Author: lisabongean

I live on a lake in beautiful Butte Des Morts, WI. I have three sons: Lance (forever 29), Luke 33, Jake 32, and two grand-babies, Little Man and O-Bug. I've been married to the love of my life Nick, since 1998 when we started our crazy adventure together! I am a quilter, rugger, and gardener. I also love to cook when I get the chance. Thanks for visiting and supporting Primitive Gathering Quilt Shop where I try to bring you the best Moda fabrics and wool projects anywhere!

Sewcialites 2 – Block 6 “Always Star”

Hey everyone! Back again with another exciting block release from the Sewcialites 2 Quilt-Along! This week Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms brings her creative contribution to the table with Block 6, “Aways Star.” Camille – formerly part of Bonnie & Camille, Moda’s first mother-daughter design team – is an accomplished author, quilt and fabric designer, and a fellow Moda sister of over 17 years. After working along side her mother for years she kicked off her solo career back in 2006 with her first-ever collection as a single designer, “Nantucket Summer.” Then in 2007, she published her first pattern under the Thimble Blossoms name. The rest is history!

Camille designed the Always Star block to feature traditional half-square triangles and flying geese. She said, “I’ve done several variations of this block over the years and never get tired of it! It looks great in every fabric I’ve tried and is so fun to put together.” I couldn’t agree more! This block isn’t terribly difficult but may pose some challenges for a new quilter – which is why it earned a block skill level of intermediate. Just remember, if you’re someone who has trouble with half-square triangles, you can always use my custom designed Primitive Gatherings Triangle Paper to help you along (which you can easily purchase by clicking HERE)! “Aways Star Block“ is basically a combination of squares and rectangles on the corners, flying geese, and a larger square in the center. I especially like the center square because it provides a nice opportunity for you to fussy-cut and feature your favorite fabrics or theme as the center of attention. Ready to rock this block? Get the pattern and full instructions by clicking the button below!If you’ve been following along from the beginning you most likely already know that for my blocks I’ve decided to use my Garden Gatherings fabric line, leaving out the five tans. For the background I am using a selection from the Garden Gatherings Shirtings Collection, #49176 15 – a cream fabric with an adorable tiny mustard/orange floral print. Do you think these are good choices? So far I am absolutely loving it. If you are head over heels for this fabric line and want to use it for your Sewcialites 2 quilt, simply follow the link below to shop Garden Gatherings for all the fabric you need! If you’ve already decided, let me know in the comments what fabric you chose for this quilt-along. I love seeing all the different perspective on one project. It’s so neat to see everyone’s different tastes and ideas. AND who knows, you might even win a prize for your comment!

Still trying to decide whether or not to participate in the Sewcialites 2 Quilt Along? Even though we’ve already started, don’t let that stop you from joining us! One of the best things about this quilt-along is that you can start at any time! Previously released blocks will always be posted on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page. To make it even easier you can also find them here on my blog in the Sewcialites 2 Block Archive, which is listed in the main menu of links at the top of the page.

I will be posting each new block release here on my blog every Friday for your convenience. Fabric requirements and all block patterns are posted on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page, which you can access by clicking the link below. If you’d like to get automatic updates on Sewcialites 2 you can subscribe to the blog by signing up in the Email subscription box by visiting the Landing Page, or by subscribing to the YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

Well, I’ve just been told that it’s officially the weekend, and now that it’s after five I’m allowed to go home! I will see you all Monday here on the blog, and then LIVE on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. CST on my YouTube channel for Shop Talk. Set your reminder now and click the link below to watch. See you there! Have a GREAT weekend everyone. ~Lisa

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Red & White Gatherings Has Arrived!

Yes, this fantastic news is indeed true… My highly anticipated Red & White Gatherings line has officially arrived to Primitive Gatherings – just in time for Christmas! I am super excited about this considering we have all been (im)patiently waiting for it to get here since last spring, and we weren’t quite sure when exactly we’d actually have it in our hands. If you haven’t seen it yet, just wait until you do. The Red & White Gatherings line is nothing short of marvelous if I do say so myself. The collection is made up of cream-based whites and a stunning mix of reds ranging from middle-of-the-road, to dark and deep. Print patterns include floral, linear, and geometrical designs that span from tiny to large giving you a wide spectrum of visual variety.

