite there yet, it is one of the next things on the list to tackle. In the meantime, you can always join me LIVE every Thursday at 1:00 p.m. CST on my YouTube channel, STITCH with Lisa Bongean where I cover any shop news, works in progress, upcoming events, new products, and more! In addition, for those of you who haven’t jumped onto the CommentSold train yet, I highly encourage you to tune in. Even if you’re not in the market for online shopping, we always have a ton of fun and great conversation. Our next episode of CommentSold will be tomorrow, Tuesday July 18th at 11:00 a.m. CST (please note time change from our usual time of 10:00 a.m.). Jess has a nice selection of wool items to talk about so if wool is your pleasure, set your reminder now! Not sure how to watch? Click HERE to read the blog post where I explain how to install the app! You’re not going to want to miss it. See you there! ~Lisa