Weekly update: the most beautiful fabric in the world

(You'll need to read through to the end to find out about the most beautiful fabric in the world.)

It was a busy week that didn't include much sewing.

  On Monday our friend Pat stopped by. She was en route home to Fargo after visiting her daughter in Dayton.  She makes the trip a couple of times a year. She usually comes for dinner and spends the night but this time she arrived in time for lunch. We went out to eat and then took her to see  Shiloh House, operated by the Zion Historical Society

That evening my P.E.O. chapter met. For various reasons I hadn't been able to attend the March and April meetings.  It was good to see everyone again -- we live spread across the county so our paths don't cross. Our circle grew when we initiated two women at the meeting. 

On Tuesday the Zion Woman's Club held its year-end luncheon at an unusual restaurant, The Chocolate Sanctuary . There's a little cocoa in everything, from the soup to the salad dressing to the seasoning on the meat. (Cocoa-smoked bacon!) One of the chefs gave a demonstration on how to make lollipop chicken wings. (The lollipop refers to pulling the meat back to expose the bone. The sauce included cocoa, herbs and spices, and a splash of Jack Daniels.)   

I stopped at the Gurnee Salvation Army on the way home and bought a length of nice-quality homespun plaid for $3.99.  It turned out to be 5 yards! 

Wednesday brought another lunch out with another Pat, this one a P.E.O. I gave my quilt history program for her chapter the week before and left a couple of quilts behind.  This was the opportunity to get them back as well as to have a nice visit. 

image (c) L. Wasilowski 

"Art Quilts: the Musical" was Wednesday evening's program for the Northern Lake County Quilters Guild .  Laura Wasilowski shared her quilting journey in song!  (From her website: Join Laura in celebrating the life of a quilt artist. Listen to her adventures in quilt making and hear traditional art quilt folk songs like “Everybody Gets Rejected Sometime” and the “Minnesota Quilter’s Polka.")  

I took a dozen quilt books and magazines for the freebie table. I had firm intentions of not taking anything in exchange, but I couldn't resist. I got 3-1/2 yards of fabric (free!) and some magazines -- including the one issue of Quilt Sampler that I did not have (2001). 

Laura noted that there are  many monuments to the "unknown sewer." 

Thursday evening I gave a book review for the Women's Club of Our Lady of Humility Church. They ask me to come every spring.  I talked about eight new-this-season books. 

Friday morning I left the house shortly before 8 a.m. Destination: Champaign and the 93rd Convention of AAUW-Illinois.  The sun came out (we've had lots and lots of rain) and the traffic was light. I made it in plenty of time. Another group lunch, followed by a committee meeting that ended just before 4 p.m. The convention convened at dinnertime. The evening entertainment featured actor Jennifer Goran portraying Civil War spy Elizabeth Van Lew.  She was great!  The business sessions on Saturday went expeditiously. The keynote speaker, Amanda Simpson, talked about "authentic leadership." She is the first openly transgender person to have served in the U.S. Department of Defense. Her story was inspiring.  One afternoon workshop featured a panel of women elected officials (Champaign city commissioner, Illinois state representative, mayor of Urbana, and a U. of I. student senator). The other was "Equity and Diversity: Leading for a Culture of Inclusiveness." It wasn't as daunting as the title!   

The convention wrap-up at 4 p.m. included the drawing for the spring raffle quilt that I contribute each year.  (You've all seen En Provence.)   The winner is a member of my own branch. I emailed her to tell her and she's thrilled. The raffle raised $425 for the AAUW Fund. 

The drive home was uneventful. I left Champaign at 5 and pulled into the driveway at 8. 

Sew Sassy purchases

And now, for the most beautiful fabric in the world.  I mentioned that my Friday afternoon committee meeting ended two hours before the first dinner.  I looked up quilt shops and found Sew Sassy in downtown Urbana. It's a great shop with bright contemporary and modern prints and many batiks. There on the sale shelf was a bolt from the Painted Summer line by Lida Enche.  I discovered her fabric when I was in Seattle for the 2013 ALA Midwinter Conference. I wish I'd bought more. I just love her "painterly" designs -- the most beautiful fabric in the world!  

This week's find was serendipity. Not only was there the sale-shelf bolt (1-1/2 yards) but there were also two bolts on the floor. I bought a yard from each of those.

All of my Lida Enche stash 

I am saving these for a very special project that I haven't yet identified.  (Surely you have fabric in your stash like that.)

P.S. Linda Enche's blog ends in 2013 with no notice of newer fabric designs. Google helpfully provided links to Etsy sellers with Enche fabric and, yes, I've bought some. 

Monday linkups:

 Monday Making
Design Wall Monday
Oh, Scrap!