If you’re anything at all like me, these exciting new fabrics have your mind going in a million directions! I can imagine this versatile line being implemented into several different projects I’ve been thinking about starting. You know how I love the traditional red and white color combination (if my Red & White Quilt Challenge doesn’t prove that, I don’t know what does)! Of course, I also have a project book to go along with these yummy fabrics that contains nine unique designs (12 total quilts – some with more than one version) – all based on “Red & White Gatherings.“ If you’re looking for a bit of red and white inspiration, this book is the perfect solution!

People keep saying that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Now that Red & White Gatherings is here, I can’t agree more! When my warehouse guru Amy told me that it had officially arrived to PG, it may as well have been Christmas morning! Speaking of Amy, I am so lucky to have her holding the reins down in the warehouse. Thanks to her, just about everything is ready to rock and out for sale in the shop and online. The only thing we’re not quite finished with at this point is our kits, but those are coming along nicely and should be fully available soon. Please bear with us! Amy asks that if you are coming out to the shop for a specific Red & White Gatherings kit, please call us first at 920-722-7233 to be sure that we have it available. Ready to shop Red & White Gatherings? Click the button below to see what all the fuss is about!Want to know more? Tune in and watch me LIVE tomorrow during STITCH with Lisa Bongean at 1:00 p.m. CST on YouTube. I’ll be talking more about Red & White Gatherings along with another one of my recent fabric lines, Rustic Gatherings – which is still on sale for a limited time! Get 20% OFF pre-cuts and 15% OFF kits if you pre-order before December 5th! Click the button below to shop Rustic Gatherings!

You know, I just realized that with all the craziness going on last week I was kind of slacking in the prize department, so to make up for it I think double prizes are in order! We’ve had a lot of wonderful comments here on the blog lately and those of you leaving them deserve some credit! This week I’d like to say thanks and congratulations to Teresa E., Ganene B., Mary H., and Cheryl M.! You are this week’s lucky winners! As usual, I don’t post last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re a lucky winner this week please be sure to check your email! 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. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Ok, I think that’s enough excitement for one post so I’m going to stop here. I sure hope to see you all tomorrow for STITCH with Lisa Bongean at 1:00 CST. All you need to do to tune in is hit the STITCH button below! Hope to see you there – I have lots to talk about! ~Lisa

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Cure Your Holiday Hangover with 25% OFF Store-Wide at Primitive Gatherings!

Hey everyone, and welcome back! As usual, there is a lot going on around here today after taking some much-needed time off to celebrate the holiday. Isn’t it amazing how fast a few days can go by? It really is crazy how time flies. As most of you know, I was happy to be home at Anchor Point with Nick and my family this Thanksgiving where we spent time together relaxing and eating entirely too much – it was perfect. Good company, an abundance of delicious home-cooked food, and being able to crawl into my own bed when it’s all said and done are just about all I need to feel like I’ve celebrated appropriately. Then, just when I think I can’t stand to look at another piece of turkey, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie for one more second, “Project Leftovers” ensues immediately the next day… Gluttons for punishment we are. Ahh, and how glorious it is.

Anyway, I hope you had a great celebration with your friends and family as well. It’s always kind of tough to get back into the swing of work related things after a big holiday like that (believe me I know), but for whatever reason I was up early chomping at the bit this morning, ready to get back at it. We just have SO much going on that I get anxious in the gate if I sit around for too long. Because of the crazy amount of activity happening last week, I was pretty busy all the days leading up to Thanksgiving. I didn’t really have much time to think about Black Friday or Cyber Monday so I thought heck, let’s do something fun on Tuesday to help cure everyone’s holiday hangover. That’s why tomorrow, Tuesday November 29th we are having what I’m calling my Cyber Tuesday Hangover Sale at Primitive Gatherings! Let me give you the details… Starting at midnight, you will receive 25% OFF everything in stock – both in-store and online (offer includes regularly priced items only – offer does not include pre-ordered items, the Red & White Gatherings fabric line, Bernina products, or any other sewing machines)!

This is my way of celebrating Thanksgiving and showing how much I am thankful for all of YOU! That pretty much means that now is the perfect time for you to put a dent in your holiday shopping list and stock up on last-minute Christmas projects, stocking stuffers, and other gifts! The best news is, this sale is both in-store and online, so if you can’t make it into the shop, simply shop online!

