Welcome to Ma's Got'a Notion
Here at Ma's, we got your back...quilt back, that is!!!

I am so excited to share that on Saturday, June 14, 2024, Havana Riverview Park will be the "Art in the Park" venue! You are missing a delightful time if you have not enjoyed a day in our park alongside the Illinois River. Over the years, the park has been improved several times, always adding newer and safer equipment for our entertainment, whether you are 3 or 73. There is always something going on in our park. Sitting and watching the river work is refreshing on quiet days in the park. The Illinois River is busy, and there are always plenty of things to see, from fishing boats, cabin cruisers, to many barges and tug boats! A working river is always entertaining! Did I forget to mention that the park has many shade trees, and the breeze from the river is always refreshingly cool!

I will open my studio at 106 N. Schrader St. on Saturday, June 14th, and sell my retired samples. I have not only added to the piles of quilts, runners, toppers, and wall hangings, but I have also lowered the price on many of them (all will be below the cost of what I have in them). I have accumulated so many finished quilts.  I have given away to friends and friends of extended family, and my immediate family is covered up with quilts—no pun intended! Stop by, I will have my Studio 106 N. Schrader St. open from 9:30 am - 4 pm on Saturday, June 14th. Even if you are a quilter, this is a great way to purchase a finished quilt for family or yourself.
As you know, sometimes the fabric sells faster than you can buy for your next project. This is a chance to get that fabric as a finished project! Noteworthy: I do not put labels on my sample quilts, so add your own. No one will ever know you did not make it, and I'm not telling!

I want to tell you what is happening in the park that day. Bring along a yard chair to enjoy a variety of music all day long! From 10 am to 4 pm, sit, watch, listen, or get up and walk around to enjoy the festivities. There will be items for sale in many vendor booths, and some will be live demonstrations, from photographers to painters to apparel to face painting and henna tattoos (I'm not sure what that is, but it must be popular). A working Black Smitty will demonstrate his profession, which is almost a lost art, so that will be a must-see!. Pottery-making demonstrations will be a must-see with the artisan working at their wheel! You will find that everything that is for sale that day in the park (and of course, my studio) is all handmade. Nothing will be commercially made; it will only be made by local artists, most of whom are from the surrounding area, including Fulton and Mason County. In the following paragraph, I will tell you about the food, you will not want to miss what these food trucks have made up for your feasting pleasure!

As mentioned above, we all love food, and I find that festivals usually have a mixture of items we either can't or won't make at home! Who does not LOVE lobster? I do, but I know not everybody does, but if you love lobster, you are in for a real treat if you have never visited a "Cousins Food Truck". Lobster rolls from Cousins are to die for! My CA daughter will be home for the week, and we know what we will have that day for lunch. We have already set our tummy to lobster rolls (of course, we like to purchase just a bit extra lobster for our rolls, to savor the sweetness of this rare treat). Hey, when the truck is in the area, treat yourself with the best the sea offers! Not a seafood fan, that's ok, the park that day has invited in for your feasting pleasure a BBQ truck from Cuba, Illinois. The "Food Barn" truck from Lewistown, Illinois, note: if you want to look up their menu, look for "Food Barn - Ipava" on FB. The "Food Barn" will have various foods to please anyone in the hungry crowd! 

If you haven't been in the shop for a while, stop by soon or visit my online shop. We unpack boxes of new fabrics, patterns, and wide backings almost daily. Ma's will be open on Saturday, June 14th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., too, so slip in if you have the time. All of Main St. and Plum St. in Havana have a variety of shops and restaurants that will be open that day, too. Walk down our brick streets and stroll through the shops, or stop in and have a drink. Havana is a great town to visit, shop, and have a great meal. If the park keeps you there for lunch, remember supper can be had in one of our many indoor eateries! 

Update on the hubs: In July, they will remove his aggravating gallbladder. Then in August, the plan is to (we hope to take out the 2nd stent in his pancreas, or put in a larger one to get the drainage of the fluid there gone faster). The last CT showed that it was draining well, so the surgeon said that if it continues from when the gallbladder is removed to August, then hopefully they can remove the stent, and that will be the last of the surgeries for him. He is making great strides every day. His weight is increasing. His appetite has returned, and he is now using a cane, not a walker. All small gains are welcome. Thank you to all who have been so kind as to ask about him and offer prayers. You are so appreciated, and it tickles him when I tell him he was asked about.