Hey, everyone!

At what point did “going outside” become something that required a weather report, an air quality index check, AND a heat advisory scan before committing? If you’re in Wisconsin or the surrounding area, last week made that question feel very real. Wildfire smoke rolling in from northern Minnesota and Canada had air quality hitting hazardous levels across much of the state, with haze so thick at times it just seemed to hang there… and while it has mostly cleared up in our part of the state, I was still catching a hint of something strange smelling in the air earlier today. Fingers crossed we’re through the worst of it. My heart truly goes out to everyone closer to the source who is dealing with far bigger challenges than the rest of us — I am thinking of you and sending some serious prayers!

Here at home, after a bit of rain, some cooler air, and a few windy days earlier in the week, the skies have cleared up — and thankfully, just in time for one of the biggest events of the Wisconsin summer. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, known as “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” is happening right now through Sunday, July 26th, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, WI! Hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts and pilots from all over the world make the trip to Oshkosh every year for a week of airshows, exhibits, workshops, and basically everything aviation-related you could ever imagine.

What do experimental aircraft pilots and quilters have in common? Both are creative, inventive, passionate about their craft, and willing to travel ridiculous distances to go places they truly love — like giant fly-ins and the mecca of mid-western quilt shops, for example! I’m happy to say that we’ve had more than a few AirVenture visitors find their way to Primitive Gatherings while they’re in town, which is super cool since we absolutely love getting to meet people from all over the country who might not have otherwise been able to visit us in person. In case you missed it on Facebook, as a way to say welcome to everyone who has stopped in or shopped with us online this week, we’ve been running a storewide* 20% off sale that runs through Sunday, July 26th, 2026 — shop both in-store or online! *Please note that pre-orders, subscriptions/BOMs, BERNINA, JUKI, sewing furniture, longarm services, Joyful Gatherings II, and purchases made at The Gathering are NOT INCLUDED in the sale.

If you’re someone who prefers to shop our CommentSold page rather than our regular website — good news! If you enter the code EAA2026 at checkout, you will also receive 20% OFF your order (yes, the same restrictions still apply)!

EAA AirVenture is definitely in full swing — I know because I’ve been listening to planes vroom-vroom overhead all day! Pretty neat… in fact, it’s pretty much calling my name at this point. I’m hoping to get out there this weekend sometime with my grands — maybe even tonight! It all depends on the airshow schedule. I’ll let you know how it goes. With that being said, if I don’t end up popping in tomorrow, have a great weekend and I’ll see you all next week. Happy shopping… and SHOPPING! ~Lisa