Sometimes shopping for my fellow stitching friends can be a bit challenging, considering it seems like most of them already have everything they need. When this happens, I usually turn to our apparel and home décor items. We offer things like t-shirts and other unique tops, jewelry, home décor, festive socks, stoneware mugs, tumblers, paper goods, soaps, caramels, Christmas items, and more to choose from! You can find a great selection on our website under the “GIFTS/HOME“ tab! You can also click the button below to check it out. And remember, if you shop tomorrow you get %25 OFF. Can’t lose!

Are you ready to shop all night? I don’t know about you, but I do some of my best gift selecting in the wee hours of the morning when nobody else is awake to bother me. That also helps to keep my purchases a secret as well – LOL! Alright everybody, I’m going to head home but we’ll be back tomorrow LIVE with Shop Talk at 9:30 a.m. Jess is going to steal the show and talk all about some more super exciting news: Red & White Gatherings has finally arrived! We’re also going to be discussing another one of my recent lines, Rustic Gatherings so you don’t want to miss that. Set your reminders now and I will there in the comment section! Simply click the button below to tune in. Have a great night and see you soon! ~Lisa

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Much Ado About Stuffing…

Hey gang. Happy Hump Day and Thanksgiving eve! It’s been an easygoing day so far here at the studio, since things are finally starting to wind down now that Primitive Christmas 2022 is in the books. Thanksgiving day is just about here and many people are already on the road traveling for the big day, so I’m sure that’s another reason why it’s been a fairly quiet day. I put a pretty big dent in my “to-do” list working from home over the last couple of days, so I’m looking forward to focusing on the holiday and family time for the rest of the week. I don’t have any plans to travel, which is absolutely awesome! I’m going to be home making a big meal for my family to enjoy. I have learned over the years that traveling for the holidays is super overrated and more trouble than it’s worth, so I’m quite happy to stay put right here at Anchor Point where I belong. I mean sheesh, I spend all week working hard to pay for the place… You can’t blame me for wanting to spend my time here with my family every chance I get!

All that being said, I don’t have much to talk about today aside from wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. Please travel safely and try not to eat too much (who am I trying to kid – bring on the green bean casserole)! In case you’re out last-minute shopping today, please keep in mind that the shop here at Primitive Gatherings closed at 2:00 p.m. so our staff can get a head start on their own holiday preparations.

We will remain closed to celebrate the holiday through Sunday, November 27th and reopen for business Monday, November 28th at 10:00 a.m. CST. If you are ordering online and happen to need assistance during our time off, please call the shop at 920.722.7233 on Monday after 10:00 a.m. – there will not be anyone answering phones until then.

Alright everyone! I wish you all a very happy, safe, and cheerful Thanksgiving. I know many of you are probably headed to family gatherings that may – or may not – be a wonderful time. LOL! Just remember, life is short and you can choose your friends but not your family. Try to embrace the time you have together no matter the circumstances. Have fun and enjoy one another, and I will see you all soon! Take care. ~Lisa

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Meet Me in the Garden – Round 5: Log Cabin and Half-Square Triangles

Hey stitchers! …and just like that, there goes another weekend. It sure was a blustery one here, with temps in the single digits and windchills more typical of late January! It seemed like it snowed for about three days straight, resulting in what definitely looks – and feels –  like full-on winter out there. A bit premature, but I say bring it on – I figure it’s coming anyway. Plus, as someone who looks forward to winter sports I can say the more white stuff early on in the season, the better! Back in the good ol’ days outdoor enthusiasts could rely on huge snow dumps all season long, but these days we just don’t see the inches like we used to. Call me crazy, but I’m hoping it keeps up (at least until late February) so I can actually get out on my snowshoes this season. That is one sport you need some pretty significant fresh and fluffy snow for it to be enjoyable, so I’ll embrace it if that’s what crazy ol’ Mother Nature decides to do. Time will certainly tell!

I’m having a nice Monday and hope you are too. I’m usually at work bright and early on Mondays, but I really needed a day to work on things with no interruptions so I decided to do it from home this afternoon. My sewing room is usually the only place I can even come close to achieving real peace and quiet (even if it means locking the door) so it’s nice to work there once in a while. I wish I could take the day completely off but I’ve got plenty to do! Earlier today I stopped in at my studio to grab some things that I needed, and found a bunch of projects that I should probably give some love to instead. Along with a feeble attempt to relax a little, I’ve also been working on other random things today, including tying up some loose ends from our big weekend. As you know we just wrapped up our annual Primitive Christmas event which is always a lot of work from start to finish, with a ton of planning and organizing that goes into it. I have to hand it to my staff – now this is a group of people who know how to work together to get things done! Between the Red and White Quilt Show opening, people coming to do make-‘n-takes, the phones ringing constantly with orders coming in, and the shop being super busy with all the Primitive Christmas shoppers, everything came together like a well-oiled machine… I mean, for the most part anyway. LOL! Of course there were a few snafus here and there, but hey! They handled it like the champs they are. Never forget, I couldn’t do any of this without them. I love my staff!

During all the Primitive Christmas commotion I almost forgot that Val’s video tutorial for Round #5 of the Meet Me in the Garden Stitch-Along quietly released last week on my STITCH with Lisa Bongean YouTube Channel so I wanted to talk about that for a second today before I get back to stitching. This round is the “Log Cabin/Half-Square Triangle“ round. First and foremost, I need to mention that this is another round where you will need one of the required rulers from the previously posted Meet Me in the Garden Stitch-Along Rulers and Tools list. If you haven’t had a chance to look at that list, here it is again for your convenience…

The ruler you will need for Round #5 is called the 6″ Log Cabin Trim Tool. If you’re not familiar with this handy ruler let me tell you, you’re really going to love it! The 6″ Log Cabin Trim Tool features exclusive markings to create perfect finished Log Cabin, Half Log Cabin, or Courthouse Step blocks. What makes this tool especially amazing is that the cutting instructions for strip widths and center squares are printed right on it! This 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ tool slides easily over the fabric until pressure is applied. Then the exclusive gripper holds the fabric in place while cutting, eliminating slipping and miss-cuts! The 6″ Log Cabin Trim Tool comes with fully illustrated step by step instructions that are quickly accessible by QR code, which is also printed on the side of the tool. If you’re more of a visual learner, fear not! A video demonstration is also available. If you still need to get your 6″ Log Cabin Trim Tool, click the button above to order!

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that for this round you will be making 6″ Log Cabin, and Half-Square Triangle blocks. We will also be making flying geese. As most of you know, the Log Cabin quilt block is one of the most loved and easily recognizable quilt pattern designs, which many feel is also one of the easiest structured quilt patterns you can make as a beginner. They’re even easier when using the 6″ Log Cabin Trim Tool, and since each round is squared up before the next set of logs are added, the end results are spectacular! You can also make quick and easy work of the half-square triangles in this round by using my custom triangle paper. Need to stock up? Click the link below to check out the many sizes and types we have to offer!

Flying geese are also one of the most popular quilt building blocks out there, however, despite the fact that they seem like they should be straightforward and easy, many stitchers struggle ending up with wonky, lopsided, and undersized results. If this sounds like you, don’t worry! Despite the extra care and skill flying geese require the results are stunning, making a little extra work totally worth it. I know they might seem a little intimidating at first, but I’m confident that with the Creative Grids Ultimate Flying Geese Tool combined with Val’s top notch video tutorial, you’re going to get through this round like a pro. We believe in you! If anything, take the opportunity to sharpen your skills and maybe even learn something new. Ready to give it a shot? To get started, watch Val’s video tutorial on Round #5 at the link below!

Still thinking about joining us for “Meet Me in the Garden“ but haven’t quite decided to take the plunge? You can find all the details in the initial introduction blog post, where I take you through all the fabric and tools that you will need to participate in this stitch-along. This is a six month long project, so I highly recommend having everything you need ready prior to starting. You can read more about the stitch-along and what’s required to participate by clicking HERE!

Video tutorials for each round are posted to my YouTube channel, “Stitch with Lisa Bongean” each month on the listed release dates. They are also posted to the blog shortly after. All previously released videos can be found in the “Meet Me in the Garden Video Tutorial Archive” listed in the main menu of links at the top of the blog. You can also watch the intro video to Meet Me in the Garden by clicking the button below. If you have any questions feel free to email the shop at store@primitivegatherings.us and we’ll be happy to help!

Of course, if you have any other questions regarding the “Meet Me in the Garden“ SAL – or on anything else for that matter – feel free to post them in the comment section here on the blog and I will do my best to answer them!

That’s all for today everyone. Be sure to set your reminders for Shop Talk with Shelley tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. CST! As always we’ll be talking about any new and exciting news, and announcements along with some winter favorites we think you might be interested in seeing. You don’t want to miss it… Hit the button below to tune in! See you there! ~Lisa

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